3 New Ways to Welcome Spring

This winter just doesn't want to abate; between massive snow and ice storms, rogue polar vortices, and the usual dearth of daylight, I think it is safe to say that most of us Northern Hemisphere folks are eager for spring.

Spring is a glorious season, one of rebirth, of renewal, of hope. As animals emerge from winter dens and we ourselves emerge from within houses and from underneath layers of coats and scarves, discover a few ways to bring the feelings of spring's vitality into our homes, our offices, and our spirits.

1. Make a Decorative Spring Broom.
   Deborah Blake's newest release, The Witch's Broom, includes the history and lore of broomsticks and the witches who use them. Along with original illustrations from Mickie
   
   Mueller and anecdotes from well-known witches (including Christopher Penczak, Tess Whitehurst, Linda Raedisch, and Melanie Marquis), the book includes instructions for making several brooms, from decorative to ceremonial to special occasion. Bring the essence of spring into your store or your home with a decorative spring broom, instructions courtesy of The Witch's Broom.

   Many witches like to decorate their homes or apartments with items that are related in some way to their practice of the Craft. Brooms can be a wonderful ornamental touch, and you can make them obviously witchy by covering them with pentacles, runes, and the like, or keep them subtle (lots of people have small cinnamon brooms hanging in their homes, for instance, and most of them aren’t witches) if you share your space with a non-witch, or live in an area where being openly Pagan can get you into trouble.

   As with most other brooms, you can buy one already adorned and ready to hang on your wall, or start from scratch and decorate it any way you want. The only limits are those of your imagination and crafting skill (and maybe your wallet, since some things cost more than others).

   How you decorate your broom is completely up to you, and will depend on your own personal style and desires. No two decorative brooms will be exactly alike, just like no two witches are exactly alike. And isn’t that grand!

   Decorative brooms can also have a theme and a purpose. Here are a few suggestions for a decorative Spring Broom, but the possibilities are truly endless. (For our Southern Hemisphere friends, this is a perfect craft to create and put away for a few months; or, conversely create a decorate Autumn broom to welcome that portion of the seasonal cycle.)

   • Pastel colors such as pink, lavender, light blue, pale yellow, and pale green (ribbons are nice in a rainbow of spring colors)
   • Spring herbs and/or dried flowers, such as daffodils, tulips, or anything else that grows in your area. You can even use fresh flowers to give it a spark of life
   • Representations of spring goddesses and gods, such as Persephone, Brigid, Eostre, Flora, Freya, Osiris, Pan, and Eros
   • Hang the broom up every Spring Equinox, and take it down at the Summer Solstice (when you would replace it with a similar summer-themed decorative broom)

   
   
2. Cast an Ostara Serpent Magic Tarot Spread.
   Coming in May is 365 Tarot Spreads, the newest release from Tarot Diva author Sasha Graham. Make the hallowed (and for many, daily) practice of tarot into daily journey for
   
   answers to any question with interesting and magical results. Featuring spreads for multi-cultural traditions, holidays, rituals, lore, and magic, this guide can be used year after year, with spreads falling on every possible calendar date. Each one is based on an important historical, magical, or fascinating occurrence on that particular date in history. This daily guide is concerned with the essential journey to find truth and answers, rooted in every spread with topics from love and money to career and life path. With an explanation of each spread and questions to focus on while reading, you’ll achieve your quest for answers every day.

   The Ostara Serpent Magic Spread
   On This Day (March 20)
   Ostara is the Anglo-Saxon spelling of the name for the Germanic deity of spring. Her attributes include eggs, babies and bunnies, coinciding with Easter but holding pagan rather than Christian resonance.

Summation of Spread
Spring, in addition to its fertility rites, marks the awakening of all slumbering creatures, ideas, and plans. In Scotland, highlanders traditionally pounded the ground with a stick until a serpent emerged. The reptile’s behavior gave an indication of how early spring would come. The Ostara Serpent Magic Spread seeks to discover what slumbers within in you.

Cast Your Cards
An excellent spread to perform on a warm spring day, be sure not to rush through it. Arrive at specific answers to each question before moving ahead. Cast the cards as a snake uncoiling itself:
1. What is reborn this year?
2. How do I activate my passion?
3. How can I stimulate my intellect?
4. What must become conscious?
5. How do I become an active participant in my life?
6. What does metamorphosis mean to me?
7. What can I uncoil and become free?
8. What message does the serpent whisper in my ear?




3. Clean That Neglected Closet (or Drawer, or Garage....)
   Spring is the time of year that everyone associates with cleaning: the opening of windows to circulate fresh air; ridding the home of what was gathered over the long winter and is no longer needed; and the removal of many months' of accumulated salt, mud, and grime. Llewellyn has several books on feng shui, including more recent releases Mind, Body, Home by Tisha Morris and Magical Housekeeping by Tess Whitehurst. Tisha's book presents your home as an integral component for holistic living, correlating every room with its physical, mental, or emotional counterpart in you. Your home is a reflection of you, from foundation to roof, and being in tune with its energy allows you to create positive changes—from enhancing wealth to improving relationships—in your life. Tess's book reveals how your home can be a powerful catalyst for personal transformation and manifestation, and she offers a variety of simple, whimsical ways (like a Magical Stress Eraser Mist) to create a harmonious home while enhancing your own happiness, intuition, and magical power.
   
