Born and raised in Pictou County, current resident Cindy Hemphill (born Cindy Rorison) opened The White Lotus store in New Glasgow seven years ago and has been providing unique/diverse products and services aimed toward wellness for the mind, body, and spirit ever since. In addition to being a business owner, Cindy also has vast experience working with astrology, crystals, and tarot cards. In the interview below, Cindy gives us a peek into what we can expect to find at her store and some insight on topics like astrology, tarot cards, and crystals.
1. How long have you lived in Pictou County?
Cindy: Born and raised…though my family, like many maritimers, spent a few years in Toronto when Dad needed to find work. Also, as a young adult on my own, I lived in NB for a little over a year and I also lived in Truro for a few years.
2. What did you do before opening the White Lotus?
Cindy: I have a varied background. I spent most of my younger working years in the restaurant industry. I have always been creative, had a few things published, and a bit of training, so I taught night classes on Writing for Children with Professor Sheldon Curry (St.F.X.) at the Community College in Stellarton. I later took over that class for 2 years as the main teacher. Probably due to that, I got a job at CKEC as a creative writer / editor – for commercials and radio content. However, even back then I had a bit of entrepreneurial spirit and decided to leave there and open a place called Wizards Pizza out in Salt Springs. Loved that! Spent about 4 years doing this but my children were becoming older and needed more guidance…and not a mom who worked most nights. In addition, my husband got tired of being alone on the weekend nights. So I sold Wizards and went back to radio, where I stayed for about 10 years before opening the White Lotus.
3. What sort of products do you sell at the White Lotus?
Cindy: Products that are tools for your well-being mentally, spiritual, physically. So herbs for the body, books to open your mind, CD’s for meditation, chakra supplies to help you spiritually, spiritual books, etc.
4. What seems to be your best sellers?
Cindy: Right now I’d have to say the medicinal herbs and natural skin care. People are interested in getting back to natural care that doesn’t leave them loaded with chemicals.
5. What is your customer base like (age, sex, type of interest: health, spiritual, etc)?
Cindy: Big topic here…. age is MOSTLY 40 to 60, but we have all ages interested. People are searching for answers – the younger group especially (up to 40) and there is a lot of interest in crystals. From 40 to 60 there is a big interest in meditation, staying well, looking good, very open-minded and looking to satisfy a wider interest. After 60, there is more of an interest in health.
6. You also have additional services/classes/readings offered at the White Lotus by appointment…can you tell me a little about what you offer?
Cindy: It may be a crystal healing class or a workshop of past life regression or how to contact your angels. Different readers come into the store occasionally to read past lives, tea leaves, talk to spirit, tarot cards, palms, and other means of gaining answers from a more spiritual realm that what we walk in every day.
7. Do you have any upcoming special events or guests coming to the White Lotus?
Cindy: Sometimes these events are short notice but right now, we have Angela coming next week for How to Heal with Crystals and in April there is a man coming from B.C on how to connect with past lives.
8. You have a background in Astrology, how did you get started with this?
Cindy: I was very young when I first became interested in Astrology. It was probably around the age of 12 when I understood what a Sun Sign was. From there it’s been a lifelong love of learning this skill…and it does take a LONG time and lots of patience!
9. How does Astrology work?
Cindy: It’s a bit complicated to explain in a few lines but it depends on what energy the planets were sending you when you were born.
10. What sorts of things can you tell a person via an Astrology reading?
Cindy: Almost everything!
11. In addition to Astrology, you are also an expert in crystals, how did you get started with crystals?
Cindy: I don’t know if I’d call myself an expert at anything! I was older when I became interested but I’ve always loved and collected rocks of different sorts. Since then, it’s just a matter of collecting, learning, and loving! Much of this is self-taught and much of it should be, as it is how the crystals tune themselves to you.
12. What do crystals do? How do they work?
Cindy: A bit long to answer but each has a subtle energy that can work within your energy / electromagnetic field.
13. Do you sell crystals at the White Lotus?
Cindy: TONS! Sometimes to geologists because we bring in rare and unusual pieces that they want to see. We sell to people who use them personally and also to people who use them for healing (Reiki practitioners and such). There are also people who just think they are pretty.
14. Do you have a favourite crystal? Why?
Cindy: Oh my goodness, that’s like asking if you have just one favourite person in the whole world. I have favourites in FAMILIES of crystals and even then it’s hard to be too selective. I love lapiz lazuli and you can’t beat just a plain piece of crystal quartz.
15. You are also a Tarot Card Reader, how did you get started with Tarot Cards?
Cindy: I’ve always liked the idea of them and have been to many readers. I used them with my astrology at first as an additional tool but they didn’t really SPEAK to me on their own. It was not until I got the deck that I have now and somehow they just opened me up; I could literally hear them tell me things and give up their secrets.
16. How do Tarot Cards work? What can they tell us?
Cindy: They work on the energy around you RIGHT NOW, so they differ very much from astrology. They can be very accurate but again they have a different parameter depending on YOUR energies, that you are drawing NOW. I guess in some ways you are always shaping your own tarot read.
17. Do you have any new plans or changes coming for the White Lotus that you would like to share?
Cindy: It’s been constantly changing and growing since I opened. I am searching right now – waiting to see what way spirit moves me next in business – a few vague ideas, but nothing concrete yet.
You can locate the White Lotus Store at 166 Provost Street, New Glasgow or contact them at 695-3025. Also, visit their regularly updated Facebook Page or The White Lotus official website for more information. Lastly, you can request (via Facebook message or website) to be part of their emailing list, which will make you privy to announcements on new products arriving, sales, and who/when visitors are coming to provide services at the store.
-Joy