And, so, here we are again.  After celebrating the International Day of Peace (September 21) every year for 20+ years, this will be the second year in a row that Harmony Moon will NOT have an in-store celebration.  COVID cases are still surging and the CDC considers the Staunton micropolitan to be an area at  "Substantially High" risk for transmission. 

Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the difficult decision to NOT re-open our community room for in-store events and workshops.  We are also still requiring that everyone - whether vaccinated or not - wear masks when entering the shop.

And in spite of all the craziness in the world, the anger and divisiveness all across the spectrum, we still believe in the goodness of humanity.   So, in lieu of our Peace Day celebration, we are calling for September 21 to be a day to "Check Your Compassion."   Please join us in working to spread more compassion in the world:

• compassion for all those suffering from the ongoing horrors of COVID19
• compassion for the families, first responders, and survivors as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11
• compassion for the victims of war and violence
• compassion for those among us who are food- or home- insecure
• compassion for those who may be forced to make hard decisions from a space of deep emotional pain
• compassion for those who have lost their homes and lives due to natural disasters and global warming
• compassion for yourself, that you too may know peace

 

Dare To Fall

 

The fear of failure and of the unknown holds many people back from doing what they would really like to be doing - whether it's a new career, a move to a new town or different part of the country,  getting married, going back to school.  People who are successful in achieving their goals are people who have failed at them - in some cases many, many times.  And kept going.  

As Thomas Edison once remarked when he was questioned about his ongoing and frustrating experiments in inventing an electric lightbulb that would be cheap enough for mass distribution: “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”   (Forbes, June 9, 2011)

Most of us have failed at one thing or another, some of us have failed many times.  Success entails NOT in overcoming your fear of failure but in knowing that you CAN fail and doing it anyway.  Detractors will come from surprising sources - even family and friends.  Supporters will come from surprising sources - even complete strangers who, perhaps, once embarked on a similar journey of their own. 

Keep going.   Keep experimenting with all the 10,000 ways that ultimately won't work until you find the way that will.  Follow your dreams, knowing that you can fail and planning for that failure.  Then get up and try again.  Expecting and planning for failure until you are astonished and delighted at success.

Most of you know that Harmony Moon began 25 years ago in Alexandria, Virginia.  We nearly closed our doors during the Great Recession of 2008-2012 .  We experimented with 10,000 ways to keep the doors open and when we could no longer afford the commercial rents in the DC-area, we packed up and moved to the Shenandoah Valley.  When the Great Pandemic started, it was, in the words of Yogi Berra, "Deja vu all over again."  And so, 8 years after our move to Staunton and a year into the covid19 pandemic, we are astonished and delighted that we are still here.  Day by day, we get up, open the doors and keep on doing what we do.  And in more than 10,000 ways, we are grateful for your support.  

Let's keep going.

Freedom, Books, Flowers, & the Moon

 

Hope springs eternal and with Spring comes hope.  As we grow ever nearer to freedom from the COVID19 pandemic, we've been busily awaiting your return to in-store shopping by bringing in new handmade décor for your home and garden.

check out the full list here

Can You Say “Quadranscentennial?”

 

Harmony Moon is jubilantly celebrating our Silver Jubilee.  Yes, that’s right, we’re turning 25!  That’s a quarter-of-a-century years old.

And what a ride it’s been!  In 25 years, we’ve been through many changes, overcome many challenges, and survived to tell the tale.

And through it all, you - our most lovely and loyal customers, patrons, and friends - have been there with us and for us.  Your support has made it all worthwhile.  Every day we can serve you is a blessing and a joy.

In gratitude,

Sally

Gratitude

 

Wow. Just wow. 

Looking back on 2020, we saw many trials and tribulations, fear and uncertainty, moments of despair, and moments of amazement and joy too.

Most of our moments of joy came from you, our wonderful, dear patrons, supporters, and friends. 

We feel blessed, not only to have made it through a difficult year but also to be part of a community that is resilient, supportive, and strong.  We are stronger together and this last wild year has proved it.  We are so grateful for your continued loyalty and encouragement. 

 Harmony Moon is celebrating 25 years this year!  And, quite frankly, we're not quite sure what 2021 will bring.  We know we will need to continue to be flexible, to continue to expand our online store, to perhaps offer more online classes and workshops as we know we will not be able to re-open our in-store classroom anytime soon.  

We also know we will continue to offer the same quality handmade goods that you have come to love, to continue to support our fair trade and American artisans as we always have, to support community charities, non-profits, and our beloved arts institutions as much as we can.

We are so proud of our Harmony Moon community!  Each day that we are open to serve you is a blessing and a joy for us.  Thank you.

