Purple Poinsettias ... so it must be the holidays!

So look what arrived on Wednesday -- the annual display of the purple poinsettias!  That always means it's holiday time here at SoulJourney so let the season begin!

These beauties don't actually grow this way, although in my mind, they should.  If I were able to Summer them over, they'd come back white, so yes, they are sprayed.  But aren't they just gorgeous?!  I get them every year from Glenwild Gardens on Glenwild Avenue in Bloomingdale.  And every time I get asked about them by my customers, I refer them there.  An especially good thing to do for a fellow independent retailer, wonderful family-owned business, and all-around great folks.  And since I've never seen them anywhere else, the ONLY thing to do! LOL

The best part is, they last forever.  As in, June!  Pretty remarkable, I'd say.  Small investment to have such beauty around for over six months.

Be sure and patronize your local, independent retailer this holiday season, and especially on Small Business Saturday.  This year, that's Saturday, November 26.  SoulJourney will be celebrating with a Psychic Fair (with four readers) all day; meet Natalie Zaman, author of Magical Destinations of the Northeast and Animal Totem Coloring Book, who will be here signing her books 10.00am-12.00pm; a Kissing Booth with dogs from TriBoro Animal Welfare 12.00-3.00pm; complimentary refreshments all day; and enter to win a packet of gift certificates from six area businesses.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THEN!

@GlenwildGardens  @NatalieZaman  @MagicalDestinationsoftheNortheast  #PsychicFair  @TriBoroAnimalWelfare  @SmallBizSaturday  #purplepoinsettias

 

YouTube Interview

A few weeks ago I was asked to film an interview on Wicca and Witchcraft.  The interview is a gentleman named Joe and he drove all the way to Butler from Brooklyn.  So we arranged a date and he came over, set up his equipment, and he started asking me questions.  Here's the link to his YouTube channel.  I hope you like it!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQbX3pEGH6M

#Wicca #Witchcraft #Paganism #JoeLikesMoviesAndStuff

Romantic Tarot

The above photo is of a few cards from the Romantic Tarot by Lo Scarabeo.  It's not a deck I'd normally be drawn to, but Brianna was in the mood for a new deck on Saturday and she pulled this one off the shelf.  She felt so drawn to it that she had to open it immediately.  We started looking through it right away and I was amazed at how cool a deck it really is!

It's mostly pastels (not my preferred color choice, for sure) and set in various places (cities and countryside) in Europe in the late 19th/early 20th Centuries.  You can see by the dress code of the folks inside. :-)

It's definitely not a deck for only readings on romance, so don't be fooled by the title!  I'm sure it's called that only because of it being set in the "romance" time of history. 

We did a rather in-depth reading with the deck and were amazed at what we pulled out of the cards.  Here are just a few we pulled at random to show the spectacular-ness of this deck: 

The first card on the left is The Devil.  You can tell she's a bit of a temptress with the spotlight on her.  Next up is The Moon, set in Paris.  It, rather eloquently, shows the Moon behind the Eiffel Tower, with the lovers enthralled with each other beneath Her glow.  The middle card is The Star.  The compass on the ground shows that off magnificently, particularly in tandem with the couple's shadow superimposed.

Then we have the queen of Pentacles.  Doesn't she just look like she's totally in charge of her domain?  And the last card is the Three of Swords.  Just wow!  You might not be able to see it above, but there's hints of blood where the swordsmen have done their jobs; the woman's heartache of her gravely injured, perhaps killed, lover lies; and the other man's triumph.  We took this card to be a duel for the woman's favors, although it doesn't have to be that at all.

I just had to write this blog about a wonderful deck that I've had on the shelf for a little while and now can't rave enough about.  It's one I'll definitely be getting back in, and will be picking one up for myself.  Such a great deck!

@LoScarabeo @LlewellynWorldwide #RomanticTarot

See those cute little mojo bags?  They're the new brand from SoulJourney, thanks to @NatalieZaman and @SashaGraham and their great idea!  Mama Sandi's Magickal Swag, to be exact.  Read on for more info!

Magickal Swag is a new line of magickal bags I started making, created, charged, and Reiki'd under the proper Moon phase for each purpose.  They're perfect for sticking in a pocket, in a purse, luggage, drawer, or anywhere you think is appropriate.  Right now, the purposes are: Courage, Healing, Hex Breaking, Love, Prosperity, Protection, Psychic Awareness, and Success/Luck.  And there'll be more coming, of course.

