Free Esoteric Library

No matter where you find yourself on the “seeker” spectrum—skeptical and curious, neophyte, initiate, guide, guru, immortal angel (oh yes, they exist)—from time to time you’ll find yourself yearning for a source of real information. My favorite sources are nature and human interaction, although the latter can get real tricky sometimes. There are spirituality shops all over the place, though there’s only one free esoteric library in Baltimore.

Run in a live/work/performance space called Tarantula Hill, the library’s been around about two and a half years, and it’s extremely well-curated. The proprietors go through everything that’s in there—you’re not gonna get just any ol’ book on between-life regression or dolphin-human communication.

On the most popular list are Sufism and entheogens, and there’s all kinds of other stuff too: shamanism, Edgary Cayce, psychology, cultural theory, practical magic, dreaming, Asian practices, Buddhism, ancient civilizations and all sorts of interstitial elevated consciousness kinds of publications. Plus, there’s a whole rare/exotic comics section—though those stay in-house.

The library’s open on Sundays from noon to 4 PM, and don’t despair out-of-towners: They do check out books to non-locals. If you are in town, they also host lectures and workshops, from ecstatic breathing (coming up soon) to Radionics to a Salvia discussion. You can find out more about them here.

This is a special place for sure, and there are others too. What's your favorite place for a good spiritual read (a whole book! it's important!)?