Hi ppl of the internet!
Yesterday it snowed. Not here but, in the mountains to the East. I could see the snow up there and decided to stay inside all morning. That is one of the benefits of running an online store, that I can work from the comfort & shelter of my own home. As you can see from the banner of this post, however, the comfy indoor time couldn't last all day.
Still, the morning was very cozy. My partner made a fire, the cats sat by the fire, and I got a lot of loose ends tied up in the morning. These days I am focused on promoting a few used Astrology books via TikTok and the platform I use to sell my wares. So, I finished a video for one set of books and then went on to candle making.
I am still working out a system for making candles as efficiently as possible. One aspect of said efficiency is that I always make candles when the fire is going. The heat of the fire warms the wax perfectly. The fireplace takes about 40 minutes to get to the right temperature and then stays consistently warm, but not too warm, so that the wax melts without burning. Soon I will be investing in more molds so that I can pour many more candles at once.
The fireplace going and a calming playlist in the background creates the perfect mood for candle making. This is an aspect of my craft that I feel is really important. I know a lot of the people who buy my candles use them in spiritual rituals or in their religious rites. The vibes I imbue the candles with should be neutral/happy and so I avoid any grumpy feelings when making my crafts.
Here are a few of the candles I made (the others are either packaged or cooling off in the molds). This round is 50% beeswax and 50% soy wax. They burn faster than the 100% beeswax but are much cheaper to make and thus can be sold at a lower price point.
After lunch the weather warmed up. The sun actually peaked out behind the clouds. The wind was super cold and there were even a few rain drops in the air but, there were errands to run in town and I took my chance while the weather seemed friendly.
Running low on food when a storm is rolling in always gives me anxiety so, I layered on all my wool knits, charged up my bike and planned to fill the fridge and pantry. After a morning spent indoors in my domestic roll as stay-at-home-cat-mom and candle maker, it was very hard to motivate myself to get out of the house.
Wearing a cute & comfy outfit helped. And, of course, so did a bag full of enchanted objects. Whenever I head out to town I bring this little bag. It holds charms, a ritual oil/perfume, a divination set, and a few other odds and ends.
The words you see in a bag with flowers is a spell to attract the right kinds of friendships. The oil was gifted to me by a friend and I love the aroma it gives off. There are crystals and other secret things stored in the bag as well. Just a few little things that help remind me of my goals in life 🌏🍀