23 Enigma

Oh an occult shop, how retro! 34 Enigma is Glasgow’s oldest occult shop yet it was only established in 1995 so like Marj mentioned the whole angels, crystals and witchcraft thing is very 90s!
I consider myself to be open minded and I am a big fan of Brazillian writer Paulo Coelho’s work which is very spiritual so I thought I’d take a wonder around 23 Enigma and see what the hap is. It was a Saturday afternoon and I ended up getting talking into having a reading with in house psychic tarot reader Kara. It was very relaxed and almost sort of logical and not like some bizarre travelling circus act full of smoke and mirrors. Without going into too much detail some of the things Kara said rung alarming true with me. I’m not 100% convinced by the whole tarot thing but it was an interesting experience none the less and I’d recommend it to anyone who is willing reserve judgement.
As for the shop itself I liked a lot of the items they had for sale to use ornaments or decoration for my flat rather than feeling an affinity with any meaning behind them. I’ve always been interested in Ancient Egyptian culture and really liked the statues of Egyptian Gods such as Isis. Some things were a little bit too wacky for me though, such as the crystal balls complete with incredibly ornate stands! They looked very pretty but creeped me out a little bit!
Overall 23 Enigma is one of only a few shops of its kind left and the staff are very nice and knowledgeable and didn’t seem bothered that I wasn’t big into the whole divine meaning behind everything and was just having a nosey!

Enigma reminds me very much of the Pagan orientated, incense fragranced shops of the 90s (for Glasgow locals, think of the deceased Eurasia Crafts on Great Western Road). It’s perfect for anyone who consigns themselves to Paganism, with an offering of Wicca books, Celtic ornaments and Claddah rings. Aside from its Celtic undertones, it also sells fairy paraphrenalia, from ornate metal figurines to large mirrors with fairies dancing prettily around the frame.
If you’re into tarot cards, ouigi boards or anything remotely connected to the phenomenon of psychic studies, there are various books to help you on the way of honing your craft, not to mention sets of tarot cards and palm reading devices. There are information pamphlets and small ceramic busts dedicated to the outmoded study of phrenology, which researched how the shape of the head influenced intelligence, memory, creativity and so on. There are also ceramic models of aqplmistry, with old fashioned diagrams inked onto the piece.
Shops like this are fastly becoming few and far between these days; perhaps because these pursuits were more arguably more fashionable in the 90s. Enigma’s a great affordable resource for people who remain interested or make life of the interests displayed here, and with its offering of information and practical instruments it is more than just a shop full of incense and fashionable items for the home (although the fairy ornaments and mood rings are rather pretty…).