CRYSTALS X FLOWERS

May 31, 2018

Last week, we kicked off our time in magical New York City by spending our entire first day with this sublime babe! Ksenia is the powerhouse behind @wokeandwired + @breakfastcriminals, and also co-created @crystalcriminals with her gem artist boyfriend Eric. 

Part of the day was spent in her home office in Brooklyn while she interviewed me for her new#wokeandwired podcast. We talked about where spirituality + entrepreneurialism intersect, wild creativity + pioneering, and how the single most thing that impacts our businesses are wild + crazy creativity and following what is joyful + fun! Something really powerful happened at the very end of the recording ~ I can’t wait to share it with you!

Ksenia navigated us through a very special social media brainstorming slam. Gathered around her kitchen table, we  sipped on the most delicious cup of adaptogenic magic {@rasakoffee}, kombucha and made sure we were extra dosed up on flower elixirs. The biggest message she transmitted in this session :: be real + unapologetically you. Which was totally ironic ~ because we went to her house to bring out the essence of her ... with a #flowerlowerphotoshoot! 

We wrapped up the shoot with a CRYSTAL x FLOWER grand finale. Using dozens of flowers + hundreds of crystals, we co-created the most stunning flower + crystal mandala altar around Ksenia with her boyfriend Eric.

Before the photoshoot, we asked Ksenia what flowers + colors she was currently resonating with. Her answer: calla lily + purple! So we went to our favorite flower shop in NYC + grabbed everything we wanted to adorn her with ... wicked black calla lily’s, vibrant garlic flower pom-poms + dozens of roses in various shades of purple + pink. 

Eric used 30 different types of crystals :: pyrite, vera cruz amethyst, gold leaf quartz, tiger’s iron, double terminated Zambian citrine, angel aura quartz, celodonite quartz, moss agate moon, rhodochrosite, diopside, amazonite, super 7 quartz, star rutile hematite quartz, spessartine garnet, moonstone, labradorite, shattuckite, rose quartz, moldavite, black tourmaline, lemurian seed quartz, nickel iron meteorite, Libyan desert glass, Montana agate, faden quartz wands, pink lemurian quartz + copper leaf quartz! In total, Ksenia had over 100 total crystals on her body. The crystals' placement were directly coordinated with their healing properties for their corresponding chakras! A m a z i n g, right?!

Deeply inspired to spread the magic of their work, we asked them to share a little bit about themselves + our experience together ...

What’s your favorite flower + 3 words to describe its’ personality?

KSENIA :: I've been discovering a strong sense of connection to plants, but an intentional connection to flowers is something new in my life that started with the Angelica flower elixir by LOTUSWEI, which coincided with my succulents flowering for the first time, and a huge tree blossoming outside my window in bright purple hues. My favorite flower changes all the time. Right now I'm digging bird of paradise - fearless, determined, in action. 

What’s your favorite crystal + 3 words to describe the personality of that crystal?

ERIC :: I love all crystals! They're all so special, but I have a soft spot for tabular clear quartz which is a stone of ancient wisdom, multiple planes of existence and amplification.

How did working with the magic of flowers (mists, oils + petals) elevate the experience of building a mandala?

ERIC :: It was amazing to work with flowers because they're the exact opposite of crystals. A crystal is around for hundreds of millions of years, while a flower is around for just a few days, maybe weeks. The beauty of impermanence and the strength of eternity synergized so well. It's also interesting that both crystals and flowers are a manifestation of sacred geometry. And what I want to especially point out is the brilliance of the LotusWei team and the joy that it was to work with them. Katie, Tessa and Taylor take flower power to a whole new level with their intuitive flower art. I would absolutely love to do more of this work!

Ksenia, you were laying there for almost an hour, still as can be, while we decorated your body + aura with 100+ crystals and dozens of flowers ... what was that like? what was blooming in your heart?

KSENIA :: My feet were so cold, haha - hence the wool socks! Physical discomfort aside, there was something absolutely magical by fully surrendering. Being exactly as I am. A crystal sealed my lips, so I couldn't even talk – which was the ultimate practice of being present and trusting the process. Eric insisted that no one showed me the adornments on my body until it was over, which forced me to turn off my outer seeing and tune up my inner senses. Isn't that what crystal and flower healing (and life) is all about? 

Why are you two doing what you’re doing? What is the main message you two want people to get from your work in the world?

KSENIA :: The only reason I do everything I do is to be the embodiment of the idea that absolutely anything is possible once we allow our heart to be a guide in this experience called life.  

ERIC :: I do what I do because I love crystals – they have been the access point for my spiritual development on so many levels.  I literally wake up every day looking at our crystals with awe and humility, knowing their potential to help others discover themselves spiritually. And since Ksenia and I we connected over crystals on our first date, they seem to be playing a larger and larger role in our lives, making their way into my artwork, my spiritual practice and my relationship with Ksenia and our business together.

CONNECT WITH KSENIA + ERIC 

Love + flower petals,
Katie, Taylor + Tessa