 

 

 

"We come now to the very brink, where hope and despair are akin.  To waver is to fail." -Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings, book five, chapter IX, "The Last Debate"

 We all like to cling to our perceptions of duality - us vs. them, good vs. evil - it makes for a better story and allows us to be the hero of our own folktales.  

However when knowledge of people, places, historical moments, and events increases, then "them" can look a whole lot more like "us."  "Bad", when seen in a different light and from a different vantage point, can seem like "good."  

This bifurcation does not serve its purpose of changing people's behavior and attitudes, it only reinforces them.  In other words, it’s human nature to say that “it's not US who needs to change, it's THEM” regardless of which US or THEM you are.
 
What is lacking on both sides of the equation is compassion, empathy, and kindness.  I am not condoning harmful or unethical behavior.  However,  the only battle that can be truly fought is not "us" vs. "them," but "you" and the "better you" that you know you can become.  To paraphrase Thornton Wilder, “the good and excellent YOU stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for.” 
 
To reach that “better you,” please consider, moment by moment:

• Choosing inclusivity.

• Choosing equal treatment for all.

• Choosing empathy for those less fortunate.

• Choose kindness.

• Choosing love.  Always.

 

 

Power of Prayer

"I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things." - Mother Teresa 

 

I believe in the power of prayer:

• prayers as we remember the lives lost on 9/11/2001
• prayers for all victims of COVID-19
• prayers for all those treated unjustly because of the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual orientation, their religion
• prayers for casualties of the west coast fires
• prayers for all victims of wars and acts of violence
• prayers for all that the world has lost - people, wildlife, natural beauty - due to global warming and climate change
• prayers for you and your loved ones
• prayers that the power of prayer can change us and that we can change the world

 

Building Joy

Global pandemic, impending recession, protests in the street, violence, hate, and anger everywhere - in a world gone mad, is happiness even possible?   When increasing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression are the natural consequence of uncertainty, unrest, and disquiet, is happiness possible?  When so many people are suffering on so many levels, it almost feels wrong to feel happy, if happiness is even possible.

Joy may be a better option.  It has been suggested that happiness occurs at the macro level - "I am happy in my work, relationships, home, with the state of the world " - and therefore is harder to achieve and sustain.  Joy, however, is found in the little moments.   Joy is more sensory in nature.  Smelling flowers, petting kittens, listening to birdsong or hearing a child's laughter - the little delights that occur everyday.  This "bottom up" approach to building joy - noticing, appreciating, reveling in, and recalling these little moments - can, in fact, lead to happiness.  A happiness rooted in the here and now, choosing to be satisfied with what you have rather than yearning for more, becoming more accepting of life's trials, and approaching conflict from a calm and more reasoned perspective.

Joy, it has been argued, is better than happiness.  And, in a world gone mad, our well-being depends on the belief that little moments of joy are still possible.

****

Listen to Ingrid Fetell Lee's TED talk on "How To Notice and Build Joy Into Your Life."

Harmony Moon Manifesto: We Believe in Love. Always.

My heart is hurting, as I know yours is too, for the unrest we see in the streets, and for the systemic injustices and hatefulness that has led up to this time of civil protest.  Harmony Moon was founded, 24 years ago, on the principles of inclusivity, fair wages, respect for our differences, and speaking up for those who have no voice. We stand against racism, bigotry, discrimination, and social injustice in all its many forms.  Enough is enough.  We must work together to create the kind of world that we want our children to inherit.  

#WeStandForEquality
#WeStandForJustice
#WeStandTogether 

Harmony Moon's World Peace Wish Tree

 You may have noticed the World Peace Wish Tree in our front window at Harmony Moon, the one with all the colorful tags tied to its branches.  We started this tradition at Harmony Moon many years ago and it has been our most popular holiday activity ever since. 

 Our Wish Tree is based on an ancient Japanese tradition.  During the annual Tanabata Festival in Japan, bamboo stalks are placed at strategic locations in a public square or park.  People write their wishes on slips of paper and tie them to the bamboo trees.  At the end of the festival, the bamboo stalks,  with all of their wishes, are burned.  The fire takes the wishes of the people up to the heavens to be heard by the gods.

The Imagine Peace Tower of Light in Iceland

Our Wish Tree is inspired by Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace project.  Yoko’s Wish Tree art installations were started as a way to memorialize her husband, John Lennon, after his death.  Wish Trees have been installed all over the globe and more than one million visitors have tied their wishes for world peace to the trees.  The wishes then are gathered together and buried under the Imagine Peace Tower in  Reykjavík, Iceland. 

The Pathway of Peace in Washington, D

When Harmony Moon (then known as Mindful Hands) was in Alexandria, VA, we would gather our Wish Tree wishes in a basket every year and walk them down the Pathway of Peace in front of the White House and then burn them in the National Yule Log. 

