The Good Vibe Edition/ Nov-Dec 2020 by Retailing Insight Magazine

RetailingInsight Volume 34 I Issue 6 I November-December 2020

2021

ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

MAGAZINE

The good vibe edition!

LIFE & WORK

FIVE PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY IN 2021

CANDLES

The Moon Deck Oracle Set by The Moon Deck

TIPS & SPELLS TO HELP RETAILERS

Your Dose of Inspiration

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Peter F. Drucker

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Contents

THE GOOD VIBE EDITION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

INSIDE 4 EDITOR’S NOTE 12

BUSINESS & MARKETING 5 Ways to Attract Customers & Make Sales During a Pandemic

20 MEET MY STORE

Culture Spot

PLAY LIST Reviews of Great Music to Sell and Enjoy

SPECIAL

30 E DITORS’ PICKS

Best selection of gifts to celebrate Valentine’s Day

55 F RESH!

Special Advertising Section

TAKE FIVE 5 Principles to Live and Work By

56 ADVERTISER INDEX

FEATURES

THE HANDMADE BUSINESS REIMAGINED Tips and things to know about a business that is booming worldwide

14 RECOVERING FROM THE INVISIBLE DISASTER – PART 2

Discover what the owner of Coventry Creations is doing since her business got hit by the pandemic

24 FALL IN LOVE WITH CANDLES

Tips and tricks on selling candles with Madame Pamita, author of The Book of Candle Magic

LIFE, BUSINESS & MENTAL HEALTH Learn how you can find balance between life and work without losing yourself

BECOMING FEARLESS DURING DIFFICULT TIMES Inhale and exhale!... And learn how meditation practice can help you regain your confidence

VISIONS OF HEALING Awaken your healing powers with visual tools

44 ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

What’s ahead for 2021

2 RetailingInsight

ON THE COVER The Moon Deck Oracle Set by The Moon Deck Photo by Haana Thiem (More Details on Page 56)

24 44

14 42 52

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 3

Editor'sNote Choices, Chances, Changes… I can’t believe I am already writing this last note of the year to you! It feels like the year is finishing with half of it still incomplete. I don’t know if I should blame this feeling on the shutdown and the struggle to carve out hours to explore creativity, considering I have two very active toddlers at home, or if it was partly due to some of the time and energy spent focusing on the wrong things. I realize now I need to allow myself to accept change as a chance for me to make better choices and to follow that path of progress where it leads. Looking back on 2020, I think of how many businesses and families are still trying to recover from the fallout caused by this pandemic, but I also think of how many others were able to identify new opportunities. The fortunate ones and those able to summon the energy, were able to reassess their plans, their vision, their choices, and their future goals and took their shot. Let’s not forget that we’re in control of our thinking. We can determine the outcome in our own lives. Choices are part of the ingredient to launching a business – and keeping it successful. Choice opens doors to new opportunities, and connected communities. In 2021, let’s make wiser choices, good choices, mindful choices! That’s why this “good vibes” edition couldn’t come at a better time. A good recharge is what we all need, indeed. So, we’re not only sending you good vibrations to help start the year with positive thinking, confidence, and gratitude, but also resourceful topics to help you achieve that. Remember, if the work is not good, it’s because it’s not done yet! Don’t give up! In 2021, we’ll be working closely with amazing contributors and makers in the conscious living community to help build curated content, starting with the Retail Journey edition. Stay connected! Happy Holidays!

RETAILING INSIGHT MAGAZINE is a bimonthly trade publication specializing in the conscious living retail market. The magazine is published exclusively for retailers and small independent businesses in the USA. Our mission is to share one on one business advice, unique product reviews, advertisement from top sellers in the industry, and exclusive and mindful topics to help businesses continue to thrive.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COPY-EDITOR

Roberta Gazzarolle Sean Ruck

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Stephanie Biddle

CONTRIBUTORS

Bill Binkelman Melinda Carver Dudley Evenson Emily A. Francis Megy Karydes Royce Morales Madame Pamita Sean Ruck Uma Silbey Jacki Smith Tam Veilleux

SALES

Karen Johnson

Retailing Insight® magazine is published by New Way Publishing, LLC

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©2020 New Way Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 2372-7977. Volume 34/Issue 6/ Year 2020. T he magazine is publishe d bimonthly/six times a year (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sept, Nov) by New Way Publishing LLC, 4117 Park Road 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220. Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to Retailing Insight Magazine, P.O. Box 12252 Charlotte, NC 28220.

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6 RetailingInsight

The Handmade Business Reimagined By Royce Amy Morales

s a conscious, dedicated body-mindspirit indie business, undoubtedly your mission-driven direction is clear. Yet, you’re hesitant to jump in to add handmade products to your inventory mix. Maybe you’re concerned about not getting enough merchandise from a small production source. Or, you may fear that makers won’t be businesslike to work with, or their quality won’t be consistent, licensing regulations or hygiene requirements won’t be met, or you’re simply afraid that you won’t receive your order on time. And, you just might be thinking ‘selling handmade is more trouble than it’s worth.’ If you find yourself feeling some of these apprehensions, brought on by either hearsay or personal experience, hopefully the following words will inspire you to reconsider your decision.

TO BEGIN WITH… Let’s start with some inarguable reasons that carrying handmade is good: It’s innovative, unique and will never be carried in chain stores. Selling handmade helps keep money circulating in your local community as well as the nation. Although the contribution of a single small business to the gross domestic product is minuscule, together it’s responsible for almost half of the private nonfarm gross. Handmade creations are inherently healthier for the environment, consuming far less energy than mass-produced items to make and typically utilizing safer, more eco-friendly materials. Most importantly: Selling handmade can boost your shop’s bottom line since customers appreciate owning one-of-a-kind items. Not enough? It’s seriously good karma to pay it forward by supporting other small businesses and the customers wanting to support yours!

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 7

FACTS & OPINIONS

Think Locally and Globally

It’s not considered a hobby! There are mixed stories about the state of American manufacturing, some claiming it’s dead or close to dying and some saying it’s alive and well. Neither of those opinions account for the growth in the number of people making products with their hands and selling them as a business. Handmade artisans no longer see what they do as just a fun pastime. Rather, the vast majority are approaching it as a serious livelihood venture with the goal of selling at a profit and building a sustainable business. Treat them like you would any professional vendor, but you may need to school them about business practices, in particular, yours.

Availability

Uniqueness Generally speaking, an indie shop with one or even two locations can’t compete against chain store prices, nor should you try. Your goal is offering a high-quality, distinctive, unique, innovative and stylish selection of products. In other words, nothing that your customers could find at a big chain store.

Customer Demand Whether they know it or not, more customers are buying handmade. Your job is to let them know how important it is to support independent artisans and American handmade. As more stores choose inventory that’s almost exclusively imports, the American economy struggles. No one wants that.

Variety Handmade entrepreneurs sell a myriad of products including jewelry, bath and body lines, candles, perfume, pottery, paper products, artwork, furniture, tabletop outdoor accessories, and more.

Commitment Generally, artisans are committed to creating from a place that goes beyond just being profitable. They chose this direction because there’s a strong inner pull insisting that they do so, it feels important and meaningful to them.

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Handmade creators act locally, providing an ecological benefit with products delivered from shorter distances rather than from across an ocean. Often, handmade means making things in a garage or a home studio as opposed to a factory, which saves oodles of energy.

Makers may sell things at farmer’s markets or craft shows, but some have expanded to wholesale trade shows and/or often offer wholesale option on their websites. They might also sell on other handmade sites., If any of that is a problem for you, continue your maker search.

HOW & WHERE TO START Here are some suggestions to help get you started carrying handmade:

Finding Products Go to gift shows and visit the sections highlighting handmade. The best part is talking directly to the makers, connecting with their story. Sometimes they’ll even produce things uniquely for your shop upon request. Plus, check out wholesale handmade shows and websites focusing on items made specifically for retail shops. Explore local farmer’s markets, local craft shows and open studios. A local vendor just might jump at the chance of being represented in a “real shop.” Start small. If you’re nervous about jumping in feet first, take it one step at a time. Talk to a handmade soap vendor at your farmer’s market and order a couple of dozen to see how they sell. Or, add some handmade jewelry into your product mix; throw in a new line of hand-poured candles you discovered at a gift show. Not much to lose; tons to gain.

Boast Just like anything else you bring in that’s new, reaching customers is the key. Post pictures on social media; display with signs in your window; frame a bio or story and hang it nearby. Stories sell, so talk to anyone stopping to look.

Handle Concerns If you’re worried that a handmade vendor is going to underprice you on their own website, talk about that right from the start. Explain that doing so won’t serve either of you, and that you’ll drop them immediately if they do.

Pricing Since you’ll be placing a retail-sized order, make sure they understand your pricing strategy. Explain having to keystone merchandise in order to make a profit, that your online purchases have shipping expenses, and the price for comparable items. Be ready to teach Retail 101.

Competition Make sure they completely understand the importance of not selling to nearby competitors. Depending on your locale, give them a specific distance to not sell to.

Delivery Explain the importance of timely delivery. Are they able to fulfill large orders? Unlike larger suppliers, you may need to provide a deposit if they don’t have the supplies to fulfill quantities.

Promotional Material

e. Samples. Retailers make decisions by viewing, touching, smelling, and even trying out products. They need to see how things fit with the rest of their inventory in terms of pricing, selection, shelving, and store aesthetics. Artists should bring merchandise packaged and tagged so you can get a clear picture of how it will look in the store. f. Line Sheet. This is a one-page brochure with small pictures, titles, descriptions, and wholesale pricing. Artists should bring this along with an order form with contact information to leave with the buyer. g. A rtist’s bio. Ask them to create a well-written, professional biography or artist statement to give customers and/or to display near their product. Offer editing help if needed. h Pricing. Independent artisans tend to overvalue their work or not understand that a doubled wholesale price might price it out of the market. Having a clear understanding of what it costs to make their product and confidence about what their time is worth is important. If they’re used to selling directly, they may think they will be losing out by dropping to a wholesale price, but assure them that the opportunity to sell in bulk, without having to do anything but create, should counter any perceived losses.

