Store News

Spring Equinox & New Moon in Aries

The moon is new in Aries (4:28 am, CT) on March 24. Aries, being the first sign in the zodiac, is concerned with beginnings. On March 19 the spring equinox occurs (10:49 pm, CT) with equal light and dark hours. This point marks the end of the long, dark winter as a spring of lighter days is leapt into! On March 21, Saturn enters Aquarius. The new moon coinciding with the equinox and Saturn changing signs emphasizes the theme of beginning anew in unknown territory.

The demolition phase of Saturn and Pluto’s conjunction is ending, asking again what structures will remain newly renovated, and what will collapse into the ground? Six planets currently transit the element of earth. The physical and the tangible, such as the body, health, money and work, take precedence.

New dynamics come into play involving rules, regulations and requirements. Are the societal structures in place supporting the people? How can society abide by rules that are more people friendly? A motivating, yet uncomfortable push for rules encompassing equality and fairness for the diversity within the group depicts the new journey.

To focus your energy on the power of the new moon and the beginnings it brings, use some of Eye of Horus’ New Moon oil in your practice. This oil blend is specifically designed to tap into the new moon’s magical energies. To connect with the earth element so prevalent in the chart, light one of Coventry Creations’ Stability candles. This candle encourages solidity, confidence, and has a strong focus on health and life harmony. To encourage diverse and harmonious group dynamics, carry a piece of angelite. This calming blue stone brings understanding, peace, and harmony.

If you’d like to see how this new moon and Spring equinox might affect you or if want to explore these topics more, come in for a reading with Madeline Youngstrom.

Eye of Horus Expansion

Posted By Jane the Scribe

If you’ve taken a class in the past month or so, you might have noticed the giant curtain of plastic against the east wall. Well, it’s finally time for us to reveal what’s going on. On the other side of this…

Pay no attention to the person behind the curtain

This archway opening is based on the high priestess card, featuring the two pillars representing severity and mercy, and the crown.

Double the space

We are taking over the former art gallery space on 908 West Lake St. We are keeping the current space at 910, which will have a more expansive classroom, an additional reader room, and a dedicated room for Reiki (currently only the classroom is large enough to put up a Reiki table).

The 908 side will be our retail store side, and is double the size of our current store space. It’s still a work in progress, but we love the high ceilings. We plan to open our new storefront in February.

View from the front to the back of the new store space

New Checkout & Bookstore Fixtures

We’ve heard the comments… when we moved to our current location in 2014, we would get good comments about how cozy it was, but we would also hear people lament about our smaller book section. Our Tarot & Oracle Demo Station has also been steadily growing, and we’ve been wishing for more space for our hundreds of demo decks.

We will now have two checkout/service stations, so there will be less waiting in line, and it will be easier to check in for readings and classes.

The new store front will be open by the first week of February, with our Grand Expansion Celebration scheduled for February 8th.

New fixtures to last decades by family owned and operated Franklin Fixtures

We’ve been dreaming of having more flexible fixtures. Don’t get us wrong, Ikea shelves have been great, but bookstore fixtures are just better for books, with a slight angle so we can easily face out new releases and bestsellers without floppy stands. We also like working with another family owned business. Here’s a little about why we chose them, in their own words:

“Since 1974, we’ve been the gold standard in retail fixtures. Independent retailers who bought our products 30 years ago are still using them. The FranklinFlex Design System utilizes state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques that respect the environment, enhance productivity, and reduce costs. Our panel materials use far fewer trees than solid wood fixtures, and our computerized manufacturing equipment optimizes material usage with minimum waste. We are one of the first companies in the country to install a UV Flat Line finishing system that uses water based material and releases no toxic V.O.C.s or fumes.”

We are also reclaiming some pieces and refinishing them. Our existing fixtures will be used for storage and backroom functions, or possibly finding new homes.

A Timely Spell Toward Self Empowerment

Posted By Thraicie Hawkner

This is a two-part spell. You will need some time on one day, and then another block of time within the next day or two.

Materials needed for the first session:

A few moments of quiet time
A comfortable space
Paper
Pen/pencil/crayon
Small glass or cup of water

Materials needed for the second session:

A few moments of quiet time
A comfortable space
A calendar or datebook
Pen/pencil/crayon
Appropriate essential oil, or olive oil.

