8/03/2013

The Blue Buddha Fremantle (Fremantle, Perth WA)



Shop 3 & 4, Manning Arcade, High Street,
Fremantle Western Australia 6160
(08) 9433 209

 Hours:
    Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 9 am - 5 pm
    Thu 9 am - 8 pm
    Sun 11 am - 5 pm

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Located in the heart of Fremantle, in the quiet Manning Arcade, The Blue Buddha is an eclectic harmonious and extensive bazaar that mixes the esoteric, the New Age, the Fen Shui and the otherworldly, and allows you to travel from Tibet to Fairyland by walking the shop's long and sinuous arcade-following layout.

They have one of the most extensive range of tarot and oracle desks I have seen in Perth, a huge selection of crystals and semiprecious stones (mounted and unmounted), tons of decoration items, meditation and relaxation CDs, aromatherapy and tarot material, hippy-style clothing, Indian-style furniture and  tons of figurines.
There is also also several rotating psychics and tarot readers in the shop, just in case you feel like consulting the Gods via their mediums (50 bucks for half an hour, 100 for an hour). The two stand-outs, to me, are the tarot and aromatherapy areas.

I love the fact that all every tarot or oracle pile of decks has one open to browse at you heart's content. Tarots and oracle desks are like perfumes, they could talk and be perfect for you, or not to speak to you at all. Having one box open allows you to let the magic work magic, and choose a deck that you know is going to speak to you. This is always better, and cheaper than purchasing a deck hopping that the cards will speak to you once you open it. 


The people attending to the shop are very knowledgeable about what they sell, and help you find anything you like if you are a bit lost in the shop. You can wander without being disturbed if you decide to.

Prices are OK, not cheap, but not expensive, and very similar to what you find in similar shops or bookshops. Let's be honest, unless you are a professional tarot reader or psychic, you do not need anything of what they sell, so it is matter of feeding your whimsical wishes without being wishy-washy with your money.

I do not like, though, how crowded the shop is and the small space to move around, which becomes obvious when there are more than two people standing in the same area. Still, this is what a bazaar is.
 
There are other Blue Buddha Shops in Fremantle and in Perth, but this one is my favourite. If you feel lazy, you can also shop online.