This August will mark the 20^th anniversary of opening the doors of The Crystal Garden. So many changes have occurred since that date. We have grown so much and still have many years of growth coming our way.

Our beginnings were humble as the store opened with just a scant amount of merchandise which included crystals, incense, a few books, and consignment crafts. Our displays consisted of antiques and unique eclectic pieces that could fit into the category of “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” They worked for allowing The Crystal Garden to get started opening the gateway to become what we are today.

When The Crystal Garden opened we had only one showroom which is where the jewelry and our front desk are today. We still have the original “front desk” in the Healing Room and the cigar box which was once our cash drawer is still holding the original vibration and working in another capacity for us. The citrine and aventurine – our original merchant stones – still sit in the new cash drawer holding the vibration of prosperity and abundance for the store and all who enter here.

As our customer base grew and our financial capabilities with it, we adding “real” displays, bookshelves and expanded into other rooms – one at a time. When we first opened the current Book Room was a place for Yoga classes and the little room with personal care items and the free tea was an office that was shared with my white dove, Mikael. Mikael is celebrating 19 years of life! Not too shabby!

As merchandise grew in the Book Room, we opened the Bird Room in around 1991 or 1992 when Sha Nay, my blue and gold macaw, joined our family. The Bird Room started as a classroom. My first Angel Lecture was there with attendance of over 40 people. The idea of angels helping you in your daily life was still new to many people back in 1991! Now we have a whole room dedicated just to those angels.

Our Angel Room wasn’t always called that. It was just considered a space for classes and events. One of our customers, who is a channel, realized the accumulation of the high vibrations of angels and master guides in that particular room. It has since been dubbed the Angel Room and eventually painted to depict that by another customer who gave of her time and artistic talent to portray the divine presence in that room.

Eventually we added the Massage Therapy to our menu of healing modalities which caused us to grow enough that we ultimately opened the Healing Room as the designated Massage Therapy establishment MM# 2751. This room is also where many classes have occurred and is the favorite space for private sessions like Past Life Regressions, Crystal Alignments, Reiki, Spiritual Healing and Angel Gemstone Oracle Sessions.

Many great teachers, authors, monks, medicine men and women have graced us with their presence. Some of those that have presented with us are Doreen Virtue, Greg Braden, the Padmashabhava Buddhist Rinpoches, Charles Chip, James Wanless, Ted Andrews, Gary Renard, Caroline Sutherland, and many more! We still have many of the same local practitioners that have been with us for all of these 20 years including Amy Volkers, Melissa Applegate and Linda Kanin. Steve Sklar, one of our massage therapists MA #6223, is the original therapist who opened the massage establishment division of the store.

All in all, it’s been great! The Crystal Garden has now expanded by establishing a Wholesale Division which sells our Medical Grade Essential Oils, Smudge in Spray and my 6 Guided Meditation CDs to fellow retail stores around the country including Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, Canada, Washington, and Oregon. I have now expanded my personal horizons as the President of a national trade organization called the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) which opens the door to bring The Crystal Garden to a national and even international level.

Let’s see what is in store for us and what The Crystal Garden will birth into reality for its next 20 years!

Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude!

Margaret Ann Lembo