Stargazers Magical Journey is my story as well. I am Tess Sterling and in 1986, I went to Maui on a personal retreat that was led by Kevin Ryerson of Shirley McLaine fame (Out on a Limb).

The magic began at the Seattle airport. As a friend of mine and I awaited take-off, I got my tarot cards out at her request to do a reading for her. I had done readings only for myself and my friends up to this point. A stewardess walked by and asked me what I was doing. Upon learning that I was doing psychic readings she asked, "Would you do a reading for me after the dinner service?" And of course I said, "Sure."

To myself I thought, well, this is going to be interesting and illuminating for me. I wasn't even thinking about the stewardess and how well i would do for her. I trusted. The plane we were on was one of those huge planes that had a bank of toilets across the back and a hallway in front of them all. The stewardess had me follow her to the back and on the floor I did a reading for her. She burst into tears because the messages that came through from Spirit were exactly what she needed to hear at the time.

Word spread, and before I knew it, I had done a reading for all the stewards and stewardesses and the co-pilot. Shortly before we were to land one of the stewardesses who worked in the galley in the downstairs part of the airplane, yes, the downstairs part, asked me if I would come downstairs to her station because she couldn't leave it. They put me in the elevator and asked me to push the down button at 30,000 feet. Who in the world is going to do that? Well, I did it and came into a very noisy space where I gave her a reading. And all was well.

We landed in Hawaii. Ten minutes after we arrived at our beautiful beachfront hotel, a stranger came up to me and asked me to do a reading for her. For the rest of the afternoon I did readings, and at the end of the day a woman came to me and asked me to do a ritual with her to release a relationship that was holding her back. I didn't question that I'd never done such a thing before in my life. I didn't question that I hadn't received any education in how to do this. I trusted that I was simply being asked.

The ritual seemed to do itself and this very fragile woman turned into an empowered and happy person by the end of it. I was floored at the effect of whatever we did and whatever had happened. The retreat hadn't even started, or had it...

At the introductory gathering for the retreat, Kevin channeled AnTon Ray, an Ancient Egyptian High Priest, who would be directing the retreat for us. When AnTon Ray came through, I recognized him at my very soul level. I recognized his energy, his wisdom, everything about him. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. You can imagine I was freaked out! I sat very quietly for a while hoping that he wouldn't notice me! Ha!

I was holding a beautiful fluorite crystal in my hand and at one point AnTon Ray came over to me and stood in front of me with his hand open for me to put the crystal in his hand. As I did, he said, "This is my crystal." And I said, "Well, it may have been your crystal, but it's mine now!" He said that he wanted to hold the crystal throughout the retreat, and for two weeks he did. He kept the crystal with him. At the end of an amazing time of meditations and exercises and rituals and ceremonies, he handed the crystal back to me and said, "I left you a gift", and smiled very sweetly - as only an ascended master can smile sweetly.

I got on the airplane a little stunned to return home. Everyone at the retreat was very impacted by the retreat and there was a lot of storytelling and sharing. I didn't do much of that at all. I was very quiet though I was involved with lots of ritual and whatnot. I was at a loss as to what the purpose was behind my needing to attend the Retreat. And then I remembered the gift comment, so I was very curious as to what gift would manifest. It manifested very shortly.

My husband of the time picked me up at the airport and told me he had a surprise awaiting me at home. I asked him if I needed an umbrella. We had talked about a waterwall at home. He said no.

He had filled the house with crystals. Clear quartz crystals were everywhere, on almost every surface. The energy of the house was like a temple. And he said to me, I think you should open a crystal store. I tuned in, obviously, to AnTon Ray, because I got a resounding yes in my meditation. Three weeks later I opened Stargazers, a gift from an Ancient Egyptian High Priest.

It has been quite a ride these 23 years. I've grown up and so has Stargazers. We shift and change in reflection of our wonderful community here in the Northwest. All along we have carried beautiful stones of many descriptions and shapes and colors and frequencies. We have been honored to have many wonderful teachers and healers and readers use our space to do their sacred work, and we continue all of this. And every day is a gift, ancient and new.

Come see us!