Everyday Alchemy

It is hard to find a spa along the Front Range without some sort of herbal wellness offering or holistic treatment. Social media is full of clips with influencers talking about tarot and the myriad uses of crystals. No longer solely something for hippies and other counterculture enthusiasts, modern spirituality outside a church offers people a path back to nature as they seek a place in an increasingly digital world.

Near the corner of Broadway, on the bricks of Pearl Street Mall, down a tantalizing set of stairs next to the Ben & Jerry’s, The Lighthouse Boulder has beckoned curious wanderers into a world of tarot, metaphysics, psychic visions, and holistic mysticism since 1986. The original owners of The Lighthouse retired, but local psychic and metaphysics educator Geena and her husband purchased the bookstore to keep the institution alive. The pair own other metaphysical businesses around the state, so taking on The Lighthouse made sense. 

“I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing such a landmark business be lost. We really want to bring spirituality in all intuitive realms into a mainstream daily practice,” Geena says. “The purpose and mission of The Lighthouse is so that people have a place to go to become part of a spiritual community—so they don’t walk this journey alone—and can find the knowledge they need.”

Not two blocks away, Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary & Supply offers education on botanical medicine, history, spirituality, and more, in addition to its natural skincare products and seemingly countless jars of neatly labeled herbs. Founded by Rebecca Luna in 2004, the apothecary has grown into a community resource for those seeking natural medicines for both the body and mind. 

The current owner, Amber Graziano, has worked closely with Rebecca over the past 15 years to shape the apothecary’s vision. In that time, she’s had the opportunity to observe how their clientele has grown with them. Compared to a decade ago, the folks walking through the doors are more diverse and have different needs. People want to understand more about plant medicine, showing their curiosity for magical properties as much as for sustainable skincare. 

“People are definitely looking for ways to get some ownership of their health back into their own hands,” Amber explains. “They come in wanting to make their own lotions, or to speak with an herbalist to make their own custom herb and oil blends. Sometimes it’s based on a specific scent, but sometimes it becomes more ritual-based, working with a change in the seasons or a change in life.”

These places aren’t limited to just the streets of Boulder either, and Rebecca’s is no longer the sole apothecary in the county. In Lafayette, the Little Herbal Apothecary offers everything from workshops to private parties. Main Street in Longmont has not one but two apothecaries within blocks of each other. Magic Fairy Candles to the north, and Blackbird House a few blocks south. 

Kirsty York and Taylor Hood own Blackbird House together, marrying their shared passions for art, nature, and spirituality. With Longmont’s more rural history, Taylor was a little surprised to find how well the shop was received. The interior is full of taxidermy specimens and lush with plant life, something Taylor attributes to local curiosity. The spell kits blend right in with precious stones and natural oddities.

For Kirsty, nature-based spirituality makes sense. Nature is tangible, observable, and easier to connect with every day. The same curiosity that draws people in to get close to wildlife and inspires awe at the sight of looming mountain peaks fosters a sense of wonder and some things that run deeper.

“I think we all have a love of nature, and a deep curiosity about it,” Taylor says. “We have this mounted bison, and you’re not going to get that close to one ever. People can actually get up close and appreciate it.”

“I see a resurgence of people seeing the consequences of climate change, and I think people—like myself—feel some responsibility to protect nature and understand it,” Kirsty says. “People see what’s happening in the world and want to connect with it, turn back towards it.”

Connection and pathfinding are common threads on a spiritual quest, and card readers offer unique opportunities to gain perspective. Shifra has been a practicing tarot and oracle reader since the ’90s and is currently found at Blackbird House on weekends. In her experience, interest in tarot has shifted from occultism and divination to something more introspective and meditative. Shifra’s readings help her clients reflect on synchronicity and how the symbolic elements in the cards reflect their journey.

“When I started, the cards were for reading the future—that’s what we did with the tarot,” Shifra says. “Now it’s more archetypal, psychological. We use tarot not for predicting the future but for creating it.”

Exploring archetypal aspects and helping people connect with their sacred masculine and feminine energies is what drove Niki Dewart and Elizabeth Marglin to create their Wild & Sacred decks. The intent is to give readers space to explore their “selves” through symbolism, blending nature and spirituality, so that they can free themselves from sanctioned traits tied to their gender.

“To work with an oracle deck is to suspend the defense of rationality and encourage the unconscious to be open to the mysterious and numinous dimension of life in which the language of intuition is given a chance to speak,” Elizabeth says.

“Every human harbors a hunger for insight. While oracle decks are divinatory tools, they are for everyone,” she adds. “By inviting a diversity of symbols, they offer a doorway for each person to enter and find connection.”

As these apothecaries, oracles, and mystical libraries take root in busy downtowns, more and more people can explore those connections. Being in a space where curiosity is encouraged can be powerful in itself.

Explore the natural spirit

The Lighthouse Boulder
1201 Pearl St., Boulder
thelighthouseboulder.com

Rebecca’s Apothecary
1227 Spruce S.t, Boulder
rebeccasherbs.com

Blackbird House
439 Main St., Longmont
instagram.com/blackbirdhouselongmont

Magic Fairy Candles
634 Main St., Longmont
magicfairycandles.com

Wild & Sacred Decks
elizabethmarglin.com/wild-sacred-oracle-decks