Incense Retailing Secrets by Carl F. Neal

Dear Booksellers,

As many of you know, incense is more than just nice-smelling smoke. It can be used to deepen meditation, cleanse bad energy, and drive away unwanted spirits. A powerful tool in ritual and self-change, it makes sense that many metaphysical shops carry this aromatic product. 

Do customers ever ask questions about the incense you carry? This insightful article from Carl F. Neal, author of Incense and Incense Magick (a March 2012 release), explains some not-widely-known details about charcoal incense. 



Incense Retailing Secrets: Charcoal
By Carl F. Neal

As incense customers become more sophisticated in their purchasing habits, it’s important for retailers to be prepared for questions. Many customers have an increasing interest in not only the materials in their incense, but also its point of origin, harvesting methods, and more. Unless your business specializes in selling incense or aromatics you may be unable to answer some of those questions, but you can definitely address many of your customers’ concerns. 

Two Kinds of Incense Charcoal

Charcoal is a commonly purchased incense product and one that presents a growing concern from consumers. Incense charcoal can generally be broken into two categories: those without saltpeter (potassium or sodium nitrate) and those that do include this ingredient. This is a concern to many customers because saltpeter gives off a bad odor, which can affect the smell of herbs, resins, or other types of incense. More importantly, the saltpeter is an oxidizer that increases the amount of heat produced by the charcoal. When charcoal burns hot, it will destroy the incense placed on it much faster.

Why Use Saltpeter?

So why include saltpeter in any charcoal? The saltpeter can make it easier to light this type of charcoal and keep it burning regardless of the quality of the wood that is used. There is a perception among some consumers that saltpeter is mandatory for charcoal to light easily.

Benefits of Low-Scent Charcoal

Incense Magick
by Carl F. Neal

The other category of charcoal (most often bamboo charcoal, but not always) generally offers a product that produces little or no scent of its own. Properly stored low-scent charcoal is just as easy to light as “self-lighting” varieties, but it is difficult for retailers to know how charcoal was stored before they receive it. This type of charcoal is often sold in smaller sized bricks than its self-lighting counterparts, but ironically low-scent charcoal bricks will generally burn longer. Low-scent charcoal can actually cost the same or less than self-lighting on a brick-for-brick basis.

Don’t forget to mention the lack of scent. That’s a strong selling point.

Incense Lighting Tips

Here are some tips for lighting charcoal that does not contain saltpeter:

• Light charcoal over a candle flame rather than attempting to use a butane lighter.
• Use metal tongs to hold the charcoal so you don’t scorch fingers.
• Allow the charcoal to sit after lighting until the entire brick is covered with a layer of fine ash.

Distinguishing Low-Scent Charcoal from Types Containing Saltpeter

So which types do you sell? If any of your charcoal is labeled “self-lighting” or if it sparks and sputters when initially lit, then this charcoal includes saltpeter. This type of charcoal is often sold in rolls of round charcoal bricks wrapped in foil or plastic. Many brands of this style come from India. Ounce-for-ounce, it is usually less expensive than other types of charcoal.

Low-scent charcoal generally comes from Japanese and Chinese suppliers. The bricks can be square, rectangular, or even (usually in the formal style for the “kodo ceremony”) cylindrical in form. Some brands are covered in paper to prevent charcoal dust from transferring to the user’s fingers. I am unaware of any low-scent charcoal that is sold in rolls, but there may be some brands out there that are. Low-scent charcoal is available from a number of wholesale suppliers in the USA and Europe.

Incense Displays

In just a few inches of display area, you can illustrate how each type of charcoal is best used and a comparison between the two. These types of displays have historically made dramatic improvements in the sales of charcoal, censers/burners, and incense.

Knowing your products and having ready answers for your customers will improve your sales and build confidence in your customer base. Educating your staff will allow everyone to provide consistent advice and guidance.

Smells like a great approach to me!

***

Carl F. Neal is the author of Incense and his new book Incense Magick will be released this March. He has been a student of incense since 1977. In 1995, he became a professional incense maker and has avidly researched incense ever since. He has been lucky enough to learn from a variety of incense makers from North and South America, Asia, and Europe.

Carl leads incense workshops and discussions across the country and loves teaching about incense at all sorts of community events. Visit his website. 

