TEXARKANA, Texas - With crystals, gemstones, incense, an apothecary, hand-crafted art and more, Texarkana's new metaphysical shop will likely intrigue and entice store patrons and the simply curious.
Tucked into the McKnight Center in Pleasant Grove, Crystal Moon offers all this and more under the guidance of store owner Sheila Lemley, who seeks to bring something to Texarkana found in other, larger cities strewn across the region.
Here you may find recently restocked Jericho flowers, rose quartz trees, tarot cards, spheres and towers, reiki supplies, metaphysical books, malachite, citrine stones, prayer flags, selenite lamps, handmade hair combs, chakra meditation kits, altar cloths, herbs, crystals and so much more - even art made with tiny bones or an entire wall that serves as the apothecary, like something straight out of "Harry Potter."
"Metaphysical to me is beyond the physical. It's something that you can't really put your hands on. It's something you can't reach, you can't see," Lemley said.
The metaphysical is something inside of us, where we feel it, she believes. And in all sorts of eclectic ways, her boutique speaks to this belief, even to include handmade arts and crafts with an earthy edge.
"We do feature a platform for vendors who don't have anything other than social media," Lemley said. "We have a lady that makes soaps, another lady that does a yoni steam. We have oddities."
"Being able to help people showcase their stuff," Lemley said about the urge to include arts and crafts. It's about community. A sign near the doorway reads: "Pay your blessings forward." She puts that mantra into practice.
And as the store proprietor puts it, "I'm blessed to be able to have this."
And amethyst's special powers? "Amethyst is said to heal depression, heal anxiety - soothing, relieving, that kind of woo-woo," Lemley said. It's not the shapes but the stone itself.
Labeled "Apothecary," an entire wall is filled with shelving that holds jars of various herbs and other natural materials: agrimonia, myrrh, sandalwood, thyme, safflower, red pepper poppy, red rosebuds and petals.
"All this stuff is anything that can be used. People will use it, like red rosebuds and petals can be used to make rose water, or it can be used in soap making, candle-making." Cleansing a space is another purpose for such items. "We also have carrier oils for anybody that wants to make their own essential oils."
Jericho flowers are pretty unusual.
"They are very neat. The Jericho flower is also known as the resurrection plant. It can stay curled up like that in that state for decades. You can put it in a bowl of water and it will open up. We've seen one and within three days it has started turning green. It is beautiful. Once the water dries up, it will close up and fold back upon itself," Lemley said.
Florida water? It was an item suggested by a customer. They're open to suggestions for products to carry. They've only been open a couple of weeks, but they've already been swamped with customers thankful to have a place like this in Texarkana.
"It's been great, and the reason why we opened is I got tired of traveling to Shreveport and Dallas and Tyler and Memphis and Little Rock. That's why were opened here," Lemley said. These shops are elsewhere. Why not here? "We've had a great response." It's been even better than she suspected it would be.
"We really want to make sure that everyone can find what they want. That's why we do take suggestions. We don't know everything. If someone wants something, we'll get it," said Lindsey Haynes, a sales associate at the store.
In the back room where special gems, bonsai trees, astrological charts, the incense varieties and more await, a sign lays down the law in an atypical manner, although not unsurprising for a metaphysical boutique: "This shop protected by video surveillance and the laws of karma."
Referring to some of what's in the store, Lemley says it doesn't trump medical practice. But if people believe, they believe. She does, pointing to the jade she was wearing for joy, luck and happiness.
"If it helps you and makes you feel better about being stressed or anxious, then that's OK, you know?" she said, noting as a child she collected rocks and gems. The metaphysical interest is just an extension of that childhood fascination. She took her kids to the river, and while they swam she'd sift through the rocks.
"I'm earthy, I love digging in the dirt, even right now at 50 years old," Lemley said, noting with this shop she's found her purpose.
(More info: CrystalMoontxk.com or 903-490-4176. Crystal Moon is located at 4150 McKnight Center.)