Astrological Preamble: One of the stronger astrological aspects this week involves Mars and Uranus. (Mars in Virgo is trine Uranus in Taurus.) Uranus moves slowly. It entered the sign of Taurus last year, and will travel through that sign for the next six years. This is a time when our society is re-evaluating its views of money/possessions/resources. Our attitudes and practices will be changing, on a collective scale. Because faster moving Mars is currently in Virgo, this is an ideal time for each of us to visualize the ownership we could have in our own lives. How do you want your time or home or priorities to be organized? Of course no one lives in a vacuum where our lives do not intertwine with others. But we will begin this spell by trying to focus on our own priorities & resources.

Day One: Take a moment to breathe deeply & slowly. Clear your mind. Don’t worry about other people’s needs or expectations for a moment. They will still be there, when you come back. Let them go, for now. Breathe. Allow Spirit to help you raise your highest value to mind. Is it your health? Your safety? The enjoyment of a beautiful day, or perhaps music or cooking? Once this highest value is identified, jot it down. Fold the paper in half, folding towards you, as if you were drawing this Value to your heart. Turn the paper clock-wise, and fold it again… folding towards you, to draw the Value to your heart. Turn the paper a third time, and fold towards yourself one final time. Three is the charm! Now place the paper beneath the cup of water. Breathe deeply & slowly… drawing in the light of your Value with each inhale… directing the love of your Value into the water with each exhale. Repeat. Continue as many times as you like. When you feel that the water has been fully charged with this energy, drink it. With each swallow, know that you are taking in the ability to fulfill your Highest Value. Keep the folded paper with you. Keep it in your pocket, or otherwise on your person. The next step is to go about your day with an awareness of this Value. No actions are required for this day. Just let your Highest Value soak in, and accompany you through at least one full day of your usual life.

Day Next: Come back to your quiet time & place for the second session: Breathe deeply & slowly again, and clear your mind for a few moments. No thoughts. No planning or visioning. Just let your mind reboot, and return to factory settings for a few moments. What if your Highest Value received a few moments of devoted attention each day? Would that be at the beginning of your day, before you leave the home for your other obligations? Or would it be at the end of the day, once you’ve returned to your home? Or perhaps you would set aside a few hours on a particular day each week. Which day would make the most sense, considering your busy life? Would it be best to focus on your Highest Value in the morning hours? Mid-day? Evening? Is there something less fulfilling that takes time away from you? It may be necessary to trim something out of your life… much like we might prune a plant, to encourage healthier directed growth. This is the point where we are considering the other people woven into our lives. While we do not want others to dictate our values & preferences, we must also be careful that we are not imposing our priorities upon them. We want to be considerate, and honor each person (including self), whenever we are doing work like this. The more people you have in your life, the more complicated this can be! Now here’s the tricky part… document your ideal time for Highest Value focus. Write it on the calendar. Treat it like an actual appointment. This is not an appointment that you would approach as a burden. This is time that you are spending as if it were what you intended to do with your time & energy. Place the bottle of oil upon your calendar. Breathe deeply & slowly… drawing in the light of your Value with each inhale… directing the love of your Value into the oil with each exhale. Repeat. Continue as many times as you like. When you feel that the oil has been fully charged with this energy, use a single drop to anoint yourself. Going forward, you will anoint yourself at the beginning of each Highest Value “appointment”, as a blessing to empower your own abilities.

Pro tips about anointing: The easiest way to get a single drop is to place a finger firmly over the opening of the bottle, so that you are creating a seal with your fingerprint. Tip the bottle, maintaining the seal, so you don’t pour oil all over the place. When you tip the bottle back upright, you will be left with a single drop upon you finger.

Use that drop to anoint your third eye, if you are working to gain insight or clarity.
Use it to anoint your ears if you are working to hear & understand better.
Anoint your heart if you are working towards emotional healing or opening your heart to more love.
Anoint your hands if you are working to improve your skills or creativity (back of the hands is best, so you don’t have a greasy grip).
Trust your own reasoning. Where you choose to anoint will depend upon what your Highest Value turned out to be.

Be aware that if you feel moved to anoint someone or something else, you may be externalizing your values. If this is happening, return to your clear mind. From that clear starting point, re-evaluate your ownership of the Value. What actions can you take toward your Highest Value? Anoint yourself in a manner that will help empower your own abilities. We want your accomplishments to truly be your own.

Blessed be!