1973
The Early Years
I have been part of the metaphysical world in South Australia since 1973 when I was drawn to a course about unveiling your spiritual gifts. I was a country girl, living in Port Pirie and when I joined the groupof people in the course, I felt like I had come home. ‘Are you a Feeler, a Visionary, an Intuitive or a Prophetic?’ the facilitator asked. I found that I was a Prophetic person, and this information was like gold to me. That inner knowing that I have always had, yet not known why, suddenly made sense.
1970 - 1980s
Spiritual Journey
The journey had begun. I participated in various groups in the 70’s, mainly relating to mental health and personal growth. In 1985, my spiritual growth took off like a rocket. I went to a preview by the divine Diane McCann for a Rebirthing Training and away I went. Over the next few years, I practiced Rebirthing, ran Meditation and other metaphysical groups, and participated and assisted in many workshops.
The spiritual world became my world and some of the trainings I completed were Alpha with Andrew Matthews, Learning to Learn with Stephanie Burns, NLP with Marvin Oka, Money and You, Creating Wealth, and Powerful Presentations with Robert Kiyosaki, Dressing to Win with Robert Ponte, Mystery School with Loy Young, Goddess Within with Diane McCann and many others.
1992
Crystal Wave
In 1992 I totally
changed direction and went back to my roots of working in a shop, becoming a
custodian of Crystal Wave. When I was young, I worked in my parents’ deli at Stansbury and I loved the shop, the customer contact, the beach, and riding round the town on my treadly. I was behind the counter serving customers when I was 10. Everyone knew me!
I spent 17.5 years at Crystal Wave, through its many incarnations. In the early days we added a Coffee Lounge, Consulting Rooms and a Centre but eventually wound back to just having the shop. I made so many friends in those years and have some wonderful memories of those heady days.
2010
Retirement Not To Be
2010 I sold Crystal Wave to Barb and Pete and they became its custodians. They were the best possible choice as they are still there today, weaving their magic.
After a year of retirement, I wasn’t in a good head space and Paul, my son in law, while I was holidaying with him and my daughter Mel in Dubai, said something that changed my life.
His words to me were ‘You better find yourself a little shop Rem, you look like you are dying inside.’ I felt like it too. To go full tilt at life and hit the brakes was not the wisest decision I have ever made in my life!
2011
Starting Carpe Diem
Once I was back in Adelaide I started looking for a suitable store and after much searching, I saw the Port Adelaide ex pet store empty. I walked into it and my inner voice said,
‘You could do something with this.’
What I didn’t realize was that it would take years before this store became the place it is today. I initially created a Spiritual Homewares store, but it didn’t work well. People would come in and say, ‘Where’s the incense?’ ‘You’re the crystal queen. Where’s the crystals?’
Gradually the things I knew so well started re-entering the store, crystals, books, tarot cards, oils etc.
2015
Mel Returns to Carpe Diem
After quite a few very tough years, Mel and Paul with their kiddies Emma and Ethan came back to Australia, from their years in Dubai. Mel joined me at Carpe Diem. She had her own Three Mad Fish online business in Dubai and intended to continue running it from my store.
The universe however, had different plans! When Mel arrived in January 2015, the store started to get a flow of customers through the door. Prior to that I was more used to sitting on the lounges with friends, sipping cups of coffee and chatting. We had the community part right but there were no customers to cover the overheads.
Mel, who was more than happy to be out the back in the office running her online business had to come and make her presence known at the counter as the days got busier in the store.Mel was shy and never wanted to be out the front on the counter. I love the way the universe works! Customers enjoyed her quiet, unassuming nature and gradually she became the front of house manager, and I became the organizer of the office, doing all the ordering, pricing and bookwork.
2015 - 2022
Carpe Diem Today
Gradually we became a destination store, and at 1 Emma joined us on the weekends. That girl is a natural. She loves the faerie and crystal realms and has some wonderful intuitive insights with the people she connects to at the counter. Em went to Canada in 2021 to work in the ski fields and later this year she will be off again. Carpe Diem will be blessed to have her when she is home and in return will bless her as she explores the world.
In the early days of Carpe Diem, we used upstairs for readings, meditation groups and healings but over the last 2 -3 years, with the big ‘C’ rearing its head, we gradually closed it down and the space was rarely used.
2021
Renovations & Garden
In the last year we have revamped the store and upstairs and it even has a name, ‘The Haven’. We have a select group of fabulous practitioners operating from the space and the energy created permeates the whole store. It truly has become a sacred space and even I am back doing meditation groups. Life is a funny thing, we can move away from something, perhaps for years and then come back to it and realize how much we’ve missed it and how much it contributed to our life.
One day I would love to see Mel and Emma offer their gifts to clients. We are all unique and it is one of the joys of my life, seeing people unveiling their spiritual selves to shine. It is in the shining that the contribution to our community, our planet is made. I am so blessed to be part of the spiritual world of Carpe Diem and its extended family.
2022
Our Upstairs Haven
In 2022, we developed our upstairs space dubbing it our 'Upstairs Haven'. We have a small group of practitioners working from Carpe Diem and we are so happy to have upstairs open again. We have done very little there since Covid began and in that time have revamped the space. We hope you love it as much as we do.
It now has a nature vibe with plants and Karin Roberts bird artwork adorning the walls. It fills me with joy to be able to offer consults and workshops again and look forward to sharing with you....gratitude from Remi