July New Moon is Out—Check Your Inbox!

For those of you who currently subscribe to our email newsletter for booksellers, The Moon, you may have noticed a few changes.

We've streamlined the look, included new features, and christened it with a new moniker: The New Moon. As with this blog, our goal is to really connect with you, our selling partners, each month and offer support, guidance, and resources with the aim of helping you grow and thrive in this ever-changing market.

Our third issue of the New Moon was mailed yesterday. If you did not receive a copy in your email inbox, you can also view it here: The New Moon, July 2011 Issue.

You can also visit our website to subscribe to The New Moon, ensuring that it reaches you each month (please note that you will need to log in/register to be able to join our mailing list).

Llewellyn's 2012 Calendars and Almanacs Are Here!

Llewellyn's 2012 calendars and almanacs appeared in our warehouse yesterday, and we could not be more excited! After we got our appreciative and anxious hands on our copies, it is truly great to see the finished products.

A look at Llewellyn's 2012 calendars and almanacs:


Llewellyn's 2012 Astrological Calendar: Bring astral wisdom and beauty to your year with monthly horoscopes, an astrology primer, and dazzling original artwork by John J. Blumen. Featuring horoscopes for each sign by Lesley Francis, and:

—A guide to the planets, signs, houses, aspects, and transits
—Travel forecasts by Bruce Scofield
—Best days for planting and fishing
—The Moon's sign, phase, and void-of-course dates
—Graphic planetary retrograde table
—Major daily aspects, monthly ephemerides, and 2012 eclipses

Llewellyn's Astrological Calendar—now in its eightieth year!—is the best-known, most trusted astrological calendar sold today. Much more than a stunning collection of original, evocative artwork, this calendar is jam-packed with astrological information to plan the year wisely. You'll find horoscopes, best days for planting and fishing, rewarding and challenging days, and travel forecasts by Bruce Scofield. There's also an astrology primer to help beginners use the vast amount of astrological data contained within.



Llewellyn's 2012 Astrological Pocket Planner:
Essential astrological information is at your fingertips with Llewellyn's award-winning Astrological Pocket Planner. Comprehensive and compact, this is the only datebook to offer three years of ephemeris and aspectarian data, from 2011 to 2013, with adjustments for Daylight Savings Time. Whether you're a beginning or advanced astrologer, this easy-to-use guide features all the astrological information you need to plan important events, set goals, and organize your life.

—Daily signs, Moon phases, and aspects
—2012 week-at-a-glance
—Planetary stations chart
—Moon void-of-course table
—Word time-zone map and conversion table
—Best days for planting and fishing



Llewellyn's 2012 Daily Pocket Planner: The world's leading planetary guide for over 30 years: Plan your days using cosmic energies—it's easy with the most trusted and astrologically detailed guide available. From scheduling a job interview to choosing vacation dates, and everything in between, this powerhouse of planetary data is your key to a smooth and successful year. You'll find a handy aspectarian—featuring Eastern and Pacific time zones, plus an easy-to-use conversion table for other time zones—along with plenty of space for making notes, and many other helpful features for daily, weekly, and monthly planning.

—Planet and Moon aspects and ingress times
—Moon sign, phase, and void-of-course periods
—Planet retrograde and direct station times
—Ephemeris tables that include Chiron and four asteroids
—Sunrise and sunset timetables
—Planetary hours with complete instructions
—A stargazer's guide to planetary sightings and eclipses in 2012
—Weekly forecasts by Pam Ciampi
-Bonus: Find out the best times to undertake any activity with "Opportunity Periods" by Jim Shawvan.



Llewellyn's 2012 Dragon Calendar: With searing gaze and breath of fire, these fearsome beasts of myth and legend burst into life through the sumptuously vivid artwork of internationally acclaimed illustrator Anne Stokes. Dare to enter the realm of dragons as you keep track of your days. Each month features major U.S. and U.K. holidays, moon phases, and stunning portraits depicting these powerful creatures as savage warriors, majestic guardians, and enchanted bearers of good fortune.




Llewellyn's 2012 Herbal Almanac: Inside Llewellyn's 2012 Herbal Almanac, you'll find a colorful array of practical ideas on how to benefit from nature's most versatile plants. Spice up your favorite pasta dish with Presto Pesto. Restore health with an aromatic herbal soup. Even learn how to keep bees and make herbal honey.

This friendly herbal guide features hands-on projects, fresh ideas, and advice for herb enthusiasts of all skill levels. You'll be inspired by thirty creative articles on herb use in five unique categories-gardening, cooking, crafts, health/beauty, and myth/lore-on everything from quick meals to urban gardening to making herbal crafts.

