Entry No. 1 — the Atlanta file — filed under: witchy
Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore
Open since 1987 and now nearing its fourth decade as one of the South's largest metaphysical stores, with in-house psychic practitioners working daily and a stone room regulars describe as the biggest semi-precious-stone selection they've ever browsed.
The story
When Candace Apple opened Phoenix & Dragon in 1987, she operated out of a small bungalow on Hammond Drive in Sandy Springs. At the time, opening a dedicated metaphysical and occult shop in suburban Atlanta raised plenty of local eyebrows. By 1995, the store outgrew the bungalow and moved into its current 5,500-square-foot facility at 5531 Roswell Road NE, establishing itself as one of the largest esoteric retail and community spaces in the Southeast.
In 2005, Apple put the store in national headlines when she joined forces with the ACLU to file a lawsuit against the state of Georgia. The suit challenged a state tax law that exempted Christian Bibles from sales tax while taxing all other spiritual and religious texts, alleging religious discrimination. Beyond its legal stand, the physical space was built with intention: Apple's son Rob designed a serene outdoor meditation garden, while the back interior was constructed with four private rooms specifically for resident psychic practitioners.
Today, the store operates as a massive inventory hub for serious collectors and practitioners rather than a trendy mall kiosk. Shelves are stocked deep with titles on shamanism, paganism, witchcraft, and Eastern philosophies, alongside an extensive wall of tarot and oracle decks. The centerpiece for many regulars is the dedicated stone room, which houses one of the region's largest collections of raw, carved, and semi-precious minerals.
What it's like
Located just inside the I-285 perimeter directly across from The Prado shopping center, the store opens into high-ceilinged, sunlit rooms framed by large windows looking out on hardwood trees. The environment is quiet and unhurried; you can browse rows of herbs, incense, and altar supplies in relative peace. Weeknights offer the quietest walk-in experience, while weekend afternoons bring steady foot traffic for the resident psychics working out of the private back consultation rooms.
The move: Split up to each pick a tarot deck or stone that calls to you, then book back-to-back readings with two different resident psychics and compare notes on what each one said.
- 📍 Sandy Springs
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5531 Roswell Rd NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30342
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Crystal Blue — To compare two distinct eras of Atlanta metaphysical shops, head south to Little Five Points to contrast Phoenix & Dragon's spacious Sandy Springs layout with this densely packed neighborhood storefront.
- Rhodes Hall ("the Castle on Peachtree") — Pair your dive into modern occult literature with a trip down Peachtree to this 1904 Romanesque Revival stone mansion, known for its reported paranormal history centered on the basement and upper floor.
- Himitsu — Head four miles south into Buckhead after browsing crystal grids to trade suburban mysticism for an exclusive cocktail den tucked past a sushi restaurant behind an unlabelled door.
Good to know
Where is Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore located?
It is located at 5531 Roswell Rd NE in Sandy Springs, Georgia, just inside I-285 across from The Prado shopping plaza.
Who founded Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore and when?
Candace Apple founded the store in 1987 in a Hammond Drive bungalow before moving it to its current Roswell Road location in 1995.
Can I get a psychic reading on-site?
Yes. The store maintains four private consultation rooms staffed daily by resident psychic practitioners, tarot readers, and energy workers.
What merchandise does the store carry?
The 5,500-square-foot space carries thousands of semi-precious stones and crystals, tarot and oracle decks, incense, herbs, ritual tools, and books covering occult traditions, paganism, shamanism, and Eastern philosophy.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · wakingthewitch.com · Yelp · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-19