Ashley Shaw has been collecting crystals for a while, specifically healing crystals. 

It’s something she said she wants others to experience too. 

“I was kind of drawn to that from just personal experiences, and I wanted to share that with everybody,” Shaw said.

Shaw is the owner of Intuitively Now, a Metaphysical supply store in Champaign. The store opened in November and sells unique crystal healing pieces, dried herbs, handmade crystal jewelry, intention candles, online classes and other spiritual tools such as pendulums and tarot cards.

Shaw said many of these items are ones she acquired through supporting other small businesses in the C-U community, where she was born and raised.

She said she has also traveled to other places across the country, including New York for about a decade.

The jobs she has been involved in during her time away have all been people-focused, working to genuinely help and educate others, she said. 

When the pandemic struck, Shaw said she found herself moving back to her hometown in Illinois.

“Then I came back home due to COVID and the pandemic situation,”she said. “It was my time to return to Illinois. At that time, I decided that it would be a great opportunity to really just build something in my own community.” 

Shaw said it’s been great working with all sorts of different people and sharing her business with them.

“I have had so many amazing interactions with people ranging from seven-year-old children, both boys and girls, all the way up to grandmothers that have grandchildren that are interested in just the beautiful healing crystals,” Shaw said. 

As Shaw has continued into the new year with her business, she has also come across a variety of different types of collectors. 

Shaw said that while many people are attracted to the visual aspects and natural beauty of the healing stones, there are also people who have been drawn to the spiritually emotional healing properties of the stones, like aiding in stress and meditation, as well as the physical ones, which help with insomnia and back pain.

“Just this month in 2022, we are offering different classes for people that want to know more,” Shaw said., “I never have the same day over. There’s always something new happening, and I really just wanted to have an open and safe environment where people could literally feel comfortable asking anything.”

She said crystals can act as an icebreaker for someone, which can help them open up about spirituality questions. 

“I want people to feel it’s OK to ask this question, that I’m not going to be judged,” Shaw said. “Being able to have those moments and for those people who feel comfortable enough with me to share something that might be a bit sensitive to them, that means the world to me.”

As we work through the cold January month, we also begin to enter February, which is Black History Month. 

Shaw said her identity as a Black woman is an important aspect of her life and business.

“I think that it’s really important that people who have heritage that is African American try to set an example throughout the community, whether that’s just bringing other resources out or being a voice for people,” she said.

Shaw cites her own experiences that have informed her business owning operations.

“It definitely hits me personally, just because of my heritage and there being moments throughout my life where, yes, people might have judged based on outward appearance unfortunately,” she said. “So, I’ve had to overcome that throughout my life all over the place.”

Shaw said that though she thinks we’re improving, we aren’t where we need to be yet.

“I feel that we are headed in the right direction, but I find that there is still some work to be done,” Shaw said.“So with that month and having it to really acknowledge both the past and kind of where we’re going is amazing.”

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