Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Segal.
Jeffrey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Mystic Journey arose out of my own mystical, amazing journey. I was a lawyer. I practiced more than a quarter century. All at one firm. But I was unfulfilled, unhappy. After about 15 years, I really began to dislike the practice. But try as I might, I couldn’t figure out a way to get out of the law, and the monetary security it provided. Eventually, however, I found a way. I gave myself cancer. I despised it so much, I wanted out so much, I gave myself this disease to finally force myself to quit the law.
But it still was a process. I had surgery, and the doctor’s thought they got the cancer. I went back to the law. But on my first follow up test, they said they found an abnormality in a reading and I should undergo chemotherapy. I said “no”, and instead chose a course of alternative, natural healing. I used a pranic healer, a bodyworker, an acupuncturist, and others. After six months of this “treatment” the abnormality had disappeared! But during this time, I left the law on sabbatical and took the time to figure out what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life, for I know if I went back to the law, it would certainly result in a quick end to life.
So I dug deep, and realized that what I was most passionate about in life was my spirituality. I also dug deep as to how to express this passion, and realized there was no spiritual bookstore, or spiritual gift store on the west side of Los Angeles. At the time, in 2008, there was Bodhi Tree Bookstore in West Hollywood, but nothing in West L.A. So, I decided to open Mystic Journey Bookstore on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
Mystic Journey Bookstore opened in October, 2008, at the moment of the crash. But a spiritual book and gift store was exactly what was needed at that time, and the bookstore has strived ever since.
Over the course of time since 2008, I found that our customers have gravitated to the crystals we sell as well as our books. My interest in crystals has also increased over time. In fact, I’ve developed close personal relationship with the people involved in crystals in South America and have gone and stayed with them and visited the amethyst and clear quartz mines in Brazil and Uruguay. I had always personally selected the crystals one at a time, by hand. But more recently, I have been doing this at the actual source of the crystals in South America.
With the interest of me and our customers in crystals growing, I decided to open full “crystal gallery” with even large crystals than we had sold at the bookstore. We opened Mystic Journey Crystal Gallery at 1702 Lincoln Blvd. in Venice in July of 2017. The gallery holds crystals that are as big as 7 feet tall and 2000 pound in weight. It offers smaller crystals as well. It is a true gallery of crystals. It’s like an art gallery, but with natural art, the crystals.
Next to the gallery, we have also opened a studio that hosts yoga, meditation and other classes and workshop, and which is also available for event rental. We have hosted CD release and other parties.
In whole, we call the Crystal Gallery and the Studio together a transformational center. A true place where people can come to learn and grow, to experience and heal. Mystic Journey Transformational Center is an extension, a growth, an expansion of Mystic Journey Bookstore. It is new and next step on my mystical journey.
Has it been a smooth road?
No road is completely smooth for its full length. Opening a new business from nothing is almost always a struggle. Learning new things – I had no experience in retail when I opened the bookstore. I had no experience with yoga or mediation, or hosting events when I opened the studio. All of this required learning. There have also been moments of financial struggle. But I have always believed in what I am doing, and have always believed that whatever I needed would be provided for me and my business, and it has.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mystic Journey Crystal Gallery story. Tell us more about the business.
Mystic Journey Crystals offers the highest-quality crystals to be found anywhere in Southern California, if not all of California or even the country. Between the gallery and the bookstore, Mystic Journey has the widest variety of crystals and stone you will ever see. The gallery offers the largest geodes you will see anywhere outside a museum – if there! What people always say when they walk in the gallery is “Oh my God, I’ve never seen crystals as big, and as beautiful as this.” This is what sets us apart.
As for what makes me most proud, it is that by the items we offer at Mystic Journey Bookstore, and the amazing crystals and wonderful classes and workshops we offer at Mystic Journey Crystal Gallery and Studio, we are being of service to our community by providing tools and classes that can be used to learn, grow and heal.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Crystals are becoming more and more popular. Their beauty and their energy are attracting more and more people and interest each year.
I believe our crystal sales will continue to grow as they have in the past. For sure! And I believe more and more people will become interested in, and learn about the energetic, metaphysical and healing properties of crystals, and that more and more classes and books will be held and written about this subject.
Contact Info:
- Address: Mystic Journey Crystal Gallery 1704 Lincoln Blvd.
- Website: MysticJourneyLA.com
- Phone: 310-314-2222
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticjourneycrystals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MysticJourneyCrystals/
- Twitter: @msyticjourneyla
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mystic-journey-crystals-los-angeles
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