Candle care - a few tips that you might not know
Thank you for choosing to take home a Wild as the Moon candle.
How to look after your candle
Burn time
If you struggle with candles tunnelling and then not lasting very long, this one may help you.
One of the most common mistakes people make when burning candles is to not burn them for long enough each time they are lit.
When you burn a container candle you get a pool of melted wax around the wick. Once the wax has melted and hardened, it will be quicker to melt next time you light it, in comparison to the rest of the wax.
In order to get a nice even melt, you want to make sure that there is nice wide melt pool every time you burn the candle. That way you don't end up with just the centre of the candle burning down really quickly.
All Wild as the Moon candles are designed to be burned for around 3 hours at a time. (No more than 4) Especially the first three burns, after that you can get away with two hours.
Don't worry if you do not see a full melt pool on the very first burn, a nice wide pool that's almost at the edges is ideal.
Wick care
Another common mistake people make when using candles is not trimming the wick in between burns.
It is important to always trim the very top of the burnt wick off, before you re-light the candle.
A wick length of around 4-5mm is ideal.
When the wick is too long the rate of combustion is higher, creating more heat, reducing the life of the candle and creating soot. Which nobody wants in their lungs.
A nice healthy, clean burning, long lasting candle needs a nice clean, short, wick before every burn.
Why two wicks?
All of the candles I create here at Wild as the Moon have two wicks in them. This is for one simple reason - to act as a reminder.
A reminder that every, single experience in life is experienced as a cycle. Nothing in the natural world is linear - including you.
The cycle of the Sun each day
The cycle of the Moon each month
The cycle of the seasons each year
The cycle of a life, whether that is a butterfly or a flower or even yourself.
The cycle of a breath
The cycle of sleep
The cycle of your hormones
The cycle of every little thing within you and around you.
We often see things as 'bad' or 'good', but nature does not work that way. There is no one thing without its opposite.
No light without dark
No sunrise without sunset
No New Moon without Full Moon
No Summer without Winter
No inhale without exhale
No death without birth.
Everything has an equal and opposite. So if you are in a low part of a cycle, this acts as a reminder that things will get better. If you are in a high part of a cycle, this acts a reminder to find gratitude in what you have.
How to use your new Smoke Stick
Your new Wild as the Moon smoke stick has been hand crafted with a lot of love & intention and I hope you can feel that energy every time you use it.
The practical stuff:
When lighting your smoke stick, hold the end which is wrapped in twine. The twine is here to create a nice sturdy base and keep everything held together as the stick burns down.
Light the stick at the very top, at the opposite end to where you are holding it.
I recommend holding the tip in a candle flame to light it, rather than using matches as it's safer and easier.
Hold the stick in the flame until you see it catch light, then remove it from the heat.
If your stick has any flames, gently blow it out (like an incense stick) so that it is only smouldering and not actually on fire.
Your stick will smoulder for a few minutes before going out by itself.
You can re-light your stick as many times as you want.
If for any reason it won't stop smouldering, simply put a couple of drops of water on the end to extinguish it. Don't soak it though as this may ruin your stick.
Always hold a fireproof dish underneath a smouldering stick to catch any embers and leave your stick on a fireproof dish after use until it cools down.
A handy tip:
If you have been using your stick for a while and you are now struggling to light it, your stick may just need some TLC.
If the end is very black and charred, simply trim those bits off with sharp scissors to remove them. This will allow you to light it much more easily.
The wholesome stuff:
These sticks are designed to be a sensual and mindful experience. So take your time with it, make it feel good.
There are many great reasons to use a smoke stick.
-To ground yourself before yoga / movement.
-To cleanse your mind and space before meditation. -As part of a daily ritual before writing a gratitude list or pulling cards (or whatever your ritual looks like.)
-To cleanse your space for Full or New Moon
-To take five minutes to ground your body whenever you're feeling stressed, anxious or just want to relax.
- As part of your bedtime routine to unwind your mind.
This is just to name a few.
Use your smoke stick however you are called to use it. If you're new to it, try different things, see what feels good. But whatever your reason for using your stick, be sure to take a few deep grounding breaths before you start.
Take a moment to notice how the plants look, feel and smell. Connect with them.
Watch the smoke as its tendrils dance through the air, releasing aromatic fragrance.
Create a moment.