I am SO excited about these great products!  So in love, in fact, that I've been seen standing in front of them, or taking a walk past them, just to admire them! LOL  So silly, I know, but I can't help myself.  I love the colors, the smells ... everything!

They each have herbs and spices inside that work for the purpose, naturally, as well as a stone.  On the outside, they're blinged out with ribbon and beads and charms so they're really pretty to look at.  Priced at $10.00 each.

I'm also going to be launching a service for making Special Order bags.  You come in with as much information as you have, including names, birthdates, etc., and your purpose, and I'll make the bag for you.  And of course, I'll be charging it for the person you're having it made for.  Or yourself.  The Special Order bags are $25.00 and you'll have to allow for a minimum of one week for creation and charging.

There will be more items added to this line, but that's for a future blog.  Thanks so much for reading!

@NatalieZaman @SashaGraham #MamaSandisMagickalSwag

I thought I'd do a short blog about crystal skulls.  There seems to be a real resurgence and interest in them.

So why would you want one?  Well, first off, cause they're really cool. LOL  Lots of people are kind of creeped out about them, and others just love them.  I fall into the latter category.  Obviously, they're not for everyone.

A wonderful way to utilize them is in a crystal grid.  You can form a grid entirely of the skulls, either in various stones or all the same, whatever you're drawn to do.  I may have to incorporate them into my next grid class curriculum. :-)

They're very useful in meditation, especially in the symbology.  Meditation takes place in your head, and what are you meditating with but a head!?  Just treat it like any other stone you'd meditate with and you're good to go.

It's an excellent divination tool, and for the above reason (meditation), it's also excellent for increasing psychic awareness.  Skulls are also very helpful when sending healing to someone, so Reiki practitioners can definitely use them in their work.

Use them for sacred geometry, self-awareness, and just to increase human consciousness.

Take into account the stone the skull is made out of also.  You want it to be a stone you resonate with.

The skulls above:
Back Row - Rose Quartz and Clear Quartz, $50 and $100
Front Row - Clear Quartz, Charoite, Hematite, Amethyst, Clear Quartz, $25

#crystals #crystalskulls #amethyst #clearquartz #rosequartz #hematite #charoite

Warwick and Roscoe NY, Part Deux

After we went to the Dunbas Castle, we decided to head over to the now-defunct Starlite Ballroom.  On the grounds are these small castles that were very cool.  We only saw one, but it was worth the trip!

This is just one side.  There's even a waterfall right in the middle of the lower portion that's fed from the water in the moat.  Pretty wild!

So then we started walking around a little bit and went around the back of the building.  It's now owned by a Hasidic Jewish sect and there were lots of lights on inside and people walking around, so we decided to just stick to ourselves.

Here's the sign over the doorway.

And while we were around the back of the building, we spied these concrete deer.  Absolutely no idea why they were there or what was intended with them, and we even discussed taking an ear, but decided to let them rest in peace.

The last shot of the day that I took was of these upper room windows - fourth floor - of stacks and stacks of mattresses.  The entire event struck me as something that should be written up in Weird NJ Fringe.  So bizarre!

@NatalieZaman @SashaGraham @WeirdNJ #WeirdNJFringe @StarliteRoom #adventures #WeirdNY

 



Warwick and Roscoe NY

 



What a great weekend I had!  Got away for a mini vacation with Natalie Zaman and Sasha Graham.  First vacay I've had in over five years!

Natalie and I started out on Sunday morning to neighboring Warwick NY to visit Pacem in Terris, which is written up in her forthcoming Magical Destinations of the Northeast book (she's doing a book launch at the store on October 19.  definitely a book you're going to want to pick up!). 

 

What Pacem in Terris is, basically, is a meditation garden that transcends all religions and humans.  Meaning peace on earth and filled with artwork that Frederick Franck created - alone and with assistance - you can wander around to your heart's content.  It's quiet, peaceful, has a great brook running through it as well as lots of seating spots, perfect for contemplation.  It even has a barn with tiered seating (constructed out of stone and concrete) and they hold concerts there.  The next one is on September 11 at 5.00pm, tickets available online at www.frederickfranck.org.