Get a well-written, one-page biography or artist statement to include with each sale and/or to post near their work. Spread the word! If you’re comfortable doing this, let them know you may not be the only one who would want to carry their work. Be a resource to help them find other shops or trade shows that could help them expand. Forming a few strong retail partnerships is best for them (and you) in the long run.

Before They Walk In In order to help a handmade vendor before they even set foot in your shop, have an informative page on your website (or information to email) explaining how to go about pitching products. Here are some things to emphasize: a. Research First. Have them visit (if possible) and look around the shop to make sure they also feel it’s a good fit for their product. They can start by checking online to avoid a wasted trip. b. Read the Mission Statement. Each shop has a unique direction, theme, demographic or commitment. You and they should make sure these products jive. c. Contact Information. Let them know who to contact and when. Invite them to call to set up an appointment (unless you’re okay with drop-ins to prescreen). If not, emphasize they should never just drop in unless to scope out the shop first. If emailing first is okay, explain what you want in it, i.e. professional photos, contact information, a brochure if they have one, etc. d. Be Businesslike. Explain the importance of being on time, keeping the appointment to 15 minutes (or longer if you can), and being prepared to confidently talk about their products. Think of it as a job interview.

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 9

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i. Consign. If you’re uncertain as to whether their product will do well, or what they’re selling is a big-ticket item, offer to do consignment. Make sure they understand and agree to the terms, signing an agreement that explains payment and shop responsibility details. Consignment can be made sweeter by offering a 60/40 split, but don’t go higher than that. j. Timeliness. Make sure they’re able to provide the amount of inventory needed at the time needed. Emphasize that store orders cannot be late or incomplete.

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k. P resentation. They should have an effective logo, consistent branding, and professional tagging. Retailers want stocking and displaying to be fast and smooth. If the items are pre-packaged, make sure it’s beautiful. l. Promotion. Encourage them to do their part in promoting their products by luring people to the store, both on their website as well as social media. m. E xclusivity. Get an agreement from them to not sell to stores within a certain distance for as long as the items are being sold in your shop.

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n. Don’t Give Up. Remind them that if your shop isn’t the right one, there are plenty of others that might be perfect.

CHANGE IS GOOD Hopefully, you now feel more confident about carrying handmade. After all, Etsy sure couldn’t be wrong! As an indie shop owner, your role is to be ahead of the curve, leading the way for the rest of the world. Even if customers don’t know it yet, they will buy handmade from you, but make sure to give them what they want! 9780738762890 $17.99

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Royce Amy Morales is the founder of Perfect Life Awakening. Morales is also a transpersonal development speaker and author of Know: A spiritual wake-up call. Royce was an independent retailer for two decades in Redondo Beach, CA. To know more about the author, visit her page at www.perfectlifeawakening.com.

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Business&Marketing 5 Ways to Attract Customers & Make Sales During a Pandemic By Megy Karydes

How does a small and independent retailer sell garlic bulbs during a global pandemic? Instagram is one tool. How does another let her customers know she’s available to curate gifts without customers needing to leave their house? Facebook. How does another introduce a new apparel line? Email newsletter. As a customer, I’ve bought from each of these retailers thanks to the tools they’ve used to communicate their offerings and availability. (Yes, in fact I did rush to City Grange in Chicago after I saw their Instagram post with their garlic bulbs!) The reality is, the global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives. But it’s also reminded many retailers and wholesalers why they entered this line of business and what matters: connecting with each other. So how can we get customers excited about shopping with us? The key is meeting customers where they’re at and that means realizing some may not be comfortable coming in-store to shop while others really want to leave their house and enjoy some retail therapy time. Here are a few ways to make all of your customers feel welcome, safe, and excited to support their favorite retailers:

Use Your Windows People are out walking and if your shop gets healthy foot traffic, continue to update your window displays and make sure passersby know how they can shop. It’s still a billboard for your business! Even if your shop is closed, instead of a sign that reads “Sorry, we’re closed due to COVID-19,” post one that shares how customers can shop. For example, “Sorry, our shop is closed due to COVID-19, but we’re adding new items on our website daily and can ship or arrange touchless curbside pick-up!” At a minimum, provide modified business hours, safety precautions and ways customers can reach you.

Offer a One-of-a-Kind Experience For those who want to support your business but are uncomfortable visiting your shop, work with them. Some retailers are using technology like Zoom or FaceTime to “walk” their customers through the store to see new items. Others are allowing customers to email or message them with things they’d like to see and the retailers are pulling those items to “show” them online at a designated time. In other cases, retailers are acting as personal shoppers. For example, let’s say a customer wants to send a gift to a child’s teacher and wants to spend $25. The customer lets the retailer know her budget and the recipient’s details and the retailer takes care of shipping the item.

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Fearless Cooking, a kitchen accessories boutique in Chicago that also offers cooking classes (now virtually), calls it their Gift Concierge Service. To help explain this service, the owner added this detail on her website: “When the quarantine began, we were so lucky to have customers who supported us by asking us to put together gifts for loved ones. Now, we are making that service official with our Fearless Gift Concierge Service! Just answer a few questions by clicking below and we’ll put together the perfect gift. No additional charge.” Brilliant. To be fair, many retailers were already doing this pre-pandemic but it’s definitely increased in availability and many customers are choosing this option since it allows them to still send gifts to friends while supporting their local businesses.

Maximize Your Social and Digital Media Again, meet your customers where they are. If they’re on Facebook, feature Facebook Live sessions daily and focus on a certain theme of items. If they’re on Instagram, post Stories or update your account with new items. Don’t forget your email list! If there was a time to use that list to your advantage, it’s now. It’s hard to believe a business doesn’t have a website these days but if you don’t, this would be the time to invest in one. More people are shopping online, so why not allow them to shop with you?

In-store Shopping Experiences Many customers still want to shop in person and if you’re offering that option, remind customers of what that experience might look like. If you require masks while in the store, make sure that’s clear before customers walk through your door. To help minimize traffic at any given time, some retailers are offering customers the option of reserving a shopping time. Fearless Cooking created a calendar on Calendly.com that allows customers to reserve an in-store shopping experience in 30-minute increments.

Stay Upbeat! Customers come to us because we’re meeting a need. Stay focused on your customers now and be flexible. They’ll appreciate it and keep coming back, now and later. Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based writer currently working on a book on behalf of a client that wants to use it sell and promote their organization. Visit her website at www.megykarydes.com.

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Recovering from the Invisible Disaster – Part 2 By Jacki Smith

When the Shock Starts to Wear Off

Present Day

emotionally and mentally put the calendar on pause this year. I have been waiting for the news that COVID-19 has been contained and we are free to go about our business in the normal manner. Logically, I know that is not happening anytime soon, but I realized emotionally I was waiting on this news, keeping me mentally in May or June. How can the summer possibly have gone by that fast, all while I am struggling to make sense of the new rules in dealing with the world! After many therapy sessions this summer, I learned that this is my way of dealing with trauma. I pressed an emotional pause, creating a layer of denial, while still moving forward with what needs to be done in my day-to-day. Add to that many of the other post-disaster/ trauma symptoms and I have been living two lives at the same time. The one in denial of this disaster and the other that has dug in and takes care of business. As the shock wears off, the adrenaline dissipates, and the constant stress becomes normal, I am left with the reality that I have to learn to co-exist with COVID-19 in our world. I am facing the PTSD of the initial shut down and finding new ways to manage. The American Psychiatric Association lists the common reaction in adults after a disaster I am working through most of them. •T rouble falling asleep or staying asleep • S adness, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, or anger •H aving no feelings at all or feeling numb •A lack of energy or feeling exhausted all the time •L ack of appetite or, the opposite, eating all the time • Trouble concentrating or feeling confused • S ocial isolation, reduced or restricted activities • Th inking no one else is having the same reactions as you •H eadaches, stomachaches, or other body pains • Misusing alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or prescription medications to cope

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 15

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It is helpful to know that I am not alone in this struggle. Reaching out to my colleagues, girlfriends, family, has been a balm to my stress. Watching these conversations, we seem to be asking the same thing over and over again, “How do we co-exist with this pandemic while finding any semblance of stability?” The sand of knowledge about this pandemic is shifty and the conspiracies around it are sinkholes that make stability a rare commodity these days.

