FYI: We’ll be at the Paranormal Expo at Fort William Henry in Lake George on July 2 and 3, 2011. Come and meet us! There are lots of novelty scents specially made for this event to check out. We’ll also have some of our newest summer scents. So, look for the Country Wickhouse Candles table!
Chances are that at least once in our lives, as children, teenagers, or adults, many of us have been involved in some kind of magical or paranormal experience. And guess what? Chances are just as high that a candle played a role in one way or another—in the room, on the table or floor, in the clearing or basement. I’d bet a dollar there was a candle somewhere in the vicinity (if you were doing it right, that is). Whether it be a pair of high school students in front of the mirror in the upstairs bathroom with the lights out and a candle burning, trying to summon Bloody Mary, or a dozen grown men and women in Madame Zustra’s den trying to call forth the spirits of dead relatives in the throes of a séance, candles are necessary for paranormal activity. Why? Believe me, I’m no expert, but as our candle shop grows and we come into contact with many different types of people and personalities, I continue to learn how relevant and ingrained the human connection to candles is, both historically and presently. There are seriously a million uses for these things! And we’re not just talking about having a resource to help light our world when the power goes out and leaves us in the dark. No, candles provide much more meaning to our existence than many of us even know.
The use of candles in magical ritual or paranormal play, no matter how dangerous, dates back farther than anyone cares to remember. It seems only logical that candles were initially used in the absence of electricity and the light bulb, but as time moved forward, people continued to use candles despite the technological advances of the day. You see, candles offer a certain degree of simplicity and warmth that you can’t get by using your iPod to light up a séance table. Moreover, the candle’s inherent connection to the earth and her elements is universal and timeless. Besides, candles are just so much spookier than flashlights and laser beams.
Candle magic is becoming more and more popular as ghost hunting and the fascination with all things paranormal skyrockets. (Even I’m obsessed with SyFy’s Ghost Hunters!) The truth is, candles enhance the overall effect of any paranormal activity, primarily because the flame serves as a point of focus or meditation, whereas the actual color of the wax has meaning and can stimulate certain areas of the subconscious mind. The same applies to scent, which we already know has the power to affect moods, recall memories, and put us in touch with the most ancient part of the brain (see “Man, That Smells…Good!” below). It is also believed that by adding certain crushed herbs to candles, one might invoke specific feelings or powers. For more information on the significance of colors and scents in candle magic or other paranormal ventures (like séances, 100 candles, and the like) do what I did: Look it up on the Internet. You wouldn’t believe how much knowledge related to this stuff is out there!
From a purely commercial point of view, we experience our best soy candle sales during the Halloween season and then again in early summer. Tapping into my extensive knowledge of mythology and ancient religions, I know why this is and am thankful for things like solstices and pagan holidays, especially as a candle maker. And we take great pains to offer the colors and scents that might be of use to many practitioners of magic or seekers of the paranormal, as well as to regular customers who just want to experience a great scent.
(Note: Soy candles, all-natural to the core, seem to be better “spirit batteries” than paraffin candles. We’re just sayin’…in case you were wondering.)
And by the way, all of our candles are blessed for protection…Call it a mark of the double lives we at the little candle shop known as Country Wickhouse Candles live. After all, we want to reach everyone, dead or alive!