   One of the first mandates put forth in each book: clear that clutter! As Tess Whitehurst put it in her article, "Make Your Home a Magical Tool:"
   

   "Remember 'As above, so below?' One thing that means is that physical clutter is never just clutter. It always reflects and holds in place unwanted conditions in our thoughts, emotions, and life experiences. And, when we look around our homes and everything we see is something that lifts our spirits and makes us feel good, our lives are characterized by harmony, joy, and success.
   
   So, let go of the extras. If there's clutter in your home, there’s nothing better you could be doing than clearing it. Take your time, knowing that every time you let go of a piece of clutter, your energy field is lightened and clarified, which immediately nourishes and benefits every area of your life."

   Tisha Morris recently contributed a guest blog post to our Body & Soul blog, titled, "Home is Where the Heart is…And Where Our Shadow Sides Lurk." In it she describes the correlation to
   
   
   that one drawer, closet, room, garage, etc. where we keep things hidden behind closed doors and our "shadow side," that part of ourselves we want to keep from the world at large. The aspects of our shadow sides—as varied as a hot temper or a hidden talent—can actually be useful in our daily lives, if only we address them. Until we clean those hidden compartments, we cannot reclaim aspects and parts of ourselves that we need in order to become whole and step into our authentic selves.

So tackle that clutter, cast your cards, and brighten your home or office with a spring broom! Bring the essence of the season into your heart and home.

Invoking the Holiday Spirit on a Budget

Hi Booksellers,

Enjoying the holidays—and getting into the “spirit” of the season—doesn’t come easily for everyone. It may be especially tough for those who work in retail. Long hours, crowds of stressed shoppers, and pressure to make your year end financial goal can shred anyone’s nerves. After weeks of this madness, who’s got energy for fa-la-la-la-la?

Luckily, it’s possible to keep the Grinch at bay and actually enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. We invited author Deborah Blake to talk about easy, inexpensive ways to create a festive, uplifting atmosphere in your store that will influence your staff, as well as your customers. With a little luck, all this positive energy will result in strong sales, too!



 
Invoking the Holiday Spirit on a Budget
By Deborah Blake

The holidays are a wonderful time to run a shop—I know, since I manage The Artisans’ Guild, a not-for-profit artists’ cooperative shop that I co-founded thirteen years ago with a friend. We feature local and regional artwork and crafts, not books, but we face many of the same problems other small stores do at this time of year. In short, how can we be festive and make the most out of the sales opportunities—without spending too much money or ending up burned out and crabby?

Press Releases Versus Ads
Whether your store emphasizes Christmas, Yule, or everything in between, there are a few fun, simple, and inexpensive things you can do to make the most of the season. As someone who runs a not-for-profit, I am used to doing things on a shoestring. For instance, since we have no advertising budget to speak of, we use events and special occasions as excuses to put out press releases (which are free, as opposed to taking out ads). A guest author visit coupled with a fun giveaway might be just the ticket.

Inspiring Ornaments and Decorations
There are lots of ways to decorate on the cheap, too. Get in the holiday spirit by hanging evergreen swags (real or imitation). Make ornaments that double as advertising of your merchandise by cutting out pictures of book covers from your catalogs and pasting them on to poster board or cardboard. Hang each one from a red ribbon and fasten them to your swags, so people can see them and get inspired.

Write up a large “Santa’s List” of top ten gift ideas in the shape of a faux-scroll and hang it on a wall. And be sure to set up a display table with great books, and any other merchandise—but make it special by adding snapshots of happy people showing off their gifts. You can take advantage of any cute kids, animals, or staff you happen to know.

Add a Spiritual Touch

If you want to add a spiritual touch, you can set up a store altar with candles (if it is safe to do so) or tiny battery-powered tea lights. Encourage both staff and customers to light a candle for a wish for the coming year, or to send good energy out into the world. If you don’t want to use candles, set up a small tree, and leave cut out “ornaments” of paper in seasonal shapes for people to write their wishes on, and then hand on the tree. You can use this to increase your mailing list, if you use one, by combining the ornaments with a giveaway. Anyone who hangs a wish on the tree can be entered into a giveaway for a gift basket of goods from your store (or a gift certificate), and they must write their name, address, and email on the back to be entered.

Holiday Giving
In this especially tough year, you may want to use your store to help give back to those in need. Put out a basket to collect canned goods for local food pantries, and let everyone who contributes be entered into a giveaway for a book that has some spiritual meaning.

