By Jessica Hudgins
SDUN Reporter

In the past, religion has been at the heart of most conflict, violence and prejudice. Now, a little store in North Park is bringing the community and its various religions and cultures together by offering classes that unite them all.

Opened in October 2006, Vintage Religion opens its doors to customers who identify with a multitude of religions, said owner Phillip Shirk.

“Our store embraces everyone,” he said. “It’s a blending of Eastern and Western religion.”

Expect to find imagery from Christianity with strong Catholic overtones, and from Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and even from the Latin celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Vintage Religion sells everything from home décor, apparel and jewelry to cards, incense, candles and frames—all with a religious theme.

Last year Shirk decided to turn the back room meant for storage space into a classroom.

“It’s really tough for small businesses right now,” he said, “It’s all about innovative ways to get people through your doors and give back to the community.”

He started with a sugar skull-decorating class. Sugar skulls are often presented as gifts or used to decorate altars honoring the dead during the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos.

“Students learn the symbolism behind the sugar skull,” Shirk said. “They actually prepare the sugar mixture and mold the skull themselves.”

The success of the sugar skull-decorating class jumpstarted an educational agenda at Vintage Religion. Since then, the store has expanded its roster of workshops to include jewelry-making courses, card-reading training, meditation seminars, self-hypnosis lessons and astrology classes.

“[The classes] provide a sense of promise. In a jewelry-making class students will learn a technique or a tool, and they will leave with something tangible,” he said.

But most of the classes have a deeper meaning than just walking away with a new necklace, Shirk said.

“It’s an opportunity to offer self-improvement. It’s really not religion based or faith based,” he said. “We’re just giving them tools to make constructive changes in their life.”

The most popular classes are in angel card reading. Angel cards are similar to tarot cards with one major difference—every angel card has a positive message.

Card-reading instructor Amy Casey teaches how angel cards can be used for guidance and answers.

“You can ask them anything from how to conceive a child to how to get a parking space,” she said.

After paying the class fee of $30, students leave the angel card class with their own deck of cards and the awareness of the angels, knowing they can connect with them every day.

“The angels are here for everyone, waiting to assist us,” Casey said. “We just need to ask.”

Vintage Religion hosts a jewelry-making class every Monday—everything from necklaces to rosaries to malas (Buddhist prayer beads). More angel card-reading classes will be added this month and a new shakra class is also in the works. After every class, Shirk asks students what classes they would like to see. A new class is added almost every month.

Thanks to his innovative idea and the community’s enthusiasm, Shirk said, his business continues to thrive.

“People leave happy. They made something. They crafted something. They learned something,” he said.

Vintage Religion is at 3821 32nd St. in North Park. For more information, go to vintagereligion.com.