This year, we will gather all of your wishes and send them off to the Imagine Peace Tower where they will be combined with thousands of other wishes from people all over the world.

In this way our wishes will become part of the Tower of Light, a grand visual reminder to the world that “peace & love is what connects all lives on Earth.”

Compassion in Times of Unrest

 

In the most challenging of times, when anger, hatred, even simple mean-spiritedness seem to be all around us, it's important to remember that humanity is kind at heart.  Those who are the angriest, the ones with hatred in thier hearts, the loudest, the meanest, are oftentimes also the most unhappy, the most afraid.   We don't have to agree with their ideology, their rhetoric, their actions and deeds, but we should still try to find compassion in our own hearts - even for the haters.  Choose love.  Always.

50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

Yes, the hippie in me still believes in peace, love, equality, inclusion, justice, and kindness.  Universal values, to be sure.  And I still believe in the goodness of humankind and the healing power of music.  And friendship and compassion.  And flowers.

This summer marks the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love, when more than 100,000 hippie peaceniks descended on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco.  It was a revolutionary social movement at a time of great unrest in the U.S.

A movement whose impact is still being felt today.  Whose values are as appropriate to solving the great issues troubling the world today as they were back then.

As the late great Jimi Hendrix said, "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace."

Yes, I believe in that.

Always. 

Hygge & Happiness

In the darkest of times, with cold winds and raging storms all around, the Danish have devised a weapon of first resort.  A weapon that can eliminate, or at least diminish, the feelings of stress, sadness, and hopelessness that often arise in their long, dark, cold winters. That weapon is “hygge.”

Pronounced “hue-guh,” the concept is not easily translated into English but is most often equated with “cosiness.”  Hygge is further associated with a comfortable conviviality and contentment.

Hygge encompasses not only the ambiance of the room (think cushy chairs and wood-burning fireplaces) but also includes dress (flannels and woolen socks), food (porridge and hot cocoa), and company (close friends and meaningful conversations).  Their propensity for creating hygge is one reason why the Danish, in spite of their long winters, have been called “the happiest people on earth.” 

The United Nations has recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and declared March 20th as the International Day of Happiness.  To do our small part in boosting the art and science of happiness, Harmony Moon will be posting suggestions and happy thoughts on our facebook and twitter pages throughout the month of March.  Please join us in helping to increase happiness, health, and hyyge for all the world’s people. 

To get you started, on the right is the GREAT DREAM poster from the Action for Happiness.  It is a science-based “10 Keys to Happier Living."  

To read more about the Danish concept of "hygge," try these resources:

• The Art of Danish Hygge
  
• The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy

And, if that's not inspiration enough, here's Pharrell Williams and "Happy":

 

The science of kindness:
 
Did you know that engaging in acts of altruism and kindness can increase the production of the chemicals oxytocin and serotonin in your body? This increase can lead to greater self-esteem and feelings of optimism and happiness. It can also reduce levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.  In other words, the kinder you are to others, the happier you feel!
Harmony Moon is holding our annual Kindness Festival on Saturday, Feb. 18. Please join us for refreshments and prize drawings.  You can also make Kindness Prayer Flags and cuddle with kittens in our Kitty Petting Zoo, hosted by Staunton-based cat rescue group, Humanitarians of Pet Education (HOPE).  10% of all purchases made at Harmony Moon during our Kindness Celebration will be donated to HOPE.
In the meantime, do something nice!  Here are some suggestions:

• smile at everyone you see
• say "thank you" to someone who did something nice for you
• compliment a stranger
• pick up trash in your neighborhood
• volunteer to read to a patient at a local nursing home

And for more information on the science of kindness, check out these resources:

The Science of Kindness (Life Vest Inside)

The Science of Kindness (Random Acts of Kindness Foundation)

We live in tumultuous times.  When fear, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty are on the rise, anger and hate often follow.  And where there is anger and hate, there is also fear and anxiety, creating a vicious circle.  It’s hard to know how to break the cycle.  

But break the cycle we must.  And there is only one place to start – with yourself.  Examine your own beliefs and assumptions, your own behaviors and actions.  Weed out that which is toxic and feed that which springs from love.  Anger, hate, fear, and anxiety are defeated with kindness, common courtesy, and respect for others.  It may seem simplistic but the truth often is.  

Choose LOVE.  

Always.

Happiness Doubled by Wonder

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."    -G.K. Chesterton

 

Exciting news! Harmony Moon celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Oh my! Time does fly and it's been a wild and joyous ride.

