Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Bencivenga.
Hi Maggie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in 1984 (Aquarian/ Indigo era). My family expatriated to France with IBM when I was 4-months-old and returned to NY state when I was ~5. I was raised in a highly educated, bi/non-religious, tri-generational household – as you can imagine, I had questions – and culture shock – by the time I moved to Georgetown, Texas at age 9.
In 2014, at age 30, I chose to see the history of misaligned relationships, jobs, and a particularly scary car accident as my motive to leave the Austin area. Having had exposure to other cultures already, I was inclined to go back to Europe, rather than moving cities or states. I expatriated to Turkiye Cumhuriyeti (Republic of Turkey) to teach ESL.
In 2016, the 108-bead mala I’d used for years for meditation, broke. Being on the silk road in Istanbul, there were tons of markets with crystal beads to buy or make tesbihs (33/99-count tools used in Islam). Committed to my meditation practice, I decided to make my own 108-count mala out of 8mm garnet and an almond seed. I studied various prayer tools, and the elements of what made a “mala” in the process, and on my birthday (1/28/2016) the 1st C E R A M O N I mala was born. It was the most grounding meditation I’d ever done. I was often stopped by strangers who asked about it, and friends back home wanted to know if I could make them their own, or bring crystal-kits with me to teach them how to make one for themselves. I had no idea this practice would take over my interests the way it has. I’m very fortunate so many have trusted me to be part of their journey. As a result, I understood Istanbul was my true home, where I was finally free to be exactly myself.
In 2017, diplomacy between the USA and Turkey dissolved when Trump put Turks on the no-fly list. In retaliation, the President of Turkey, Erdogan, canceled many work permits like mine during summer break. I was lucky, many Americans were arrested and black listed from the country for working at schools led by his political rival, Fethullah Gulen. I have a good friend who still can’t enter Turkey as a result of the misinterpretation of why she worked where she worked, placed by the same agency I was.
I returned to Istanbul Feb 2018 to file for residency. I’ll skip to Sept 2018, when ultimately I was denied and had 10 days to clear out of Turkey, my home of nearly 4 years. I returned to Texas to hunt loopholes and try again. I got hired by a prestigious school, capable of managing my work permit, and was reinstated. However, in Winter 2018, Turkey’s currency tanked and the school who hired me, canceled our contract and thus my return to Turkey became void. Still on a life-mission, I began strategizing a permanent place for me to exist Peacefully in the United States, by treating the jewelry business as the umbrella.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My parents raised me with pseudo-understandings of the faiths with which they were raised.My mother, though she taught us to deny it, is Jewish. My father distances his Catholic upbringing, out of fear of being wrong – when he dies. Neither of my parents, or siblings, shared their struggle regarding self-acceptance or feeling connected to source quite the way I did, and that made it really difficult to connect with them and myself when I was young.
I still struggle with all sorts of aspects of having a body, particularly a female body, and especially one with my brain type (ADD-i/H). But back then, I REALLY struggled with self-acceptance, maintaining “normal” routines, and Source consciousness. I truly didn’t understand why we gathered to celebrate (EAT) on Jewish and Christian holidays, but otherwise denied any bond with Source. I experienced bouts of depression and debilitating anxiety about the way we were disconnected from true celebration. That coupled with my inner knowing there was a better way, clouded most of the experiences I shared in family – especially around the holidays. Many of my family members coped with disordered drinking, eating, emotions, digital overdosing, and I myself used marijuana as a tool to be more complacent and just eat the ritual foods.
I became wildly involved with my own spiritual journey and began isolating, determined to clear our family trauma, reconnect us to Source consciousness and ultimately save the mortal souls of all my living and crossed over family members – y’know, like every run-of-the-mill ~10-year-old Indigo Child.
Formally Baptized to begin my walk with “God” at age 15. My parents warned against organized religions, but always supported my choices and they attended the baptism. My Mother has given me Christian-themed “re-birthday” on Easter, but I’m not sure she ever understood that even back then, my faith was more secular in nature. I knew I wasn’t “walking with Jesus,” so much as I understood his message .. because it was the same I’d tried to offer my family before I knew his. I wanted “in” on the broader conversation about humanity and our unique dharma on Earth. Along the way, I did develop a Savior complex that I still practice awareness of through ACA (https://adultchildren.org/) and admittedly joined a few cults here and there believing I’d found “spiritual family”.