—Discover the culinary and medicinal uses of the carnivorous bog violet
—Beautify your home with cheery sunflower crafts
—Enhance your good fortune with an autumn luck bag
—Make and use herb-based organic fertilizer
—Explore the nasturtium's role in myth and literature, then create a hobbit garden


Llewellyn's 2012 Magical Almanac: Breathe new life into your magical practice with the bounty of practical spells, rituals, and divinations inside Llewellyn's 2012 Magical Almanac. For more than twenty years, this trusted guide has inspired and enlightened magical practitioners of all skill levels.

Get organized with the handy calendar section-shaded for easier "flip-to" reference. It features world festivals and holidays, 2012 sabbats for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and Full Moons. You'll find the Moon's sign and phase, plus each day's color and incense correspondences. Thirty-six original articles offer creative ideas for using elemental energy to maximize the power of your spellwork in 2012.

—Make your home a magical haven using sacred geometry
—Stir things up (in a good way) with a magical air altar
—Dispel negativity with a cord-cutting ritual
—Manifest, inspire, and heal with bathtub spells

Published annually for over twenty years.



Llewellyn's 2012 Moon Sign Book: For more than one hundred years, Llewellyn's Moon Sign Book has helped millions take advantage of the Moon's dynamic energies. This perennially popular resource features an essential weekly almanac that contains lunar gardening tips, timing guidelines for planting and harvesting, and inspiring quotations. Also exclusively in Llewellyn's 2012 Moon Sign Book:

—A monthly lunar aspectarian with Moon tables
—Detailed weather predictions for each region by renowned astrometeorologist Kris Brandt Riske
—New and Full Moon forecasts for 2012 by Sally Cragin
—A companion planting guide that features over one hundred plants
—Electional rules and dates for ventures in love, relationships, business, finances, and other areas

You'll also find fresh, topical articles that offer lunar insight into everything from parenting and weight loss to sustainable living and natural beekeeping. Discover how to improve your home's air quality with common houseplants, store vegetables and make preserves according to the Moon's cycles . . . and ultimately enjoy a fuller, more satisfying life.

The number one lunar guide to natural living since 1905.



Llewellyn's 2012 Sun Sign Book: Shed a little light on the coming year with the insightful, easy-to-use guidance in Llewellyn's 2012 Sun Sign Book. Featuring detailed horoscopes for each Sun sign by noted astrologer Kris Brandt Riske, this trusted astrological guide reveals which areas of your life have potential for great success and which may require extra attention in the year ahead.

You'll discover the best days each month for starting a class, making a career change, beginning a healthier diet, or rekindling your romantic life. Illuminating articles by popular astrologers offer a variety of ways to use practical planetary wisdom to enrich your life.

—Improve your health and energy with yoga postures that are optimal for you
—Discover what the Mayan calendar truly reveals about planetary changes in 2012
—Find a rewarding new "green" career that is most compatible with your Sun sign

Published annually since 1984.




Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Calendar: Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Calendar has it all: magical spells, correspondences, invocations, historical information, and folklore. For fifteen years, this treasury of Craft wisdom has provided both new and experienced Witches with everything they need to tune into the earth’s cycles and work their magic: the Moon’s sign and phase; planetary motion, including retrogrades; daily color correspondences; solar and lunar eclipses; even lunar gardening tips.

Featuring Jennifer Hewitson’s beautiful original scratchboard art, this trusted calendar offers more Witchy content than any other calendar on the market—a seasonal essay for each month and a special bonus section with eight in-depth articles, written by your favorite authors and fresh voices in the Wiccan/Pagan community.



Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Companion: Keep on top of the latest witchy trends, practices, and discussions in the Wiccan/Pagan community with Llewellyn's insightful and thought-provoking 2012 Witches' Companion. Designed for busy modern witches, this book contains a treasury of simple, practical tips for living your craft each day with wisdom and flair.

Nearly two-dozen original articles deal with everything from popular debates and craft ideas to health and eco-activism. Gain fresh perspective and helpful advice on timely topics organized by theme: community, witchy living, witchcraft essentials, and magical transformations.

—The joys and challenges of being a Pagan parent
—When (and if) it's appropriate to dress "witchy"
—Easy recipes for delicious, magical meals
—Ways to save money while enjoying a spiritually rich practice . . . and much more!

Bonus: A sixteen-month calendar featuring Moon void-of-course data, plus spotlighted monthly national causes and ways for you to get involved.



Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Datebook: Even a busy Witch can easily add a little magic to each day. Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Datebook puts a wealth of witchy information at your fingertips so you can enhance your skills in fun yet meaningful ways. Cast a simple spell for peace, prepare a delicious batch of Brigid's Blessing Salad or Between-the-Worlds Blackberry Crumble, and keep track of meetings or movie dates.

