This May, Spiral Circle celebrates 50 years as a beacon of wisdom, community, and transformation. We were founded in 1975 by Beverly Ford—a pioneering woman who carved out space for seekers and visionaries. Our bookstore has weathered decades of change, standing strong as a sacred gathering place.
To put our founding year in perspective: in 1974 was the year women finally gained the right to open a checking account in their own name. Saturday Night Live premiered as the bookstore was about to open, and were in a very different technological & social era. Against this backdrop, Beverly planted the seeds of what would become a thriving spiritual sanctuary.
Spiral rooted into the Orlando community and shortly thereafter personal computers were introduced to the world. In the five decades since, the internet and email and social media were invented and we went wireless and now have handheld devices that do everything from our pockets like magic wands. Spiral Circle survived the popularization of online shopping and Amazon disrupting the bookseller industry.
Spiral was a safe haven during the AIDS crisis, through the Gulf War, on 9/11 and throughout the COVID pandemic. Incredible strides towards equality have been made since 1975: Americans elected our first black president and first woman of color vice president, gay marriage becoming a right and the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana have all happened in recent years.
Half a century later, Spiral Circle continues to be a home for the curious and the conscious. As the current steward of this legacy, I am honored to carry the torch of Spiral's beaconing light into a new era that is filled with possibilities as well as concerns for how far the pendulum might swing.
As we mark this milestone, we invite you to join us in a series of celebrations, and invite you to take part in a contributing to a time capsule to be retrieved in 2075, our 100th anniversary. We plan on being around for another fifty years of good times and contrasting times serving our community in the quiet but powerful and impactful ways we always have.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to 50 years of Spiral Circle—and the magic yet to come!
