In Search of Wholism
Where Does Idealism End and Living Begin?
Anyone who has followed the haphazard progress of this Blog since we opened [Somewhere] Over the Rainbow three years ago, probably has realized that I have conflicts where the Retail Model is concerned. I think the answer to the above question has to be that either Ideals and Life mesh, or it becomes almost impossible to function.
During these three years in business, the Store has both Evolved and Shifted extraordinarily from my initial vision and business plan. My inability to move from a Brick and Mortar framework to a more Online presence has certainly had much to do with that. However, the difficulties of establishing a local following [as well as catering to the tourists] in a very limited space away from this small town’s Center has contributed a great deal also.
And then there is my own ambivalence toward many of the items I have stocked in this time, whether they didn’t meet my ecological standards, or my expectations of how desirable my Local Shoppers might find them. I find that I have a great deal of difficulty selling things that conflict with my views of sustainability, as well as philosophical and spiritual values. It seems that the further I go along my own Spiritual Path, the harder it is to compromise my ethics and ideals.
Of late, this business has quit being a Joy, and as a result, I have become overly serious and pessimistic. If something in life becomes Oppressive, then it is Time to make some major changes.
Working On It
These days I am about discovering the Joy again. I don’t know where this business is going precisely [or for certain that it is], but I am feeling better about expressing myself all the time. I am, first and foremost a Spiritual Person. I have been on this Path of Service for over half my life, a practicing Shaman for close to thirty years, and an Empathic Healer for twenty-five. I studied Pranic Healing as long ago as the 1980s, and in the late 2000-Teens began practicing Reiki, only to get sidetracked by the Covid outbreak and a long distance move. I plan on finishing the coursework to become a Reiki Master very soon, and hope to begin doing some work with people who are interested later this year.
I sell an ever-changing and expanding selection of spiritual and metaphysical goods at the shop, and expect to probably do more. While I know that some of these items disturb customers of certain beliefs, I think that this is usually a matter of misunderstanding, along with the tendency toward intolerance that has so sadly infested many in this current World. At Over the Rainbow, we don’t encourage bias, and we try to be inclusive and accepting. Everyone is Welcome, and it is not our place to judge another’s beliefs or values.
I have a long standing interest and relationship with herbs, having both grown and used them extensively since homesteading in the late 1970s and the 1980s. I have begun to carry a still limited collection of Teas and Herbs at Over the Rainbow, and would welcome suggestions and discussion about these wonderful plants.
Gardening, including sustainable, organic and regenerative practices is important to me [though I have done much less of it than I’d like recently]. I feel that Earth Healing is something we can all contribute to on one scale or another, no matter what walk of life we tread. Taking care of this Planet needs to become a priority, despite spiritual, religious, philosophical or political differences. It is Home, and taking care of your Home should be job one.
At some point, I would love to see a Farmers Market in Fort Davis, and I would very much like to discuss the possibility of a Community Garden in the future if others are interested.
I am not always sure how to incorporate these ideas and ideals into the Shop, but I would truly appreciate heaing any ideas and thoughts that my neighbors and customers have on these topics.
Healing
I believe that more than anything, I would like Over the Rainbow to become a place of Healing. I’m not talking about another Wellness Business. While these certainly have their place, the thought of making something that should be Integrated into our very beings, an Industry, disturbs me on some levels.
Healing is all inclusive. It is Body, Mind and Soul to begin with, and from there extends to our Families and our Relationships, to the Places that we reside, the Home, Town or City, State and Country we are resident of, the Planet that we live on, and the Universe [whether you believe in a Supreme Being, a overarching Awareness, or merely the Order out of which Life has Arisen] as a Whole.
We live inside of a marvelous Creation, and we all should be Conscious Stewards of that. I can’t help but look at that Larger Picture even as I tend my very small store. For me, if it is not about the Connections I make, the Love and Healing that I am sending out to everyone I encounter each and every day, than what use? We all need a purpose, a reason for Being, and Healing is mine, whether it is through a Reiki Session, a kindness given or received, reassuring words, or just taking the time to be pleasant and accepting. We are all potential Healers, and our opportunities to do so present each and every day.
Wishing Blessing to All.
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