Boost Your Frequency, Boost Your Business

Dear Booksellers,

Ever have one of those perfect days at work? Your staff is smiling and laughing. Your customers are happy and talkative. Your store is filled with good vibes and great potential. Nothing can go wrong. And do you happen to notice more business on these rare occasions?

Good moods are definitely contagious. Consider how a sunny outlook can infuse your store with positive energy that will infect everyone. So how can you lift a dark atmosphere or a foul mood that could threaten sales? Try raising your spiritual frequency.

I’ve invited Melissa Alvarez, the author of 365 Ways to Raise Your Frequency, to discuss how to boost your personal vibrations at work. Consider trying one of these simple, quick exercises to zap negativity, attract abundance, and maintain your store’s positive energy.

365 Ways to Raise Your Frequency
by Melissa Alvarez

Raising Frequency on the Job
By Melissa Alvarez

Now that the holiday rush is over and returns have been dealt with, life for retail employees is returning to normal. Having worked in retail management for fifteen years, from big department stores to small specialty shops, I can understand.

This is an excellent time to use frequency-raising exercises in the workplace. Not only can you raise your own personal frequency, but your increased vibration can have a positive effect on your customers and sales.

You can even increase frequency as a group. If every employee in the store works on raising their energy, customers will feel this positive energy when they walk in the door. They’ll love coming to your store and may tell others what good energy it has. Word of mouth advertising is always the best compliment, isn’t it?


Connecting with your Customers

Raising your frequency at work offers a fuller and richer connection to your customers. Try this frequency-raising exercise before you start your shift.

Imagine you are a customer. See yourself walking through the front door and looking around. What do you see? Is there anyone there to greet you? What is everyone doing? Now imagine yourself walking through the aisles and an employee comes over to ask if you need help. What kind of energy do you sense? Is the employee’s frequency high or low? How does he/she make you feel?

By putting yourself in your customer’s shoes, you can alter the way your own frequency radiates. You can purposefully raise it by using creative visualization. Look at your energy and push aside any negativity and fill that space with positively charged, highly vibrating energy. This raises your frequency and will have a positive effect on your customers.


Selling More Merchandise

If you’ve connected to your customers through raising your frequency and creating a positive experience for them, then they may be more willing to purchase additional suggestions you make on other products.

Displays filled with positive energy also sell more merchandise. As you make the display, use creative visualization to imagine your energy vibrating at a higher rate, filling you with positivity. Now let the positive energy of your increased frequency flow into the display. Give it the intention that it will be pleasing to the eye and will draw customers to it. When you are finished, step back and watch customer reactions.


Quick Frequency Raising Exercises

Anytime you feel like your energy is taking a nosedive, you can raise your frequency. Try any of these quick and easy exercises:

Find Messages in Books
Working in a bookstore is a fantastic place to be if your frequency goes on the fritz. Take a moment to center yourself then walk around to you come to a shelf and book you feel drawn to. Open the book to a random page. Quite often you will read a frequency-boosting message.

Pay Attention to Your Breathing
With just a few focused breaths you can relieve stress and increase your frequency. Breathe deeply, inhale, and feel your energy rise. Release negativity as you exhale.

Change the Music
Music can immediately raise everyone’s frequency. Tone and tempo can liven up the energy throughout the store.

Quick Meditation to Alter Your Mood
Take a couple of minutes to clear your mind and connect to your center of balance. Purposefully imagine your energy moving faster, increasing your frequency, and giving you a sense of calm peace and joy.

Exercise/Yoga in the Break Room
On a break? Stretch and loosen up your muscles before returning to the sales floor. The movement will rev up your frequency.

***

Melissa Alvarez is an internationally known spiritual coach and an award-winning author. She conducts workshops teaching others to connect with their psychic abilities and spirituality, and has performed psychic readings for nearly twenty years. Visit her website.

Melissa Alvarez on her favorite bookstore:
“I enjoy visiting Books-A-Million in Jupiter, Florida. The employees are always happy and radiate positivity.”




Do you do anything special to boost staff morale or brighten the atmosphere of your shop? Please share.

When Customers Ask, “What is Tantra?”

Dear Booksellers,

Many consumers see their community bookstore as a source of wisdom on a wide variety of metaphysical topics. Talking to a real, breathing person—an experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable bookseller—about these matters gives added value to the traditional shopping experience.   

