Crystals & Cauldrons – The Art of Cleansing

by Margaret ThouezSep 01, 20210 comments

When Nancy and I moved into our first retail space. We really wanted to get a clean start, remove the bad vibes, and start fresh.

We had talked about getting some sage and burning it in our shop… our goal was to execute a form of cleansing in the hopes of renewing the shops energy.

Like many we were appropriating a century old practice called Smudging, of which we had no real idea how to perform.

“Smudging is a cultural ceremony practiced by a wide variety of Indigenous peoples in Canada and other parts of the world. Although practices differ, smudging is used for medicinal and practical purposes as well as for spiritual ceremonies. The practice generally involves prayer and the burning of sacred medicines, such as sweetgrass, cedar, sage and tobacco. While colonization has repressed such traditions, the practice of smudging has survived to the present day.” Article written by Amanda Robinson (see below)

In a time, where appropriation is quite frankly no longer tolerated, Nancy and I had the pleasure to meet Maryssa, founder of Crystals & Cauldrons. She created Crystal Cauldron Energy Sprays.

Please enjoy learning from this founder.

MT: Maryssa, thank you for your time. It was such a pleasure to meet you in the shop and to understand the how & why behind Crystals & Cauldrons.

Can you share with our community, why you created an alternative to smudging?

Maryssa: For years I had practiced smudging and came to realize it was not my place to carry on this ritual. I had been making my own smudging bundles and at a certain point it just felt wrong. Working within the spiritual wellness world it was extremely important for me to create rituals and practices that came from the heart and that we’re not profiting off a marginalized community. I think it can be hard for people to navigate the world of wellness because it has become so trendy in such a short time. There is a lot of misinformation out there and I always wanted to be fully honest and open, even if it meant sharing my past mistakes and re-evaluating my business.

MT: Since you were a little girl, you practiced healing with many different herbs and crystals. Why is Sage an herb which is important for you to use in your cleansing sprays?

Maryssa: I was always drawn to gardens and interested in the magical properties of herbs and flowers. One of the first books I bought for myself was the Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and I still use it to this day. Sage has been used for centuries for its many healing benefits. It helps to clear negative energy, bring mental clarity, and elevate your mood. All the plants and herbs I use in my products, including sage, are grown, and harvested from my own backyard.

MT: You are a Reiki practitioner, herbalist, and crystal worker. I loved the comment you made about the 8-year-old you, being proud of the woman you are and continue to become today.

Do you have a story you’d like to share with our community, about staying the course and following your passion?

Maryssa: I think the most important thing is letting go of judgement and just going for it. So many moments in developing Crystals & Cauldrons were spontaneous. I would just say to myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” and luckily every opportunity I sought out worked out for me. I’m so grateful to the small businesses that have agreed to work with me and all the wonderful people I’ve met since forming Crystals & Cauldrons. It is certainly a lot of work and I wish I could dedicate more time to growing the business, but I also have a full time job in Communications so it’s not always easy to find balance. Overall, I’m very proud of the work I’ve accomplished and feel honored to be helping people, even in just a small way.

Maryssa offers workshops in Crystal Healing and Energy Cleansing. For more information we invite you to visit her Instagram or Facebook page @crystals.cauldrons