Step into Arcana through the entrance tucked away on the rear of the Snow building (to the left of Beyu Caffe‘s back door), and you’re met with a space that encapsulates the feeling of coziness. Low ceilings combined with various seating areas adorned with furniture that seems to have been pulled from various 19th-century parlours provide the sense of intimacy in this basement bar and lounge. Named for the major and minor arcana in a tarot deck, the space has regular tarot readings once or twice per week, and frequently hosts artists, live performances, dance parties, screenings and more.
On the night of my visit, SugarQube Records presented a listening party for Shirlette Ammons’ new record, “Language Barrier.” I took a seat at the end of the bar, crafted from beautiful gold ceiling tiles layered in epoxy. As I sipped on an Isabella’s Card cocktail (a concoction of gin – I opted for Durham Distillery’s Conniption – thyme, lime and soda), a scene of community supporting creativity played out in front me, exactly as owners Lindsey Andrews and Erin Karcher had intended. 
“We’ve been really proud of the fact that we have opened a space that hosts such a varied range of events – art shows, academic talks, film screenings, tarot card readings, birthday parties and really fun dance parties,” they say. “We’re particularly proud to join the growing ranks of women business owners in Durham, and to have done almost all the work on our business ourselves.”
