Opening the shop has become a ritual, and I realize I've been doing it the same for a long time, and when I stick to the formula, success.  Both mundane and magickal have been woven together into sort of a spell.

I walk in the door, greet Meredith, and immediately put my sign outside.  It's a huge sandwich board, so I do this mindfully.  When I come in, and skip or delay the sign thing, I know I'm not 'on' and I'm just in house for my own reasons.  Then I head to the back and flick on every light and source of energy that I have.  Now the shop is 'on' and so am I.  I go around lighting candles, and then I light the incense.  I pound and blend my own based on whatever I need the most, or what I want to communicate to my clients.  I have a few select shop blends, that provoke love, clarity, peace, harmony, and vigorous commerce...this is a business after all.  While the charcoal is coming to temperature, I tidy and clean, select music for the day, make fresh incense if I'm running out.

When I put the incense on the charcoal, I do it with ceremony.  There's a whole thing that happens here, where I push energy into the smoke, into the web that connects us, into the air, the atmosphere, space.  I push love, openness, care, to everyone that needs me, as far as every horizon in every direction.  It's huge, and if I'm not in the right headspace, I can't muster it.

I keep the incense going, carry the smoke to every corner of the room, trail it downstairs, and across the whole store, then I place it on the windowsill to be carried into the atmosphere.

Then I'm ready.