Do customers come to you with questions about a particular subject? Maybe they only have a vague idea of what they are seeking and need to know more about a topic before taking the plunge.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may notice more people interested in Tantra. We’ve invited Donald Michael Kraig to explain this ancient spiritual path and its relation to Tantric sex, so you’ll be prepared for any questions that come your way.

What is Tantra?
By Donald Michael Kraig

Sooner or later, any bookstore that focuses on spirituality is going to get questions about Tantra. Is it just weird sex stuff? Is it all in the Kama Sutra?

Because Tantra is thousands of years old, different versions have developed and each may have their own focus. In this article I’ll try to give an overview that can help you understand what Tantra is and why it’s a valuable spiritual path.

There is no universally accepted meaning of the word “Tantra.” A popular explanation is that it is a compound of two Sanskrit words, tan and tra, that translate as “warp” and “woof,” the directions of yarn in a loom. So Tantra could be seen to mean the loom of all reality.

This means Tantra covers everything—all the physical and spiritual sciences. What Tantra uniquely does is explore all of these things in a unified way from the point of view of the individual. “How does this apply to me?” is the question answered by Tantra.

The result is that the spiritual and the physical are united in Tantra. Virtually all of the spiritual and physical concepts that are thought to come from India—chakras, kundalini, karma, spiritual bodies, prana, etc.—originated in Tantra.

Yoga
The word yoga means “union,” implying a union with the Divine. (What most people call yoga—the moving of the body into different positions—is just one form of yoga.) Tantra Yoga is about the union of the individual with the Divine through understanding and working with the combined non-physical and physical worlds.

During the earliest period of our lives we have to learn to exist in the physical world, a necessity for survival that affects our bodies, minds and spirits. To learn Tantra you first unlearn almost everything and relearn a new way of thinking about ourselves and the world, a way free of artificial limitations we placed upon ourselves as we learned to survive.

This new way begins by understanding that everything is made of energy. This ancient Tantric concept is now a basis of modern science. Learning to understand and work with that energy results in learning about our physical and spiritual bodies, different forms of energy, the chakras, and how that energy interacts with the physical world.

Tantric Sexuality
One of the ways to work with this energy is through sexual activity. Certain sexual practices result in the movement of spiritual energy. But it takes more than just having sex to become enlightened! Tantric sexuality involves unlearning common sexual practices and learning new ones based on:

•    A deep understanding of the physical body
•    Intention
•    Visualization and
•    Spiritual awareness of the energy triggered by sex

There is an archetypal story of a couple immediately after sex. She wants to talk and cuddle while he rolls over and falls asleep. He’s expended energy and she’s absorbed it. With the techniques of Tantric sex anyone can learn to harness that energy and use it to achieve goals. Traditionally, the primary goal is to direct this energy through the non-physical body resulting in yoga—unity with the Divine—enlightenment.

These practices started to become popular in the West in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the books on Tantric sex—more accurately called Neo-Tantra—are written by students of Baghwan Sri Rajneesh (AKA Osho).

Part of Tantric sex involves extended periods of ecstatic sexual activity. It’s possible to separate this from the more spiritual aspects of Tantra, and that has attracted the attention of many pleasure seekers.

War of the Tantrics?
You should be aware that some followers of Neo-Tantra don’t like those who focus on traditional Tantra. Likewise, some Traditional Tantrics don’t like the sexual focus of the Neo-Tantrics. Being aware of the interests of your customers can help you make recommendations that will fit their specific needs. Having the attitude that both Traditional and Neo-Tantra have value, and we can learn from both paths, may be the ideal approach.

***

Suggestions for a Valentine’s Day display:

The Essence of Tantric Sexuality
Mark A. Michaels, Patricia Johnson

Tantra for Erotic Empowerment
:The Key to Enriching Your Sexual Life
Mark A. Michaels, Patricia Johnson

Sex and Transcendence: Enhance Your Relationships Through Meditations, Chakra & Energy Work


Keith Sherwood



Love and Intuition: A Psychic’s Guide to Creating Lasting Love

Sherrie Dillard

Sex Magic for Beginners: The Easy & Fun Way to Tap into the Law of Attraction

Skye Alexander




***

Donald Michael Kraig is the author of Modern Magick and Modern Sex Magick. He writes The Magical Universe blog and teaches courses in the Southern California area on such topics as Kabbalah, tarot, magic, tantra, and psychic development. He has been a member of many spiritual and magical groups and is an initiated Tantric.

