05/06/2008

Just completed a large update on the powdered incense pages. I removed things that the manufacturers were chronically having problems keeping us stocked up with and replaced them with other titles. I finally got some images uploaded and now most of the powdered incense has a pic attached so that you can see what you are ordering. I hope this helps.

Updates happened here: Benedictum Powdered Incense, Seven Sisters Powdered Incense and 15 oz. Powdered Incense.

People have been writing me about financial issues - mortgages, job losses, etc. Please do not wait until something bad happens to you before you start dealing with it spiritually. This is all about prevention and maintenance - especially in tough economic times. Of course, you have to be sensible with your real life finances but you should also incorporate a little cleansing and money ritual into each moon cycle to prevent and protect what you have. Keep the flow going. Let someone else get caught up in a negative spiral. This is when things get dog eat dog and people start doing all kinds of crazy things to try and adapt. Stay protected!

Long time, no update! Y'all have been keeping us busy. We finally launched a page with our new house brand perfume line. These were in development prior to Hurricane Katrina and got delayed. I don't have every type listed that I am planning to make, but it is a start.

I also posted a new FAQ page which can be reached from the "information" section of the website and from the front page. Iget many of the same types of emails each day about order status, order tracking and delivery times. All of this information is posted on the "ordering information" pages, but I don't think people bother to read it. This new page should condense and clarify what you need to know about orders. Remember, we are a very small company with limited staff. We do our best to get your products to you as fast as possible, but we don't have the shipping capacity of a super-retailer like Amazon.com. Also, our shopping cart software is secure, but old fashioned. It doesn't have all the bells of whistles of these new fangled shopping cart programs. You can't track your order directly from our website, it doesn't store your customer information for your next visit, and you can't see what the "top sellers" at the Mistic happen to be. We like our cart. It is plain and cranky. It matches our personalities!

Lastly, if you haven't checked out our sale page - please stop by. Right now, we have Mysteria oils, Orisha Candles and Dr. Pryor's Zodiac Candles on sale at great prices. We are trying to reduce our inventory a bit in anticipation of moving back into a storefront. But, don't tell anyone. Trust! I do not not want to have to move all of this again. So, take advantage while suplies last.

06/30/2007

I wrote a short article on the proper use of "red spells" and products titles like "Come to Me", "Love Drawing" and "Marriage". I should have posted this advice years ago, but lately I have been getting tons of calls and emails from people who are doing the wrong work for the wrong problem. I guess I was inspired. Anyway, I hope it helps.

I am really, really backed up with email questions. I am doing my best to answer them, but I am only one person. Remember, if you have a question about an order you placed, I will answer it fairly quickly; however, if you are asking me for advice on what to buy, I stick the email in a folder and answer them in the order I receive them. Most of your questions are addressed on the website, so please read through the articles that I spent so much time writing before you write me to ask what day of the week you should do a money spell. Also, read through the individual product listings for spell suggestions. Often, a bottle of uncrossing oil or a figural candle description will contain good suggestions for use.

05/13/2007

The cart will be turned off from Friday, May 18th at 3 PM CST until Sunday, May 27th at noon - so that I can conduct maintenance on the website. Any orders placed before the 18th will be packed and shipped over the weekend. I am so sorry for the inconvenience.

02/20/2007

Happy New Year and Happy Mardi Gras! The end of a year and the beginning of another are always our busiest times, and I am pleased to report that 2006/2007 was no exception.

Some things are better here in New Orleans, and some things (like crime and violence) are much worse. We are still struggling. I continue to look for a new location, but our housing and commercial rental stock is still very low - which forces prices up. Additionally, we are having insurance issues - companies are dropping both residential and commercial customers or are asking extreme prices for limited coverage. Also, the City is having to raise property taxes on undamaged properties in order to waive taxes on damaged properties. All of this contributes to the cost of renting or buying. It will not be easy to locate a new shop, so I am just being patient.

I have added new items all over the site - in so many different areas that it's not practical to link them here. Just look around. Once again, thanks for shopping with us. We appreciate your loyalty and support.

10/27/2006

I am doing my very best to keep up with your emails and phone calls, but am not having much success. At the shop we could put up to three people on hold while talking on the phone; now I am functioning with one line. I know it's hard to get through. I also had more help which allowed me to do more personal email. All of those folks are displaced now, and it is difficult to find people who are knowledgeable about spiritual work.

I have been prioritizing those emails I receive about about orders. Where is my order? Do you have this item that I don't see on the website? Can I get this item personalized? Etc. I answer these pretty quickly.

