Phoenix Rising, in Port Townsend, Wash., closed permanently at the beginning of the month. Jill Spier, who had owned the bookstore since 1987, was unable to find a buyer and is moving to Sri Lanka, where with a partner, she plans to start an orphanage and meditation center, an organic farm, and a version of Phoenix Rising, according to the Port Townsend Leader.
In a Facebook post, Spier wrote, "With great sadness and deep gratitude, I am closing Phoenix Rising after nearly 40 years. Sadness on behalf of Phoenix Rising, which has been a healing source for me as well as thousands of others, gratitude for the warmth, support and love from customers, friends, workers and the Port Townsend community."
And she told the Leader, "For 38 years, my home community has supported my mission and kept my business afloat. I've always felt like I fit in here. This is a place that welcomes misfits, I think."
The paper noted that Spier has practiced meditation "since 1984, and of all her business' accomplishments, she's proudest of having helped so many others find peace and enlightenment through meditation." For years, she regularly spent at least several months annually in India.
Phoenix Rising carried books in the areas of spirituality, the supernatural, divination, and self-improvement. The store also stocked jewelry, clothing, music, crystals, statues, bells, bowls, cushions for meditating, tarot cards, incense, and more.