The terms “pagan” and “occult” encompass a pretty big range of beliefs and practices. While these four Seattle shops are unified by an overlapping mystical vibe, they don’t necessarily subscribe to the same traditions. Here’s why you should visit them this season.
Gargoyles Statuary
🗿 This place has been a landmark on the Ave for over 30 years. It’s chock full of mystical-looking statues (there’s even a fountain in the back!) along with a bevy of occult-adjacent items like incense, books, and skull-centric art. One of the coolest spaces in Seattle.
Know before you go: Gargoyles requires patrons to wear a mask and provides (black, naturally) facemasks at the door. It’s a small shop, and you may be asked to wait outside if it’s at capacity.
Tenzing MoMo
🌿 Tenzing MoMo says that it’s the oldest and largest “herbal apothecary” on the West Coast, and we’ll take it at its word. If you’re seeking any kind of herbal remedy, tea, incense, or related item, check it out on the ground level of Pike Place Market. And if you don’t know exactly what you want, the staff can help you find it.
Know before you go: While you’re at Pike Place, check out Gem Heaven for its selection of rocks and crystals, and Tarot Crow. Both are in the DownUnder area.
Mudlark Oddities
👺 Incongruously, Seattle’s most intense antique store is in the middle of Ravenna. Mudlark carries things like skulls, black velvet paintings of Satan, and all manner of things that look vaguely cursed. Hang out here long enough, and you may become odd yourself.
Know before you go: The bulletin board outside Mudlark is a treasure trove of interesting flyers, including ones asking, “Have you died?” and “Are you human? Would you like to be something else?”
Ghost Gallery
👻 This long-standing art gallery has a particular focus on mystical and otherworldly art. It also sells jewelry, crystals, and tarot decks.
Know before you go: Ghost Gallery is on the second floor of Pacific Place, making it probably one of the few places in a mall where you can get a tarot reading.
