I visited Berry in NSW again over the weekend and made sure I stopped by one of my favourite pagan stores, Shambalaa. I should note, that if you do visit Berry looking for the Shambalaa I write about here, well, they have two stores in Alexandra St, Berry. I’m not sure which one is which number wise, but if you’re heading south toward Nowra, the paganesque store is on the left, on Alexandra St, off the Princes Hwy (or whatever it is named once it becomes the main St in Berry – probably Berry St funnily enough) The other Shambalaa (to the right in the same street) has more balinesian and indonesian inspired clothing and homewares. Worth a visit, but not the same pagan store I’m talking about here. Look for the ice-creamery on the Corner of Alexandra & Berry Sts. The pagan one is there and what pagan doesn’t like ice-cream? You’ll find it.
So now we know which one we’re talking about, the paganeque Shambalaa is fabulous. These kinds of stores are a rarity these days. A little curios shop, packed to the rafters with all sorts of pagan, new-age, faerie, wiccan, angelic, gothic odd and sods – books, candles, jewellery, crystals, cauldrons, incense, music, a thousand tarot packs of different kinds and one of the best pagan statutory collections I’ve ever seen in one spot – wasn’t at a friend’s place gracing their altar. It’s a collection with recommended retail value stickers on the bottom of each piece! You can leave with whatever you can afford rather than feeling jealous that your pagan mates have awesome statues that they picked up a million years ago in an occult store now long closed and out of business. Shambalaa have wall plaques, sconces, statues for shelves, shrines, altars etc. Most are suitable for indoor-only display, but there would be the odd few that would be ok for an outdoor shrine as well. They range in size from about an inch tall to knee-height. They’ve also got art, posters, paintings and all sorts of wall hangings and decorations. Don’t forget to look up and around your head as you explore the shop.
On this trip, I eyed off a particularly gorgeous example of Pan & his Nymphs done in fauz bronze finish – you know, heavily inspired the famous painting ‘Nymphs and Satyr’ by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1873. It’d look awesome on my hall table or on another altar. I didn’t buy it, instead preferring to source a few more statue ideas for the manager to seek out for me and I’ll put in a mail order soon, hopefully before Giftmas.
I did buy a gorgeous heavy little athame (stainless steel silver blade with pewter handle), a Moon Diary for 2010 (the ones produced in Bellingen, I’ve been using them since 1998 – they’re fabulous) and a kitschy pentagram key ring. Oh if you’re a fan of Peter Stone jewellery – Shambalaa say they are the largest stockist in Australia.
Shambalaa don’t have a website, but they are open 7days and have a good old fashioned phone number – try calling Andrea Diamond on 02 4464-1916.