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When I was a baby witch and fledgling entrepreneur, there was a statement that made sense, yet at the same time, I couldn’t grasp. “Be the source of what you seek.” To me it sounded like writing checks you couldn’t cash, yet I understood that if you wanted a change in your environment, you have to invite it in through your thoughts, words, and deeds. When I am in crisis, I come back to the message of “Be the Source of what you seek,” and look for ways I am either blocking the change I desire or ignoring the actions I can take to make it happen. During the reopening of our store, I had become the source of stability. If I didn’t seek that out, mimic that behavior and act as if, I would not have been able to see that I wasn’t the only source of stability at our business. My business partner/sister was my rock, my fulfillment manager held us together, and my customer care manager kept all our customers calm. We were a team working in concert by muscle memory alone. Together we created the seed for stability, then had to decide what to do with it – shrink for protection or thrive and grow. “Empowered Belief” is our contribution to the world and we either believe in our ability to represent this or we need a new “why?” for being in business. As the leader of the merry band of magic makers, I needed to start making magic. I had to become empowered in co-existing with COVID-19 and empower myself and my team in the belief that we can actually thrive during this time of stress. Terror and empowerment is a freight train of magic and I was going to use it to become the source. Beginning with our

commitment to a living wage for all entry level employees, I lead our team on a few scary, emotion-filled decisions: 1 – Raise everyone’s wages 2 – Add more staff to lighten the load while we are coping with stress 3 – Start each conversation with compassion 4 – NO new projects I have almost three decades of emotional history of living month to month with our financial business health. Almost three decades of barely making it and managing one financial crisis after another. This is normal stuff for small businesses, and I wanted to change that paradigm for our company. I decided to lead my team out of that mental habit and into a new, prosperous idea. If not now when? Seriously, the year 2020 had been a game of 52 pickup and the cards are scattered all over the globe. The ramification of these decisions could have huge consequences. If it all goes wrong, what am I to do then? If it all goes wrong… I start over! We are starting over right now, and I decided we can start over as many times as it takes to get it right. Years of bootstrapping has taught me how to survive and I am not stopping now. I am walking into these big decisions with my eyes wide open and experience in my back pocket. I know we can be facing financial loss, through a higher payroll, loss of sales, and being emotionally drained by finding compassion for the needs of my staff and customers. Empowered belief reminds me to look for all the potentials and to make a plan to explore them. Anticipating the worst-case scenarios put me in a prepared emotional state, but one thing I forgot to do was to prepare for success.

To Succeed or Not Succeed I think one of the biggest triggers of failure is success. Seriously, when you start to succeed you start to feel like the job is done, now you can coast. The opposite is true. When you start to succeed, then the really hard work begins. The adrenaline of starting a plan, making big decisions, and overcoming a massive trauma starts to wear off, leaving nothing but the grunt continued on page 18

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work to keep it going. When you fail, you get a pause and a recovery moment. Success doesn’t allow for a pause or it quickly turns into failure. Being the source is usually a game changer and wow did it work here! The day we decided to create the $15 an hour plan, our sales skyrocketed. So much so, the plan to hire more people to lighten the load became – hire more people because we need more candles! Going from no production for 10 weeks, light production for three and then ZOOM, record-setting sales, was a scary amount of success. How do we increase production in a small space where we need to keep our team six feet apart? How do we ship triple the amount of products in a space that needs to be taken up by production expansion? How do we get new staff trained and up to speed? My stable team was up to their eyeballs in orders, trying to hold onto the little sanity they had, and everyone was about to break for a new reason – success. Pendulum swings are hard to manage. There is no recovery or ramp-up time. You are just in it. This is when math becomes my best friend to calculate what is possible. Since I am the source, what resources can we make miracles with? Which of my empowered, magical candles do I need to light for these solutions? “All of them” was my first inclination, but we sold those, so I went for a Blessed Herbal Problem Solving. I thought my magic was a sad frizzle when no configuration of current capacity caught us up to our orders in less than 24 months. There are good problems, but I still wasn’t sleeping. My Problem-Solving candle was working, just in a different way than I anticipated. It took us to a new building, doubled the size of where we were and was only two blocks away from our previous location. My empowered belief looked at the possibilities, did the math and showed us how to make the jump. We had to make the move, it was a no-brainer. Now I had a brand new stressor – moving a thriving business without losing a day of production . . . while in a pandemic. This is the stress of success and I am already at my wits end. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “You can’t have it all, all at once... Over my lifespan, I think I have had it all. But in

18 RetailingInsight

different periods of time, things were rough.” When I try to do everything at once, the first thing to go is my emotional health, yet good emotional health is what gets me through these tough moments. With having the common reactions to a disaster like not sleeping and disassociating time passage, my emotional health must take a starring role in my daily routine. Powering through is no longer a viable recovery tactic.

• Clearing out my closets. • If I indulge, I wait for the best stuff. • Sister zoom calls.

Light of Hope to Become Exactly Who You Need

“ ” Who I have evolved into over the past six months is exactly who I need today. I am more vulnerable in my conversations, more open with my needs and more willing to listen

We are starting over right now, and I decided we can start over as many times as it takes to get it right. Focusing on My Emotional Recovery

In my daily planner I jot down my emotional state every day. Looking back six months, I have been on a rollercoaster; gratitude, survivor guilt, excitement, fear, joy, grief. Loneliness, isolation, and abandonment feelings are in full force as I stay masked, distant, and home. Zoom fatigue is real, coupled with decision fatigue and societal fears. If you are feeling this too, I am hugging you right now because this has sucked. Mental Health America’s article, “Coping with Disaster” nailed it with helpful tips to aid in your emotional recovery:

• Talk about it. • Spend time with friends and family. • Take care of yourself. • Limit exposure to images of the disaster. • Find time for activities you enjoy. • Take one thing at a time. • Do something positive. • Avoid drugs and excessive drinking. •A sk for help when you need it. I personally added: •D edicated quiet time every day. • I ntermittent fasting. •S afe dedicated Hugging friend.

and support. I am slower in my reactions and more conservative in my risks. I protect my mind from clutter and conspiracy. I am more passionate about equality and humane actions and I love more fiercely. I am taking my turn at carrying the light of hope for humanity. I see a lighter, more compassionate time in our future and keep reminding myself and everyone around me that there is more love within our world than hate. Love is quieter, so I will boost the voice of this every opportunity I can. This story does not have an end, neither does yours. In honor of the notorious RBG I wish for you all to remember one more quote from her, “So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.” We each have the ability to turn any adversity into opportunity. I wish every moment of pain is a precursor to immense joy. Jacki Smith is the founder, witch and Enchantress at Coventry Creations. Jacki’s bestselling Blessed Herbal Candles started the intentional candle industry almost 30 years ago. Check out her brand of magic in Coventry Magic with Herbs, Oils and Candles or visit her site, www. coventrycreations.com.

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MeetMyStore

Read the stories of some of the best indie stores in America

By Sean Ruck

CULTURE SPOT

hip Tolaney is a designer by trade originally. He worked in graphic design in the early 2000s and by the end of the decade, he began designing more products himself. Starting with wall décor, pillows and accessories using his artwork, he made the transition into jewelry design three or four years later. Regardless of the medium he used or type of product he created, he says one thing stayed consistent, “Everything has to be symbolic, meaningful or inspirational,” he says. So Tolaney’s jewelry tends to be inspirational, or includes meaningful symbols or represents something bigger. Retailing Insight spoke to him to learn more about his background and about his online wholesale business Culture Spot.

www.culturespot.com 930 Newark Avenue, Suite T402 Jersey City, NJ 07306 201-706-3270

Retailing Insight: You said you started as a designer was that a path inspired by someone in your family?

g. antra Rin M n a t e ib pot Spinning T Culture S Om Mani Image by

Chip Tolaney: Almost everyone in my family is a doctor except for me, so there’s no family inspiration there. It was something I’ve been into since I was a kid. I’ve never called myself an artist, because I feel it’s a very loaded term, but I did get involved from the beginning in school competitions and things like that. Designing products like t-shirts for example, even in middle school and high school I did that a lot. RI: What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

Tree of Life Opt ical Illus Image b ion Pendant. y Cultur e Spot 20 RetailingInsight

CT: Initially, when I did the home décor section, it was right after the 2008 crash and the home category was one of the markets that suffered the most. So our start was very bumpy in terms of the timing and nature of products. To be able to finally adjust our offerings to something we were comfortable with and which had a market need was where jewelry came along.

RI: Were you always strictly to the trade or did you shift over time? CT: We started strictly to the trade and I did some tradeshows in Atlanta and New York. Like I said, we were in the home décor sector. The shows were really slow and dry essentially because the housing market was so negatively impacted by the recession. The thing that did happen around 2010 was that online marketplaces like Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, they were looking for more sellers. They were basically sourcing us to drop ship for them and that led me into more of the online retail. RI: Why did you decide to focus on an online presence? Although you do also offer a paper catalog correct? CT: Most people enjoy looking at a paper catalog, but most of our orders come from online. I think the paper catalog gives us the right setting for a narrative story. We can put all the inspirational jewelry together by theme for example, letting people get acquainted with that collection more completely than they might online. I think it’s a good marriage between paper and digital though, where each provides an important part of the experience. RI: How would you describe your e-store type? CT: It’s only open to trade. Only registered members can order it. A person going to the site would not be able to order or see the pricing unless they are a vendor. It goes through a basic application process where they have to prove they are a legitimate online or brick and mortar retail establishment. Once the approval process is done and their account is approved, they are able to view the pricing and place orders. So viewing our site is open to all, but seeing the pricing is only open to registered accounts. RI: Can you describe your customer profile? Is there a certain region of the country you’re more popular with? CT: Our rep circuit is pretty heavy on the west coast. California being our number one state. As a profile, it’s any store that offers meaningful jewelry, or gemstone jewelry, or yoga/meditation supplies. Generally, anything in that mind/body/spirit sector. Most of our jewelry pieces tend to be sterling silver, so there’s also a certain type of store that would be interested in carrying us for that as well. RI: How do you let potential customers know about Culture Spot? Do you advertise online? Do you use social media? CT: It’s a combination of everything. We do online advertising for people looking for wholesale jewelry, matched with print advertising – Retailing Insight being one of them – and through our reps. RI: How many reps do you have? CT: We work with a big rep group on the west coast. They have about 15 to 20 reps and we’re adding more in different regions as we move along.

