Announcements
I am pleased to announce that we now have a candle for each of the
holidays on the Wheel of the Year. We created our Lughnasadh candle
on August 11, 2009, Old Lughnasadh Eve. We were going for a candle the
color of red wine but added a bit too much colorant so to me it looks
like raspberry jam, the gold glitter as seeds. Wine - fruit - its all
part of the first harvest. The scent is a mix of lime, frankincense,
thyme, and cinnamon. Being that there are no berry essential oils, we
had to go with the properties of the oils to fit the season. Read more
about it and see the candle on our Lughnasadh
Candle page.
We now have two sets of 4 candles: one for the solstices and equinoxes,
and one for the holidays (Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasadh, Samhain). If
you purchase the entire Wheel
of the Year (both sets) we offer a great price so check it out.
We will be doing the Holistic Show at Gibraltar
Trade Center in Mt. Clemens on September 11, 12, & 13. We
will be there all day on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday I will get
there in the afternoon and start setting up so our candles will be
available after 4:00. Come check out all the hand-crafted Infinite
Flame products: gel candles, stone sets, pendulums and jewelry. I
will also have my glycerin Naked
Soaps, tumbled stones, and the last of Storm Song incense.
We are also doing an outside show in Brighton that benefits Almost
Home No-Kill Animal Rescue League on September 19 from 10am to 5pm,
weather permitting. It is held in the Green Oak Village Place Mall parking
lot near the Family Puppy. They will have animals available for adoption
at this event. There will be many crafters set up and a raffle with
great prizes. This is a fund-raising event and if successful they plan
to do it every year so if you are in the area and have the time, stop
by and help us support this no-kill shelter.
Timing is Everything
So why are my newsletters always late? Good question. The answer is
that I do way too many things and overbook my time. Work-wise I have
a day job housecleaning two days one week and three days the next (not
my lifes passion but it is the steady money that pays most of
the bills) and the other days I do Enchanted
Moon work which includes desktop publishing, mainly for MacroVal,
my sister, and web sites - paying customers first and then my own -
and managing my hosting service. I also have several newsletters I receive
to keep me up to date on the computer work and some just for fun, so
reading emails takes a bit a of time each week. Every Tuesday Alicia
and I meet for candle night, altho we do not always make
candles there is always chocolate : ) I also make jewelry and my Naked
Soaps products in the spare time that allows. Eight times a year I create
and lead our Wheel of the Year celebrations, but that isnt work
to me.
The task that lately has been taking up the appointed no work
time is de-cluttering my house. I have way too many things that I dont
use or need anymore and its time to get rid of them. I have been doing
a little here and a little there all summer but when my sister decided
to have a garage sale, I really got busy. The last two weeks I have
been majorly cleaning out closets and rooms. I did not even get to everything
I wanted to go through. The broken or worn out stuff was tossed. The
items I thought usable were set aside for the sale. I had already brought
a load to Salvation Army before she decided to do this and most of what
didnt sell will go there this week.
Yesterday was the garage sale and I did sell a few of my items but
the big seller of the day was the jewelry I inherited from my grandmother
and two aunts, all of whom have passed away since 2000. When my aunt
died in May, I got all the jewelry. My mom, sister and I went through
it first and the rest I wanted to see enjoyed and used. So I brought
it to the sale. I think I had it priced too cheap as more than half
of it is gone. I had a great time talking to the ladies who looked through
it and bought some. We were talking about what our tastes and our relatives
tastes were, about our favorite pieces and/or stones, and remarking
on the more whimsical pieces. Jewelry is such a personal statement and
we connect to those things we pick out ourselves. Certain pieces remind
us of loved ones and others remind us of who gave it to us or where
we purchased it. Im glad to see this jewelry appreciated and I
hope all the buyers will enjoy the items.
Of my items that didnt sell, Im looking at EBay. I made
the mistake Friday night of searching Ebay for a few of my treasures
and found them selling at a good price and/or no one else had them,
so they didnt even go to the sale. Now whats left may also
be good candidates. It may take longer to get rid of the stuff but Id
rather see it enjoyed than tossed. And altho I do like to donate stuff,
if I can get a good price for a collectable then Ill try that
first. I can always use a little extra money for gifts for the upcoming
holiday season.
And now I have more to do - taking pictures, adding the items, watching
the sale, packaging and mailing - I must be insane : )
Its Lime Thyme
Heres a bit of info about two of the oils in our new Lughasadh
Candle.
Lime (citrus aurantifolia) is associated with water
and the planet Venus. Its magical properties include: antidepressant,
love - fidelity and friendship, stimulant, and strength . Its stimulating
and antidepressant properties are especially useful when trying to help
yourself or another who is depressed or shows signs of apathy and anxiety.
The light sweet scent uplifts your mood and blended with other citrus
oils like lemon or grapefruit makes it especially effective.
It also has many medical and cosmetic uses. Lime is an astringent,
toning and refreshing when used on the skin, especially good for greasy
skin and to lighten red areas. Caution: this oil can cause photosensitivity
in sunlight, making you burn easier, and may irritate sensitive skin.
It helps to stem bleeding from cuts and wounds but do not use directly
on the skin, use in a compress. As a tonic to the immune system it brings
new energy after illness. Helpful with rheumatic pain and arthritis,
improves circulation so can help relieve varicose veins. It helps cool
a fever, eases chest congestion, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, and
catarrh. While I knew it was an antidepressant, I did not realize it
was so helpful to the respiratory system. If you have congestion, maybe
a blend of lime and eucalyptus would clear it up better than just one
oil. I will try that next time my allergies hit.
Heres an interesting bit: English ships carrying limes we called
lime juicers as their crews depended on the fruit to prevent
scurvy. The nickname limey for British sailors derives from
this and is now used to refer to any English person.
Thyme is associated with air and the planet Venus.
Magically it is used for clairvoyance, compassion, consecration,
contact other planes, courage divination, healing, love, psychic development
& growth, purification, and strength. Thyme was used in various
rituals once carried out by young women to reveal their true love.
There are many species of thymus, like about 350, so I wont
mention them all here. Some can be used safely in all situations and
some cannot, so do some research on the specific species of oil you
have and/or are considering buying to be sure it can be used for the
purpose you intend. For our candle we used wild thyme (thymus serpyllum)
from Austria, which is similar to thymus vulgaris . It is used
in aromatherapy for stress-related conditions and is safe to use for
cooking. It is a sedative that is antiseptic and promotes healing. Externally
it can be used for minor injuries, rheumatism and mouth, gum, throat
infections. Internally it is used for bronchitis, sinusitis, whopping
cough, laryngitis, hangovers and treating alcoholism.
The numerous tiny flowers produce copious nectar thus making thyme
important as bee plants. Because the souls of the dead were at one time
thought to rest in thyme flowers, it has come to symbolize death. At
several haunted sites the scent of thyme has been detected, according
to The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their
Uses.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend
~~~~Rhiannon Rose