Donald Michael Kraig on His Favorite Bookstore:
“I literally grew up at the Bodhi Tree in West Hollywood. They have in-depth sections on every metaphysical topic. Here’s hoping new owners will make it even greater!”

***

Do you have any special requests for a blog post? Want to hear from a specific author on a particular topic? Please let us know!

Banishing the Post-Holiday Blues

Hi Booksellers,

I’ll just go ahead and say it: I am not a winter person. I don’t ski, skate, or sled. I don’t cheer for snow (because I know I’ll be seeing it for months). And I have yet to become friendly with Minnesota’s subzero temps. In short, I’m a winter Grinch. And I suspect I’m not alone.

How do I deal with it? I’d love to tell you that I practice yoga regularly. The truth is I rely on long, hot baths, books, and ice cream to get me through to April. And commiserating with friends helps, too!

If January and February are your least favorite months, check out this great article about beating back the winter doldrums. Kerri Connor, author of Spells for Tough Times, offers simple, magical ways to lift your mood, maintain cheer long after the holidays have ended, and spread the sunshine to your coworkers and customers.


Banishing the Post-Holiday Blues
By Kerri Connor
   
With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping over, it’s the time of year when sales slow down and returns increase. For those working in retail, it may mean spending more time with your coworkers, rearranging displays, pulling stock to return for credit, and reorganizing.

After the holidays, you may notice that people are more easily depressed, distracted and disgruntled. Everyone has bills to deal with and perhaps other after holiday stressors, as well. It’s no longer the “happiest time of the year.”

The people you work with are going through the same thing, but we all often forget we aren’t the only one in the boat. You can help yourself (and by extension) your coworkers, through this bump in the road with a couple of simple magical workings.


Uplift Your Spirit
You can easily uplift your spirit and the spirits of those around you simply by adding certain scents to your everyday life. Don’t worry about running out and buying some expensive new perfumes. All you need is a couple of drops of essential oil, distilled water, and some kind of a spray bottle. (You can use an empty hair spray bottle if you have one; just rinse both it and the pump really well first.) Add the distilled water to the bottle along with about 5-10 drops of any of the following essential oils. (If you don’t have any of these oils, ask around! Maybe one of your friends does.) Feel free to combine oils to create a whole new scent:

• bergamot for peace and happiness
• lavender for peace and happiness
• basil to promote sympathy, happiness and peace
• neroli for happiness
• ylang-ylang for peace

Each day as you are getting dressed for work, spray some of the mixture through your hair and on your skin. As you do so, say:   

These elements I combined
to do magic indeed
Fill me with peace and happiness
and negativity will have no grasp on me.
Allow this scent to work in the minds of all who inhale their beauty.

Let the scent work its power on you. Let it calm you, soothe, you, bring you peace and happiness. Let your positive attitude be an example for everyone else you work with. Good attitudes are just as contagious as poor attitudes. Let your attitude infect the people around you.


Bake Contentment
The sense of smell is strongly tied to emotions and feelings. When combined with the sense of taste, the effect can be overpowering. These cookies encourage peace, happiness and calmness through both their scent and their delicious sweet taste. Allow the lavender to do its work and calm and soothe the emotions of your coworkers.  Not to mention, people love surprises.

Lavender Cookies 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons finely chopped lavender flowers
1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Lavender crystallized sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. As you mix the ingredients together, infuse the dough with positive energies. Project your good wishes for your coworkers into the dough. Drop by a teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with the lavender crystallized sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Show up to work with a platter of these cookies to help bring some camaraderie to the break room that will overflow onto the sales floor.



Accentuate the Positive
You can use affirmations to help boost your own contentment, which serves as an example for others. Or perhaps encourage the inclusion of simple affirmations in morning meetings so everyone can start the day on the right foot.

Some affirmations to try include:

• I am at my best. My work is at its best.
• Together our team succeeds.
• I am at peace. I am content. I am happy to help others.
• I keep my relationships at work positive and trusting.
• When times are tough, we pull together to help one another.