Faith, Hope, L ove Leather B racelet. Image by Cul ture Spot RI: Can you detail your average workday? CT: The initial part of my day – the first hour to two hours goes into business processes. By that, I mean any customer service issues that I have to personally look into. I also work through and respond to emails and suppliers. Overall, I try to balance my time between three things. One is the business aspect – anything working on the business essentially. Then two and three are working on the marketing and product design and development. Product also includes merchandising and photography, things like that. So a recap, the initial part of the morning goes into business processes and responding to everyone. That’s followed by my marketing section with outreach and sales. The mid-afternoon and evening is where I feel most creative, so that’s where I go into the product section of my day. RI: Do you work with other designers, or are your designs created in-house CT: Some of the designs are done with other manufacturers who have certain capabilities, but through a collaboration we make it our own. Most of our designs are done in-house though. The starting point with collaborations can be either a blank slate or their samples for ideas and we take it to a new level. RI: When you’re doing something in-house, are you using CAD programs? Or physical creations? CT: My starting point is usually my iPad. I’m fairly good with Apple Pen. From that point on, my detailed notes go to our silversmiths and then they go into CAD to come up with technical drawings and fine details. From there, we go to samplings and then the finished product. A lot of what gets to the sample stage does not make the final cut. What might work conceptually doesn’t always work in reality.

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 21

RI: Do you have in-house employees? CT: We have five to seven people depending on the season. RI: How do you manage your workforce in the face of the pandemic? CT: The creative aspect – copywriting, photography, marketing, a lot of that we were able to manage remotely. For the shipping, with the warehouse obviously being a physical location, the best we were able to do was alternating shifts. So in a work space, there was only one person at a time. RI: We’ve talked about the methods you use to promote your brand, but what is the message you share? CT: It’s part of my personal philosophy. Years ago, I read somewhere that your product is your best marketing. That’s always been my mindset. We started with

the inspirational cuff where it didn’t have just one word, it had a story or a message. It did really well, so we built on that to have a line that now offers 25 bracelets, each with a deeper message than just a few words or a line. That in of itself, we were able to do direct mail to some retailers with some of those bracelets and it went well. That’s been our continued approach – build on product and use product as our marketing philosophy. RI: Do you attend Trade Shows to look for inspiration or do you exhibit to find new customers? CT: The rep group we belong to has showrooms in Vegas and California and we’re considering New York and Florida, but obviously, we’re waiting to see how tradeshows go right now. RI: How do you determine what might be good jewelry to create?

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CT: One approach is to have a balanced selection. Different retailers have different customer bases and different philosophies of how they merchandise in their stores. So one aspect is to have everything balanced in terms of enough bracelets, pendants, earrings – even going further and saying enough inspirational bracelets, enough gemstone bracelets. We want to have something that works as a collection, but can also stand alone. The second thing is if there’s a design or particular piece that’s done phenomenally well, we build on it. For example, we have a collection of spinner meditation rings. We produced three originally and they sold so well, we expanded our line to make them more inspirational and more meaningful. Now we have about 10 of them. Obviously, the third thing is that you have to be aware of trends. RI: Do customers ever reach out with jewelry creation requests? CT: For our inspirational line, we’ve received some requests where someone wants something with a particular sentiment. So that helps if we hear a few requests

of that nature. We try to incorporate that. Some requests we receive are more about the display or the packaging. Because we have an in-house design team, we can do that for them. RI: How has the pandemic impacted your business? CT: It’s something I find funny. When I started the business after the housing crash, one thing I heard at shows is that jewelry is a recession-proof product. This time around, the issue has been that clothing and jewelry are the hardest hit categories because people aren’t going out in public as much. I’ve seen folks who have physical locations now get more focused on an online presence. I’m assuming because people aren’t going out as much, their retail sales are lower compared to last year. One thing we’ve stayed away from is having sellers offering our products on Amazon or eBay. If you have your own website, you can sell on it. But we don’t do marketplace products because that diminishes the value and pricing of the product. We’ve gotten a lot of requests in the last few months trying to sign up as new customers, but they don’t have a quality website or are looking to be just marketplace sellers. RI: In light of the pandemic, have you see uptick in interest in the inspiration jewelry? CT: Yes, I think while other jewelry has been impacted in terms of popularity or sales, inspirational jewelry is one that hasn’t really seen a downturn. There are a couple rings like the spinner meditation ring that help relax and calm that have become even more popular. Some specific messages have increased in popularity too. One that says “Breathe in, breathe out,” another that says “This too shall pass.” They’re obviously year appropriate. Sean Ruck is an editor and writer. He lives in Vermont with his wife and three children. When he finds spare time, he typically digs into environmental concerns and causes.

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Fall in Love with Candles By Madame Pamita

s a savvy business person, you’re probably aware of many of the benefits to having candles in your product mix: they’re great for eye-catching and colorful displays, they make great gifts, and they are consumable, so loyal customers will always come back for more. But as a spiritual business owner, there is something extra that you can share with your clients that big box stores and online behemoths will never be able to give their shoppers - the magic of candles! Candles are magic! Take a moment and think about what a candle represents. It is a way for us to bring fire, in a very controlled way, into our home. Who else used fire magically? Oh, only our oldest ancestors. More than a million years ago, long before our Homo sapiens great-greatgrandparents were even a twinkle in Homo erectus’ eyes, hominids began controlling fire. Every time we light a candle, we open ourselves up to the awe and wonder of the power of fire that our ancestors experienced. No wonder candles are incorporated into so many spiritual practices. As business owners, part of our job description is also to be an educator. Our customers love us because we make recommendations and teach them how to use products in ways they may not have thought of before. The customer who walks into your store or checks you out online, might think of a candle as a pretty decorative item, but you have an opportunity to show them that candles can be so much more. So, what are some of the ways that you can teach your customers that candles are more than a lovely gift for that hard-to-shop-for friend? Invite them to think of candles as an important part of their spiritual practice. No matter what kind of customer you serve, there is a candle practice that they can fall in love with. Check out these different spiritual practices with candles and give them a test drive so that you can share your knowledge with your clients.

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 25

FOR A CUSTOMER WHO LOVES TO MEDITATE

Create a positive, confident phrase that encapsulates your goal

If you have a client who is having difficulty focusing during their meditation practice or just wants to try something new, teach them how to do a candle gazing meditation. While most meditation is done with the eyes closed, candle meditation is done with the eyes open and focused on a candle flame. For meditators who have trouble with their mind wandering, this can be a game changer and the steps are simple.

There are some great guidelines for this: Write a short sentence. Keep in the present tense. Let the phrasing be bold and optimistic. For example, “I have a great new job” or “My new relationship is perfect for me.”

Choose a candle that is enticing and appealing You want to get entranced by your candle, so choosing one that smells amazing and looks beautiful can help center and focus you. You might want to direct your customers to candles that have aromatherapeutic benefits orcolors that invite stillness and calm – like blue or lavender.

Select a large candle that you are going to use for meditation only Having a dedicated candle for your practice will get you into a meditative mindset every time you use it. Make sure it’s large enough that it will burn for several sessions, so that you can build up a relationship with it.

Light your candle in a dim room and set it on a table at about eye level Sit on the floor and set your candle on a table so that you don’t have to crane your neck up or down to view the flame comfortably.

Light the candle daily and speak your positive intention out loud The daily practice of speaking your positive phrase aloud will reinforce your intention and add juice to your manifestation. Choose a special time of day and try to keep your practice consistent to that time. For example, lighting the candle first thing in the morning or while you are sitting at your desk.

FOR YOUR BRAND-NEW WITCHES It seems like everywhere you turn you are running into newly-minted “baby witches” who are looking for resources on how to do witchcraft. Lighting candles for spells is witchcraft 101 and if someone is coming into your store, you can teach them a basic format that will work for most of their spell work. And, if your customer wants to dive deeply into candle magic, you may want to suggest a spell book to them.

Choose a candle that is in a color that corresponds to your spell

Stare at the candle and let the flame be the focus of your attention

Reinforce your spell by choosing a candle in a color that corresponds to your spell. For example, if I were to ask you what color would be good for a love spell, you might say “red” or “pink. Or for money magic, you might choose green or gold. Or you might choose a

As you gaze at the flickering flame, you’ll find that it begins to become the sole mental and visual focus. The room around you will begin to fade, the flame will captivate your attention and you’ll find your thoughts quieting down.

Candle colors and their corresponding intentions:

FOR YOUR LAW OF ATTRACTION FANS If your customer is one who knows the law of attraction inside and out, turn them on to a new way to bring focus to their intentions. One of the most challenging parts of manifesting is to keep your focus on your good outcomes and to do it repeatedly. A simple daily candle ritual can amplify your intentions, reminding you to keep you focus on your goals.

Start with a candle that aligns with your intention Choose a candle with a clear intentional focus, such as a candle that says “Healing,” “Love,” or “Luck.” These candles have essential oils, fragrance, herbs, or colors that align with your manifestation.

Set the candle in a place where you will see it often A candle on an end table, in your bedroom, or in a high-traffic area of your home or workplace will be a reminder of your intention and of your practice.

color based on the chakra system. If you aren’t sure what color to pick, this handy chart will give you some guidance.

Green – Prosperity, money luck, growth, fertility, gambling luck, business, career. Red – Passionate love, energy, action, attraction, sexuality. White – Cleansing, clarity, blessing, healing, connection to spirits or the spiritual world. Black – Cursing, banishing, protection, reversing, freedom from evil. Blue – Harmony, peace, calming, ideas, joy, kindly intentions, healing. Pink – Romantic love, friendship, sweet feelings, heart connection, affection. Purple – Empowerment, success, controlling, commanding, mastery, power, ambition. Lavender – Healing, calming, tranquility Yellow – Optimism, prosperity, happiness, gambling luck, attraction Orange – New opportunities, success, new ventures, change of plans, opening the way Brown – Justice, balance, grounding, legal matters. Gray – Neutralizing negativity, invisibility, working in “gray areas” continued on page 28

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LET YOUR SPIRIT TA K E F L I G H T

Inscribe your wishes or intentions into the candle

Choose a candle for honoring your spirit

Using a nail, knife, or candle inscriber, write pertinent names and key words into the sides of your candle.

