This time last year I was eagerly awaiting my first run of AJA Botanicals candles. They arrived on the 15th of December just as we were getting the news that Christmas was being cancelled which was quite tricky! Luckily my lovely friends knew they were coming and I had my website just set up with a shop page so I managed to get them out. Everyone really loved them and I was very happy with my first creation, it took a lot of trial and error and learning but it was really worth it to get it right. A year on and I have a home diffuser in the same fragrance Into the Mystic and my first run of my After Midnight body oil has already sold out but I will be making more for next year, its very exciting to have three products this year, the stable is growing!
I love the white jars of the candles which give such a warm cosy glow and the fragrance of Into the Mystic is gorgeous and the diffuser that goes with it is made from a lovely handmade violetglass so I will be doing refills of those as I don’t want people to throw away the jars I am mindful to find ways to be more sustainable and cutting out on waste so buying better quality and keeping it is surely one way to get there.
The perfumer that created Into the Mystic with me was John Stephens from Cotswold Perfumery, he understood that I wanted anatural fragrance, with no synthetic musks to pump the smell as I find the synthetics so cloying, they hang around way too long! I understand that they can make the fragrance stronger but my nose is so used to natural fragrances and I much prefer them in my home. We used a sustainable source of soya for the wax and a cotton wick, so its burns for 40 hours. It has a beautiful fresh woody fragrance with Cedarwood and Lavender creating an uplifting and revitalising scent which is both grounding and soothing at the same time, with the scent really warming up as it burns. We also used Oakmoss in the blend, a classic perfumery note, that you can’t use on the skin any more, so it was fun to be able to use in the candle and Galbanum which is a resin thats been used in ceremonies for 1000s of years, it has a powerful a green note. I wanted the Into the Mystic fragrance to be reminiscent of walking in the deep forest on a crisp sunny morning, with the sunlight slanting through the trees and the mossy floor underfoot,
I am such a nature lover and I just love the woody fragrances, I live next to Richmond Park with its beautiful ancient oak trees, and the smells in there are divine. When I walk my dogs there I always feel so much better for being around the trees, the Japanese call it forest bathing or shinrin yoku and it makes sense that I love it as baths and woods are two of my top favourite things, so combing them is only going to be a win for me! Having a bath for me is about slowing down and relaxing and so is walking and stopping to look at the trees and admiring their strength and beauty. There is honesty and truth in trees, they are just present. We lead such busy lives with screens and multiple communication channels, we have to be careful not to be too bombarded with news and stimulation and take a moment for ourselves and connect to our hearts and to what resonates for us not, what other people think. The simple action of lighting a candle or turning a diffuser stick with the intention of creating a beautiful ambience gives me a moment to disconnect from my phone, to slow down, to reflect and check in with myself.
In energy work or witchy magic as I like to call it, the flame has a transformational energy which gives power and potency to your thoughts, and as we create our own reality through our thoughts and actions. it seems like a good idea to set out your intentions and be the powerful creator that you are. So light your candles and enjoy!