These affirmations can be used either by yourself or in groups. The more coworkers you can get to work with them, the better, but don’t try to force them on anyone. Let anyone who wants to participate do so, soon no one will want to be left out.

When you combine good intentions with a touch of magic, you can help to turn even the most unpleasant of work places into a goal oriented team that works together for the betterment of the business, and each other.

Spells for Tough Times
Available February 2012

Kerri Connor (Chicagoland, IL) is the author of Spells for Tough Times (February 2012). She is the High Priestess of The Gathering Grove, and has been practicing her craft for twenty-five years. She is the author of three other books of magic, and her writing has appeared in The Blessed Bee, Sage Woman, PanGaia, and New Witch. She runs The Pagan Review, a website that provides reviews of Pagan products. She also recently started Nurturing Necessities, a non-profit charitable organization.

Kerri Connor on Her Favorite Bookstore:
Kerri Connor, a former Border’s addict, now frequents Howl at the Moon in Richmond, Illinois.

      




Anyone else have ideas for beating back the winter blues? Please share!

Lo Scarabeo Pendulums, Runes, and Tarot Bags Make Great Stocking Stuffers!

The holiday season is upon us—a time for family, a time for friends, and a time for giving gifts. Ahh, the gift giving. Have your customers asked for suggestions for that someone who has everything? Looking for something with which to stuff your own Yuletide stockings?


Lo Scarabeo makes a number of pendulums, runes, tarot bags, tarot cloths, and notebooks/journals (in addition to their numerous tarot decks) that not only make great gifts, but great stocking stuffers! Look no further for the perfect, stocking-sized giftables.

Pendulums:

Pendulums are amazing tools for divination, dowsing, and answering questions relating to love, work, health, money, and much more. Not only abundantly useful, Lo Scarabeo pendulums are also eye-catchingly beautiful. Pictured at left is the Amethyst Chakra Pendulum; you can view all available pendulums here (note: you must log in to your account to view page).






















Runes:

Rune sets will bring new energy to divination, magic, and meditation practices. Sacred runic symbols have been carved into varying stones, making these exquisite runes magical as well as beautiful.  At left are the Amethyst Runes; you can view all available runes here (note: you must log in to your account to view page).














Tarot Bags:

Attractive and useful, tarot bags are an ideal way to safely store and protect valuable tarot decks. Pictured is the Rose in Hand satin tarot bag; you can view all available tarot bags here (note: you must log in to your account to view page).









Tarot Cloths:

Explore the many uses of these beautiful velvet cloths from Lo Scarabeo! Featuring embroidered symbols from various traditions, these multi-purpose cloths are ideal for altars, divination practice, ritual, meditation, and home decoration. Pictured at left is the Pentacle Velvet Cloth; you can view all available tarot cloths here (note: you must log in to your account to view page).






Note boxes:

These decorative note boxes from Lo Scarabeo bring a touch of elegance to any living space. Perfect for home or the office, it comes with blank paper for jotting down phone messages, reminders, to do lists, and anything else on your mind. Or try using this beautiful box to store a favorite tarot deck, jewelry, photos, souvenirs, runes, or any other mementos that deserve a special place.  Pictured is the Fairy Note Box; also available are the Cat Note Box and the Pagan Note Box.







Journals:

As a dream diary, sketchbook, or Book of Shadows, these gorgeous journals are the perfect place to record ruminations, insights, and experiences. Pictured is the Stars Journal; you can view all available journals here (note: you must log in to your account to view page).

Google eBooks™ "How-To" Flier Now Available

Having trouble market eBooks to confused buyers? Have questions about downloading Google eBooks™ onto different e-readers? The American Bookesellers' Association (ABA) has created a "how-to" flier that provides customers with step-by-step instructions for the entire Google eBooks™ process. 


Download your flier and get more information about marketing Google eBooks™ here.

Free Tools for Small Business Saturday, November 26

The second annual Small Business Saturday, November 26, is right around the corner! This initiative urging shoppers to support their small businesses is gaining traction. So far, over two million people on Facebook have “liked” Small Business Saturday.

The Small Business Saturday website offers a wealth of free tools to promote your business and gear up for the big day. There’s in-store signage and e-marketing materials, such as logos and e-mail templates. Also provided are easy ways to rally your customers through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and YourBuzz.

Are you doing anything special for the biggest shopping weekend of the year? Please tell us.