Well Serpent Power - Motorino Electric Scooters dealership is now closed. A one year failed experiment lol... and an effort to motivate myself to get out of the house on a regular basis after two decades of net geek hermitage. That part, worked.
After the womb fire was integrated I discovered some symptoms that I had thought were magic side effects, started getting worse. The bulge in my belly was uterine fibroids, and they bleed so much I had become very anaemic. That situation, got worse before it got better and isn't resolved. Its not dangerous, just tiring. Fibroids go away naturally after menopause and so my body decided it was time to do that.
I can point to a lot of reasons the store failed, but I don't really want to get into it too much. The two primary reasons are : menopause symptoms hit last fall, made my ADD about a hundred times worse and the myriad details of running a retail business slipped beyond my grasp. I am grateful to have found an amazing personal assistant who has handled the store closing for me.
Curious thing is, it has no effect on my magic at all. When I first became anaemic 3 years ago I thought to be gentle on myself, conserve my energy but that got really boring and didn't last. Turned out not to be necessary either. Kind of validates that the stuff comes through me, not of me.
The other primary reason is that Motorino insisted I sell at MSRP and my store was in a part of greater Vancouver that has so many Indian emigrants that the street signs are in english and punjabi... would think that would make for great scooter sales except they walk out if they can't bargain, and that was 90% of my customers. Then the head office put the exact same scooters on sale for 20% off and I had a meltdown and gave up. Stupid thing is, I like bargaining, its fun for me. I am an honest person and abided by their rules and it killed my business.
I created a lovely store, not realizing it was a bad part of town. Having decided to close, I sat looking at the carefully chosen furnishings I bought for it and the office stuff. I just did not want to sell it all at a loss, but didn't know what to do with it. That is when Goddess finally got through to me, with the idea to (Duh) open an office for my spiritual work. It has never had a physical location before.
It feels kind of strange. I retired from public session work years ago, and even then it was online, not in person sessions. So from net geek hermitage to being available for in person sessions for the general public is quite a change.
I found an amazing space, on a farm with one main room for classes, 13'x24'and two smaller rooms for consultations and storage/lunch. It was so perfect... but I could not get a business licence there because of the farm zoning. Looked for other offices, they were all ugly, I could not let go of the first one. It was so perfect, a gift of Goddess, what key was I missing? The diner next door to my store is owned by a Hindu real estate agent and we had become friends. He chuckled at my troubles and said "an ashram can be anywhere..." Handed me the key.
Some years ago I took 5 years of my accounting to an accountant, I had just incorporated Fire Serpent Media. He patiently explained to me that I do not have a business, and should dissolve the corporation. The goal of a business, is profit. I keep working even when nobody is paying me... so I do not have a business, I have a calling and I am a humanitarian. Humanitarian work, is not taxable. I tried to explain to him about the spiritual principles of business, which is to be very generous and trust the universe to pay it back. He laughed and said "humanitarian." My husband said, "Everybody but you, knows you are a humanitarian, people in business do not make the sort of decisions that you do."
For years people have been telling me I should become a church or a non profit... I could not see the value of either one. Started looking closer at non profit setups and discovered I could still pay myself something for my work, and that Canada has no legally recognized churches. Only, religious non profit corporations. Cool eh? Separation of church and state, and a level playing field. Anyway my scooter store was unintentionally non profit as it turned out lol... sigh.
I wince a bit at the chunk of my inheritance it chewed up, surrendered it... Got back, to be careful that my non profit does not make too much money and lose its non profit status. Oh interesting.
Not sure what to call it, any suggestions?
I am in the process of renovating my new office... it had good bones and location but was very ugly inside, 70's dark fake wood paneling, carpet looked like something died and smelled of mice. Ripped off the paneling, found mouse nests everywhere but no live mice. Lots of live carpenter ants. Landlord had to deal with those issues, all new insulation, exterminator, etc. and then the drywall went up, and soft grey satin paint, and my new dark cork flooring. It is turning into a lovely, peaceful space. The goal of getting out of the house more, is enhanced by the fair weather commute, being a 12k electric scooter ride through pretty forest. It is on the edge of a big wild park. I needed to get it far enough along to be able to move the store stuff into it before its closing deadline... and now I want a months vacation.
I had not really thought about what kind of classes or meetings I would host in the main room. It was druid who pointed out, I could do the weekend intensives I have been doing in Europe, close to home with a room permanently set up for it. One reason I had always done them abroad is that the students who are hosting, handle the promotion and setup for it, because I cannot do both. I need to focus on the energy and the teaching. I do not know anyone else who teaches a whole weekend, single handedly like I do. If the space is already set up, and I have a personal assistant... that changes things.
I had a kind of beautiful moment where the transition hit home for me. A lovely couple with their young daughter came in to buy a scooter to give the girl a ride to school. The husband had already taken some test drives the week before, but wanted to test how the girl liked riding on the back. While they were off I sat talking to the mom, she noted a meditation magazine on the coffee table and I explained a bit about my work. My laptop was also on the table and I pulled up the k teacher page. Much to my astonishment, she knew it. She said they are Brahmins and knelt asking for my blessing. Of course I granted it. The others returned, we finished the paperwork for their scooter then he too knelt to be blessed. Said it took him away... off to nirvana, I supposed. Well so... the Serpent Power of the scooter store.
If all goes well, as Goddess Wills, there will be another Fire Serpent Kundalini intensive weekend this spring, in Canada.
Also, I got a puppy. :)
The new office sounds exciting Mystress.
Is there a webpage (for event notifications and such)?
Also, puppy is adorable and looks content on your lap :)
Got a name?
Much love,
Gopi
Hi Mystress,
Thank you for sharing this. Reading it opens me up to seeing how far I've strayed from any path I was meant to walk, and inspires me to dig deeper so I may break the shackles holding me now.
I interviewed for a job that was perfect for me in terms of experience and abilities, but still, I didn't get it. I was very nervous in the initial interview (there were 3, the last one being with the head honcho of the org) and thought it was due to me wanting it so badly, because I've been in the same position for several years without anything to move 'up' into, until this job was created. We're talking the rat race of corporate America here....gotta keep moving and all that goes with that...
When I got the call telling me it went to someone else, I was more embarrassed than disappointed. Everything happens for a reason and what resonates is that there's something else I'm being called to. Recognizing what that is, is the challenge.
I'd love to help you name the physical location of your calling, but that will present itself only to you. :) Please keep us posted on what transpires.
Oh btw - love your puppy but glad it's your's lol. My daughter brought home a puppy last year that grew to be a big puppy... and a hound to boot so talk about energy... oye! Soon after she decided he was too much to handle, but refused to find another home so all this time I've had to pay for parvo treatment (because she had no clue he needed to be vaccinated among all the other things you need to understand before getting one), throw out a couch and mattress he's eaten, countless shoes and sheets, potty training (or *not* as is the case with her training him)...he gets into everything so I'm forever picking up trash everywhere...I have to make her go with me to walk him (I have a dog too), feed, water...it has been a huge irritation for quite awhile, but things are getting better, I believe because he's getting older lol. I've never had a puppy until this one was brought home; I get older dogs from the pound...and yes they may have been crazy but at least I didn't have to go through years of 'puppy'. I'm sure your's will be a wonderful addition to your family. The jury is still out for me on her's lol.
With love,
Priestesssss
The vacation was excellent. The big bonus surprise, my menopause symptoms have disappeared. Wow.
Puppy is a delight, what a lovely little dog. I have named her "Chiquita" which is Spanish for "little girl" because she is half chihuahua. The other half is poodle so she is a Choodle. I am very pleased with her, she is loveable and so cute, very attentive and devoted.
She has a very sweet temperament and is pretty smart. I looked for a puppy for a few years, because I got an idea to train one as a service dog for single sided deafness... I cannot locate sounds. I love big dogs like Irish Wolfhounds but a small dog made more sense. More portable, less food, less poop, and doesn't need to run for miles to get a daily workout. It's not like I need her to pull a sled or anything.
I chose the genes, then looked for the dog. Chihuahuas are fearless and loyal, they were bred to hunt bears! A dozen of them can corner a bear because they bite too much to ignore and are too quick for a bear to hit. Poodles don't shed much and are considered hypoallergenic, a good quality in a service dog and they are the second smartest, most trainable breed in the world.
Housebreaking is still a work in progress, she is doing pretty well with the "squat" command but the "poop" command is still a mystery to her. Accidents are tiny and easy to pick up in a piece of tissue and flush, does not leave a stain, so no big.
I know, housebreaking with command words, kind of unusual but important for a service dog and an important step to teaching her to use the cat toilet I got on ebay, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIhxAptRF5o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIhxAptRF5o) and a human toilet if she gets big enough. I have trained a cat to use the toilet before, training a dog has got to be easier.
She has learned a few words, like "walk" and "go inside" and most importantly, "no" though she does not always listen the first time.
Always thought dog clothes are a silly idea but tiny Mexican dog in Canadian winter actually needs them! Even with her parka on it will still be too cold to walk her in the winter months, she is an indoor dog.
Chewing, yes, shredding paper, yes, attempting to take apart the couch downstairs, yes, but we keep an eye on her and take away whats not appropriate and give her a chew toy instead. That includes, our fingers... shes very mouthy and puppy teeth are little needles but she does not bite hard. She likes to chew on my socks but does not damage them. Loves plastic or wood clothespins, any kind of crinkly plastic. She was with her mom till 12 weeks and learned good manners.
I had suggested the breeder bring the puppy to the store. Told her, I will sit on the floor, put her down a short distance away and if she comes to me I will buy her. Breeder thought it strange but did as I asked and then was amazed as puppy ran to me over and over, climbing into my lap, that's the photo. Bonded to me right away. I suspect asking dreamwalker's ghost dog to check the puppy out before I met her, might have something to do with it. I think, in dog language. "check her out" meant, show her it rocks to be a Shamans dog because they never really die, and adopt her into the pack. :)
The breeder agreed to keep her for two weeks more, until after the store closed. We were just too busy before.
I bought "the Amhisa guide to dog training" ... Amhisa is sanskrit for non violence, its all positive reinforcement. No use punishing dogs, just makes them scared of you and then they don't come when called.
Haven't been to the office since the movers Oct 3rd. Lots to do there. No website yet, have to decide what to call it, first. I think I probably will go with "Kundalini Mystic School" and pagan friends who want to use the space will just have to accept it.