White candles are considered general, all-purpose candles for spirit work, but you might want to choose a color associated with your spirit or a candle in a glass holder with an image of the spirit on it.

Dress the candle in a spiritual oil Use a prepared magical oil blend or create your own. Essential oils of magical herbs diluted in a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, can be rubbed into the palms and then applied to the surface of the candle.

Sprinkle light and leafy dried herbs or powdered herbs around the candle Set the candle in a candle holder or on a tray and sprinkle small amounts of powdered dried herbs on or around the base of the candle. Use a good magical herb book to choose plants that support your spell.

Speak your words aloud and light your candle Strike a match and speak your spell words aloud as you set the wick alight.

Allow your candle to burn while you are at home and awake If you go to sleep or leave the house, snuff the candle out to pause your spell work.

Ritually dispose of your candle spell remains

Select a larger candle that can be lit over the course of many days Unlike a candle spell where the goal is to burn the candle to completion, a spirit altar candle is ongoing. When one candle ends, you begin a new one, so getting a larger candle for ongoing work is simpler and more economical. A novena, sanctuary, or seven-day candle in a glass jar works well for this purpose.

Add offerings to the altar Different spirits may want different things. Those who were once living, such as ancestors or those loved ones who have departed, may want a little bit of something they enjoyed in life. Offerings such as fruit, tobacco, candy, flowers, or alcohol can be placed in a bowl or glass for them to enjoy. Deities and saints may want particular offerings. For example, St. Expedite enjoys an offering of pound cake, Shiva likes saffron, honey and ghee, Isis appreciates milk, flowers, honey, whileSt. Barbara and Persephone are both associated with pomegranates. A beautiful bowl or glass of water is always welcomed by all spirits.

When the candle has burned completely, the spell has been cast. Wrap up your candle wax remains in a paper bag or piece of cloth. If the spell is something that you want to bring to you, you can keep the remains until your spell manifests. If the spell was to get rid of something, take the candle remains to a trash can far from your home and dispose of it.

Burn incense along with your candle

FOR THOSE WHO CONNECT TO SPIRIT GUIDES AND ANGELS

Similar to the Law of Attraction manifesting ritual, you may want to light your spirit candle on a daily basis. Chant, sing, or just have a chat with your spirits as you light the candle. Sit with the candle and speak to your guides or sit in companionable silence as you visualize meeting with them. Try out these beautiful non-denominational ways of connecting with candles yourself and then share them with your customers. They can be incorporated into any spiritual practice and adapted to any religion. Have an exchange with your clients and discover the ways that they have used candles to connect spiritually and you may discover some new ideas that you can add to your bag of candle magic tricks.

For clients who love to connect to deities, guides, saints, angels, ancestors, or other positive spirits, candles can be an integral part of a dedicated home altar. This altar can be a place to build a relationship to your spirits and spend time with them, as well as petition them for help or make offerings.

Find a place for an altar Choose a small area to dedicate as your altar. This can be an end table or tray table, but could also be a shelf, ledge, or windowsill. You can even create a portable altar out of a cigar box or shoe box.

Set an image of your spirit up on your altar This can be a photograph or illustration set attractively in a frame. You might want to use a figurine or statue or an object that represents the spirit of your spirit. For example, you might use an apple or a seashell to represent Aphrodite.

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Incense is especially nice for setting a mood, cleansing a space, and connecting with the spirit world. Lighting incense or burning herbs before your light your candle can be an excellent beginning to your ritual of meeting with your guide.

Light your candle on a daily basis

Madame Pamita is a Tarot reader, spellcaster, teacher, author, and a Maker of Magic, music, and mischief. She is the author of The Book of Candle Magic recently published by Llewellyn, and Madame Pamita’s Magical Tarot published by Weiser Books. She is also the owner of an online spiritual apothecary, the Parlour of Wonders and lives in Santa Monica, California. You can find her at www.parlourofwonders.com

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30 RetailingInsight

HAPPY LOVE DAY

Before we know it, store windows and online shops across the nation are changing their themes to celebrate Valentine’s Day! So, check out what we’ve found from local creators to global makers!

Connect with your intuition, and the path of self-love through cards! The Moon Deck by The Moon Deck

A creative way to reveal a surprise or share a love message. Gamer Scratch-off Card by InklingsPaperie

Why not give a gift that is not only essential, but can also HELP save lives! Matching Mask & Pouch Set by Malia Designs

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The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 31

32 RetailingInsight

Life, Business & Mental Health

By Emily A. Francis

ven as the pandemic restrictions begin to ease, we are still left trying to establish the truth and the facts. There is an extraordinary amount of misinformation and our lives are left in disarray. We are sitting in the eye of several storms that will forever be etched into history. We have been put on stand still as a massive pandemic hit all over the world. We have people who never believed it was real while others have lost their lives because it was real. We have seen friends and neighbors act with incredible kindness and we have witnessed many other friends and neighbors act cruelly with outright negligence to everyone but themselves. We have seen people turn on each other in the most vicious ways and we have seen the best in people just as often. We are coming into big truths about who we are, how we perceive and treat our fellow brothers and sisters and which side of history we are choosing to stand. People have not only lost relationships with friends and lovers but as the vitriol on social media continues, we are seeing people for who and what they are really about. For many, this can feel as heavy an emotional and spiritual weight as the pandemic itself. Respect for people that have been in our lives for many years has vanished as we watch them spread hate and prejudice or turn a blind away and pretend that so many things are not actually happening in the world right now. Others feel the pressure to choose a side and

they are not the kind of person who wants to take a stand. I personally have lost a great deal of respect for friends and even mentors as they spew hate and misinformation around the internet. Suspicions about people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known all my life are being confirmed by the posts they make on their social media pages. All of our relationships have begun to change during this time when personal contact has been extremely limited or cut off entirely. We are getting to know people on a very different level right now as we collectively watch friends and strangers falling apart and also coming together. The behaviors, the words and actions as well as the reaction patterns that are being set all over the world right now are utterly disastrous and the concept of unity feels as if it never existed in the first place. This is true inside our homes and on our screens and it is equally true on the outside as we are either joining in with marching and protesting or witnessing through the screens the massive riots and outcries for help, and for support and God forbidâ&#x20AC;Śfor LOVE. No one can feel truly at peace during so much chaos unless possibly you are a Buddhist Zen Master and in that case, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unlikely you would not be reading this piece right now, nor would you need it. Many have lost their life savings, their health and their businesses during these trying times. Many businesses have gone under or are barely hanging on while others have been booming. In terms of anything marketing, book launching or trying to garner followers on social media,

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 33

the playing field has been substantially leveled and every single person has the same chance as anyone else to turn that avenue into something bigger or smaller. I used to think that when it came to selling books the thing that separated the bestselling authors from the less selling authors was their willingness to get out and hit the road and market and speak and show up for any gig big or small. Now, none of us have the ability to hit the road and it levels the playing field completely. It is the realization that in that market, no one really has much of an advantage anymore. We are all at home doing the best we can with what we have. Some will emerge as internet stars, or as someone new who has been spending a tremendous amount of time in self-reflection and realizations. Some will come out of this with a whole new lease on life while others can barely get themselves to begin to take the first step out. During such a precarious time, wherever you are standing right now during all of this, I do feel it is safe to say at least one thing that we might all have in common. We are left with an overall sense of how do we navigate from this point onward? From a wellness and emotional health perspective, we have to not only continue to look within and question and define, but also we must learn to look beyond ourselves and our own lives and help the collective consciousness rise to a new level as we make our way back out into a world that no longer looks like it did when we all went inside and locked our doors. In this moment that I am putting pen to paper for this article, many things are still closed and the world does not at all look the same as it did when this whole thing began months ago. No one looks the

same to me; not even myself. When you look at people who have been through a terrible illness and survived it, they do not come out looking like they did at the beginning of the journey. Anyone who ever went through or sat with someone who went through chemotherapy can attest to the quickness in aging and full scale rebuild of a body which had been annihilated before the rebuild. In a way, this lockdown and change in the world around us, leaves many of us looking much the same way. In most cases, we come out looking weathered, aged, and a mix of distress and elation all etched into the lines of our faces. It pairs with an unyielding sense of gratitude for being alive. I feel like this describes most of us now as we have weathered this very intense and terrifying time on the inside. We are not going to come out of this looking the same way we did when we all went in. We can’t shake the experiences that every single person has had during all of this. For many it has been isolating, lonely, and terrifying. For many others they came out realizing that everything that they counted on in their lives has fallen quickly and hard. And for some others, this time down low was spent either with ourselves or loved ones in a safe space as we watched the world crumble right outside our doors. Even if this has not been a time where we lost everything, no one will come out of this unscathed. I write books about healing and our ability to heal. I believe in miracles and in miracle healing, this is true. I believe incredible things can happen when we get into alignment within ourselves and then move as a complete unit toward the target of wellness and health. I