Help Staff De-Stress
The holiday season can be stressful for shop owners and employees, so don’t forget to do a little something special to make this fun but busy time a little easier on everyone who works at your shop. If you have space, a small altar set up for the staff can give people a place to de-stress and relax for a moment or two each day. Encourage everyone to add a small item with special meaning to the altar or table, or have everyone bring in a picture of themselves celebrating the season with family or friends. And feel free to light a candle every day for prosperity.

A Contest Starring Pets
For a lighter note, you can run a “Pets who read,” contest. Have customers bring in photos of their pets “reading” a favorite book that was purchased at your store. You can enter everyone in a contest and pick a winner at the end of the month, or let people vote for which photo they like the best. Don’t forget to include treats for the pet in with the prize!

Happy holidays!

***

Photo by John Mazarak

Deborah Blake is the author of six books from Llewellyn Worldwide, including Everyday Witch Book of Rituals (2012), Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010),  Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) and The Goddess is in the Details (2009). She also has a regular column in the Witches & Pagans Magazine and has articles in many of the Llewellyn annuals. She lives in upstate New York where she is theoretically in charge of five cats and fifty artists. Visit her online.

Deborah on her favorite metaphysical store:
“I get most of my supplies from AzureGreen and I have for many years. They have a wide range of stock, good quality and low prices, and the nicest folks working there. They’re a small company and I love them.”







For more articles on keeping your cool throughout the holiday season, check out “Merry Blissmas: The Key to a Stress-Free Holiday” by Andy Baggott, “Joy to the Store: 5 Keys to a Happy, Sane, and Prosperous Holiday Season” by Tess Whitehurst and “Enjoy a Ten-Minute Bliss Break this Holiday Season” by Kala Ambrose.

Do you have a strategy for staying positive throughout the hectic holiday season? Please share!

Deborah Blake on Celebrating Halloween at Your Store

Hi Booksellers,

Looking for ways to attract a crowd on Halloween? Here’s some fun, inexpensive ideas from author Deborah Blake on how to appropriately celebrate this sacred Pagan holiday at your store.


Celebrating Halloween and its Pagan Roots
By Deborah Blake

Halloween is a holiday that has an origin deep in Pagan roots. Its name comes from the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve, or Hallow Evening (hence Hallow E’en), which in turn was taken from the Pagan holiday we now call Samhain—pronounced Sow-win. Samhain is one of the most important holidays of the year for Pagans and Witches; it is considered to be the day on which the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, and it is possible to speak to those we have lost, whether the recent dead or our ancestors. You can see where the “spooky” reputation of this holiday came from!

It can be tricky to balance the sacred nature of the spiritual holiday with the more commercial aspects of the secular celebrations that most people are accustomed to—but here are some suggestions for Halloween events that won’t demean the holiday . . . or cost an arm and a leg to put on.

Treasure Hunts
One of the easiest and most fun Halloween events that I have hosted at various bookstores is the “treasure hunt.” Find all the books in the store that have spooky or magical themes; this can include children’s stories, real-life books on ghosts, anything Pagan or related to Witches (yes—Harry Potter counts!), etc. You can then either write up a list for people to use as they hunt for the books (in which case, they have the list later to possibly shop from), or place bookmarks or other “markers” in the books that count towards the treasure hunt. You could even put a bookmark that is a coupon for any book it is in, in the hopes of selling a few in the process.

If you have a metaphysical or New Age store, you could try a scavenger hunt with clues, like “I am a clear rock used for boosting psychic energy” for a quartz crystal.

You could give a special prize to the first few customers who find all the “treasures” or simply offer candy and Halloween goodies to all participants. 

Storytelling
This can be aimed at kids or adults. You could invite a local author for a reading/signing event. Or arrange to have a staff member tell spooky or witchy stories.

Host a Costume Contest
Invite your staff to dress up, too.

Special Guests
Tarot readers and tealeaf readers are a popular attraction, and you can display books about psychic phenomenon near the reader’s table.

I suggest steering clear of insulting stereotypical witch make-up (long nose, green face and the like), but everyone loves a long black dress and a pointy hat. The trick is to celebrate this important Pagan holiday with respect, and treat all who come into your store as though they were V.I.W.’s—Very Important Witches.

***

Photo by John Mazarak

Deborah Blake's most recent book is Witchcraft on a Shoestring. She is also the author of Circle, Coven and Grove, Everyday Witch A to Z, The Goddess is in the Details, and Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook. She has published numerous articles in Pagan publications, including Llewellyn annuals and has an ongoing column in Witches & Pagans Magazine.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.

Witchcraft on a Shoestring
by Deborah Blake

Deborah can be found online at Facebook and Twitter. Or check out her website.

Deborah on her favorite metaphysical store:
“I get most of my supplies from AzureGreen and I have for many years. They have a wide range of stock, good quality and low prices, and the nicest folks working there. They’re a small company and I love them.”