Welcome to our People We Love Series, where I interview bad ass women. I’m really excited to introduce our guest today, Diane Kewley! We'll be talking all about the benefits of crystal today, and their energy.

Let's Talk Crystals: An Interview with Diane Kewley

Diane: My name is Diane Kewley, and I am the owner of Happy Soul, a crystal store near Bloor and Dovercourt. It’s been open for almost 3 years, and why I wanted to open the store is because I believe crystals can help people. I want to inspire people on their journey through life. It can be their spiritual journey; or that they want less anxiety, more money, protection, better relationships. That's what people come in and ask us about.

Graydon: All four things! I would be up for that! [laughs]

Diane: We get a lot of people that are new to crystals and new to spirituality and new to their search. We give a lot of education about crystals. We spend a lot of time helping people and telling them about crystals, we even have classes and workshops. We just think they are so magnificent! It's important to appreciate crystals and their energy and how they can help us. 

G: It's no coincidence that we at Graydon started working with crystals and semi precious gemstones and minerals. I think crystals are definitely making a strong appearance in skincare, personal care, and beauty. It's such an interesting time that we're in, there is a lot of negativity that's going on in the world and there are so many things that are wrong, but I think that this [crystal healing] is becoming a little less “woo-woo”. It's kind of cool now but not just in a superficial way. I think there's a new level of respect, and a lot of that is coming from store owners like you! You're bringing your wares into the world and the new conscious way. There's a lot of energy and data behind it.

D: I’m glad you brought that up! Some people act like it's not scientific, but there's a lot of science behind it. There is a lot of research and testing; there's a lot of information off of what we've seen happen and from science. Crystals are considered different from other materials because they have a structure that is geometric. That's why they go into shapes. They also have vibrations which is why they're used in watches, computers, phones etc. It's higher than our vibration which is why once we hold crystals, or if they are near us, our aura and our body raises vibration. Then there's also the things that we've seen - I've had someone hold a crystal and burst into tears, it just releases something. People come to us and tell us stories about how it's changed their lives and careers, relationships. The crystals help them see inside themselves.

G: It’s a change factor. It’s not like you can make every life decision based of this, but in my opinion, you can really enrich your experience of life and help you be on your path.

D: You have to do the work to, whether that be journaling, introspection… for example with your job it might help you with communication, but you have to go out and get interviews. There are some readers who do Tarot cards and combine it with crystals, or some do readings through crystals. So they have a lot of information in them - and I also find them very emotionally supportive. 

G: I have to draw intention to this wonderful water bottle you brought! Can you tell us more about it?

D: This one has amethyst in it, which is the most popular crystal. It's a stone for connecting to spirit, to your intuition, it's very relaxing and good for sleep. It's a very versatile one. Oh, and it's good for meditation too! With the water bottle - water can pick up the vibration of crystals. So if you keep it in there, especially overnight, you'll feel the water taste different and feel different, and it'll just be another way of acquiring some of the energy of crystals. 

G: I think this is the most ingenious thing because you can just switch out the cartridges that hold the crystals at the bottom. So if I’m in more of a rose quartz energy, I can swap this out!

D: The advantage of this is that some crystals you can't put it right into water, either because it has some level of toxicity or it dissolves a bit, or makes the water acidic like pyrite. 

G: Oh look at this one! The way the light shines through this one is beautiful, the colour is so beautiful.

D: That’s citrine, and it is great for people starting a business. 

G: Can you put citrine in your water bottle? 

D: Yes! I put it in mine.

G: Are there any other fairly accessible and affordable crystals?

D: Shungite is a black stone and is used for cleansing and for EMF energy. Some cellphone chips are made from shungite. Any stone can go in the water bottle because it is separate from the water. 

G: I have a couple of questions. We’ve been really interested in incorporating some minerals and semi precious stones in our products. We have been using malachite in our Fullmoon Serum. I got connected with malachite mostly because it is a rich source of copper. And copper is really great for collagen production. We have been using copper, silver, zinc and magnesium in our Face Food, but I love that malachite delivers copper in a different way. I also really love the feeling and the look of it! We started looking into what it means energetically, would you be comfortable sharing a few words on that?

D: I love malachite. It was one of the first stone that I carried around. It’s very good to get the guck out! It’s detoxifying. In ancient Britain they used malachite to make their copper. The metals are amplifiers, which is why they work well with crystals, they amplify the energy. 

G: I keep a piece of copper on my desk and I rub my finger on it when I’m agitated, I find it very meditative. It almost helps me work through a situation. In a way it’s fidgeting but I find that it really helps. 

D: A lot of people choose to buy crystals based on how it feels in their hand, for sure. 

G: To put you on the spot again, we’ve talked about my dog Odin in my interviews before, and he’s my super needy, loving, protective, rescue dog. I feel so badly that he has never really relaxed. What would you find to be grounding, maybe not just for a dog?

D: Dogs love the crystal energy when they come into our shop. We’ve never had a dog that misbehaved. We do sell pet charms to hook onto their collar. Dogs need rose quartz just love humans do for self love. Lepidolite is a calming stone, we give that to people who need a relaxing energy. 

G: What a great idea! Great gift idea.

D: You can put that in his bed or give him gem water too!

G: Would you be open to commenting on tiger’s eye? I was told by healers that is one I need to keep on me.

D: It’s considered a stone that gives you courage, and good for decision making. It’s for a time when you want to be decisive.

G: I find that as an entrepreneur, it’s terrifying! There’s so much risk taking involved, and you would know this too, having your own business. I feel I need courage and guidance in making decisions. And it’s colour is beautiful too. Admittedly we at Graydon don’t have a jade roller or gua sha tool in our selection of products, but it’s something we’ve thought about. There’s been a lack of transparency in the sourcing of these crystals lately, so that’s where our current hesitation lies. 

D: Sometimes for that purpose large pieces of crystal are carved or tumbled, and sometimes they use a bit of filler, which is prevalent in jewelry. When they manufacture it, they crush it up, and then form it into a shape. You can say it doesn’t have the same energy of a crystal or objects made from a solid piece. We show a lot of people in the store how to test the energy of a crystal. Any crystal before you buy it, feel the energy and feel if it’s right for you. 

G: So one thing that I’ve been doing instead of using those tools, is use an actual stone on my face. This lepidolite is the perfect shape for use on the face! Finding something in it’s natural form sometimes I find is even better. 

D: We also have facial grid sets, where you can lie down and place the crystals on your face. 

G: I’m going to have to come visit your store in the very near future! Speaking of which, how can people find you?

D: We are 961 Bloor Street W, and we also sell online. Everyone that works there knows a lot about crystals! We ship everywhere. Find us at @happysoultoronto

G: Take note! Thank you so much for coming in. We need to have another conversation, there is just so much to learn.