Oakland's First Black-Owned
Crystal Botanica
Who is Queen Hippie Gypsy?
Queen Hippie Gypsy was founded by Lilly Ayers in 2017. Lilly Ayers is a Downtown Oakland business owner and community activist from Oakland, California. Her passion for community service stems from her own trials and experiences while growing up as an underprivileged youth in the City of Oakland. As a domestic violence awareness advocate and survivor, she has led and organized many fundraisers, galas, and walks to help increase domestic violence awareness in her East Bay community. Lilly used crystals, meditation, and metaphysical tools to heal from her own traumas. She now shares those tools with the Queen Hippie Gypsy community.
Queen Hippie Gypsy is a Sanctuary for Crystals, Spiritual Tools, Artisan Good’s and a “Hub for Black Girl Magic”!
Located in the heart of Downtown Oakland at 337 14th Street, Queen Hippie Gypsy is Oakland’s First Black Woman Owned Crystal, Metaphysical & Artisan Botanica.
Lilly started Queen Hippie Gypsy with a mission to support women of color to feel safe, heard, and supported in the metaphysical space of holistic spiritual wellness. One of the biggest challenges has been to overcome taboos and misconceptions surrounding religion and holistic wellness in the African American community. Lilly’s goal is to equip women of color with tools that will help them to reach their full potential of spiritual holistic growth.
Queen Hippie Gypsy features spiritual supplies, books, crystals, and more. Additionally, the store features local artisan handcrafted items made by local women of color owned businesses. She utilizes the top floor of her store as an event safe space for people of color to host soul centered community events, healing circles, wellness classes, and so much more.
About Me
Queen Hippie Gypsy is more than a store. It is a living reflection of my journey, my ancestry, and my calling to create healing spaces where people feel seen, restored, and spiritually nourished.
I was born and raised in Oakland, rooted in community, culture, and care for others. Long before I opened my doors, I was the one people came to for guidance, prayer, intuition, and comfort. Over time I understood that my gifts as an Oracle, Reiki practitioner, sound healer, doula, and meditation coach were not separate paths, but one calling to support transformation and wellness. ✨
The name Queen Hippie Gypsy was chosen with deep intention. “Queen” speaks to sovereignty, self-worth, and the reminder that every person carries inner royalty. “Hippie” reflects my love for peace, nature, herbal wisdom, music, and free-spirited healing traditions. “Gypsy,” for me, honors movement, resilience, and ancestral journeys across lands and cultures. It represents the soul that travels, learns, adapts, and gathers wisdom.
My DNA tells a powerful story that aligns with this name. My ancestry weaves together West African roots from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and the African diaspora; Indigenous Choctaw heritage; European lineages from Italy, Germany, the British Isles, France, Spain, and Bulgaria; as well as South Asian, Southeast Asian, and East Asian ancestry. These lineages echo historic migration, trade routes, and cultural blending across continents. 🌍
I also hold cultural ties connected to Romani migration patterns, Sea Nomad lineages in Southeast Asia, and Indigenous American ancestry. When I learned this, the name Queen Hippie Gypsy felt less like a brand and more like a remembering. A remembering that my spirit and my bloodline both carry stories of movement, survival, intuition, and healing.
Queen Hippie Gypsy was created to be a sanctuary where modern wellness meets ancestral wisdom. Here you will find crystals, teas, Oracle readings, energy healing, sound baths, and community gatherings designed to help people reconnect with themselves. This space exists for those seeking clarity, peace, and alignment.
My mission is simple and sacred. To help people heal, to honor the wisdom of our ancestors, and to remind every person who walks through my doors that their story matters and their spirit deserves care. 💜
Love, Lilliannia "Lilly" Ayers