As soon as you walk into Alchemy Arts, you're greeted by candles ever-burning in the entryway, and incense wafting through the musky space, filtering the sunlight in which the resident cats are dozing. It's cool and comfortably shabby, with hand-written signs and objet d'arts carefully displayed throughout. Soft, strange music plays from an old CD player, flanked by jars of rabbits' feet and other various talismans. The obligatory apothecary jars full of herbs and spices line the back wall, and hand-mixed vials of intention oils sit neatly by the register. The owner is more than happy to offer (surprisingly even-handed) advice, or simply allow you to peruse... you will leave smelling of incense, with his blessings. I used to live within two blocks of this place, which has a convenient location not far from the Bryn Mawr Red Line stop, and I really miss it! As for the products: the book selection is not enormous, but is extremely esoteric, and fairly priced from the comparisons I've done online. With some exceptions, the product offering changes often, which is a great treat these days. I've gotten unusual stocking-stuffers, housewarming gifts, and excellent books here. I've never been disappointed. Enter with respect and an open mind, and this happy little haven of eccentricity and peace will grow on you. [I've never worked here, nor am I related to anyone who does. I just honestly enjoy it.] read more

The best. Gentle. Knowledgeable. Spent $158 first thing on a Sunday morn and was very happy. Blessings !

I love this place Ken and Amanda are amazing people and I recommend this place to anyone I come here every week!!

My go to shop. They have everything you could possibly need in stock and more. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Awesome energy. read more

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I went here with my fiancee, who has an interest in these kinds of things. I mostly stick to collecting my gemstones and crystals, which they had a very small assortment of, but that's ok, I understand it isn't a stone specific store. They had lots of candles, incense, plenty of books, a whole big rack of freshly dried herbs, necklaces, pendants, amulets. They even had some really old weird looking pagan books that caught my eye. The Ken guy (I got his name from other reviews) was nice and friendly, kind of reminded me of a pagan version of my dad. He did smoke cigarettes and talk on the phone a lot though. But on the other hand he was really nice to my kids and even gave them a couple free cards to keep them entertained when they started getting bored. There were a few weirdos in the store, talking about using dude's backroom for some kind of ritual they were doing, which was just kind of weird to me, but whatever. And there was this really creepy looking cat sitting around in this strange demon pagan throne, my fiancee and kids thought it was cute but it looked like it had a disease to me. When my son picked up a burnt up incense stick form some pagan ritual cup one of the weirdos felt inclined to tell me that he shouldn't, because it was "a gift to the gods". Look, if you want to be some weirdo pagan and do all this pentagram stuff that's cool, but don't go around telling other people's kids that touching the burnt out incense sticks around the demon chair is going to offend some kind of demon gods, because that shit's just creepy, ok? Save your insane crap for other insane people. Anyway, to finish up here, it was a nice store, my fiancee found herbs she couldn't find anywhere else and a book about chakras and auras she absolutely loves. The owner was a really nice guy who probably shouldn't smoke so much and the shop smelled like incense and was nicely maintained, even if a little bit disorganized. I would've liked to see more stones especially since the website lists them as one of the store's main supplies but whatever, not a big deal. I give it a 4. read more

Stopped in during a recent trip to Chicago. They have a great and unique selection of spiritual material -- candles, decor, books and readings, and more. Much of the products center around Wicca, Magic, and mystical topics, so if that's what you're looking for, it's definitely worth stopping in. One of the coolest atmospheres I've ever been around for these kinds of things! read more

I love there books great store!! The owner is nice definitely will come back to pick up more Wiccan stuff. read more

I was able to find a variety of materials that I was needing. From the shop cat to the shop employees, everything about my experience was fantastic. read more

It has taken me a couple of weeks to get this review out, but better late than never! I absolutely love this place! I have yet to meet the owner (who I've read and heard nothing but great things about), but the two women who were working the day I went in were absolutely wonderful. Great personalities, so helpful, and very knowledgeable. And patient I might add! Since I was in there with my 1 year old who isn't always the quietest haha The selection is wide, and I found everything I needed. I will definitely keep coming back. read more

Alchemy Arts is a great place to serve your mystical needs. Practitioners of all kinds will find they have a good selection of items to choose from, and if not in stock, they work hard to order what you need. From everything like an extensive and affordable selection of herbs, incenses and candles of every color, altar decorations, to dowsing weights, scrying crystals, rune stones, mini-cauldrons, an assortment of charms, and of course a great collection of Tarot decks; Alchemy Arts has it all. Not only that, but their book selection has many classic texts of ceremonial magic, witchcraft, voodoo, metaphysics, spiritual philosophy, Freemasonry, Golden Dawn, Thelema, Wicca/Neopaganism, and much more. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner, there's something for you. The staff will always be helpful finding what you need and is knowledgeable about good authors and subjects to point you in the right direction if you need it. Don't be afraid to call the store to ask questions or to come in and look around, you'll be sure to find something even if you're curious. read more

Also known to me as 'My Frankincense and Myrrh Shop'. Great place, helpful, knowledgeable, and non-pushy staff. Store kitten, Lucy, is super friendly and getting bigger by the hour. read more

I wish I lived closer to Edgewater because I absolutely love this store. They're always stocked up on everything I am looking for. They have an amazing book selection and even though it's a smallish store, I could spend hours just browsing. I seriously love this place so much. Always great vibes and it's just so interesting. I wish I could work here! read more

Great place and location. First place I have bought incense primarily from.

Such a great place. Love the owner, he is so sweet and helped me find what I needed as it was a gift and I was out of my element. He obviously is a fixture in the neighborhood and also gave me lots of info to someone who was (at the time) relatively new to living around the Bryn Mawr/Broadway area. Definitely pop in there as much as I can or as I need..definitely could spend more than I want to admit in there! read more

This is the only place I buy my incense from! They have a wide variety of quality scents at low prices. You will also find a delightful staff and an adorable cat to play with while you check out :) read more

Very cute little store, great selection of metaphysical items and very friendly staff.

It is with heaviest of hearts to update only to announce that when I went in the other day, I heard news of the lovely Lady Frieda, the staple store cat, having passed. Life lost, but the legend still stands; she was the sweetest door-greeter around. The store, as usual, is my mainstay for incense, and comparatively cheap drams of essential oils. I still come here anytime I'm in the city and urge others to do the same, despite the loss of a precious mainstay. read more

Wonderful staff, welcoming energy. I purchased my first tarot deck today and I found the two sales associates to be very knowledgable and patient. I learned that they have events at the store so I'm looking forward to checking those out too. I'll be back soon. read more

I love this place. I enjoy reading tarot and oracles and I buy crystals here as well. The owner is very nice and I enjoy visiting from time to time to check out what they have :) would recommend read more

Lucy is a hard worker. It's tough to walk around sniffing, playing with toys, and taking naps. She deserves a raise!

Hi: I found the address and brief synopsis about the Shoppe called,"Alchemy Arts" in the Reader newspaper. I went to the shoppe needing some supples to Put Together a Money Drawing Seal. The Older man helped my in a congenial manner. I left in in a good mood that I bought just what I needed. I'll go back to that sh oppe soon. JS read more

I was involved in may things in this area in the early 1970's. I am not any more but this place reminds me of the old days and they seem to know what they are speaking about. Very knowledgeable on the subjects. I like the hand made soaps. They have a medium sized collection of books that is much larger than the ones from my days. Prices are not outrageous either. Not only are the people interesting but the place is clean and smells wonderful but a place that sells so much incense has to be. You will love the cat. read more

This shop is one of the things I really miss about Chicago. The owner, Ken, and his select crew cultivate a good community vibe; they carry the things the community needs and gives them space to grow and share knowledge and friendships. He's a kind, knowledgeable, open-minded and easy going guy with a kind demeanor, and an understated intelligence. Sweet, funny, insightful, non-egotistical. This is why SOME specialty shops in various areas - niche market books, music, gaming, comix, liquor - still thrive in the age of the internet - they serve as a home base for communities - so you can meet peers in your area of geekiness, enjoy their company and converse with them, share insights, generally be peers. So people get banned? Such is life, not everyone is going to harmonize with every community: some people strive to be disruptive to certain communities for whatever reason. (crazies, crusading fundies, various & sundry drama llamas, ) Ken once mentioned that there are two kinds of occult shops - reader and non reader shops - reader shops cater to readers - people making money off charging people for their occult services, and non-reader shops that sell items and let people host gatherings. Can you guess which kind this is? Managing the crowd in this kind of scene is no mean feat - to say you get a diverse group of people is an understatement. Keeping things fun for everyone and worthwhile for people with extremely diverse preferences and wishes - being accommodating of that diversity without alienating people or allowing unwholesome or otherwise problematic people to throw a monkey-wrench in the works takes some serious wisdom, diplomacy & good will. Ken has all of these. (What he practices or "believes in" himself is irrelevant. It's better for the community that he doesn't take center stage or set himself up as a guru. If you want actual help in finding things YOU believe in or enjoy, in exploring your OWN interests, he's on your team in the search. If you really think what HE "believes" is so very important... What, are you writing a book? maybe you need to take a trip through the world of Chaos Magick. Belief might not mean what you believe it means. Also, mind your beeswax.) Sometimes the cat boxes get whiffy - such is life. Not my personal favorite thing, but it's part of the occult bookstore ambiance that I've gotten used to it. I ran a Heathen Book Club here for years, and have great memories of friends made, insights, and good times had around a table in the shop. I never charged money but did pass the hat for snacks and materials. Once a year we did a mini-fest there, the Skaldic Arts Party, what a hoot. They carry jewelry, altar stuff, stones and herbs, statuary and such, and a very nice selection of new and used books, (Zen, Native American, Wicca, Goddess, Faerie, Pagan, Heathen, Druid, Vodoun, Chaos, Satanic, Skeptic, Herbalism & Natural Healing, Orgone / Weird Science, UFO, Vampire / Necromantic, Gnostic, Ceremonial... pretty much the gamut of modern occultism is well represented with both introductory mass marker texts and classic and rare stuff for the deep delver.) as well as calendars, planners, select art and history books, eclectic / pagany kinds of housewares, just loads of fun stuff. AND they can give you the straight story on any of that stuff. I bought some beautiful art books, trinkets for my kid, an Asatru text or two, and even a little bizarre satanic fiction, in addition to loads of herbs and incense. A sweet little gem of a store, and a home base for the unorthodoxically curious. read more

Discovered this lovely place over the weekend on a quest for smudging sage. The owner (and I assume his wife) were absolutely beautiful souls. They allowed me snuggle their kitty a little during my visit which made me very happy. They were very helpful in finding the items I needed. Even got some candles. The place is clean and well organized. Also smells excellent. Happy to have discovered this place. read more

Best Occult Store in Chicago. They have everything you can think of. They also have a great book selection. Moreover, you can view most of their tarot cards in their viewing binder before you choose one, which helps a lot. Wonderful customer service too. Lucy the cat is the cutest, but please be aware that she doesn't want to be pet on her stomach. read more

I stopped in on my trip to Chicago from Detroit and was pleasantly surprised that this isn't one of those sanitized new age stores you typically run across. This place is the real deal with tons of herbs and candles for different work. The book selection was very impressive because there were tons of books on Voodoo and Hoodoo that you don't typically find in stores. The selection was amazing and if I had unlimited funds and space, I would have invested in all of them. Instead, I picked up a fascinating little book on Marie Laveau that I cannot wait to start reading. Honestly, I enjoyed visiting this store more than some of the Voodoo shops down south. This place has useable items rather than touristy types of things. Yes, there's the great selection of incense and tons of Tarot decks as well, but one thing I was happy to not see an over abundance of were stones. They have the ones you need, but not the impulse buy ones. It seems like most shops lately have turned into rock shops, but this place has not. If you're not from the area, or not visiting, they have an extensive online store as well, so make sure to check it out. read more

I live far (Rockford, IL.) and I've been to his shop over 10 times. My husband is in a wheelchair and he saw us out the window headed in and he came outside and offered to help my husband inside in the wheelchair. No place is going to do that for you. Ken is beyond great and is an original personality. His home made incense cannot be beat. His products really work. His prices are excellent. He remembers me every time! read more

This is a good place for those who are looking to really get into anything occult, but not for someone with the "just for fun" attitude. If you have something very specific in mind, the folks at this store will be happy to assist you in finding something to meet your needs or special ordering anything if they do not have it in stock. Interesting collection of books, a lot to choose from down the Chaos, Crowley, Black Magick and Egyptian veins. Also, I found some fascinating books discussing astrology, astronomy, and numerology. This isn't really a frou-frou new age pagan shop. They do sell candles, incense, oils, and pendants as well as things like monkey skulls, snake ribs, statues and pendants. Self-lighting charcoal! Great for the serious and seasoned practitioner, this shop is not really geared for someone just there to browse. read more

This is an amazing place. An occult shop of the "old tradition" before the age of Internet mail order. Indeed, one of the few outlets of it's kind left in the world. A MUST to stop at whenever one is in Chicago. A temple to the evolution of the human heart, mind, and soul. read more

I've been going here for the last couple of months. I mostly go in for incense, sage, bath salts and soaps. Great and positive energy!

Love this place!!! The shop owner is always very friendly, and his willingness to help makes this shop a destination worth traveling for. Shout out to the other lovely ladies that work there as well, they're always happy to answer questions on spells, books, crystals, anything Wicca... they do it all! If you're looking for a specific ingredient for a spell, make this your first stop. read more

This place is awesome. I come here for sage and stones from time to time...and sometimes just to browse. Ken is great and always super friendly. Very laid back store - and the cat is a plus. read more

Wonderful place, well worth the trip I had to take to get there. They had just about everything I needed in stock and some things I didn't know I need. All in all I was super satisfied with what I found. read more

Looking to cast a spell? Occult material? Witch books, herbs, incenses and magickal items? You can find them here. read more

Alchemy Arts - Spiritual Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm so glad I found this place. I was looking for things for smudging and the owner I believe which is the gentleman that sits behind the counter was super helpful and honest about everything. I love coming in here and enjoying the positive vibes and of course LUCY! Lucy is the store cat who makes your trip there worthwhile as she smothers you with love! read more

This is an occult store- not a new age store. If you are into hard core occultism, this is your place. They have a nice selection of herbs, the oils and incense are amazing and the book selection is wonderful. They have some great hard to find gems such as the Equinox. My husband and I over the years have spent a small fortune here but have not been dissapointed. read more

I could not love this cozy little shop anymore than I do! I have been coming here for years and always leave a well satisfied and well stocked up little witch. The owner is as nice as could be and always able to answer any questions you may have, I find that to be a very important factor and sadly not always the case these days. Recently I have moved further away so my travel by L is a bit of a journey for me but the end result is so well worth the time. I do hope they never go away! read more

I absolutely LOVE this store. Careful when you walk in with no money because you may be tempted to buy everything in the store! Last time I paid a visit to Alchemy Arts, I purchase a statue of Gya (Mother Earth) and its my favorite art piece. Prices are fair and the selection is rare! Witches and Wizards... do you dare? read more

This place is great.. The guy and his girlfriend are the nicest people. You can find all kinds of stuff here and it is worth the drive from wherever you are coming from . They know what they are talking about and are very informative. Very helpful and offer suggestions to things you are interested to. I have also been to a few of the workshops they have held. Nice place, nice people... check it out. read more

Popped in a few times for books, essential oils, my first tarot deck--always a really friendly exchange with the owner and store cat. Great place! read more