Here are some highlights from Harmony Moon's history:

 

We increased the awareness of the fair trade movement in our local communities through our sponsorship of the Fair Trade Resource Network and our partnerships with Ten Thousand Villages in Alexandria and with The Sacred Circle and Cranberry's in Staunton to celebrate and promote World Fair Trade Day.

 

 

We were there at the beginning of the farm-to-table movement. Harmony Moon was the very first in Alexandria to offer CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm shares to our customers through partnerships with The Farmstead at Charlotte Hall in Maryland and Great Country Farms in Virginia.

 

We participated in Washington, DC's first ever Green Festival. Harmony Moon was an early member of Green America's Green Business Network and we were awarded the organization's coveted GOLD medal for our green practices. 

 

 

We saved the lives of dozens of cats and kittens by helping them find their forever homes through our partnerships with local cat rescue groups such as King Street Cats and Tails High in Alexandria, and Cat's Cradle and H.O.P.E. in Staunton. 

 

 

 

In the weeks and months to come, we will continue to share stories of our many adventures and the many wonderful people we have met along the way.

And we continue to feel awe, wonder, and enormous gratitude to the many talented, creative, thought-filled, engaged, uplifting, spiritual, change-makers and activists who, like you, are our friends and customers and who really do believe that one person has the power to change the world.

We are so very grateful for your love and support. Thank you for allowing us to serve you these twenty years. You fill us with happiness doubled by wonder.

And now, let the adventures continue...

 

Update on Nepal Earthquake Relief

After the Earthquake, April 2015 in Nepal

Building a temporary medical clinic

distributing food and supplies

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in World Fair Trade Day on May 9. We had a great turnout! We partnered with The Sacred Circle in downtown Staunton and donated 10% of all purchases from both stores to the Nepal earthquake relief efforts, specifically the rebuilding of the Baseri Medical Clinic.

The Baseri Medical Clinic was opened in 2010 in a remote area of Nepal where healthcare was essentially non-existent. The clinic was completely destroyed in the April earthquake although, thankfully, there were no casualties. Our donations were sent directly to the Baseri villagers to help them build a temporary replacement for the clinic and to restock medical supplies.

If you would like to donate to this much needed effort, please click here.

Nepal still needs our help! To help with getting food, temporary shelters, and much needed supplies to Nepal, please consider donating to these relief organizations.

Thank you for your support!

*all photos courtesy of Ganesh Himal Trading

 

 "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet XCVIII

 

April showers may indeed bring May flowers but April in Staunton, VA also brings Earth Day celebrations, Bridge Day celebrations, Hot Glass festivals, and a new season of shows at the American Shakespeare Center. 

April also brings the beginning of cycling and hiking season, farmer's markets, and LOTS of new items at Harmony Moon.

Take a peek here:  New Items

Finally, April also brings longer hours at Harmony Moon.  We're back to our regular hours during the week and open until 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and (most) Saturdays.

Stop in and say "hi," we're always happy to see you!

Connections

Since moving to Staunton two years ago, we have met so many amazing folks and have made so many wonderful connections with the community. Some of our connections include:

• our partnership with non-profit cat rescue group Cat’s Cradle for kitty petting zoos and adoption events 
• local health and wellness practitioners (such as Anne Buzzelli of BuzzNutrition and Brittney Johnson of Top of the Mountain Healing) who use our community room for healthy living classes 
• partnerships with other local retailers, such as our World Fair Trade celebration with Cranberry’s and The Sacred Circle 
• the many talented local musicians whom we sponsored during last year's Fourth Friday Night Vibe 
• and many, many others not mentioned here but just as important. 

We’re thrilled, too, that we've maintained so many connections to our friends and patrons who supported us in our former location in Alexandria, VA, and continue to support us, making that lovely scenic trek from DC to Staunton and being pleasantly surprised at all that Staunton has to offer. 

For those of you who have been long-time supporters of Harmony Moon, you know building community is part of our vital work. Community is important in so many ways, connecting people from diverse backgrounds who might not otherwise have met and pooling resources and talents to create a shared vision for the future. 

Our community is one in which people care how their goods and products are made, expecting that anyone who does a fair day’s work should see a fair wage for that work. We care about the earth and want to walk gently on it. And we care about challenging ourselves to be the best that we can be – whether that’s eating healthier, exercising or meditating more, or simply sharing our life experiences with others. 

To join and help us grow our community, please connect with us on Meetup: Harmonious Living Center 

and on Facebook: Harmony Moon 

And please share this newsletter with your friends and others whom you think might want to be part of our community too. 

According to Malcolm Gladwell, tipping points for change can happen in the most unlikeliest of places. Who knows? That could be us and our community of harmonious lifestylers! 

“In the end, Tipping Points are a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligent action. Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not. With the slightest push—in just the right place—it can be tipped.”

― Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference