Chapter 1
Bar Soap Sayings Replaced by Bar Code
Lavender
Saying: Create World Peace
Lavender Bar Soap is associated with the number 0.
It is the beginning of Andy and Wendy's soap making business. Infinite possibilities lie ahead.
When Ithaca Soap began without a name, it was a new, spontaneous adventure, with no expectations. A new path was ahead, leading into the unknown, not only with the soap business, but with the new budding relationship between Andy and Wendy.
In 1999, a time of upheaval and turmoil, creating world peace in yourself, letting go of fear, trusting in your own judgement, and pursuing a dream of any kind, can radiate out from you. When it touches someone else, they will feel your sense of calm and joy, and join in the fun. It doesn’t mean to abandon your responsibilities, but to deal with them with a sense of adventure instead of dread. It’s the beginning of a journey into the unknown. Make the best of any situation.
Lavender has a calming effect on the mind, causing you to relax, giving way to peace, love and opening the gateway to energetic healing.
Lemongrass
Saying: Maintain Integrity
Lemongrass Bar Soap is associated with the number 1
The number 1 signifies oneness and multiplicity. It is a time to focus energy and be an ultimate achiever. Be open to what life has to offer. Take conscious action, be creative, commit to a project with energy.
The Lemongrass bar soap signifies Wendy and Andy's drive to consciously create the very best soap. Sometimes, plowing ahead without looking back can cause ambivalence and confusion. Am I doing the right thing? They came out of the fog of turning away from soap making, focused on a goal and followed through with the plan.
Flowery Lemongrass helps you lay claim to your inner power and achieve your life's purpose and goals. Lemongrass is a purifier and enhances psychic abilities.
Lavender Mint
Saying: Strive to be the best person you can be
Lavender Mint Bar Soap is associated with the number 2.
The number 2 symbolizes a home, shelter, a blessing. Exercise deep breathing to help find your center. Home is where the heart is.
Andy and Wendy's soap making journey and business adventures began to get noticed for the soap quality. Recipe mistakes were made along the way; sometimes even an absolute failure. They decided to take failures, learn from them, and turn it into reality. They cultivated the ability to read between the lines and live with a variety of cycles. Finding balance between work life and play is key, failure and success is the best lesson of all.
Lavender and peppermint together purify sleep, emotional and spiritual healing.
Clove Spice
Saying: Get Outside
Clove Spice Bar Soap is associated with the number 3.
Good deeds through a loving heart, strength and endurance, are the backbone of Andy and Wendy’s soap making journey. As soap making grew into a small business, Andy and Wendy were bombarded with opportunities to use poorer quality, less expensive ingredients that had a natural facade. They even bought and tried some synthetic fragrance oils, sold to them as true essential oils.
This trend is pervasive throughout the soap business. Many headaches and itchy skin bouts later, they learned about true essential oils, their benefits, and each essential oil's history. They kept their commitment to themselves and their followers by keeping it environmentally conscious and close to nature.
Clove Spice attracts love, feeling good about yourself and luck. Living within the realm of the natural world builds strength and character. Mother Nature is reliable, stable, and resilient, yet adaptable to change with love in her heart.
Lavender Orange
Saying: Beautify Your Surroundings
Lavender Orange Bar Soap is associated with the number 4.
As Andy and Wendy continued to make soap and spread the good feelings of good soap far and wide, a doorway opened before them. They were presented with choices. Should they grow big or stay small? Whichever path they chose, they would need to be ready for action. Either the action of running a small business themselves or the action of moving into management. As they veered toward staying small, they proceeded humbly.
Lavender Orange seeks to promote love, helping to purify your heart through rest and relaxation. By beautifying your surroundings, you can be reminded of your need for community. Participate with humility as you pass through your open doorway and grow into your full potential.
Tough Guy
Saying: Listen to Nature
Tough Guy Bar Soap is associated with the number 5.
The mechanic in Andy called out to him to step into the production end of things. Wendy wanted some help with the increasing soap making demands. It was time to stop and listen to what the business was turning into, and go along with the trend presenting itself to them. Soap making needed to be streamlined, producing a consistent bar of soap every time.
As it turned out, Andy was a natural soap maker. This was the beginning of mastering his soap making skills. He honed this skill, since 2004, and has been producing identical soap batches each and every time, all in relatively small batches.
Tough Guy's exfoliation quality, can physically purify the skin, while symbolically healing old and new psychic wounds. The unique combination of essential oils can enhance your psychic abilities, enticing your third eye to open up and look around.
Dirty Dog
Saying: Feel the Energy
Dirty Dog Bar Soap is associated with the number 6.
Energy exists in everything. Andy and Wendy began to create an energy and flow for soap, and how it nourishes the skin. If the skin is clean, healthy, and happy, a general feeling of goodness sets in.
There is a connection between your body’s comfort and a person’s state of being. As soap batches grew in size, the energy of the workplace needed to flow properly. Each bar of the soap’s journey began in the manufactory, and continued to make its way to every person’s shower and sink with the energy of good health, love, and happiness.
As you use a bar of Dirty Dog soap from the Ithaca Soap manufactory, your skin will shine out and radiate it’s good health, love and the feeling of happiness. Every living thing you encounter will feel that energy, and pick up on your good feelings.
Unscented
Saying: Understand the Universe
Unscented Bar Soap is associated with the number 7.
The Universe encompasses all. It can inspire personal growth if your intentions are honorable and just. Andy and Wendy decided to have an Unscented Bar Soap to cater to those sensitive to scents, even high quality natural ones.
They had been living at Andy's family dairy farm, and the Universe guided them to move back to Ithaca, Wendy's chosen home. In the Spring of 2001, they joined the Ithaca Farmers Market and have been a steadfast presence at the pavilion ever since. It was a big decision, since the market is open at the outdoor pavilion 40 weekends a year. They attend every market.
Unscented Bar Soap is white and will help guide you. Like the color, it is neutral, which can serve all. Protect and honor what you love with the idea of a win win solution for every situation, even a negative one.
Patchouli
Saying: Watch the stars.
Patchouli Bar Soap is assigned the number 8.
There is a life force in everything, including each bar of soap Andy produces. The soap business became a 3rd person in Andy and Wendy’s relationship. The stars were aligned and in 2002, Andy and Wendy solidified their relationship further with marriage. The strength of their complimentary relationship, gave courage to the unity of two people running a small business, in a competitive small business landscape.
Small business, being the backbone of every society, is the movement of millions of small teams of people producing items for society to function.
Patchouli is an ancient perfume to promote one’s feeling of romantic attractiveness, while attracting love and good fortune.
Rosemary
Saying: Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.
As with any journey, transformations happen. Seeds get planted, nurtured and grow. Andy and Wendy began to rely on the soap business and it treated them well. Wendy had a fancy purse business that was coming to an end, as they settled into their soap making life back in Ithaca.
Being part of the Ithaca Farmers Market attuned them to the life cycles of a farming community, which is where Andy came from. They bought a house, planted a garden and settled in. For the most part, life was good. Being part of a world famous, large farmers market cooperative has it’s joys and challenges.
The 90% of how you respond to the 10% of what life offers to you, creates the path. Rosemary soap can assist with mental clarity. Heal with love, choose your reactions, protect what is sacred to you and flourish.
Unscented Oat
Saying: Get enough rest
Unscented Oat is associated with the number 10.
As Ithaca Soap bars became a staple on their users grocery lists, Andy and Wendy’s priorities adjusted. The future plan was being created as they paid attention to what was being asked for. When you fall in love with a bar of soap, it’s nice to be able to rely on it being there when you’re ready for a new bar.
The recipes created by Wendy were stabilized by Andy as he embraced his role as Master Soap Maker. He took her recipes and turned them into formulas to be exactly replicated every time. He also streamlined the cutting process so every bar is exactly the same size.
Unscented Oat bar soap is an illustration of cycles, like the seasons. They are stable for a time, and will come again next year as the cycle repeats. Embrace cycles of change for the better and leave what is no longer necessary behind. Get enough rest to keep up with life’s cycles.