Before the Spellbound Sky metaphysical shop owners get into their car for a 40-minute drive to work, they imagine a white light of spiritual protection around them.
Spellbound Sky opened in 2011 and quickly became one of the most well-known crystal shops in Los Angeles, magnetically drawing the mystically inclined to the heart of Silver Lake.
The store’s owners, Mark Phillips and Martin Anguiano, are partners in business and in life. They sold their home in the nearby hills to realize their dream of bringing crystal healing to the neighborhood, while also transitioning from their work in fashion. You can see their background in design come through in the store’s layout — A holographic unicorn greets visitors at the door before they’re drawn in by the crystals; grouped by color from table to table, guiding customers across the store as though they’re sliding down a rainbow.
Phillips and Anguiano recently moved close to City Terrace, northeast of downtown L.A., turning a five-minute walk to work into a 20-40 minute drive. Here’s how these long-time Angelenos manage the distance with music, meditation and a little magic.
How has your commute changed since transitioning from fashion to crystals?
Even when we were fashion designers, we always included crystals and spiritual practices into our commute. Of course, over the eight years since we have owned our shop, we have kicked up our commute rituals to another level. We moved to the northeast region of Los Angeles a few years ago, so now our commute to Spellbound Sky is 20 minutes on a good day and double that if traffic is heavy. We definitely have to make more of an effort if we want to keep a zen vibe intact while driving in L.A. traffic.
Partners in business and in life: Mark Phillips and Martin Anguiano own and operate Spellbound Sky, a shop catering to Angeleno’s magical needs. The pair sell jewelry, metaphysical books, candles, crystals and talismans among other mystical wares. Photos by Danny Liao.
What rituals or routines do you perform to get through the commute?
Usually, before we get in the car, we visualize a white light of spiritual protection around our vehicle and ask that our guides help us to make it to our destination safely. We always have a small gathering of crystals in our car used as tools to create the energy we desire during the trip. Malachite and black tourmaline for protection, and rose quartz or lepidolite for de-stressing, are good essentials.
Is there music you like?
Music that creates a calm vibe, or that puts us in a good mood is always a great choice — a disco moment from the Studio 54 radio station on Sirius is always a favorite.
Is it different when you travel together instead of separately?
When we travel together, we use this time as an opportunity to talk business and figure out how to turn our dreams into reality. Some of our best Spellbound Sky upgrades were born from these commute conversations.
Road rage kicking in? Mark Phillips and Martin Anguiano recommend you reach for a “calming crystal.” The couple also regularly burn sage and palo santo to cleanse negative energies out of their car. Photo by Danny Liao.
Do you have a way to de-stress when traffic builds up?
Sometimes, using traffic as an opportunity to really connect with the nature and the neighborhood is the best way to cope with this unavoidable L.A. situation. Take time to notice how beautiful the sky is, appreciating all the flowers and trees and beautiful architecture along the way.
You can be in your own zen wonderland behind the wheel, and a driver texting in the car beside you can suddenly drift into your lane. So, if road rage starts to kick in, reach for a calming crystal. Rhodonite is a great stone for compassion and can help you to calm down and not scream obscenities out of your window. Of course, we also use sage and palo santo to cleanse our car from time to time. Regardless of how stressful the commute was, we always take a moment to do a quick intention-setting ritual before we exit our car.
Take a few deep breaths and let go of any stress that the trip has created, and realign with the energy you want to create for the remainder of the day. Remember, this is L.A., absolutely nobody wants to hear about how much your commute sucked on your way to work.
VISIT
Spellbound Sky
4210 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029