 



These are just some of the great sculptures you can see in the walking gardens.  Above left is a view of the brook with a meditation "house" on the left and a very small bridge to the right.  You can see cairns on the ground.  Above right is a positive and negative image of a hand with a large piece of glass suspended in the middle.

 

Above left is the labyrinth that you can walk and then meditate in the middle.  There are other sculptures on the far side.  The right image above is a close-up of a suspended piece that just reminded me of an Autumn leaf that I found fascinating.

 



 

 

The left photo is the little bridge that I showed above that crossed the little river/brook.  You have to look closely at the right photo, but it's actually a skeleton made out of log and wood that's a wind chime.  V-e-r-y cool!  I can highly recommend going to Pacem in Terris, but please, don't take a busload - the gardens really can't handle that many people - and please be respectful.  Mr. Franck's descendants live on the property so please remember that.

 

 

                                                  And this is Natalie and I. :-)

 

So then we headed up to the Catskills to spend time with Sasha Graham.  OMG, do I have a great life or what?! LOL

 

 

We went to Roscoe NY and checked out Dundas Castle.  It's a huge house with lots of acreage that a man built for his wife who was living in an asylum of some kind.  This home was supposed to be her personal asylum but she passed before moving in. 

 

 

 

These pictures are all of the main gate, including the pine trees that act as a very commanding entrance to the road up to the castle.  Very, very impressive!

 

 

 
And these two photos are of the river right across the street from the Castle.  So very peaceful.  Check out www.artofabandonment.com/2011/07/dundas-castle-ghost-of-the-american-renaissance.

And Sasha pulled a Tarot card on the grounds and the day.  We weren't able to get up to the actual castle - only viewing it through the trees - but The Queen definitely indicated that we should be able to get in there if we appeal through the proper channels, which we're planning on doing.

 

 

SUCH a marvelous weekend!

 

@NatalieZaman @SashaGraham #PacemInTerris #DundasCastle









 

 

 

 

Gemstone Bracelets

You asked for bracelets, you get bracelets!  This photo is just an overview of what I picked up at the gem show I attended recently.  There's a ton to choose from, and literally, no matter what stone you might want, it's probably here.

There's Shungite ($10 each cause it's rare to see it in bracelet/bead form), which has incomparable healing powers, and also protects, rejuvenates, and purifies.  You can even use it to purify water!

There's Red Jasper ($6.00), used for calming emotions and to cleanse and stabilize the aura.  Rainbow Moonstone ($6.00) for boosting life force.  Amethyst ($6.00) for dreams, increased psychic ability, peace, love, and happiness.  Rose Quartz ($6.00) for love, peace, fidelity, inner healing, and trust.  Tiger Iron ($6.00) to strengthen musculature and blood count and for physical endurance.  Lapis Lazuli ($6.00) which expands awareness and intellectual capacity.  Carnelian ($6.00) is excellent for protection, peace, courage, and strength of convictions.  Clear Quartz ($6.00) for protection, healing, psychic ability, and strengthens the power of stones it's placed with.

And then there are the bracelets that have a charm attached.  These are all $6.00 also.  There's Aventurine (mental powers, eyesight, gambling, money, and luck) with Hematite (grounding, healing, protection, and dissolving negativity) with a Triquetra charm.  Rhodonite (emotional balance and clearning, meditation enhancer, and grounding) with Hematite with an open heart charm.  There's Amethyst and Hematite with a goddess charm.  There's Turquoise (self-forgiveness, truth, and compassion) with Carnelian and Hematite with a feather charm.  There's Ruby Zoisite (decomposes and transmutes negativity and dispels laziness) with Onyx (protection, defensive magick, self-confidence, and centers energy) with a dragon charm.  There's Sodalite (healing, peace, meditation, harmony) with Clear Quartz with an angel charm.  And there's Chrysacola (communication, goddess energy, calming) and Clear Quartz with a dragonfly charm.

That's just a few of the great new bracelets that are up at the front counter.  Excellent for stacking, for wearing, for gifting.

@SoulJourneyNJ @gemstones @bracelets @Chrysacola @Turquoise @Rosequartz @Hematite @Clearquartz @Rhodonite @Carnelian @Moonstone @Shungite @Tigeriron @Lapislazuli @Onyx @Aventurine

Gem Show Finds

So I have to share some of the great items I found at my annual gem show last week.  Well, not MY gem show, just the one I attend annually, and have been for ~10 years.  It's always a fun time, although a bit exhausting. 

