the Candle Crafting Continues

I made a post recently mostly just about decorating some natural candles I bought for my wedding.  While those are turning out lovely, my passion and admiration for the gentle glow and scent of a good candle has only burned brighter.  Many times, in passing, I have thought about making candles. That fantasizing grew to be about candles that are so interesting and handcrafted with love and natural ingredients, that others may actually like to purchase them.  I have a friend who enjoys the thrills and drama of a home business, making and selling products online.  While not enough for a year-long career, she seems to really enjoy taking time from her office job in the holiday months to work from her apartment.  However, I also know people who have attempted to do some online business and it hasn't quite worked out.  So candles has never been a serious career move idea for me, but the idea still lingers as a whimsical hobby.

One day recently, I finally decided to at least get enough supplies for a candle or two and see if I could even make a candle worth selling.  Or at the least pretty enough for me to keep around the house and maybe save some money from buying candles.
Armed with some wood wicks, a hot glue gun, a box of soy wax, fragrance oils, and a melting pot...I went to work in the kitchen.  Interestingly enough and by coincidence, it was a great time to be making these candles for magickal purposes as well.  It was around the full moon, and on a Saturday, which according to my weekday correspondences courtesy of Ellen Dugan's Book of Witchery, is represented by pomegranate.  Lovely!

With pomegranate for fertility and/or prosperity, and vanilla for sensuality (great for relationships), the full moon should amp up these candles for love and prosperity.  I melted down leftover wax from a glade apple-cinnamon candle I had pretty much used up, and poured that into another nearly used candle with a wintery smell.  Tada - already rejuvenated old candles and made them usable again! :) I was also left with a nice new frosted candle jar!  The other jar I used was an old artichoke hearts container that I washed out (many times - artichoke marinade smell lingers apparently). Eco point 1 for me, reused glass jars.

 The process was actually pretty simple.  I scooped about a half cup of soy flakes (eco point 2!) into the pot.  I set it up double boiler style, as instructed by a plethora of YouTube videos.  It melted quickly and I added in the pomegranate oil and some rust-colored candle dye.  I decided to do layered candles; hey, go big or go home, right?  So I poured the first layer in after having glued down my wood wicks (eco point 3 - all natural wicks!). I had to let that cool before dealing with the next layer.

Second verse, same as the first.  I melted down more wax, this time left it natural colored, and added vanilla.  A few repeat rounds of wax pouring later... I actually had pretty and delicious smelling candles!  Not to mention, my kitchen smelled WONDEROUS.

I finished the jars off with some ribbon I had around the house.  Not too shabby...this candle thing may work out just yet!  I gave one to my friend (the one who works from home) and filled her in on all the magickal goodness that awaits her within her one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, eco-friendly, witch's candle. She was pretty excited, agreeing that love and prosperity were certainly things she could use :) She was also shocked at how clean and pretty they looked (which I most strongly concerted with her surprise) and  planted the seed - "I think you really could sell these, especially if your going through the trouble of establishing correspondences and moon phrases into this..."  
I kept one candle for myself, and happy to say, it's still going!  I have had it lit for maybe 1-3 hours in a night, and over the course of several nights it is nowhere near half used.  I imagine it has a good 10 hours burn life in it.  I haven't made anymore yet... but will definitely try to work on that soon! 

New Year New Beginnings

Well here comes the mandatory new year blog post!  I'll try not to get into notions about positive thinking and starting fresh. That's a given and naturally each new year gives us a special time to refocus ourselves and reinstate old goals as well as develop any new ones.

Of course, I am very excited for graduation and marriage, all to come in the first half of this year.  So most of my time and energy will have to be aimed at keeping focused and not letting distractions get in the way.

Resolution #1: Maximize time efficiency to get all school work and wedding projects done and done well.

Spiritually I am finishing up my year and a day Wicca course at the Unitarian church.  Granted I think I've decided I'm more in the way of traditional witchcraft rather than Wicca, but that's the sort of thing I may not have figured out without attending this class.  Not to mention all the other great things I've learned. This class is truly designed to help us find our own way and lend tools that anyone can utilize and alter to fit our personal style. As it should be.

Resolution #2: Continue to learn, study, and grow spiritually in whatever way life leads me. In particular - use my new "Spell-a-Day" Almanac by Llewellyn to help me use magick on a regular basis and start internalizing some of the great information I have been learning.

Of course, there is also the need to hop on that job train that I will have to carve out more time for.  I have a fast approaching deadline to start rounding up some interviews toward finding something to do with my life post-wedding.  I can't wait to see what the world has in store for me (although it is most definitely scare to not know!).

Resolution #3: Try to use some of my spare time to actually apply to jobs, use the career center at school, and keep on top of networking opportunities to find a career. Never lose hope and never stop trying!

I have a few other goals that probably reflect those of many who read this.  Some people look at me and think I must eat healthy and work out and all that jazz.  I am a young adult and blessed with a good metabolism (for the moment).  But any day now, given my genetic predecessors, it will slow down and I'm going to have to do something about it.  So my final new year's resolution is to not only start exercising  but continue doing so.  I have started many times before, but my drive tends to fizzle out after two or three weeks. I need to buckle down and make exercise a routine. I think I have done well eating healthier lately, but I can always keep improving.  I did buy a cookbook today with a lot of delicious, fresh looking meals called "ten dollar dinners" that I am excited to work with.  Two birds with one stone on better eating and saving money! I'll try to take pictures when I get around to making those recipes.

Resolution #4: Exercise and cook great, healthy meals at home :)

So those are my resolutions.  As will any goal, I tried to keep them realistic. I also will try to keep in a positive mindset and realize that I may have hard times and hiccups in juggling all of these and that is ok.  Life goes on and so will I.  As long as I'm trying to stay on track and keep focused on these goals, I will be moving in a good direction.

Good luck to all of you in your resolutions, and don't give up! May the sun rise each day bringing brightest hopes and blessings for everyone.

Happy 2013!