La Casa Azul Bookstore

Welcome to this space of story sharing and good ol’ memories at La Casa Azul Bookstore NYC. Before we begin to read, I would like to honor the astrological flow of the day as the Sun is in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio.

In the summer of 2012, I interned at La Casa Azul Bookstore NYC. Aurora Anaya C. (founder) had recently opened the bookstore’s door to the community of East Harlem, NYC. I was interning as a School Program Coordinator during the summer, in which I traveled back and forth between Downstate & Upstate New York.

Aurora A.C’s dream was to move to NYC from Los Angeles, California, to open a Latinx bookstore in a community flowing with the richness of cultura (culture). The store wasn’t just a bookstore; it was a scream for people of color to be seen. To allow surrounding school-age children to see books with characters that look like them. It was a community center where many Latinx authors gathered to share their voices. I was in the middle of it all. My role as a program coordinator extended beyond. I delved deeper into my culture, women writers of color - who I had no idea existed!

I learned every cover I saw was part of me. I am every Latinx woman writer. Above all, I learned to appreciate the beautiful Comunidad (community). In retrospect, I learned to honor myself through these writers because of my experience at La Casa Azul Bookstore (which is no longer exist because of the unfortunate gentrification that blossomed in that area of East Harlem and Aurora’s desires to restructure her business model - according to the only online article I was able to find). Yes, I did some digging and didn’t find much besides the possibility of the bookstore being online- don’t quote me on this.

Lastly, in honor of the Moon in Scorpio, because it sure did take me back to memory lane when I stumbled upon Cafe con Libros bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.

The moon in Scorpio encourages us into the sands of memories where pieces of treasure lay and where water (Moon in Scorpio) and earth (Sun in Taurus) meet. The colliding of both elements spark the fire within.

With much love and honor for writing!

Disclaimer: Art in the photo is not my creation or property. This art was found along my walk through a community in Brooklyn

Shayla M. Rose

Manifesting Magickk Together

Are you interested in releasing rituals and lunar writing?

Join me in the Rowdy Writers Circle I host once a month under the energy of the Full Moon to write, release and create space for gratitude.

Instagram: @shayla_m_rose