10th Anniversary Highlight Series: Crystal, Becks, and The Woods
Here are the final four folks I would like to highlight as I celebrate 10 people who have been instrumental to my business success these last 10 years. What a blessing to have these being in my life!
Therapists aren’t supposed to become friends with their clients. Lucky for me, I’m not a therapist.
Of course the role clarity around client and practitioner is still important, and I remain in integrity as part of the job (/requisite ethical statement) but when Crystal Augustono transitioned from client to mentee, our relationship was able to blossom and I have continued to be blessed ever since.
It was thanks in part to Crystal that I continued teaching and mentoring throughout the pandemic. Distance sessions were already part of my business, but online mentorship? Distance attunements? Teaching touch-based healing over Zoom? Whaaa?
However, Crystal assured me that anything I offered, she would sign up for. She saw the value in learning with me at a time when I couldn’t. Because of her trust and encouragement, I was able to open up my mentorship in a whole new way, which is now a cornerstone of my business. Teaching online was so weird and new but with Crystal in the class she was a source of reassurance and comfort.
As a friend, Crystal is a treasure. As watery Cancerian sisters we can always trust that our tears and wobbles will be held in a judgement-free zone of absolute love for each other. She’s one of those people that I can just picture being a source of support when I’m struggling, even if we’re not in contact. When I’m physically alone or feeling emotionally alone I know I’m not actually alone because I have her as a heart-sister. And who else would send me gifs of Luther Vandross to remind me I’m “never too much”?
Crystal is also a fantastic Reiki practitioner and Tarot reader! You can find her at @templehoneyhealing on IG or templehoneyhealing@gmail.com.
Have you ever met someone who looks immediately familiar, whose facial expressions, voice and body language you recognize right away? And then you look weird because you’re staring at them, mystified, trying to figure out if you’ve met them before? And then you figure out you don’t know them, but you still look weird because you want to know everything about them because they are the most magickal, radiant being and you suddenly can’t imagine life without them in it?
You have?
Was it Becks Macary?
It was Becks, wasn’t it? I knew it!
The first time I saw Becks was in a tiny square on Zoom in an Alchemical Alignment class, and over those 5 days of class getting to know her was like finding a piece of my soul. At first I couldn’t believe this stunning human wanted to be such good friends with me (spoiler alert: I still can’t) but my good karma must have been stored up and we became fast besties.
Becks joined my mentorship program and was such a blessing to have as a student. Her delight in learning and encouragement of the other students made our little group into a family. Beyond that, she is one of the people I can trust to hold me in my mess without any judgement, only mercy. She reassures me when I feel small and always sends the funniest memes. She makes magic feel so attainable and close, because she lives and breathes possibilities. Nothing is too big or far-fetched for this Leo Rising queen.
Life is so much richer with her in it. I love you infinitely, Becks, and will never take your love for granted!
I don’t know if I can write too much about the forest and river, because we speak to each other in languages other than words. Suffice to say as a resource they are everything to me. They’ve held me when I made the river salty with tears. Their messages are clear and crisp. For a kid who was scared of the dark I’ve done many midnight sessions on the bank, forgoing a flashlight on the way and letting my eyes adjust.
My favorite spot is a flat rock under the most incredible beech tree. In my family we call her Grandmother Beech or The Bone Tree, because her bark is white as bone and looks like a skeleton dancing. Her roots splay out all over the ground. I’m not allowed to take her picture, because she says it will lessen her energy.
They are as much a mentor to me as any person. We’ve lived here 10 years (we closed on our house the same week I opened my practice, talk about a new chapter!) and I still pinch myself almost daily that we get to live here.
