5 Illinois Spots are Hotbeds for Alternative Spirituality, Study Finds.

• Study identifies areas of alternative beliefs across the country.
• Wicker Park in Chicago emerged as Illinois’ alternative spiritually hotspot.
• Infographic included.

From moon circles to midnight meditations, tarot salons to solstice bonfires, there are towns across the U.S. where spiritual life steps off the beaten path – and occasionally into another realm. These are America’s most enchanted enclaves, where belief systems lean toward the stars, the soil, and everything in between. TarotCards.io surveyed 3,009 people to find the U.S. towns most tuned into alternative spiritualities, from paganism and Wicca to astrology, energy healing, and beyond. 

Here are the top 10 places where magic isn’t just in the air – it’s in the zoning.

#1. Cassadaga, Florida
They don’t call it the Psychic Capital of the World for nothing. Since 1894, Cassadaga has been home to mediums, mystics, and candlelit services that feel more sacred than spooky. The vibe? Spanish moss, whispered messages, and an entire community built around spiritual connection.

#2. Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi, Hawaii
In Kapaʻa, chakras align to the rhythm of the waves. Locals gather for sound baths and moonlit rituals by the beach, blending intuitive practice with island calm. Spirituality here isn’t a sideshow — it’s part of the local pulse, lived barefoot and with reverence.

#3. Downtown Salem, Massachusetts
Beyond the broomstick kitsch, Salem is still serious about spirituality. Morning rituals on the beach and candlelit altars behind weathered doors keep the town’s metaphysical traditions alive. It’s less about cosplay, more about craft.

#4. French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
Sure, tourists get their tarot read — but behind the beaded curtains, real spiritual work is happening. Rooted in Creole, African, and indigenous practices, New Orleans’ esoteric scene is deep, rich, and often quietly powerful, unfolding in courtyards and at the river’s edge.

#5. Midtown, Sacramento, California
California’s capital has a spiritual soul hiding in plain sight. In Midtown, century-old houses host sound healings and herbal workshops, while the nearby American River plays altar to the elements. Think drum circles and river blessings, not just politics and policy.

#6. Joshua Tree, California
There’s something about the desert that strips everything back — including spirituality. In Joshua Tree, rituals echo off boulders and seekers meditate beneath galaxies. It’s raw, real, and usually accompanied by a crystal or two.

#7. Downtown Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaii
Honolulu’s spiritual scene hums beneath its high rises. Energy work, astrology salons, and Akashic Record readings all happen between art galleries and breezy courtyards. It’s metaphysics with a side of aloha.

#8. Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California
The Summer of Love may be over, but the spirit lingers in Haight-Ashbury’s incense-filled bookstores and backyard moon circles. Psychedelia has softened into herbal tea, but the conversations are still cosmic.

#9. Ojai, California
Ojai doesn’t shout about its spirituality – it whispers. With pink sunsets, citrus groves, and sound baths echoing through hillsides, this town feels like a meditative breath. It’s not trying to be mystical; it just is.

#10. Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota
In “Nordeast,” art and spirituality go hand-in-hand. Yoga centers, crystal shops, and Himalayan-inspired meditation classes thrive beside microbreweries and art studios. It’s Midwest metaphysics, with a flair for the expressive.

The state of Illinois had five hotbeds of alternative spirituality:

#66. Wicker Park, Chicago
In Wicker Park, the boundary between art and ritual blurs. Within gallery spaces, shared studios, and back rooms of historic flats, spiritual circles gather for tarot salons, moon circles, and astrology-infused workshops. The neighborhood hums with a creative mysticism-equal parts intuitive and experimental-where sacred tools mix with ink, metal, and scent. Practitioners here tend toward the eclectic, shaping personal practices that honor both craft and connection. Wicker Park’s esoteric life pulses with invention, carried by those who treat magic as both process and presence.

#114. Rogers Park, Chicago
Chicago’s northernmost neighborhood has cultivated a spiritual community as diverse as its population, with Rogers Park housing practitioners from dozens of cultural traditions. The district’s metaphysical character reflects its global influences, with spiritual practices ranging from West African traditions to Eastern European folk magic. Community members gather in apartment courtyards for rituals and along Lake Michigan’s shores for dawn ceremonies. The neighborhood’s spiritual offerings often incorporate elements of Lake Michigan’s water energy, with many practitioners maintaining relationships with the lake through regular offerings and ceremonies that honor both its abundance and power.

#122. Edgewater, Chicago
Tucked along the northern lakeshore, Edgewater carries a quiet current of spiritual practice. Behind apartment windows and in cozy community spaces, circles gather for astrology classes, lunar rituals, tarot study, and energy healing. The vibe here is lived-in and local-more devotional than decorative. Practitioners often blend traditional frameworks with intuitive craft, creating accessible spaces for both study and ceremony. Edgewater’s esoteric life isn’t loud, but it’s consistent-woven into the rhythm of lake air, candlelight, and shared tools passed hand to hand.

#147. Logan Square, Chicago
Behind the trendy façades of Chicago’s Logan Square district thrives a spiritual community that balances urban edge with profound practice. The neighborhood’s metaphysical character reflects its artistic foundations, with many practitioners incorporating creative elements into their spiritual work. Community members gather in converted loft spaces for workshops and in the neighborhood’s boulevard parks for seasonal celebrations. The district’s spiritual offerings often bridge traditional practices and contemporary approaches, creating unique syncretic traditions that honor Chicago’s complex cultural landscape while embracing innovation.

#148. Downtown, Evanston
In the shadow of Northwestern University, downtown Evanston has developed a spiritual community that bridges academic inquiry and practical metaphysics. The district’s practitioners often bring scholarly rigor to their spiritual explorations, creating study groups that dive deeply into esoteric texts while maintaining active ritual practices. Community members gather in historic homes for meditation circles and along Lake Michigan for water ceremonies. The neighborhood’s spiritual offerings reflect Evanston’s intellectual character, with many workshops exploring consciousness studies and quantum mysticism alongside more traditional metaphysical approaches.

TarotCards.io has mapped the U.S. towns where alternative beliefs thrive

“Spirituality in America is evolving – it’s less about organized religion and more about personal ritual,” says Sunaree Ko at TarotCards.io. “These towns aren’t just quirky – they’re reflections of a growing curiosity about how belief can be both ancient and newly imagined.”