In May 2021, I completed my Quest (Lakota coming of age ceremony) wherein I spent 4 nights exposed to the elements in the pouring rain, without food or water. I was visited by animal spirits in reality, dream, and waking visions. I was shown very clearly how to navigate back to my path, given how lost I’d gotten in the world. In June 2021, I made the decision to untangle myself from the same community that facilitated this clarity, and went all in on Self vs Service. I bought my first home in October 2021, and though I am still struggling with the decision, I am creating better boundaries for why/how/where and with whom I spend “holidays”.
It’s not been an easy path to follow but knowing it’s one I walk alone, although in the company of others, brings me great comfort. So much so, that the Savior complex has left me. I can see now that really helping someone is to get out of their way and let them help themselves. The environment created by my family was a blessing because of how much spiritual evolution was made available to find my way. Easy, no. Worth it, yes. I hope my path realigns with members of my family, but I’m no longer in the suffering state I’d spent so much of my life engulfed in.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create bespoke intentional crystal jewelry using crystals, woods, noble metals, and various colored nylon and silk threads. Anything from a single-thread chakra specific silk bracelet to meditation and prayer tools for all/no faiths, as well as customized amulets for those who’d like to fully design their own meditation metric, free of influence from a pre-existing design (i.e. Rosaries for Catholics, Ribbon Art for Jews, Tesbihs for Muslims, Malas for Buddhists, Hindus, Siks, etc.)
I developed a system to keep myself accountable for the sacred space clients are trusting me with, that resembles much of how I spent my time alone in childhood sorting out my relationship with Source & Self. CERAMONI steps are considered:
C hakras: Crystals and thread color are selected to support balancing the chakras.
E modiment: The act of stringing a tool is healing, kinetic, and meditative experience.
R unes: Spiritual Warriors consult the “inner Oracle” before diving into creative problem solving.
A strology: Zodiac charts are considered. Though this is not my medium per say, I find it a valuable map for bespoke healing.
M oon: Tools are (mostly) made on Full/New Moons, Holidays, and Portal Days. We select the date/time as intentionally as we do the crystals themselves.
O m: A Sanskrit Mantra is offered with each tool because Vibrational meditation is the intentional use.
N umerology: The pattern within the tool also plays a part in customizing the healing offered.
I ntuition: I listen to the client and their crystal allies at the same volume. I’ve learned I can trust the crystals and my interpretation of their messages.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I was given self-help books growing up, both from my parents and the various psychiatrists I visited with ages 11-18. I was relentlessly guided back to “Self”. I learned very early that everyone’s map to inner-understanding and peace is entirely their own. We walk alongside each other on similar paths, but borrowing someone else’s map will inevitably get us very lost. I do listen to wisdom by those I trust are rightly following their own maps ultimately directing them nearby where I am going.
Books that have shown up and stayed on my path:
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Big Magic by Liz Gilbert
Women Who Run w/ the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Ph.D.
The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
Be Love Now by Ram Dass (+Raghu Markus’ podcast on Spotify from Ram Dass’ lectures)
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (version by) Sogyal Rinpoche
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum
Favorite Quotes by personally valued Authors:
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings
“Buy the ticket, take the ride.” – Hunter S. Thompson
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
“I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.” – Shakespear
“Everybody is a genius. But – if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein
“That, you see, is the most difficult thing to do, to accept oneself completely.” – Alan Watts (vast work on life/death positivity)
“Compassionate people ask for what they need. They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it. They are compassionate because their boundaries keep them out of resentment.” – Brene Brown
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” – Karl Marx
Personally created Affirmations:
“There might be a right way, but there is no wrong way.” – me 2013, learning Lakota traditions.
“My/ your thumbprint is my/ your best map.” – me 2018, awareness of ptsd/ culture shock.
“A weak mind creates chaos. A balanced mind creates peace. A strong mind creates change.” – me 2020, action plan not to self-destruct during world crisis.
Technology that helps guide me, when I forget how to come back to Self:
Prayer/meditation tools
Sound bowls
Insight Timer
Calm App
Low-Fi music >2hrs on YouTube
Traveling to new cities, and/ or talking to strangers about their lives.
Modern Musicians:
Ani DiFranco
Death Cab for Cutie
Maggie Rogers
Modern Gurus I sometimes follow:
Sadhguru
Mooji
Pricing:
- Malas $33-$266
- Rosaries $25-175
- Wire Wrapped Crystals $18-$27
- Bracelets $3-$33
- Drop-stone Necklaces $21-$44
- Stone Ally Consultations $33/hr
Contact Info:
- Email: moonandstone108@gmail.
com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/moonandstone108/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/moonandstone108
Image Credits
The photo of Joshua Barber (hooded at Burning Man): Photo by Christopher Schenk
