Grimoire's sneak peek

Madame Z is working hard on her next 'Stone of the Month' post. For such a short month, February has a lot going on. Many humans already know it as Black History Month, but it is also American Heart Month, Creative Romance Month, and National Wedding Month. We also celebrate Groundhog Day, Candlemas, Imbolc, Presidents' Day, and of course, Valentine's Day. I might also add another day that is special to me: February 20th is Love Your Pet Day. Since there is so much of it, we decided to focus on the love aspect of the month. We have picked Rhodonite as our 'Stone of the Month' for February. My colleague will tell you all about this amazing stone in her post next week. All items containing Rhodonite will be marked 10% off starting February 1st.

Farewell, sort of

We said goodbye to Aaron this week, sort of. He has moved on to a new adventure and will no longer be working here weekly. While I will miss having another human to brainstorm with on a regular basis, I am grateful he has graciously agreed to continue to consult when needed.

Grimmie is probably going to miss him most of all. He really enjoyed having another guy to hang around with at work.

Madame Z's Corner: Aventurine

Madame Z provides monthly posts featuring a different healing stone each month. She gathers her info from many different sources including the books: The Way of the Green Witch; Healing Crystals and Gemstones; and Grimoire for a Green Witch; the websites: That Crystal Site; Wings of Spirit; and Healing Crystals for You; as well as relying on personal experience. Healing stones are not a substitute for medical treatment. Anyone with serious medical or emotional issues should consult with a health care professional. When purchasing a healing stone, it is best to buy the stone you are drawn to. Healing stones should be cleansed and charged periodically. We cleanse our personal stones at least once a month, and sometimes more often if we feel they need it. Cleansing can be accomplished by holding the stone in a stream of water. A natural stream is best, but since most of us do not have access to one, filtered water is a good substitute. Stones that include metals should not be placed in water because of the risk of rust. These stones can be placed in dirt or smudged with white sage. To recharge the stones, place in a sunny window or in moonlight for a few hours.

Our stone of the month for January 2014 is Aventurine.
The ancient Greeks believed aventurine helped to preserve courage and optimism, and would sew it into the clothing of men going to war. Aventurine is available in many colors, however, the most common used for healing is green. Green stones in general are believed to have an effect on the heart chakra. Considered an all-purpose healer, aventurine is associated with luck, prosperity, health, creativity, and courage. It is believed to help release stress, anxiety, and fear, bringing tranquility, peace, patience, and serenity. Aventurine is considered to be one of the best stones to use during stressful periods. It is thought to balance emotions, create optimism, and to increase vitality and love of life.  An ideal stone for those looking for a positive view of life, it is believed to help heal emotional pain and broken hearts. This wonderful stone is also thought to release toxins, to reinforce leadership capabilities, and to help with decision making. Some of the physical ailments it is believed to relieve include pain, bronchitis, fibromyalgia, and sprains. Aventurine is also thought to have a beneficial effect on skin irritations such as acne, or those associated with allergies. Our personal experience with this stone is of a gentle healer. One that promotes patience, understanding, and brings a peaceful feeling to the wearer.
Aventurine can be cleansed with filtered water and recharged in sunlight.

Grimoire's Sneak Peek

The stone of the month for January is Aventurine. 10% off on every item featuring it. Be sure to read Madame Z's post later this month for all the information on this awesome stone!

Message from the CEO

Welcome! 2013 was an exciting year and 2014 promises to be the same. Last year we opened our second shop on ETSY and plan to keep expanding. We have always given 10% of our earnings to a local homeless shelter. With the addition of a second shop, we were able to donate to a second shelter in a neighboring town as well. In early 2013, we purchased an embroidery machine and screen printer. We have been working hard researching both, with mixed results. The embroidery machine is the most promising of the two, at this point. Our plan is to offer embroidered towels, baby bibs, and onesies later this year. However, we have not given up on the screen printer! We hope to also be able to offer screen printed baby items at some point in the future.

Many thanks to all who have visited our shops over the years!
Jezebel

Work and Zen

We were not using the upstairs of our house, so after I opened the first ETSY shop, I claimed it as mine. At the time, my auto-immune disease was acting up. One of my symptoms was an inability to tolerate any sunlight at all. Being a nature lover, it was devastating to not be able to go outside during the day, so I decided to turn my work area into a faux garden. Along with the fake flowers and plants, I also have several quirky items that never fail to make me smile.

My newest 'toy' is the embroidery machine. In the near future, I hope to add embroidered items to one of my shops.

Meet the staff






I am the owner and the 'Raven' behind the shops. Raven is not my given name, I've just always felt like a Raven.



This is Jezebel. Jezzie started out as my assistant, but with a work ethic like this she was destined to become management. She was promoted in early 2013 and now oversees the operations of both shops.

This is our jewelry designer, Madame Z. Before joining our staff, she spent several years working for Simply Me Jewelry by Amy, also an ETSY shop. She works exclusively on our healing stone jewelry.







This is Grimoire. As the youngest member of the staff, Grimmie is eager to learn everything. One of his favorite duties is to man our twitter account. He does a great job of keeping everyone informed about our new products and upcoming sales.

 

 

Last, but certainly not least, is Aaron. Aaron has been working part time through the holidays helping us develop and test new products. He is also responsible for setting up our facebook pages, website, twitter account, and this blog. Without him, all of those would still be on our to-do list.

A tale of two Raven's

Welcome to Raven's Mystic Moon, the blog. Raven's Mystic Moon and Raven Heart Designs are two shops on ETSY. Our aim is to provide an informative look at our products and how they are created.

Raven Heart Designs was opened in late 2009 with only 10 items listed. Knitting was a hobby of  mine from a young age, so the first things for sale were hand-knit scarves and baby blankets. Soon after, the inventory expanded to include hand-knit throws and dish cloths. In 2011, I rediscovered my love of macrame, and more items were added. Along with a few hemp earrings, there is now also a selection of macrame baskets made from hemp. 2012 brought a few Christmas and Yule items. The plan for 2014 is to expand the selection of holiday decorations.

Raven's Mystic Moon was opened in the spring of 2013. In treating my own health issues, I discovered the wonder of healing stones. Healing stones are beautiful as well as helpful, and make lovely jewelry. The hope for this coming year is to expand beyond the earrings and meditation sets listed.

Introduction

First off, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank my friend Amy for telling me about ETSY. She sells beautiful beaded jewelry in her shop, specializing in bracelets. If anyone is looking for jewelry which is not made with healing stones, please visit her shop: simplymejewelrybyamy.etsy.com.
Creating is great therapy, and exactly what I needed at that point in my life. Thank you Amy, I am forever grateful!

Each month, we will use this blog to provide updates on our products and other shop news. Madame Z will provide informative posts on the various healing stones, with a new stone in the spotlight each month. To further spotlight the stone of the month, any products featuring it will be 10% off.