Zen

Dip into the metaphysical I love Zen. Anna the manager has supported me in convening a weekly voice mediation group. Anyone can attend. Just give Zen a call to find out class times etc x

This place is great. Do you need a birthday card in a hurry but want to make it look like you thought it out? Well there are loads. Mostly of artistically represented children and fantastical beasts, but a one line message can make then about any occasion!
Do you want to get high? You can do that here too, at least legally. Personally I’d rather be safe and go for something you know, rather than legal and something that you don’t. Still, if you know what you want, the selection is such that you can probably find something that ticks both boxes.
Do you want shiny bits of rock. They have those. Buddahs? Yep. Incense? Naturally.
You can get prodded and poked and all sorts of relaxing human contact and pick up supplies to whip some cream on the way out. In a non sexual way naturally.
The guys are super friendly and it’s open late too!

Moseley has prided itself as being a centre for bohemian types for many years, and Zen is a symbol of this. Set right on Moseley’s buisest cross roads, it supplies the hippies of south Birmingham with a range or crystals, Buddah stautes, tarot cards, smoking paraphenalia, books on the occult, and, more controversially, a range of herbs and chemicals that mimick the effects of illegal drugs (I was hoping to get through this review without using the word «hippie» and I’ve used it on the second sentence. Damn!). They also offer divinitory services such as palm reading and various health related services that I am unfortunately unable to inform you about.
Though it’s obviously very easy to mock shops like this with their «charm bracelets» and dubious strands of New Age pop psycology, the fact is that the staff at Zen do their job very well. If you’re into any of this sort of stuff Zen will probably be a shop you’ll treasure as many do. If you’re not into incense, meditation and other such trappings don’t even bother stepping through the door.

I love herbal tea a bit too much, and Zen is the place where I go and top up my home supply. They have an extensive range of herbs in jars at the back of the room, which literally goes from a bulky A — Z. The staff at Zen are highly friendly, approachable and knowledgeable, so it’s easy to find out exactly what tea is beneficial to you. I am just a bit of a tea obsessive and drink as many different ones as possible throughout the day, so make sure you know what you are after by consulting the staff.
But of course, Zen doesn’t just sell herbal tea, they also have a large quantity of incense, which you can smell by simply walking past the shop, let alone going inside. There’s also an array of crystals, Tarot cards and fairy models which helps to define the Tolkien-​inspired world just around the corner at Moseley Bog.
Zen is a little like stepping into the spiritual beliefs which were once an integral part of Birmingham’s past. From Druids Heath to Moseley itself, Zen has depicted the bohemian ethos through traditional remedies and magic, as well as in store tarot readings and massages.

I pretty much visited this place for two special reasons, it’s a purple shop (and I cannot resist anything in purple) and also because I love incense sticks!
Not surprisingly I have found out that Zen is much more than just a purple incense shop!
Well, I have bought some very special types of incense like opium and cannabis ones (for a quid each) but the variety of its candles are really impressive!
It’s was quite scary finding a Yemaya candle, something that I wouldn’t expect to see in an independent shop from Birmingham.
I have visited Zen at Moseley, but there is another in Digbeth as well and I would also recommend checking their website to know more about this mystical and spiritual place.

If you are looking for help with health, beauty and spirituality then look no further than Zen. Upon walking into Zen I was surprised by the amount of crystals, birthstones, legal highs, jewelry and incense they had to offer. They also supply and endless list of medicinal herbs that treat small ailments and maladies. The herbs’ origins are far reaching and include Traditional Chinese Medicine and other alternatives to western Biomedicine.
Zen also offers psychic tarot and palm readings, daily with classes starting at 20 pounds for an hour, just call or book online.
Much controversy has been cited about legal highs in the press. Zen sells legal highs to over 18’s, what you choose to do with them is your call, but they are available to buy here. Get you Benzo-​Furys, Blue-E’s and MXE from here if you fancy a night out on the dark side of the Moon.
Zen has something for everyone and I would highly recommend a visit.

Shops like Zen are one-​a-​penny in the South West of England, where I’ve spent some time of my life. Walking down Glastonbury High Street, (no pun intended), on both sides you are flanked by New-​Age shops peddling ‘mystic goods’, with various degrees of credibility. Zen is the real deal, selling alternative therapies, massages, self-​help books, and incense among other things.
I have Zen to thank in particular for the relief of some horrendous pain I had earlier this year when I had a molar extracted. I had taken everything that I could that doctors could prescribe, or that I could get over the counter at a pharmacy. I was still in constant pain. What got rid of the pain was a powder called ‘Dust’. A cocaine-​like preparation, when rubbed into my gum it numbed the pain enough to give me my first night’s sleep in two days. If you don’t particularly like to or need to chance legal highs, then my second recommendation would be that Zen stocks the incense Nag Champa at a good price too.