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also know that when it comes to healing, we have to honor where we are in every given moment. When the feelings come and ask us to stay down, then stay down as long as we need to be down before getting back up and creating again. I believe this as a collective, is where we are for the moment. We are down. It doesn’t mean that we won’t get back up, and that we won’t come back stronger and healthier and happier. It means that for now, be ok with being in rest mode and feel all of what is happening. We are currently and still in the stages of cocooning. We are still figuring out and defining who and what we want to become when the bans lift. What world do we want to have a hand in creating? If our business or personal relationships that we worked many years to build suddenly collapsed during this time, we are having to ask these questions and also bear the extremely heavy burden of the letdown that has been happening all around us. How do we pick ourselves up and begin again? If we do actually have to begin again, is this even what we want to start to do all over or has it played its purpose of what we wanted to get from it? And then what? In order to help the collective to clean house and make a new start, we must begin to realize and establish what our own behavior patterns are and how we can best navigate them. In traditional therapies that I have found over the years for the purpose of balancing my own mental health, I was often asked by the professional to imagine the very worst-case scenario and then work my way back from there into the present moment where you are alive, breathing

and safe. We begin with the big question: “What’s the absolute worst thing that can happen?” Then we answer with whatever we imagine to be the very worst thing that could occur. Then we do it again with one step forward asking ourselves “If the very worst thing doesn’t happen, what is the next worst-case thing that could happen to us if we attempted this or that?” From there we keep walking ourselves back into the present time. For the purpose of our personal wellness as well as the new elevated consciousness of our personal, professional and more interconnected world at large, I would like to propose the option of taking that same idea from my old therapist and turn it totally upside down. We must be willing to ask ourselves now with regard to each individual subject: “What is the absolute very best thing that could happen to me?” From a conscious collective standpoint, you can ask the same exact question. “What is it that we want to be able to come out and create? What do we want to become?” And then we ask it again “If the very best thing does not happen, then what is the next best thing that could possibly happen to me/us in this situation?” Continue with these questions until we work our way back into the present moment. And then be patient as all of your answers unfold. Soon we will find that we are ready to break our cocoons, and in time, we will fly again. Emily A. Francis is the host of All About Healing on Healthy Life Radio and the author of the new book Whole Body Healing. You can read more about her latest publications at www.emilyafrancisbooks.com

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36 RetailingInsight

Becoming Fearless During Difficult Times By Uma Silbey

Dwelling is the awareness of our infinite self, unbounded fearlessness will blossom within.

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 37

uring a crisis there is possibly no more fundamental emotional reaction than fear. Stemming from earlier primitive reactions designed to survive various threats, fear can motivate you in several directions: It can make you run away. It can bring you the ability to fight ferociously. Or it can do the opposite – it can cause you to become paralyzed so that you lack the ability to react at all. As much as this fear response worked well in primitive times, during these times of crisis and turmoil, these reactions are less constructive and more destructive. Fear is extremely powerful and can completely overtake us, especially when we lack the ability to change the fearful situation, as is the case today. When the media is sensationalized, clear leadership lacking, direction confusing, and misinformation so prevalent that we can’t make clear sense of the type or amount of danger, our fear can only increase. This is even more so with the current degree of social polarization in our communities, country and planet. Everywhere we turn it seems that we encounter even more of people’s anger, hatred and rage, especially if we spend time on social media. The more we experience this, along with the crumbling of our careers, stores, and personal life, the more frightened we are likely to feel until it seems like there is no escape. This constant fear is highly debilitating, negatively affecting your body, mind and emotions. Physically, your stomach tightens, your jaw clenches, and your body becomes tense and rigid. Your digestion is disturbed as acids flood your system. Trying to “hold it together,” your unshed tears and blocked expression can make your physical throat raw and sore. Your grinding teeth cause sore jaws, and migraines and headaches narrow your vision and torture your head so you become unable to think. Of course, the more that you’re fearful, the less you can handle any anxiety and stress and you’re more likely to strike out against your family, friends and co-workers. Because we can’t run from the terrible conditions that we are facing, stores remaining closed or empty, our finances crumbling, our relationships deteriorating, our society increasingly succumbing to rioting, violence and factionalism, and illness seemingly rampant, it can become emotionally, mentally and physically unbearable. Since trying to run from your fear or its causes is impossible, you must be able to transform it. Even though you may not be able to change the conditions that you are experiencing, you can still overcome your fear, become calmer, and feel more secure. Here are some ways that can help: Take a “media holiday.” Instead of spending so much time scrolling through social media feeds and reading the news, you need to stop frequently feeding your mind with negativity that often attempts to manipulate you in one way or another.

2 Change your attitude and outlook. Instead of focusing on your

personal disaster, it will help you to look outward to discover ways that you can help others. Are there ways that you can safely volunteer? Are there people in need who you can help? If you look around you, you will find those opportunities. Instead of only socially distancing you

38 RetailingInsight

need to focus more on distant socialization, taking the time to pick up your phone to reach out to others, especially those who are alone.

3 Let go of what isn’t working for you at this point. Instead,

focus on what will work to make you feel happier. Even though times are tough, it is possible to feel prosperous, fulfilled and find deep meaning in your life. You may find that to do that, you need to start focusing less on your personal “disaster” and more on what will fulfill you at this time. This is true for your business as well as your personal life. Without fear, you can find a new level of creativity and have the ability to act on it. Like the proverbial rising phoenix, then, now is the time to release your fear and discover news ways of fulfillment.

“

Fear is extremely powerful and can completely overtake us, especially when we lack the ability to change the fearful situation, as is the case today.

”

I am finding this to be true for myself as well. A huge percentage of my current income is tourist dependent, now that were no tourists where I live in, my income dropped tremendously. Instead of drowning in fear, I took stock of my skills and found myself writing more books, doing Facebook Live meditation music concerts, and starting a new Podcast series. Because I love being with the land, I planted a small orchard and garden that is now feeding us. Even though there is no extra money, my bills are now being paid and I am enjoying what I am doing. However, if I had succumbed to my fears, I would be doing none of this and instead be suffering. To say that you can be creative and find new avenues even during these times is not overly idealistic “Polly Ann thinking,” but is an actual reality available to everyone no matter what is happening. Basically, it is a change of attitude, one that can’t happen if you are trapped in your fearfulness. Finally, it is helpful to meditate and do practices that ground yourself in the realization of your true-self so that you know that this mirror-like life is only a temporary state of being and consciousness. As painful as it is, this too will pass, while your true, joyful, creative self is infinitely alive. That is where you must focus to have peace of mind a joyful heart, and true fearlessness, even when times are tough. The following is a meditation that will help you to feel fearless and strong so that your actions are more effective and constructive. As you do this meditation you will also build a strong aura or magnetic field through which negativity and fear are unable to penetrate. It is a simple meditation however its affects are far-reaching.

MEDITATION FOR FEARLESSNESS

you breathe, silently repeat the word or mantra, LAM (pronounced LAHM). Breathe with relaxed deep breaths, seeing the bright red light and silently repeating LAM. Do this for at least 3 minutes as you imagine the red light glowing more and more brightly.

Sit upright with your spine straight, your head facing forward, and your chin dropped about 2-inches. With your palms facing upwards in your lap, hold your hands in Hansi Mudra, touching the tips of your index, middle, and ring fingers to the tip of your thumb while you extend your fifth or pinky finger straight outwards. (Hansi Mudra is the hand position used to access courage, bring self-confidence and acceptance, and to release fear and anxiety.) Just holding and concentrating on this mudra alone will bring you a feeling of solid strength. If you like, rather than holding your hands in your lap, you can rest your elbows next to your waist while you raise your forearms to the sky. When you hold your hands in Hansi Mudra with your arms in this position, your little fingers will point upwards to the sky. Experiment which position feels best to you and use either one. Close your eyes.

After at least 3 minutes, imagine that this red light becomes a whirling disk spinning clockwise, glowing brighter red the faster it spins (placing a garnet, ruby, red jasper or other red stone will amplify the effects of this). With each in and out breath, this disk of blood-red light spins faster and faster as it grows larger and brighter. Now, continuing to repeat the word LAM, imagine that with every out-breath, a blood-red beam of light reaches down from the spinning red disk to flow and anchor you deep into the earth. Imagine that this beam of light reaches further and further into the earth until it is in its very center. Continue to hold your hands in the Hansi Mudra position.

Now, bring your attention to your first chakra energy center, the Root or Muladhara Chakra, at the bottom of your spine near your tailbone. Feel as if your breath flows in and out of this chakra. With each in-breath, imagine that a red light begins to glow ever more brightly at the bottom of your spine. With every out-breath, relax the small of your back, your stomach, your pelvis, your legs and feet. As

After you envision the red beam of light reaching into the center of the earth with every out-breath, imagine that the earth sends a red beam of light into your first chakra (near the bottom of your tailbone,) with every in-breath. Continue to silently repeat the word, LAM with every breath for at least 3 minutes. You are now connected with the strength and stability of the earth itself.

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When you are ready, repeat these words to yourself: “’I am strong’, ‘I am capable’,’I have all that I need within me’”. Feel their meaning sink deeply into your consciousness as you repeat them. Continue to slowly repeat these three phrases for 3 minutes or until their feeling becomes entirely embedded within you. Next, imagine that the red light from the base of your spine begins to move upward through your body with each in-breath. Visualize it filling your stomach, your solar plexus, your heart, your lungs and chest, your arms and shoulders, then your neck, face and entire head. Relax any tension with your out-breath as you do this. Continue to hold your hands in Hansi Mudra. Once your body is filled with bright red light, extend your arms straight outward from your sides, parallel with the ground, your palms facing upward and your hands still in Hansi Mudra. With every out-breath, imagine that the red light that has now filled your body flows outward down your arms, through your hands and out your fingers to form a red, orb of light around you. See yourself as in the middle of this red glowing light and feel its vibrant and courageous energy flood your being as any negativity in any form is deflected. With every breath, imagine your self as becoming stronger and more energetic. Do this for at least 3 minutes. Once you are through, bring your focus to your heart center in the middle of your chest as the red light continues to surround you.

Release the Hansi Mudra and drop your open hands into your lap with your palms upward in receptive mode. While retaining the sense of strength and fearlessness within you, imagine that your breath now flows in and out of your heart center. With every in-breath visualize that your heart center fills with a bright, green light. With every outbreath, imagine that your heart center softens and opens completely. Feel yourself as overflowing with love, the perfect balance to your sense of strength. Immerse yourself in this state for at least 7 minutes. After resting in this state for 7 minutes or as long as you like, slowly open your eyes. Retaining the feeling of this meditation, arise. If this meditation is done for 30 days, your thinking and feeling patterns will be completely altered and you will find that your fear disappears. Even if you don’t have time to do this meditation every day, (although it is recommended,) since the Hansi Mudra is very powerful in itself, if nothing else, you can take many “time outs” during you day to hold your hands in this position as you focus on your heart chakra.

