Deep slumber, overflowing riches, unyielding creativity: this is just a short list of the many elusive ideas that would be nice to have in abundance. In the quest to unlock our highest potential, we tapped Zoe Taylor, owner of Paper Crane Apothecary. Her Etsy shop has caught the eye of Goop, celebrities, and shamans, as she crafts crystal medleys intended to coax out our deepest desires. Through energy healing and protecting auras, the idea is to spritz, set your intention and move your mental focus to what you want. With a range of products like "Clean Slate," "Shape Shifter" and "Lucky Stars", we sat with Zoe to learn a bit more about misting your space and anointing the day with a little *crystal magic.
How did you start creating gem elixirs?
I have felt a strong connection to crystals ever since I was a small child, and have been collecting them for as far back as I can remember. Over the years I grew to understand the incredible healing abilities that my beautiful treasures possessed. I discovered the power of Gem Elixirs and Gem Infused Aromatherapy roughly a year after having my son, who is now 5. I was already an avid believer in crystals and aromatherapy, and was diffusing essential oils in his room to try to help him sleep, but it just wasn’t working as well as a sleep deprived mother at the end of her rope would hope. I did have some pieces of Amethyst in his room, but for obvious reasons wasn’t about to put them into the crib with him, which is basically where they would need to be in order to have any real effect on my little Night Owl. I was desperate to find a solution to my sleep deprivation dilemma. I had read a little bit about the benefits of Gem Elixirs in the past, but had never made or used them myself. I did a ton of research into which crystals are supposed to help with sleep issues, and was pleased to discover that I already possessed most of them. During the next Full Moon, I gathered my stones and placed them into water and let them soak up the energy of the Full Moon and Sun for 3 days. I wanted to combine the healing benefits of both the crystals and aromatherapy, so after my brew was ready I poured it into a spray bottle with some Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils of lavender and chamomile, and anxiously waited until bedtime. I was amazed when my son fell asleep within just a few minutes after spraying my concoction, a far cry from the hour plus it would usually take. I was even more amazed when he slept through the night— something that had NEVER happened before. When I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed for the first time since becoming a mom, I knew that I was onto something. I made a carefully hand drawn label for what would be the fledgling prototype of my first product of many, Dreamcatcher Deep Sleep Mist. Maybe it was all of the sleep I was finally getting, but I felt positively inspired by my creation, and vowed to come up with more formulas. I began making special request Gem Infused Aromatherapy Mists and ingestible Gem Elixirs for friends and family to help them address personal issues such as: anxiety, motivation, low libido, romance, and even financial problems. I got such a positive response from everyone, saying that my Mists and Elixirs were helping them on a deeply profound level, so I knew I needed to share my potions with the world! I spent the next year researching, experimenting and testing many formulas on willing participants, until I finally felt confident enough to open my Etsy shop in late 2014. Since then, I have developed over 30 different products, have gained close to 200 Five-Star reviews on my Etsy page, and have been mentioned/featured in Vogue, Goop, Shape, Romper and French Vanity Fair. Most importantly, I have had the humbling and deeply fulfilling honor of helping people from all over the world heal with my Crystal Potions. We are currently living in very troubling, dark and heartbreaking times. It’s easy to feel hopeless, but I believe that if a person has an inner light, it is their duty to let it shine as brightly as possible, in hopes of canceling out at least some of the darkness that is plaguing the world today. Paper Crane Apothecary is my light.
What are 2-3 gem elixirs that you'd consider staples that everyone should have?
The Gem Elixirs that I personally find myself reaching for the most are the Don’t Panic Anti-Anxiety Elixir, Knockin Boots Passion Elixir and Patience Potion Presence Elixir, which is an absolute must have for moms and teachers, BTW. I also swear by the P.ossible M.urder S.uspect PMS Relief Elixir, but I only use that one on an as needed basis.
The Mists that I use on a daily basis (aside from the Dreamcatcher Mist) are the Now Or Never Motivation Mist, Lucky Stars Abundance Mist and Clean Slate Smoke Free Smudge Mist. One of my most re-purchased items is the Don’t Panic Anti-Anxiety Mist, which many of my clients swear by for soothing frazzled nerves and calming the spirit.
Can you describe the process of choosing which crystals pair inside each mist?
When I come up with an idea for a new Gem-Infused Aromatherapy Mist or Gem Elixir, I start by examining all of the different factors that I feel can contribute to disharmony surrounding the issue that the Mist or Elixir is intended to address. For example, when I created the Shape Shifter Positive Body Image Elixir, I knew that I wanted to use crystals that would not only help to speed up the metabolism and motivate the user to exercise, but I also wanted to include crystals that encourage self-love and self-care, as well as stones that will help to break the deep emotional ties that many people have surrounding food and eating. Once I have an idea of exactly what it is I want the Elixir to do, I then begin to research which types of crystals will help with all of the different aspects that I am hoping to address. I have quite a few crystal books on my shelf that I usually turn to first, though I will admit, Google is an incredible research tool. Once I have compiled a list of stones that I feel will benefit the blend, I tap into my intuition and use my pendulum to help me whittle down and add to the list. When I am formulating my blends, I will sometimes hear the name of a seemingly unrelated crystal pop into my head, and when I go to look up that crystal’s properties, it completely resonates with the Mist or Gem Elixir that I am creating.
