Vandals smashed signs and harassed owners at Denver new-age shop, so it has been rededicated to the ‘Goddess of 10,000 Names’

Colorado bookstore Isis Books & Gifts has been forced to change its sign following a series of attacks from vandals because it shared its name with the terrorist network.

The bookshop, which is named after the Egyptian goddess Isis, first reported the vandalism in November, posting on its Facebook page an image of its shattered signage - just one, it said, “of the many incidents of harassment” it has experienced.

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“The name Isis is that of the Egyptian goddess of women, marriage, magick, healing and more. However, with our media and politicians constantly using the word to name those in the Middle East who are the source of such horror, some people seem to get confused,” said the bookshop, requesting its customers to refer to the terrorists as Daesh, rather than Isis.

Owner Karen Charboneau-Harrison told Fox31 Denver at the time: “I don’t know if somebody walking down the street just saw our name on the sign and kind of lost it for a moment and threw a rock through it, or if it was an ignorant person who actually thought this was a bookstore for terrorists, I don’t know.”



The bookshop said on Facebook that it had been contacted by many customers pledging their support, including a number of women with the name Isis, as well as “a small but vociferous number of messages telling us to just stop being stupid and change our name”.

The spiritual bookshop, founded 35 years ago, describes itself as the “premier metaphysical source” online, and “seeks to provide all the tools for your soul’s journey”. It has now announced that it has changed its sign, removing the name Isis and replacing it with “a gorgeous [sign] with a huge image of Isis and her most honorific title: Goddess of 10,000 Names”.

“All of you are so sweet to show concern and send your energy,” said the store on Facebook. “You know who Goddess of 10,000 Names is, but we are deflecting the attention of folks who flunked their sixth-grade basic mythology class (and have anger issues) away from us and our signage.”

The shop has kept Isis as its official name, only changing its sign to remove the word. “People are a little bit on edge and there’s no need to play into that and incite any sort of ridiculousness,” Charboneau-Harrison told Fox31 Denver. “We feel very strongly about the name Isis, but we feel just as strongly that we don’t want to be waving a red flag that would entice ignorant people to act out of their ignorance.”

On its website, the bookshop explains that it chose its name Isis “because Isis is the name of the great Egyptian goddess who has been venerated for thousands of years. She is the goddess of healing, magic, family, nature and of rebirth. Our mission is to honour world wisdom traditions and help people find the spiritual tools that they need to enrich their lives.”