If you send me email about a personal situation - like: What products should I purchase? Or, do you have a spell for this situation? I will file it. I am trying to answer them as fast as I can, but I am backed up about two weeks on this type of personal response. I just wanted to update everyone to this, so they were aware and did not expect 24 hour turn around on their requests. It is just not going to happen right now.

8/28/2006

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Katrina. It's sad, and we are still in pitiful shape.

I put the herb pages back up on the site. I got quite a few frantic calls and emails when I took them down after the storm. I was informed that I have a few suggestions in the free spells section that require herbs. Sorry for the complications. Honestly, everyone I knew that grew herbs lost their farms. I did not know how I was going to continue to sell herbs in bulk. After speaking with a few people in the business, I have decided to sell little packages of herbs that are enough for one spell casting - oil or incense recipe. This keeps me from having to track down pounds of herbs every week. Also, I don't have to worry about storage issues. It's the best I can do for now.

8/03/2006

Thanks for waiting for me to sort out my hurricane issues. I am so happy to see the names of so many of you cross my desk - almost a year after that awful tragedy called - Katrina. Now, back to business!

Many of you have written or called about the herb inventory. I am still working out solutions to losing most of my local growers. My goal for reinstating bulk herb sales is October 1, 2006. Please bear with me. I am very picky and trying my best to get you the best quality at the lowest prices.

7/06/2006

Wow! A lot has happened in the sixty days. Due to the problems I started having with building - the fact that it was disintegrating around me - I had to move the shop. Since the hurricane, the rents on the few properties that were left in the City went sky high, and I had a very difficult time finding a place to take my merchandise. This was major cause of the delay. I ended up finding a place on the other side of the river in the old "Algiers" section of New Orleans.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find a building that was suitable for retail sales. I am still looking for a retail sales spot on the west bank of the City. Until I find one, I will be operating as a mail-order only business and using the new space for a warehouse.

Many folks have emailed me concerning readings with the shops' spiritual workers. Alas, all of the people who worked through the Mistic have left New Orleans - most were residents of the infamous Lower Ninth Ward. Baba Tomas, Caridad, Mama Mercedes, Bishop Johnson - all are now displaced and living outside Louisiana. The Mistic will no longer offer readings, spiritual work or services of any kind.

Since I relocated the shop, I decided to make a move out of New Orleans proper and relocated my person to the West Bank of New Orleans also. It would have been impossible for me to drive back and forth across the Mississippi River Bridge every time I needed to process an order. So I pulled off two moves - both of which were gigantic. I also had a difficult time finding movers due to the horrendous labor shortage. I relied on family and friends to see the process through. This was another major cause of the delay, and lack of communication about the shop status on my part . Additionally, I lost a computer in the move (it just wouldn't turn on again) and changed internet service providers. So, anyone who emailed me between May 9 and July 3 will have to write me again. I lost all of those emails.

Since settling in, I have added new things to the site and taken many new photos of merchandise. I tried to use the downtime to make some major updates to neworleansmistic.com, which had been put on the backburner for several years. I have also implemented some inventory tracking software on my end, which will hopefully make maintaining such a large inventory a little easier. I used to do everything by hand. Customers can look forward to packing slips in shipments - something I was unable to do using the old handwritten receipt system.

Lastly, I do have a new telephone number and mailing address. You will find these on the contact page of the site. I should be up and running by the weekend 7/8 and will plug my telephone in on Monday 7/10 so you can call.

I am so sorry for the delayed response and inconvenience of such a long down time. Things have changed for many New Orleanians in the post-Katrina world and I guess the aftermath finally caught up with me too. I will be back with your shortly.

5/09/2006

I needed to shut the shopping cart down for about ten days or so. I am so sorry.

My building has still not been repaired, and another piece of the roof structure caved in. I have to find someplace else to locate the shop. There is no way around it. I wanted desperately to stay in my location, but it is not realistic. I have come to the conclusion that the building has major structural damage, which may take many more months to repair - if it is repairable. I plan to move quickly on this, and will reopen as soon as possible. Please keep checking back.

All orders that have been processed are on their way to you. Please check back and I will update you on my progress.

4/09/2006

Well, we are still waiting for a roofer, so we can fix the holes in the back of the building and then have the building rewired. I know everyone is tired of hearing about Katrina. Trust me, we wish it were over too. However, this is what it still looks like eight months later in 65% of New Orleans. It is really sad.

Please note the big rusty red mark running across this white house. This is what we call a "water line" down here.

