{ THE IMMORTAL PHOENIX }
WELCOME TO THE OPEN DOOR TO THE IMMORTAL PHOENIX BY MARTHA CONAN
If you ever find yourself in Cayuga County in Central New York and happen upon a tiny little shop at 139 State Street in Auburn, you have found home. Open Door to the Immortal Phoenix opened its doors on December 1, 2018, owned and operated by Ms. Lorna Reynolds and Ms. Martha Conan. Lorna and Martha met back in 2009 in Moravia, NY when Martha had lost her mother and was searching for spiritual guidance and help in healing and they became fast friends. They communicated often throughout the years and in September of 2018, Martha received a personal message on her Facebook from Lorna saying that she had moved to Auburn and was working at a metaphysical shop and would like to meet up for coffee. Lorna, a medically trained hypnotist with many other certifications and talents and Martha, a mental health therapist, met for coffee that day at Connie’s a “tex-mex” restaurant on the corner of State and Wall Streets. They chatted about their families, jobs and other experiences that had happened in the past nine years. When leaving Connie’s, they noticed that there was an empty store front right next door. It had an inviting large front window and from what they could see through the dirt and dust, a very interesting store layout. Looking at each other and at the same time, they shouted: “It’s time.” They quickly jotted down the application phone number on the “for rent” sign in the window and made the call to rent the space and were quickly approved. The following month renovations began. Lorna and her friends did the work in the store such as the painting, cleaning and such while Martha helped with design work and furniture gathering. Picture this: monstrous tall yellow ivy twisted tin ceilings, burgundy red and gold stone and red brick walls, dark hard wood floors covered in burgundy 250
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carpets and lace curtains draping the front window from floor to ceiling. All furniture dated the early 1900’s and several pieces were from Martha’s grandparent’s storage container that was recently unearthed. The shelves are stocked with the metaphysical items including crystal balls, tumbled stones, leather journals, incense and sage and the coffee bar has a selection of teas, coffee, hot chocolate and tasty treats. The practitioners’ room is same color as the front room and is adorned with batiks Martha had designed in Bali.
Not only is Open Door to the Immortal Phoenix a metaphysical shop, it is also a facility for alternative healthcare. An allin-one shop, where you can find chakra stones for harmonic balancing while you set up appointments with massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, a mental health therapist or a medical hypnotist. There are events, seminars, classes and support meetings planned monthly along with frequent ghost tours. 139 State Street was
originally part of the Auburn State Prison and also part of the Insane Asylum for the Criminally Insane from 1879 through 1893. It held 121 inmates of which 109 where men and 12 where women. The need for a women’s prison took precedence so the men were transferred out and women remained. After the women left, it became a blacksmith’s shop and retail stores till today. When you enter the basement you will find three, eight by ten foot cells with shackles and wooden doors with peep holes and a small bathroom. The back room of the basement has a door that went into a tunnel with metal bars and several large locks. For the on-looker, it appears to be a dismal place but for the historian, a treat for the eyes. Lorna and Martha realized that there was a need for not only spiritual healing but also mental, physical, and emotional healing. The public needed a place to have their needs met and they wanted it to be that place. So Lorna and Martha got the word out in their community and the surrounding areas that they were on the lookout for alternative healthcare practitioners who worked “outside of the box” and had a creative approach to healing. This fitted in with Lorna and Martha’s vision of having a distinctively unique therapeutic environment for their clients. And it worked, but they are always looking for more practitioners to share their experience, strength and hope. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm or if an appointment is scheduled on a Sunday or Monday. If you would like to come in and chat while drinking a hot coffee or tea, be our guest, as the saying goes, we are here to serve. Don’t be nervous or fearful about the history of the shop, all of our unseen residents are friendly. You can find information about our