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The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 43

44 RetailingInsight

ASTRO INKLINGS: What’s Ahead for 2021 By Tam Veilleux

“Isn’t 2020 cute,” I say as I shake my head. My eyes glimpse the fabric mask dangling from my purse near the door. My tongue is in my cheek as I imagine famous comedian George Carlin. He’s rolling his eyes from his place across the veil mumbling in his dark way “I tried to warn you.” Cute isn’t the right word to describe what 2020 dished out to humanity. It was the Sufi poet Rumi who said, “Whenever they rebuild an old building, they must first of all destroy the old one.” I’m certain the dear man had visions of 2020 in mind as he penned those words. But how does one express that Saturn’s move from Capricorn into Aquarius had its way with us? It requires a little explanation. To share what is coming for 2021 will take us even further down the rabbit hole.

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 45

REMEMBERING 2020

SATURN IN AQUARIUS

2020 started with a cosmic bang. Early in January, an event that hasn’t happened in 500 years triggered a series of planetary influences that would color the entire year. Major players in the sky, namely Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter would conjoin and collide in the sign of Capricorn forcing change upon us. In 1518, during the last conjunction of this kind, society turned on its ear when young monk Martin Luther broke from the Catholic church. There was great disruption with the release of his 95 Theses. At that time, so began the great Reformation and with it came wars and persecutions, a true upheaval against the status quo. Sound familiar? Not very different from 2020! Though I doubt Martin Luther hoarded toilet paper. Early this year, the Great Awakening began, and humanity started shaking its fist at authorities. We collectively raised our eyebrows as everything we thought we knew began to fall away. Large groups of people, represented by Aquarius, were being held down by those in power (thank you, Saturn), and life would never be the same. Pluto the catalyst and bringer of pandemics waved his arms and screamed for attention. Jupiter was cowering in the corner praying for clarity and clinging to faith. Through summer’s Mars in Aries ramp up we added our blood, sweat, and tears to a long-and-getting-longer hot summer. It seemed we’d never make it to December 31.

The stage is set for December 18, 2020 and Saturn kicks things off. He is the task master and time manager. The archetypical energies of this planet feel like a Cosmic Thumb pressing down on our shoulders or a stern parent standing in the corner of the living room watching you pick up your toys before washing your hands and arriving at the dinner table on time. There are lessons to learn and Saturn wants to deliver. Karma is at hand and when Saturn pirouettes into Aquarius the full dance begins. Forward-thinking and freedom seeking Aquarius is rebellious. Master astrologer Steven Forrest says, “Every front has a back,” so we know that though there is a bit of a revolutionary smell in the air, it’s also colored by humanitarianism. “What is good for me had better be good for thee… or else!” Under the influence of Aquarius, we can expect more of humanity to come together to build structures for the good of all involved. Saturn in Aquarius will ask that we overcome our serious and institutionalized ways for a way of life that is freer and serves more people. Boundaries and limitations have their place, but the age of Aquarius will mean that rules, when present, have a unique twist. There will be a new set of eyes building the framework to support our future. The breakdown of the foundation that was the 12 months of 2020 will birth a new bedrock, a solid structure capable of bearing new hopes and dreams.

BUT WE DID. OR, WE WILL Having survived the hoarding of toilet paper and dried pasta, the wearing of masks, social distancing, and protests gone wrong, we’re left with two options. Either bury our heads in the sand or ask ourselves, “What next? What will 2021 bring?” Life as we know it is changing. Politics, medicine, security systems, social platforms, all need a new foundation that will be more reliable. The goal is foundations made of steel (integrity), not aluminum (lies). And what exactly will 2021 bring us? In a word: PLENTY. Let’s look at upcoming themes and moments in time that will have us at attention.

A LOOK AHEAD With 2020, we faced the destruction of old beliefs and value systems and a quarantine to keep us safe. Now we arise out of the dust re-engaged with our spiritual selves. The slowing of the machines of our lives forced an inward look at our priorities. 2021 will continue that theme. With Saturn’s move into the sign of Aquarius the popular song from the ‘70s becomes tangible. “The Age of Aquarius” is upon us. It’s good to begin by understanding what that could mean. Key aspects of the year ahead include: • Saturn in Aquarius... Status quo or forward flow? • Jupiter in Aquarius... Expansion of consciousness. • Saturn & Jupiter Conjunct in Aquarius... Joyfully restructuring future of humanity. • Three Squares to Uranus in Taurus... Tension determining what we value physically and emotionally. • Neptune moving to a sextile with Pluto... Creativity, spiritual awareness, and physical manifestation. • Theme words: Adjust. Balance. Co-create.

JUPITER IN AQUARIUS Jupiter’s desire is to expand our thinking and deepen our faith, and she is along for the 2021 ride. Following Saturn’s pirouette, Jupiter will tap dance into the Aquarius stage a few short days later. This creates a once in 20 years Grand Conjunction. They will lock arm in arm for a long waltz in 2021.

SATURN & JUPITER CONJUNCT IN AQUARIUS Saturn and Jupiter are rulers of societal influence, and in the sign of Aquarius carry with them the winds of change. When Saturn (boundaries, limits, lessons) and Jupiter (expansion, optimism) shimmy up to Aquarius, the sign of the water bearer, idealism and innovation will be at a high. This magical escapade begins on December 20, the night of a significant New Moon Solar Eclipse in the sign of Capricorn. The 2020 Energy Almanac contributor Janet Hickox writes, the new moon “shows the potential of working together and working hard on goals, supporting the new framework.” What I termed a waltz for this article is a conjunction. The two planets will be within a small range of degrees apart from one another. Their archetypal energies will blend. So slow moving they are that they remain conjunct through the end of the new year. This provides lots of opportunity to find joy (Jupiter) in our tasks (Saturn) that create a better future (Aquarius). Don’t be surprised if those tasks aren’t different, unusual, or technology oriented. Trust they’ll be moving you toward an “all for one and one for all” feeling. Aquarius also rules “invisible waves” like electricity, intuition and thoughts. So, keep your focus on values that can apply to everyone. continued on page 48

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“The potential is phenomenal,” writes Ms. Hickox. “We each have the power to set the agenda for what we want to see. Get involved in your local efforts to create change.” As 2021 gets under way… in January there are three words to consider for the year ahead!

ADJUST. BALANCE. CO-CREATE The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will start the ball rolling and soon enough you’ll deal with three important moments as this formation squares to Uranus in Taurus. Mark your calendars for February 17th, June 14th, and December 24th. Each of these days will be felt either close to home or in the world at large as Jupiter (expansion) and Saturn (boundaries/lessons/ discipline) in Aquarius (freedom seeking) square Uranus (change) in Taurus (finances/values). Shellie Enteen, master astrologer and contributor for the 2021 Energy Almanac writes “These transits represent the tension that occurs when obstacles (Saturn) are in the way of change (Uranus). Some people or institutions may be holding onto the status quo, even when they would be better served by shifting. It’s time to learn the wisdom of both ancient and new ways. As these squares approach, in personal and outer life, it may feel like two stones are rubbing against each other until they create sparks.”

SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO ADJUST. WILL IT BE YOU? KEEP YOUR HEART AND MIND OPEN Imagine this. You’re the master mason meticulously laying bricks for the most beautiful foundation. You’ll add high walls gilded in gold with vibrant stained-glass windows. It’s going to be huge and spectacular to behold. It’s the next Sistine Chapel. But suddenly, there’s shouting behind you. The banker has decided to collect early on the note. But wait, you had agreed on terms! He knows this building will support the good works of hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The portion of visitor donations you’d use to pay him back is in the contract. Why so brusque now? You come off the staging to go nose to nose with the financier. He snarls. You growl. Someone gives in. And so, goes the squares that will arrive in the year ahead. The numerology of 2021. 2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5, five, the number of freedom. The glyph itself gives it away. Move horizontally, shift, drop down, side-step or pivot. It’s all about movement, adventure and liberty. We’ll be on our toes trying to keep up with the change that’s afoot. Remember the three key words for 2021? Seek balance as you sort through the coming 12 months. And finally, we have some softer aspects that will flavor the year. Slow moving Neptune currently sitting in the dreamy and intuitive sign of Pisces, slips toward a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn. continued on page 50

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NEPTUNE MOVING TO A SEXTILE WITH PLUTO Neptune rules your relationship to God, to creativity, and intuition. In the mystical sign of Pisces Neptune is as comfy as a sleepy grandmother in her bathrobe at teatime. Happy in its watery world, it connects us to our soul and asks that we go inward for answers. The aspect named “sextile” brings forth harmony and cooperation and acts as a prodding in the right direction. When Neptune moves into a sextile position with Pluto, planet of power and transformation, in the sign of Capricorn (career/institutions, discipline, authority, order) we can now imagine new ways of approaching the business of life. A softer, more creative approach is in order. Spend time in meditation to bring forth grand ideas that can put the planet on an important new trajectory. This leaves room for both peace and prosperity if done well. We will all need flexibility and versatility next year. I thought of the chameleon and its ability to change colors and blend into the background for safety. But that’s not right. It isn’t time to hide. We didn’t withstand lockdowns, mask wearing, and a multitude of restrictions only to shrink backward. There had to be a better representation. The image that started showing itself was a tree. Trees of all varieties are able to bend and move with the wind without breaking. Trees, with their deep roots to ground them, tall and far reaching limbs that seem to sometimes slip into the ethers and touch heaven, are

50 RetailingInsight

the best example I could think of to demonstrate what our human selves could lean into this year. And we’re back to that ancient rascal poet Rumi who claimed, “Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” 2021 may be the year to apply this. • Stay strong at your core like the tree’s trunk. Know what you stand for. • Be flexible, like the tree limbs. Bend when you should if it’s for the greater good. • Let go what isn’t serving you anymore. A tree doesn’t keep the leaves because they were once pretty. Be willing to let things fall away.

