A Little Bit About Us

#ThisIsUs

Introduction

I'm not from Alabama... I'm not even from America. I was born in Toronto, Canada and lived up north until I was in my 20s. I made a grand escape for the USA, eventually gaining my citizenship in 2018 (a 10 year long process). Like everyone else growing up in the 80s I had one of those feral, reckless childhoods. The ones you read about in Facebook reels or on snarky t-shirts "survived on hose water and spite" or whatever they say. My family lineage in this lifetime is mostly Irish, Scottish & Northern European with a decent amount of Métis Indian mixed in from my maternal side. I hold two bachelor's degrees ~ one in Homeland Security and one in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship. I love psychology, cats, my chosen family and helping others on their path. I've been reading tarot on and off since I was 16 and have run the religious gambit from Catholic, to Baptist, to Wiccan, to finally settling in as a spiritualist - because in the end my take on religion is really that it's all just jeans... but that is for another post.

Across the continent around the same time of my reckless youthful abandon, my husband and partner, Ryan was also doing the same in Southern Oregon. A wild youth who loved old cars, skateboarding, and being anywhere but in his house - he was the epitome of a 90s West Coast teen - puca shell necklace and all. He is a much more private person than I - but what I will share is that he has also gone through very transformational experiences that caused him to grow up much faster than he should have. He too was poor AF growing up, experienced many types of religious environments (including being a roadie for Christian rock bands in his teens!), and spent more than two decades in the military doing all the things... including combat deployments, competitive shooting and finally retiring as a CW4 after spending the last 17 years of active duty in aviation. Ryan has much of the same heritage as I... the Irish, the northern European along with some British. He and his family are all tribal members of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians in Southern Oregon. Ryan also holds a degree in Business along with a slew of other accreditations in other areas, including being a Holy Fire second degree Reiki practitioner.

Our Journey

Early Beginnings

We started out in Texas with Ryan needing something to keep him occupied while on terminal leave in the military. We were in Michael's craft store picking out charms to add to our handfasting bouquets when he spotted the beads. "I used to make beaded jewelry with my stepmother when I was a kid " he said. So he picked out a few strands and some beading wire and over the next few days, made me some adorable little bracelets (which I still have tucked away).

From there we decided that we would get on the beaded bracelet train and make a little etsy page. We found a company called Fire Mountain Gems in Oregon that we began buying beads from. They were much better than Michaels or Hobby Lobby because they were actual gemstones, but still not the quality we wanted... however, it would do for the time being and we began making beaded jewelry together.... while simultaneously ramping up our journey to find amazing A+ grade, natural gemstones to use. Nothing heat-treated, nothing reconstituted, nothing colour-enhanced or dyed (spoiler alert - we did eventually find that!) ♥️

Growth and Exploration

When we moved to Alabama, we decided I was no longer going to work for the police department. My dislike for the government and the ridiculous hours were just not going to fly any longer... plus, I was long overdue for some hand tattoos. We began expanding our offerings online to include crystals. We scouted a handful of family-run businesses in key countries so we could source the best quality stones without having to worry about workers being treated poorly, being scammed with fakes, or any of the other nonsense that comes along with crystal sourcing. This was it. It was what we wanted to do.

It was around this time Ryan also really got into silversmithing... he developed a little workshop area and started making simple rings and pendants. He had a real knack for this and it brought him so much more joy than just beading. He moved forward with that, and I stepped into the role of bracelet making.

We got our business license and our first in-person event in Enterprise, AL as "Rogue Turtle" was Whoville in December 2022. In January of 2023 we put a few things in a weird little shop on the highway that definitely was not a good fit for us and within a couple of months we made the decision to open our own shop.

On July 6th, 2023 we signed our lease for our little space on Main Street and officially opened Rogue Turtle on September 1st... and now here we are...!

Our Beliefs

Core Values

The Earth is sacred, and every stone, tree, stream, and star carries wisdom. We believe that nature is not separate from us — it is us, and the massive disconnect that most people have from nature are what causes a great deal of the issues affecting humanity today... especially in the realm of mental health. We rely too much on automated processes, modified foods and artificial environments. We let Big Pharma and governing bodies tell us how to live our lives and let them poison our bodies with chemicals. We have lost the healing connection to our roots.

These beliefs shape our daily life: We honor the cycles of the moon, the life-giving energy of the sun, the coming of the seasons and the energies they bring. We believe that we need to honour ourselves as well. Physical fitness, proper nutrition, deep focus on mental and energetic health and time outdoors is a staple in our every day. Holistic healing and alternative therapies are crucial to veering off this current path and going back to our roots of herbalism, shamanic healing and energy work. These are not new-age methods... these are where 'modern medicine' stemmed from. Holistic medicine is the OG way to heal ourselves.

We use as many natural materials in our spiritual practices and offerings as we can. We partner with small businesses and other collaborators that hold the same values that we do and do their best to live in harmony with the land, practicing mindfulness and sustainability to the best of their ability.

Community, Connection & Lessons Learned

Building a Community & Supporting Others

Moving to southern Alabama was a shock to my system. The religious overreach & spiritual hypocrisy was astounding as a transplant walking in. Christianity—specifically Southern Baptist or evangelical branches—permeates everything from public school activities to politics. The preached values of love, kindness and acceptance are not often practiced behaviours. Deviating from the rigid social norms leaves a person on the outside... so steeling up against the gossip, judgement and outright hostility was something that I had to actively practice. The key to that? Staying in my lane and understanding that other people's opinions of us or our business was not MY business to know... and anyone that judged us without ever stepping foot in our door or speaking to us was not 'our people'. We were not going to let anyone run us out of town. We were and are committed to being a safe and sacred place for people to come and ask questions, explore their own spirituality and help facilitate the path of healing for others from their traumas.

The biggest lesson we've learned is that everyone is on their own path. There is no one right way... no streamlined, one-size-fits-all method to one's awakening, healing, growing or teaching. Our experiences add so many layers that no two people will ever have the exact same timeline or process. Along with that - AUTHENTICITY - once you integrate all aspects of yourself (shadow work!) you truly can operate out of a place of love... not only for others, but for yourself and as a result, the Creator/Divine Spirit that is in each and every one of us. When you fully accept yourself - ALL of yourself - you stop trying to fit in. You stop caring about what other people think. You do what brings harmony and joy to your life... and that will attract the people that will only add to those feelings & frequencies. That love for self, love for life, and love for others is what we are trying to foster and will continue to hold space for. Because we all need tribe. We flourish when we gather in a higher purpose, honouring each other and honouring nature.