I travel 2.5 hours to get there, walk around and spend money for approximately 4-5 hours, and then spend over 3 hours in traffic coming home, all on a Summer Friday.  I always get some time to compare stones and stories with my sister shop owners (there are several of us from NY, MA, and CT who meet up there), which is always a joy.  It's usually the only time I get to see them, which really stinks cause they're great goddesses.  And of course, I'm not complaining about the energy from all the stones I get to touch and feel.

 

Pictured above is a stone called Hypersthene.  This picture doesn't do the stone justice, cause I would've needed a complete photography set-up.  It comes from Russia and almost looks like brown and black velvet.  It's helpful in combatting irritability and critical thinking, allowing for discriminating judgment.  It helps to maintain business relationships and to further personal relationships.  It enhances clairaudience and expedites information from the spiritual and astral realms.  It energizes self-respect, dispels negativity, and opens up opportunities to which energy is directed.  Health-wise, it diminishes acidity of the stomach, decreases pain, and lessens tension in the limbs and shoulders, and also treats fever, spasms, and over activity of the pituitary gland.  $30.00 each and I only bought a couple of pieces for right now.

Pictured above is lodestone, also known as magnetite.  It's a natural magnet and is very useful in love, money, health, or any attraction spells.  It is also useful for grounding, balancing of polarities, awakening hidden potentials, and clearing of meridians.  It helps prevent mood swings and provides emotional balance.  It's especially helpful to psychics, healers, and other sensitives for staying grounded and balanced.  Sold without magnetic filings for $2.00 each.

 

So a friend had told me about this great video he'd been forwarded.  I went onto YouTube and found it and just loved it also.  I hope it doesn't offend anyone because of the way the folks are dressed and made-up, but I thought it was excellent.

It's a bunch of Witches dancing in Germany on Walpurgisnacht.  That's Beltane to the rest of the world, or Night of the Witches.  I don't speak enough German to understand the music, but they certainly do seem to be having a great time.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjUV-byB8ls

Paulette Sherman Book Launch

So can I tell you how excited I am to be hosting Paulette Sherman again this Saturday?  She's the author of The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit, a new Llewellyn title.  She was the first author who gave a talk in June when I started my 25th birthday month (and the cavalcade of authors), and what a doll she is!

(Paulette's the cutie on the right)

We immediately swore that she'd be returning for a launch when the book arrived.  I've actually had it on the shelf for a few weeks, but our schedules were such that this was the first weekend we both had available for this party.

So here I am, three days out and looking forward to having Paulette back!  We'll be having wine and sweetbread for refreshments from 1.00 until 3.00.  Mmm!

The Book of Sacred Baths contains fifty-two different recipes for all sorts of purposes: improving your love life; career success; health improvement; and even transforming your spirit, plus so much more!  And judging from her talk in June, the book is just as good, and filled with tons of great information on herbs, oils, candles, and colors.  Each recipe is geared to a specific emotional or spiritual need, and ranges from stress relief to divine assistance to connection to self.  There's even an explanation within each recipe for what each element is for.  Such a great book, and would make a wonderful gift for that special someone on your list.  Include a couple of herbs and/or oils, and you have a wonderful present for a birthday, anniversary, or any holiday.

I hope you can make it on Saturday to enjoy some refreshments, meet this wonderful author, and pick up a book and get it signed.  I know I can't wait!

Welcome to SoulJournings!

So this is my very first blog.  I hope whatever I choose to post about is interesting to you and that you'll return here often.  My goal is to do this every couple of days, although I realize that's being a bit ambitious.  But I also realize there will be a bit of a learning curve as I get used to doing this and figure it all out.  In the meantime, Welcome to the SoulJourney blog!

My name is Sandi and I started SoulJourney 25 years ago.  At the time, there weren't a lot of metaphysical stores outside of New York City, and I didn't want to go over there every time I needed or wanted something.  And it's not like the internet was really a viable alternative back then.  So I decided to start this store, and it's been an adventure ever since!

Please feel free to comment - please be nice - and if there's anything you'd like me to blog about, be sure and let me know.

Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to seeing you in the near future, either here or in the store!