Alan Stein recalls the world’s first synchronized global peace meditation which occurred over three days in 1987. 

“It was before the internet and everything, and the harmonic convergence was about,” says the owner of Star Gate. “Everyone was talking about the 13 natural cycles of the moon. It was a time when people went all over the world and prayed at sacred sites for this new beginning. Anyway, I remembered contacting The Register-Guard, and they ignored me,” he says in his thick Brooklyn accent.  

Star Gate’s bright teal building on Willamette has been home to one of the last fully metaphysical and spiritual self-help shops in Eugene for 38 years. Its owner is Stein, a long-haired, barefooted hippie from New York.

“Now’s the time again. Astrologically, it’s the birthing of the Aquarian Age,” he says. “We’ve been talking about that this whole time. Peace, love and stuff. And that’s really why I started this.” 

The Age of Aquarius is an astrological concept believed to usher in a global period of interconnectedness, enlightenment and humanitarianism as a result of the Earth’s precessional rotation. The concept was heavily spread in the 1960s during the hippie movement and the Summer of Love. Astrologers do not agree if the Age of Aquarius is yet upon us, and if it is, whether we are currently in it or if it will not begin for hundreds of years. 

Stein believes the time is now. 

“We should get to a higher awareness of being human, and astrologically that’s happening right now. A lot of the old ways are dying,” Stein says. “People are searching and there’s a natural thing going on. There’s people who are being more intuitive right now. My main sales are in tarot decks. It’s a reflection of their personal growth.” 

At age 71, he’s ready to pass the keys on to the next gatekeeper, but he’s waiting to do so until he finds the person who truly understands the weight of the job. 

“I was ready five years ago,” Stein says. “There’s a cycle for everything.” Stein says this was confirmed for him when he met with a psychic recently who told him it was time to pass Star Gate’s torch. Yet, he is waiting for a new owner “who understands and knows what we need right now.” Whether his successor is a healer, a shaman, a meditation trainer or simply someone with a good heart, “I need that new energy to come and help it.” In the meantime, “I will stay here until the right person shows up.” 

The interior of the store is bright blue with large white blobs painted on the ceiling. “They were supposed to be clouds,” Stein says, except the person who started painting them never came back. 

It ends up working, because it invokes the feeling of being up in the sky, though not necessarily our sky. Mixed with the ambience of music and the smells of sage and incense, when customers approach the store, they enter another realm somewhere beyond the stars. 

The store’s main draw is the many different types of crystals of varying prices which adorn most of the interior. He says that his crystal supplier from Brazil told him that “Now’s the time for people to feel the Earth.” Stein agrees. “The people need to feel their mother Earth. The people need these crystals,” he says. Some of the many types of crystals he carries are larimar, calcite, amethyst, obsidian and quartz.

Star Gate carries other metaphysical and spiritual objects meant for cleansing the soul and aligning one with their own spirit. Items include incense, which he ensures are as natural as possible “because they usually have so much chemicals and stuff that it gives you headaches.” He also sells sage, tapestries and singing bowls. “People want to get rid of negativity.” Stein says that regardless of the manner in which people believe that these items will help them, “What I say is you got to lighten up your load. If you’re down, if you’re feeling bad,” customers use these items to cleanse the space.

For matters deeper than what these items can reach on their own, Star Gate is also a personal and spiritual-help bookstore. When Stein opened Star Gate in 1987, it began as a place that sold spiritual self-help cassette tapes. Now he carries coloring books, journals and books on personal and spiritual growth authored by leading shamans and teachers. 

He also carries books on astrology and Wiccan beliefs. When it comes to choosing books to sell, Stein says they all meet the same criteria: “Showing that we’re all connected.”

This theme of interconnectedness carries over into other aspects of his store. On the second and fourth Wednesday of every month, Star Gate hosts a men’s talking circle. It’s a guided discussion that teaches men how to speak respectfully and without judgement, while talking about their personal struggles. “Men, we’re told to be macho, and not feel anything.” He says that in the talking circle, men “open their hearts.”

He also provides space for people to come and meditate, as well as for shamans and other spiritual guides to teach classes. 

“This store is a blessing to me,” says Donovan Rubio, a regular Star Gate patron. His uncle started bringing him Star Gate crystals when Rubio was six months old, and as an adult, he’s never shopped anywhere else. “Star Gate’s crystals make me feel more grounded and give me peace of mind,” Rubio says. “They bring serenity into my life.”

As Stein searches for the newest owner of Star Gate, he upholds why establishments like his, and all independent retail stores are important. “They help us remember we’re human.”

Star Gate is at 1374 Willamette, ste. 1. It is open 11 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays. For more information visit StarGateEugene.wixsite.com/star-gate. 541-342-8348.