The Subtle Spirituality of Paris

Since moving to Paris, I've been surprised by the lack of a solid spiritual community. My experiences with Parisians about my profession as a tarot reader range from hilarious to extremely insulting. 

With over a year of living here, I was ready to give up on finding my spirit tribe until a friend, who is also a spiritual entrepreneur, invited me to go to Salon Zen with her. Like me, she was craving to see what Paris has to offer within the spiritual space.

For thirty-seven years Salon Zen served as a free week-long conference to discuss major social and personal development issues within a fast-changing world. This year, however, Salon Zen decided to highlight the theme of spirituality for the first time. 

Naturally, I was excited to go. So, the morning of September 28th, I woke up early, put on my beat-up Nike shoes and hiked over to the seventeenth arrondissement.

I found myself strolling through a Parisian urban garden leading to the Espace Champerret, far from the six-inch stilettos on the Fashion Week catwalks.

In line, all kinds of people were standing in the early morning chill: older men and women wearing elegant linen outfits, students with backpacks and sneakers, Africans with wooden rods and incense, and many more who seemed like they were going to a Patagonia convention rather than a spiritual conference. 

As we waited for our tickets to be scanned, various businesses were handing out brochures like the Gallery of Minerology and Geology, grocery stores promoting their organic produce, and teachers offering one-to-one courses in Qigong, an ancient Chinese system of movement associated with martial arts.

After my ticket was scanned, I ran down the escalator and was immediately hit with the heavy smell of incense and an array of crystal stands. As I browsed the table labeled "Stoneland Madagascar," I saw rows upon rows of polished crystals, raw clusters, stone eggs, bracelets, charms and pendants. 

While looking for a new bracelet, I overheard one of the sellers speaking to an interested buyer, emphasizing destressing, protection and shielding from negative energies. Other attendees were asking questions related to depression, stress and fatigue. The owners of Stoneland Madagascar reminded them that lithothérapie – crystal healing – does not replace psychological therapy. They nonetheless recomended tourmaline for protection from negative energy or rose quartz for self-love.

As I walked through the aisles of cloth-covered stands, I noticed a pattern: from the healing crystals to the Tibetan singing bowls, boxes of incense and massage tables, the offerings seemed to be focused on healing and protection, especially from negative energy. Countless times, I overheard merchants reassuring potential customers that yes, this salt lamp will clear the air of their apartment from the negative vibes of their angry neighbor. This ceramic hamsa amulet or coffee mug will ward off negative dreams while an intricate flower of life plaque will create a good ambiance in any room it is placed. 

I passed people attending meditation sessions, receiving massages and drinking a mysterious blue tonic that aims to detoxify their body. I also saw people using a magnetic acupuncture wand from TeraForce to identify energetic blockages on their body. 

For that day, the conference topics included pain and muscle memory, astrology for finding one’s life path and how to detoxify one’s body using vegetable juices. 

After spending a few hours at Salon Zen, I began to understand what spirituality means in Paris. The emphasis was on prioritizing one’s emotional health, especially when it comes to stress.

Totally bummed out but not at all surprised, I decided to leave Salon Zen and complain to my friends back in the United States.

But then, I came upon the witches!

One woman, dressed in all black and hovering over a lonely stand that looked like it hadn’t seen a customer since the conference began, was selling witchy inspired fragrances. She had a giant pentagram as the logo of her brand to signify her allegiance. Notably, people were avoiding her like the plague. 

Further on, I came across another woman – the owner of La Fée Spagyria – who was selling Bach flower essences and Schuessler salts. I had never heard of this before, but they are essentially steam distilled flower petals mixed with salt that are claimed to help solve emotional issues.

Curious, I asked her to recommend remedies for me. She requested my name and birthday, took hold of my hand and waved her arm to sense which product I needed. Funnily enough, she chose three small vials that focus on entrepreneurialship, creativity and increased spiritual access. Her choices were pretty accurate, if you ask me.

On the east side of the salon near the exit, a small cadre of psychics and tarot card readers were housed. They sat at one long lunch table, huddled like sardines in a can, while clients asked questions about their lives in rushed, hushed tones. Honestly, the atmosphere was a bit sad, as if the clients were embarrassed to be seen.

This area was sparsely populated, showing exactly what spiritually-minded Parisians think of psychics and witches in general. 

Believing that crystals - a physical object - can heal and protect you from harm is one thing, but believing that a person can predict the future is another.

There were many sellers, like Life’s Code, who regularly told their potential buyers that their recipes were developed scientifically by trained sage-femmes. The phrase ‘c’est logique’ was constantly repeated, almost like a prayer to reassure clients that they still had one foot on the ground of reality. 

This theme was further crystallized by my final interaction at the conference the next day. 

The Sunday crowd was a bit smaller and more sober. The talks were focused less on astrology and more on personal development.

As I was leaving, I stumbled across a spiritual education business called L’École des Secrets that offers classes on a variety of esoteric subjects: tarot reading, animal communication, reiki and numerology.

Finally! I found something in my wheelhouse.

However, when I asked if they offer psychic development courses, the owner hastily replied in English, ‘No, of course not!’ as she handed me the brochure. I walked away towards the exit, feeling a bit jarred by the contradiction.

Apparently, psychic communication is a step too far past being an animal whisperer. 

I was happy to discover that yes, spirituality does exist in Paris. However, in Paris, the occult is at the bottom of the barrel, only worthy of dark corners and cramped spaces where no one can see. Whereas in New York City, you can plainly see palm and tarot readers advertising their services on the sidewalks with no shame.

Neither is wrong per se, but another sign that Paris and New York is a tale of two very different cities.