The Word Shoppe

Welcome Dear Reader

 

When Lila moves to a new city for university, she never expects a simple invitation to tea from her Grandmother to change everything. But tucked inside The Word Shoppe, among gilded books and jars filled with glowing words, Lila embarks on a yearlong journey, one word at a time.

 

Each week, her Grandmother presents her with a single word, unlocking hidden wisdom, forgotten truths, and the magic of language itself. Lila learns that words are not just sounds, but keys—each one unlocking something buried deep within her.

 

This first volume, Spring, begins with a stir—alive with unseen language. These thirteen words are invitations. Reflections. Companions. They are meant to be read slowly, savoured deeply, and gifted to those who long to reconnect with the whispers of their own hearts.

 

There are moments in life when a single idea ripples through you and changes everything. For me, that moment came when I saw the crystalline patterns of water shaped by words by Dr. Masaru Emoto. A single drop, frozen after being blessed with the word love, revealed a perfect, luminous snowflake. Another, exposed to hatred, fractured into chaos. I couldn’t unsee it. And from that moment on, I began to listen to words differently.

 

As I chose each word for The Word Shoppe, I spoke it to water. I watched how water responded, how it formed, what knowledge it held. Every word shaped an image different from all the other words, and this process helped me write the story. The results were astonishing: each word revealed its own signature pattern. These images reminded me that words carry energy, and that energy becomes form. What you’ll find here is not only a story—but a reflection of that living vibration. I believe that language is an invitation to life, and that the words we speak create the life we live. That belief is what shaped this book.

 

I have been photographing the word images all over again with the water from Clear Lake, Manitoba, where I spend my summers. Every word in The Word Shoppe is shared with a Petri dish of lake water. I’m gathering these into a 52-card word deck to accompany the 4 season book series.

 

Words are alive because they live within us. They carry stories—not just of where they’ve been, but of where they can take you. Over time, they evolve, their meanings deepening, shifting, sometimes even hiding, waiting for the right person to uncover their truth.

 

Are there words that linger in your heart, waiting to be spoken, written, or shared? These are the words etched upon your soul—ancient companions whispering truths you’ve always carried. For words, like spring, are not static; they are alive, moving, growing, and weaving the fabric of our world.

 

XO

Celia Louise