—Moon lore and Esbat rituals, plus Moon phases for successful spellcasting
—Daily planetary and color correspondences to empower your magical work
—Wiccan holidays, Sabbat musings, and tasty seasonal recipes for celebrating the Wheel of the Year
—At-a-glance guide to the best days to plant and harvest
—Seasonal spells and magical workings

As always, your favorite authors share their Craft wisdom on a variety of helpful topics. You'll learn the art of "timecrafting"-how to stretch, contract, or bend time to suit your needs; discover how to add spark to any spell with candle magic essentials; find out how to empower your magic with the potent energy of the Dark Moon; and more!




Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac: Bring a spark of magic to every day with this one-of-a-kind spellbook. Designed for beginning witches and busy spellcasters, the bewitchments, meditations, and recipes in these pages are wonderfully simple yet powerful. Carry a mojo bag for prosperity, create a snow angel blessing, use flower fascination to attract good fortune . . . and much more. Tailored to each day's magical and astrological energies, these enchantments will help you honor holidays, achieve goals, and enhance your spellcraft.

Choosing the perfect spell or ritual is a snap—each is cross-referenced by purpose: love and relationships, health, money/success, protection, home and garden, travel and communication, and earth/world. You'll also find space for making notes, plus tips for creating your own spells.

—A magical terms glossary
—Pagan holidays and lore
—Daily color and incense correspondences
—Planetary influences for each day
—Moon signs and phases

New in this year's edition: the addition of void-of-course Moon data, lovely new artwork, and introductions by the contributors.

Contributors include many emerging and well-known witches and writers: Chandra Alexandre, Elizabeth Barrette, Deborah Blake, Boudica, Dallas Jennifer Cobb, Raven Digitalis, Ellen Dugan, Ember Grant, James Kambos, Magenta, Mickie Mueller, Paniteowl, Sue Pesznecker, Kelly Proudfoot, and Tess Whitehurst.



Llewellyn's 2012 Woodland Faeries Calendar: Add whimsy and magic to each day in 2012 with a little help from the faerie realm. Brighten your days with the sparkling energy of pixies and sprites, empower your dreams with the graceful allure of woodland nymphs. Llewellyn's 2012 Woodland Faeries Calendar presents your favorite traditional holidays as well as moon phase information so you can align your life with the rhythms of the natural world. Featuring original watercolor artwork by renowned fantasy artist Linda Ravenscroft.



Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2011 to Mabon 2012: Enrich your Craft year-round as you celebrate the wonder and enchantment of each and every Sabbat, from Samhain 2011 to Mabon 2012. Featuring new articles penned by a mix of well-known and fresh voices in the Pagan community, Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac is filled with inspiring ways to nurture your spirituality.

Seek wisdom from the spirit realm with a Samhain Full Moon rite, whip up a feast to welcome Yule, brew herbal sun teas at Litha . . . and explore a myriad of other seasonally themed activities. For each Sabbat, you'll find:

—Simple recipes for delicious appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages
—Creative, low-cost arts and crafts projects
—Astrological influences with Full and New Moon rituals
—Extended rituals for groups and individuals
—Journal pages for keeping track of your musings and festival plans
—Ideas for celebrating the Sabbats as a family
—Fascinating Pagan folklore and customs

June New Moon is Out—Check Your Inbox!

For those of you who currently subscribe to our email newsletter for booksellers, The Moon, you may have noticed a few changes.

We've streamlined the look, included new features, and christened it with a new moniker: The New Moon. As with this blog, our goal is to really connect with you, our selling partners, each month and offer support, guidance, and resources with the aim of helping you grow and thrive in this ever-changing market.

Our second issue of the New Moon was mailed yesterday. If you did not receive a copy in your email inbox, you can also view it here: The New Moon, June 2011 Issue.

You can also visit our website to subscribe to The New Moon, ensuring that it reaches you each month (please note that you will need to log in/register to be able to join our mailing list).

Invite Isis Over for a Beer — Easy Egyptian Prosperity Magic for Booksellers

The incredible King Tut exhibit is traveling the country (and here in St. Paul, MN, for the summer). My son has a newfound fascination with mummies, thanks to the Pharaoh’s Quest Lego series. And then there’s the recent Egyptian revolution. Is it me, or is Egypt undergoing a surge in popularity that hasn’t occurred since “Tut Mania” in the 1970s?

Seems like the perfect time to get acquainted with Egyptian magic. With the right incentive, you can encourage Horus, Thoth, and other deities to smile down on your store and bless your business with financial success. I’ve invited Claudia R. Dillaire, author of Egyptian Prosperity Magic, to share some simple techniques for busy booksellers.


Four Quick and Easy Prosperity Tips
by Claudia R. Dillaire

Prosperity from the ancient Egyptian point of view was definitely tied to abundant crops, healthy herds, and the continued longevity of their beloved king and land. And, the average Egyptian had very little control over the whole process. Though he was responsible to pay his taxes on his harvest or goods, it was not up to him to make the offerings.