Is there a special ritual we should do as we use your products?
Life these days seems to move a mile a minute, often with stress and adrenaline being the thing carrying us from one pressing issue to the next, with little or no precious “me time” left over. Using my products is a wonderful opportunity to steal a moment of self-care in order to center ourselves and focus on what it is we are hoping to achieve. Personally, I like to say a little mantra that aligns with whichever blend I happen to be using at the time. This helps to solidify the message to the Universe that I’m ready for positive shifts to occur in my life. For example, whenever I spray my Lucky Stars Abundance Mist, I loudly proclaim, “I am a magnet for abundance and I have everything I need! Money, luck, abundance, opportunity, success!” It felt a little silly when I first did this, but I quickly became a true believer in the power of positive intention (and crystals!) when my luck and financial situation drastically turned around shortly after beginning my Misting and Mantra ritual.
The Mists should be sprayed all around the body and over the head to ensure that the entire aura is covered. You can throw in a little twirl if you’re feeling fancy. The Mists can also be sprayed around an environment in order to shift the energy of the room.
The Gem Elixirs can be taken directly under the tongue, added to a beverage or recipe, put into a warm bath, or used to anoint the chakras. I like to put the Elixirs into the water bottles that my family uses so they can receive the benefits of the crystals as they sip throughout the day.
Do you have any sacred nighttime rituals in your practice?
I have two kids, which makes nighttime at my house somewhat hectic, to say the least. As soon as school lets out, it’s a marathon of homework, football practice, dinner, bath and (finally!) bed. Once things are winding down for the evening, I like to run my younger son a warm bath with sea salt, lavender essential oil and a dropper full of my Dreamcatcher Deep Sleep Elixir. After the bath, we get him into his PJs and spray him and his bed with the Dreamcatcher Deep Sleep Mist before snuggling in for a book. He usually falls asleep well before the book ends. By that time, I am positively spent after the long day and usually don’t have any problem falling asleep, but I usually still spray the Dreamcatcher, just in case. I have noticed that I wake up more refreshed after using the Mist the night before, and it’s also easier to remember my dreams.
What's a good combination of elixir + aromatherapy for sleeping and lucid dreaming?
If lucid dreaming is the intended goal, I would recommend combining the Dreamcatcher Deep Sleep Mist with the Call It A Hunch Intuition Enhancing Elixir. The Mist should be sprayed all around the aura, as well as around the bed and on the pillows. In addition to ingesting the Elixir, I would also suggest anointing the Third Eye and Crown Chakras with it right before turning out the lights.
Do you use food as a tool to help strengthen your intuition, clarity, magical prowess? Can you speak a little about your diet?
I have noticed that my intuition feels a lot more sharp when I am eating healthy, plant based foods, and rather foggy and sluggish after reaching for something loaded with carbs and cheese or meat. In an effort to decalcify my pineal gland, I try to incorporate alkaline foods and things like wheatgrass juice and oil of oregano into my diet. The pineal gland, otherwise known as the Third Eye, becomes calcified from Fluoride exposure, something that can be rather hard to avoid if you drink tap water or like to brush your teeth with palatable toothpaste.
Can you explain the WHY behind the magic of using gem elixirs everyday? Why is this practice more powerful than using crystals on their own?
Gem Elixirs work on a vibrational level to gently heal the mind, body and spirit. We are all made up of energy, which basically works like a magnet, attracting different experiences and people into our lives. The frequency at which we vibrate determines the type of energy that we attract to ourselves, as well as the energy we give off to other people. Can you imagine the endless possibilities if we had the power to change our frequency? With Gem Elixirs, we actually can! Crystals possess many different healing properties. To name a few, Amethyst helps with insomnia and anxiety, Citrine brings happiness and good fortune, and Rose Quartz opens the heart while welcoming romance and promoting self-love. By placing these special stones into water and letting them bask in the Sun and Moonlight, I am able to transfer the energy of the crystals into the water, creating a Gem Elixir. All of my blends contain the vibrational qualities of at least 15 different crystals, which when combined create an energetic healing power house. Theoretically, you could get somewhat similar healing results if you carried all of these stones around with you, but speaking from experience, it’s really hard to cram that many rocks into the pocket of a pair of skinny jeans. My Elixirs and Mists are blessed with Reiki and Mantras, and are sonically tuned with a crystal singing bowl. All of these added energetic modalities greatly enhance and magnify the healing properties of the combined crystals. In addition to the vibrational essences of the various stones, each bottle also contains an assortment of beautiful intuitively selected Reiki charged crystals.