CO-CREATION You are co-creating the new earth. It’s the last key word for the year ahead and it’s very Aquarian. Your thoughts create your reality. Your emotional enthusiasm for all that is goodly and Godly and right in this world when added to the quantum soup can bring forth incredible gifts. We’ll share those gifts one day, even if it isn’t until 2022. Tam Veilleux is the lead visionary of the Energy Almanac. Transformational coaching by day, astrologer by night. Follow her social media for more visual chatter on the alchemy and strategy of creating change @theenergyalmanac.

D O N ' T Q U I T

Your Dose of Inspiration

PlayList

Reviews of Great Music to Sell and Enjoy By Bill Binkelman

1. The Front Porch of Heaven Kevin Keller Kevin Keller Productions I www.kevinkeller.com

Kevin Keller is one of the rare artists who can transition between styles/ subgenres with ease while also maintaining extremely high-quality composing and performing. The Front Porch of Heaven shows his artistry at combining his superb piano melodies with keyboard embellishments, electronic enhancements, and the occasional percussive rhythm. Somewhat reminiscent of Tim Story (early period), Tom Eaton, and Marconi Union (circa Distance), Keller injects each track with something different in the way of melody, rhythm and atmosphere, including forays into more uptempo soundscapes. This is a gorgeous album worthy of hitting the repeat button often.

2. Healing Resonance Dean Evenson, Scott Huckabay, Phil Heaven Soundings of the Planet I www.soundings.com

Dean Evenson (silver flute, keyboards) simply never runs out of ways to bring new wrinkles to his albums, which by now no longer surprises, but continues to amaze me. Working with guitarist Huckabay (who also plays handpan), violist/keyboardist Heaven, as well as Doug Tessler on flutes and recorder and Dudley Evenson on harp, Evenson broadens his style palette on Healing Resonance, a many-hued musical tapestry. While the overall sensation is one of peace, serenity, and, well, healing, I found the actual musical variety between tracks enchanting (while staying wholly cohesive) as I explored the album over more than a few playings.

3. Someday Damon Buxton Many Miles Music I www.damonbuxton.com

Damon Buxton is one of the most unique artists operating in the acoustic guitar instrumental genre today. His music is difficult to describe in words because he fuses assorted elements into his compositions while maintaining a singular “style.” His guitar melodies are

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instantly accessible and approachable but are also stimulating to delve into, which may sound coldly intellectual. Actually, though, these 15 songs are both intimate and laden with deep emotion, but without him employing cloying clichés. In addition, his technical artistry is abundant, however he never calls attention to it, preferring subtlety over fireworks. Buxton is a true original.

4. Beneath the Sun Chris Field Tosca Road I www.chrisfieldmusic.com

Composer Chris Field is a leader in the area of composing music which is then licensed as soundtracks to film trailers. His compositions have been used for trailers for a wide assortment of blockbusters. As a result, it is both accurate and well-deserved to say that the 11 tracks on Beneath The Sun are cinematic in nature. The album features gorgeous orchestrations (performed by The Northwest Sinfonia) and each piece does indeed paint a musical “scene” if the listener allows her/his imagination to delve deeply into the melody. Songs can be powerfully dramatic, lushly romantic, or uptempo and fused with urgency. “Summerland” is particularly catchy!

5. Equilibrium Kendra Logozar Self-released I www.kendralogozar.com

Equilibrium is one of those special albums that you want to invite into your heart and cherish. Intimate and delicately beautiful, these semi-minimalist pieces should be listened to in as quiet a space as the listener can create, so that each note can be appreciated, every nuance noticed, and the attention to detail luxuriated in. The 14 tracks envelop the listener in a variety of subtle moods. With only one exception (the cheery midtempo “Hummingbird”), all the music here is custom-made for “quiet times” being soft in tone and sensitive in its emotional resonance. It’s a stunningly beautiful piano recording. Bill Binkelman has been reviewing New Age, ambient, and world music since 1997. Email him at billbink01@gmail.com

4 5 2 3

The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 53

TakeFive

5 Principles to Live and Work By By Dudley Evenson

SPIRIT

I Am Filled with the Spirit of Life With every breath we take, we invite the life force into our being. We recognize the interconnected relationship between us and the world around us. The living spirit pervades everything. As the individualized expression of this spirit and through our uniqueness, we carry a great responsibility to live in a way that reflects the majesty of the life force. What we do, say, and think carries a power beyond our imagination so with this in mind, we need to consider thoughtfully how we act in all ways. Everything we do has an effect. So as carriers of this life force, we make choices that will achieve the greatest benefit for all concerned. Whenever we feel weak or small, we need only remember to breathe.

PURPOSE

I Act in Harmony with My Purpose Why were we born? What is the purpose of our lives? Some say it is to experience love and joy. For sure, we know that each person is born with a unique set of gifts and talents. Discovering those gifts may be a lifelong journey, a process of unfolding as we seek to understand who we are in our unique magnificence. If we have been avoiding this question and have wandered into areas that conflict with our inner essence, perhaps now is the time to return to these ultimate questions. Sometimes just asking the questions will allow the answers to be revealed. In any event, it is always good to stimulate a passion for life and enhance the process of understanding one’s personal purpose and mission.

INTENTION

I Am in Tune with the Intention of My Life When we can harmonize our personal intention with the intention of the universe, we will find that things fall into place and we can easily achieve our goals and manifest our dreams. This doesn’t necessarily mean we narrowly focus on one thing or another. Instead, our lives will function more smoothly when we broaden our intention to include the many exquisite facets of our being in a whole and complete way. As we learn to fine-tune our intention, we will discover that life can unfold more easily and with a greater sense of order and divine perfection. We will be pleasantly surprised

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to discover aspects about ourselves that we didn’t realize were there and in so doing, we will grow in new and exciting ways.

GRATITUDE

I Am Grateful for All Without Conditions So often we wait to have what we want before feeling thankful. In this case, we may be waiting a long time. To jump-start the flow of blessings in our life, we practice gratitude at all times, even for the things that might appear negative. When we can be truly grateful for everything that happens, the good or the bad, we will find that our lives gradually improve. It may be challenging at first to find the silver lining in every situation, but once this habit of gratitude becomes a part of us, we will be pleasantly surprised by what opens up for us. We can begin by expressing appreciation for the basics like food and shelter and for small things that we can easily acknowledge. From there, we can allow our gratitude to grow and when it does, we shall be ready for even better things to come our way.

FULFILLMENT

I Am Fulfilled in All Ways When we focus on what is lacking in our lives, we are unlikely to experience a sense of fulfillment. Therefore, it makes sense for us to turn our attention away from lack and toward awareness of the abundance and gifts of life. When we come from a place of appreciation of our blessings, even in trying times or in the midst of hardship or trauma, we will find that we are better able to attract to us the blessings that we crave. This is one of those affirmations that we need to remind ourselves of frequently and use especially in times that don’t seem to be exactly what we would have wished for. It is also good to use this affirmation during tedious activities as it will even help us get through boredom or frustration.

Dudley and her husband Dean Evenson are business and life partners who met in 1968. They founded their award-winning music label Soundings of the Planet in 1979. Their first book Quieting the Monkey Mind: How to Meditate with Music draws from five decades of practicing yoga, meditation, and making music. Dudley’s new book A Year of Guided Meditations comes out this year. To learn more, visit their blog, podcast and music site www.soundings.com.

FRESH!

A Galleria of NEW Products >> special advertising section

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Esprit Creations www.espritcreations.com 352-316-6130 elaine@espritcreations.com The Good Vibe Edition I November/December 2020 55

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION

Publication Title: Retailing Insight Magazine. Publication Number: 14-489. Filing Date: 9/29/2020. Issue Frequency: Bimonthly (January, February, March, May, July, September, November) Number of Issues Published Annually: Six. Annual Subscription Price: $65.00. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: New Way Publishing, LLC 4771 Park Road 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor in Chief: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Roberta Gazzarolle, New Way Publishing, LLC., 4771 Park Road 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220. Owner: New Way Publishing, LLC. 4771 Park Road 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Issue No.6/November 2020.

a. Total Number of Copies.............................................................................................5,940...................................... 5,773

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Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Average No. Copies

Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single

Issue Published Nearest to Filling Date

b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541....................5,435 ...................................... 5,473 (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 ............................... 0............................................. 0 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS ................................................................................... 0 .............................................0 (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS ................................ 74............................................26 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation ...................................................................5,509...................................... 5,547 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541................ 0 .............................................0 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541......................... 0 .............................................0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS ................ 0 .............................................0 (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail ............................................. 414..........................................200 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution ..................................................................... 414..........................................200 f. Total Distribution......................................................................................................5,923...................................... 5,747 g. Copies Not Distributed ............................................................................................... 17............................................26 h. Total..........................................................................................................................5,940...................................... 5,773 i. Percent Paid...............................................................................................................93%........................................97%

Return Address: Retailing Insight Magazine P.O. Box 12252 Charlotte, NC 28220

PERIODICALS

Phone: 800.215.8705 Fax: 800.713.0634 www.kheopsinternational.com www.kheopsinternational.ca Item#62433

The Good Vibe Edition/ Nov-Dec 2020

Articles inside

FEATURES

FALL IN LOVE WITH CANDLES

ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

VISIONS OF HEALING

MEET MY STORE

TAKE FIVE