As a solitary Pagan, the responsibility for your own prosperity is squarely on your shoulders. Egyptian magic is different from traditional Pagan paths: color associations vary, destructive gods are worshiped, and coercion and curses are acceptable for incantations. So what can a busy bookseller do to invite prosperity into one’s business?

Here are a few tips, that take little time and effort, but will definitely please the ancient gods:

1. Burn the appropriate incense. Trees and their resins were prized by the Egyptians, specifically frankincense and myrrh. These two were burned daily in the temples. And, don’t forget the spice which was used heavily in ancient Egypt, cinnamon. The wafting smoke of the burning incense will please the noses of the gods.

2. Offerings can be set out to the gods, and one of the most pleasing for the ancient Egyptians was beer. Bread and beer were staples of the diet, even used as payment for the tomb and temple builders. So, when inviting prosperity, don’t be afraid to hoist a cold one to the gods; your offering will surely be appreciated. Other appropriate offerings would be cinnamon sticks, plants of any kind, grapes, dates, or pomegranates.

3. Money did not exist in ancient Egypt; all goods and services were obtained through bartering. That can cause a problem on payday, but bartering is still a viable alternative. Ask a printer if you can barter for services in exchange for the flyers they are printing up for you. Offer to host a writers or book group in exchange for their unique talents and word of mouth advertising.

4. Burning candles is a great way to invite in prosperity. But, the Egyptians had a different take on color associations; appropriate colors for prosperity would be black, green, blue, or white. Black and green were associated with the fertile earth and vegetation. Blue was associated with the life giving Nile River, and white was associated with the ultimate fertility god, Osiris.

Candles and incense burning in an independent bookstore add ambiance and a memorable book buying experience. Major bookseller chains may have fire regulations against open flames, but there is no reason a cinnamon scent air freshener can’t be used. Prosperity magic can be as simple, or as ritualistic, as you choose to make it. And, even the simple act of thanking a customer can have a powerful effect on your business and the gods watching over you.

Claudia R. Dillaire is the author of Egyptian Prosperity Magic. She is a practicing Pagan and has been researching Egyptian magic and religion for twelve years. Dillaire is also a freelance writer and the author of two additional books on Egyptian spells.

Claudia R. Dillaire's favorite bookstore:
“A Magickal Moon in Tempe, Arizona. The owner, Heather, is a friend and neighbor and she makes everyone feel welcome in her store. Whenever in the Valley of the Sun, check her out.”

A Little Inspiration

Do you have any rituals that you use to find your muse?

To unblock my creative ch'i, I like to take a few minutes to browse through my favorite "let's get lost" websites, including Boing Boing, Mental Floss, or Neatorama.

Feeling a bit blah and uninspired by grey Minnesota skies, I decided to do a little "site seeing" this morning. I just watched an amazing slide show featuring unique bookstores from around the world on the website Salon.com and wanted to share it with you.

Take a look through "The worlds most inspiring bookstores" and let me know which one is your favorite. (Personally, I can't choose between Daunt Books in London and El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires.)

What is special about your bookstore or its location? How have you created a unique experience for your bookstore customers?

Google eBooks Hits a New Milestone with Indie Bookstores

It looks like Google eBooks are catching on with indie booksellers. On Monday, May 23, 2011, Google announced via this blog post that there are now 250 independent bookstores selling their digital books. This marks a healthy increase considering the indie store count was just over 100 about six months ago when Google launched their ebook program.

According to the American Booksellers Association, Google eBooks are indie store friendly! This article from IndieBound discusses Google’s “new form of cloud-based digital book that allows readers to access their libraries on almost any device from one single repository, regardless of where the ebook was purchased.” This “open and accessible platform” has spurred a partnership between the American Booksellers Association and Google eBooks.

“Because Google eBooks work with myriad devices — tablets, smartphones, computers, even most e-ink devices — consumers are free to shop from a variety of retailers rather than being bound to one retailer. This opens up a wealth of indie recommendations and bestsellers to avid ebook readers.”

Are you testing the eBook waters? We would love to hear about your experience on the eFrontier!

New Pendulums from Lo Scarabeo

Check out these six new beautiful pendulums — now available from Italian publisher Lo Scarabeo. Each comes with a black velvet pouch.

Bloodstone Drop Pendulum

Silver Witness Pendulum - Features a witness chamber!

Egyptian Silver Pendulum

Silver Drop Pendulum

Silver Point Pendulum

Pagan Pentacle Gold Pendulum (pictured left)
A wonderful tool for chakra energy work, this pendulum comes with seven beautiful chakra stones, each sized to fit inside it.

Eye-catching and abundantly useful, pendulums are amazing tools for divination, dowsing, and answering questions relating to love, health, money, and much more.

For tips on using pendulums in the workplace, check out Using Your Intuition to Make the Best Business Decisions, featuring tips from Kathryn Klvana, author of Intuition in an Instant and an expert on dowsing.