"Hey, Girl?"
"Where's your water line?"
"Oh, it's about 7 feet."

Almost everybody has one. It can be at one foot, or over the roof. Imagine having five feet of stinky, stagnant water sitting inside your house for weeks, and everything you owned was floating around in it.

Thanks to the Marines for cleaning up Saint Claude, and all along the railroad tracks! You guys are so wonderful. We are truly grateful!

2/21/2006

Sorry for the lack of updates. We have been busy doing mail order and trying to get the shop open.

There is something fishy going on with our phone lines. Apparently, one can call the phone number now and even get to a voicemail box. However, the lines within the shop are still not working and we have no idea where to collect the voicemail. Neither does Bellsouth! So please do not leave a voicemail and think I will respond - we cannot retrieve the messages. Hopefully this is a sign our phones will be working as soon as they get the kinks worked out.

12/15/2005

I hope everyone is gearing up for a nice holiday season. Many of you wanted to send money or asked me where to donate money for Katrina victims. Your offers were heartbreaking and I am very grateful. I told you to hold on and I would let you know once I felt comfortable with an organization that would put it to good use. Well, I have finally seen and heard of a worthwhile plan that will help the City and my neighbors.

Habitat NOLA.org is our local branch of Habitat for Humanity. When you donate money to our local branch, it is used for someone specifically in the Greater New Orleans Area.

One of the new projects being worked on is a Musician's Village, where hundreds of local artists who lost their homes will live and work together to restore their lives. Proceeds from the album Our New Orleans goes directly to this fund.

Here is an eight minute video to remind you.

11/29/2005

Exactly three months after the hurricane, I opened my shop to the public today. For now, my hours will be Monday-Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM. I still do not have phone service. I still do not have hot water. I finally have postal delivery but it is only once a week. Life here is a daily struggle, and it looks like it will be a long while until we have some level of normality.

Yesterday, I received my first truck shipment, and today I received my first shipment by UPS. I still have a long way to go before my stock is back up to the levels it was pre-Katrina.

Bellsouth tells me it will be six months for phone service to be restored in my neighborhood. My alternative is cable phone service, however, they are not taking on new accounts until some time in March. Because I do not have internet access at the shop, here is the process I use to ship an order.

1. I download the order email at home - decrypt it and print it.
2. I take the order to the shop and pull all of the items to fill the order
3. I put each order up in the box I will ship it in and cushion it with bubble wrap
4. I fill a plastic shopping bag with packing peanuts - each order has its own bag of peanuts.
5. I take the orders home and process the credit cards
6. Once the cards have been charged, I pack the orders
7. Lastly, I create UPS mailing labels for all of the orders
8. I load up the truck and deliver the packages to the official UPS drop off station

Where it used to take me just a few minutes to pull, pack, process and ship an order, it now takes a few hours. Also with the shop open I am only downloading orders once a morning - where previously we downloaded them as quickly as they came in until 2 PM each day.

Do not be mistaken, I want and need the orders and I am still getting them out daily. I can still report that UPS is delivering packages in time and on schedule.

11/20/2005

It has been a while since I updated my progress. Sorry! That means I have been working at the Mistic, and not sitting in front of my home computer.

I had a piece of the ceiling drop in the front part of the store, back by the washroom. Now, I am know I was very fortunate. My building is still standing and I have electricity. In post-Katrina New Orleans, to have these two things is a miracle. Sixty Five percent of the structures here are still uninhabitable. So my complaining and whining over the dust created by this little piece of ceiling is going to seem petty. But! I am going to whine about it anyway. LOL! I have scrubbed. I have swept. I have dust mopped about thirty times and I still cannot get all of the dry wall dust out of my floor. It is like glue. I have tried bleach, pine sol, Dr. Bronners Castille/Peppermint Soap. I have tried to vacuum the floor with a shop vac. I still have white powdery dust smeared all over my floors.

I am shipping products and everyone seems to be receiving their orders in a timely fashion. However, I am not receiving mail and shipments into the City with such ease. I ordered some bottles and jars for incense and oils about a month ago and they have been floating around a UPS warehouse in Metairie, LA since November 8th - yet to be delivered. None of the trucking companies will deliver in my zip code yet - so I cannot replenish my candle stocks.

I am getting very close to reopening the store for retail sales. My Bellsouth service is supposed to be reconnected some time around Thanksgiving so if you keep me in your prayers - we will hopefully be able to speak over the phone soon.

