“On Learning. About us”

I would love to continue our thread about learning. We’ll get back to the basics soon, but now might be the perfect time to talk about us: the store, the people behind the store, and the people in the store. In light of some recent hate speech and threats aimed our way, speech that decries us as an “evil demonic stronghold”, I’d like to take a minute to inform you that we are not so interesting, powerful, and malignant as that (our apologies). Let me tell you what we are and what we do stand for, just to set the record clear. 

Let me put it this way: five things we are and one thing we are not.

What we are:

1. A Store

Maybe this is the most obvious and basic, but this is the part of us and always has been. This has to do with our history. Margo’s started under a different name: Amber Dreams. In short, Amber Dreams was an amber jewelry store, in the same location as you see Margo’s now with the same owner (Jill). Over the years, Amber Dreams progressed into a bead store and was subsequently renamed Margo Sterling Silver. Anyone who has lived in Athens these past 20 years may have witnessed this evolution first hand! After its time as a beading store, Margo’s next transformation moved into what we recognize today: a metaphysical wellness space that sells a number of related products.

2. Metaphysical

What is “metaphysical” and why did I call Margo’s a metaphysical wellness space? Well, metaphysical is in the name. Figuratively and it’s literally in the store name. Beyond that, metaphysics is a philosophy and an accumulation of study on consciousness, on being, on our relationship with time and energy, space, and possibility. Metaphysics is one of the four main branches of philosophy, besides ethics, logic, and epistemology. We focus heavily on the relationship with mind and body and how that exists within the folds of our society. We place our being front and center and ask ourselves, how and where do we exist in this world? On what planes–the physical, alone? Are we all spiritual beings? How do we connect all parts of our personal identities with our world and the people around us? Focusing on the metaphysical can mean focusing on ontology, on existence itself, on being, on philosophy. Metaphysics comes in different shades and processes for different people. It’s highly personal, but it’s also universal.

I don’t mean to turn this blog into a dissertation, so I’ll stop while I’m ahead. 

We embrace the metaphysical and our spiritual selves. Beyond that, we do have more in the store that involves other spiritualities and world religions. These include Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Wicca, and more. What all this boils down to, though, is that we are…

3. Open Minded

We are open-minded and we are tolerant and we welcome our customers with open arms. This means our Christian customers, our witch customers, our atheist customers, our Muslim customers, and everyone in between. We love you all and we will never judge or discriminate. We hope that this has always been clear since it’s always been part of our values, but naming this gives it all the more power.

4. A Healing Space

We have always been a healing space. We always will be. Our customers’ well-being is so vitally important to us. Every day we have customers coming in, asking for suggestions or advice about difficult aspects, obstacles, challenges in their lives. We’re here to help, and because this is a daily occurrence, we have opened the space above the store as a healing space. What exactly is a healing space and what goes on up there? To give you an idea, here are some of our regular “events”: sound healing, healing through art, our “stones for empaths” seminars, kids yoga, tarot reading, astrological readings, our intro classes to stones. We strive to be a safe space, and a haven in a chaotic, busy downtown area. Remember what I mentioned before? About no judgment? Well, we welcome you with open arms.

5. A Community

The healing space upstairs can be rented out! It can be used for a variety of safe space activities, even moon groups, and meetings! Our storefront is where you’ll see us daily, but our employees lead some of the classes upstairs. They’re also experts in all things metaphysical, and in some cases, experts in magic, reiki healing, and more. Our staff is made up of multiple generations, backgrounds, races, orientations, and identities. We are young and old, tik tokers and teachers, and we all converge together, from different walks of life, to connect with you, our customers to make: us.

What we are not:

6. Strangers

While we embrace the strange, we are not strangers; not to the community, and not to any individual. Our focus is on healing, positivity, and everything inherently related under that umbrella. Please, don’t feel left alone and confused by our presence downtown. Come in and ask us questions about what we do and who we are. Or, please read about wellness and the metaphysical. As many of you know and as I mentioned, we have had hate speech and threats aimed at the store. We don’t condone any hate speech—we are a store of equality and love, and we don’t condone threats. Besides the turbulent mix of emotions related to the vitriol aimed at us, we feel disappointed. How could someone misunderstand us this way, to this extent, and think that we’re trying to ill-serve our community? That undermines everything we are about. If you’re reading this and haven’t ever engaged with us personally, or have been afraid of the shop because of discriminatory notions of “witchcraft”, or have been shy to directly ask us what we do, I invite you in. I invite you in with open arms, an open heart, and an open mind. Let’s never get to the point again where someone feels the need to aim hate speech and threats at us without even knowing us or what we stand for. Communication is a two-way street. Love is an avenue. Despite our sitting on Clayton street with all its construction and hubbub, we are an avenue of love. I promise you, we are harmless, so come on in! We’re always here to answer questions and provide a safe, positive shopping experience. We’re here to heal. Because what are we?

We are:

Family.

Yours in good spirit,