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Photo: Molly Beauchemin

L.A.’s House of Intuition Weds Intuitive Healing with The Metaphysical

“Your intuition led you here.”

The message is painted in slender white letters along a low, black concrete wall; beside it, an arrow directs visitors towards a stairway camouflaged between a tall wall and an overgrown garden. At the top is simply-built home, inside of which resides one of Los Angeles’s best resources for all things metaphysical: House of Intuition.

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With everything from delicate pewter faery wands to violet water to zodiac candles to obscure crystals, HOI is a must-visit destination for healers, amateur and professional alike. Downstairs, in the adjoining building, is the Temple of Intuition, where workshops take place, cover a broad range of spiritual topics– from Reiki certifications to Arboretum Mysticum (whose philosophical principles operate around the Qabalistic Tree of Life). For those who’d rather leave their metaphysical wellness to the professionals, a team of healers, each from different backgrounds– African-Cuban folklore, Incan medicine, Qabalah to name a few– can be booked. (When GC was there, the phone pretty much never stopped ringing.) Even those who are remote aren’t left out; with HOI’s recently-launched multimedia platform, anyone anywhere can dive in to metaphysics, magic, and transformation that the shop currently offers.

Photo: Molly Beauchemin

“In 2007, I went through what many others were going through during this time: we lost our our home, cars, and our business to the market crash, and ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Desperate to find answers, clarity and direction, we went to a Tarot reader. We went through a transformation of spirituality that began with that first reading and by 2010 we wanted to give back what we had received. The rest is history,” Marlene Vargas describes of her early days with fellow co-founder and life partner Alex Naranjo.

“Growing up with a Catholic background, I always questioned Catholic traditions. Some things just didn’t sit right with me,” Naranjo picks up. “So as I got older, I began my spiritual journey seeking what felt right for my soul. Throughout my journey, I realized I didn’t have to conform to one single belief system. I decided I would create my own spiritual tradition by taking things that resonated with me from many spiritual and religious practices.”

Photo: Molly Beauchemin

True to the pair’s vision, House of Intuition has an eclectic vibe about it, with objects from traditions from around the world sitting comfortably on shelves beside each other. In the back of the store are bookcases filled with a comprehensive mix of instructional handbooks (like guides to tarot card reading or lucid dreaming) and fiction (like the defining fantasy work [easyazon_link identifier=”0345350499″ locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”gardcoll03-20″]Mists of Avalon[/easyazon_link]). Nestled on the lowest shelf is the shop cat, whose eyes do for sadness what Grumpy Cat’s did for grumpiness.

More than anything, HOI is approachable; even those with no experience in mysticism feel comfortable exploring the different products around the shelves to discover what does or doesn’t resonate with them. To LA Weekly, Vargas described the space as a “spiritual detox center” where authenticity to Self trumps all else (true to its call, “Your intuition lead you here” outside). There is a bustling, alive quality to HOI that invites one in, but the shop maintains an openness, encouraging guests rather than directing them. As Vargas says: “Keep an open mind always. Don’t stand in your own way, and go with the flow of the Universe. Know when to make changes and know when not to!”

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