My next door neighbors on Saint Claude have returned - Ken at the reggae shop and Miss Jo with the natural hair salon. We are slowly but surely making progress on the street - cleaning up debris and keeping the garbage sorted for the various teams that pick it up.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I know I have a lot ot be thankful for. Starting three blocks behind the shop many of the homes took four feet of water. Those folks won't be home for the holidays.

Home of one of the many Mardi Gras Indians from my neighborhood.

11/02/2005

Progress. I finally have someone coming to help me clear out the shop. Nine weeks after Katrina, I actually have another person to help me lift the things that require two people to carry. It is a miracle. Yeah!

I have been burning candles like crazy and growing impatient with my lack of results. But, the roundabout way my new helper walked through the door, assures me that good things do come to those that wait. I mean, I knew when my Small Business Administration inspector showed up and was the daughter of one of my customers that Spirit was working for me. Yet, day by day when you want something so badly, it is hard to remain patient. This disaster has been the ultimate test of faith.

Halloween and All Saint's Day have passed. This is All Souls' Day. Very important days in New Orleans. While the theme of these are death, signs of rebirth are everywhere.

Little People parading in the French Quarter

Decorated tombs in Lacombe, Louisiana

10/31/2005

I am now taking Internet orders as of 10/31/05. I can only ship via UPS and only by Ground Residential Service. I cannot do express mail of any kind yet - it is not available here.

I still do not have phone service, so if you have a question or problem, you need to email me. It is the only mode of communication I will have for another month or two. The phone lines were severely damaged in my neighborhood.

I have tried my best to make sure I have everything back in stock however I have not received all of my herb orders yet. If I do not have a certain herb in stock, it may limit my ability to make some of the Mistic Brand products. Please don't get mad if I have to email you back to say I am out of something. You know I like my products to be "right" and I ain't selling things I can't get together. With spiritual work, there is always a substitution or another way, so email if you can't figure out what to get.

I have a lot of folks from New Orleans ordering things, who now reside elsewhere because of Katrina. Thank You for your support. I just want you to know that I have to fight back tears every time I see that 70117 zip code. I recognize those street names - of the ones you used to live on- and I am so sorry.

This reopening of web business is bittersweet. I know I must move forward, but it is so hard. I miss my people. Part of my soul went with them.

10/30/2005

I want you to understand what it looks like in the area where 75% of my local customers lived.

I want you to imagine what they are going through.

These are not photos of one or two select places, where damage is the worst. This is what it looks like block after block -- for miles.

I am doing my best to get it back together. I have considered moving the location of the shop until mine is repaired. But, I want to stay in my neighborhood. I'm afraid if I move, I will not go back.

There is no one here to work. There are no contractors available to fix buildings. I still have no electricity, phone or gas service at the shop. This is going to take time and I am pleading with everyone to be understanding and patient.

10/10/2005

I'm not ready for orders yet. I downloaded some (that you weren't supposed to send! LOL!) and when I went to try to pull them, each had one or two items I couldn't locate in the boxes of merchandise.

I have run out of shelving. I have shelves but I am not able to find anyone to help me move them down two buildings. It's sad. The ones I could drag down by myself, I did, but most of my shelves were built in and over 8 feet tall.

It has been 41 days since the storm left New Orleans. 41 days are an important amount of time in the spiritual world. Yet, when I go to the shop I do not see another person on the street. Where are my neighbors? Is anyone ever coming back? Are they ever going to start cleaning up and working on their buildings? I do not see contractors, insurance adjusters, cleaning crews. When I say there is no one I mean it - Just National Guard driving down the street on a rare occasion. It looks like a bombed out city. Yesterday, I sat out on the stoop for a good 15 minutes and did not see a car drive by. It's really spooky.

Often, as I am working in the shop, I think I see someone walk by the front door. So, I run out to look - ready to welcome them back - and no one is there. The 8th ward is full of ghosts. I am not even sure if I mean literally - perhaps just the impression or imprint of the energy that used to exist there.

Saint Claude Avenue still does not have electricity or gas. The City is still asking people to not come back with children. There are no stores open on my side of town, so you have to travel miles to find groceries and supplies. Even then, you have to stand in lines for hours. I don't like the conditions here, but I have stayed in Haiti enough times to not be that bothered by a lack of amenities. However, it seems like a lot of people can't or don't want to live without all of our public services. I don't blame them, it is not easy. Playing Survivor is only fun for so long.

I am going back to St Claude today and giving it another shot. Even if I don't end the day with my stock organized into a workable arrangement, I will be one day closer to realizing my goal. And in New Orleans, that's how it goes right now - day by day.