Have you ever wanted to know your future? Or perhaps you’re into all those crystals? Or maybe all these metaphysical things just have you curious?
There is one shop that has it all, the Boston Tea Room in Ferndale.
“We want this to be a space where you can come and do you. Find your journey. You don’t have to come and buy something, just check it out,” explains Vanessa Navarre, the Manager and Stock Specialist.
The Boston Tea Room has been in metro Detroit, in one form or another, for decades. In that time, it was always run by the women in Heatherleigh and Vanessa Navarre’s family.
It started in Wyandotte at a small restaurant owned by Vanessa and Heatherleigh’s aunt and uncle. Their great aunt Rita used to hang out at the restaurant and read people’s fortunes in their tea leaves after dinner. Eventually, people started coming to the restaurant just to speak with their great aunt Rita, so she opened her own business. It was called the Boston Tea Room because Rita had a strong Boston accent, and her specialty was reading tea leaves.
Over the years, the business grew and changed cities. In 2019 the Boston Tea Room found its current home on Woodward Heights near Hilton in Ferndale. The space is much larger than their former location in downtown Ferndale, and they have a private area with small rooms in the back for readings.
They offer a variety of different types of readings including tarot, tea leaf, palmistry, crystal ball, spirit communication, and more.
“Intuitive readings, or psychic readings as they are more commonly known, have always been the core of the Boston Tea Room,” says Heatherliegh Navarre, the owner. “Back then the readings were a little more traditional. It was, ‘what are my lucky numbers?’ and ‘when can I find my tall dark, and handsome?’ These days, people are more interested in saying ‘where am I on my life path?’”
If you are interested in trying a reading, Heatherleigh recommends you come in with an open mind, and bring a good dose of skepticism. Vanessa says you should treat the reading as entertainment, and it’s okay to do it just for fun.
Besides the readings, they sell a large selection of crystals, which they worked hard to ethically source, and jewelry with semiprecious gems and crystals. They also have lots of divination tools like tarot cards, oracle cards, pendulums, and the like. A variety of incense and candles also line their shelves, along with many books to read up on various subjects. Of course, they also sell tea, with a large selection of organic varieties, and many house blends. In fact, when you walk in you are generally offered a sample of their tea of the day.
“So whether you want to put something in your body, like a delicious tea... whether you want to start a daily journaling practice or meditation, whatever it is, we want to help you live a little more intentionally, and get in touch with your own intuition,” explains Heatherleigh.
The Boston Tea Room also hosts several events and classes throughout the year, including some yoga and meditation classes.
The Boston Tea Room is located at 1220 Woodward Heights in Ferndale. The entrance is around the back of the building, by the parking lot.