A Renewing Light - Eggshell Candles

 Spring is the time for renewal, for rebirth, for regeneration. Many ancient peoples saw the symbols of the cycle as snakes - shedding their skins; and eggs, holding the potential for new life within. As the celebrations of a new spring season morphed from honoring Eoster, Freya, Idunn and other Goddesses of fertility and new life into the Christian Easter celebration of a literally reborn son/sun; the use of eggs for the holiday continued. Sensable, really, as this is the time of year that poultry begin to lay eggs again anyway.

The last two years I've made eggshell candles, simple and neat. It takes almost no special preparation or skills, three ingredients, and only the time required to melt the wax. I've been collecting wax bits from the bottom of tea lights and candle ends for at least a year, this picture only captures the first of them! As the wax melted I emptied all the little tins into the pot. (Those metal circles are usually aluminum, so they can be recycled.)

 I always keep my egg shells to give back to my egg provider (like a drug dealer, only tastier), the chickens happily eat the old shells and produce stronger eggs. I went through a few cases and picked out the halves that were large and sturdy, I also chose a variety of colors.

 The hot wax was spooned into the shells, filling each one as high as possible. The wax happens to be red from some red candle ends used, but wax is easily colored by adding an old crayon to the mix.

 I cut the wick string into short pieces, and dipped each piece in wax. Any cotton fiber twine will work if well soaked in wax, but official wicking is inexpensive and quite superior.

After the Wax has begun to harden slightly, and a small film forms on top, the wick is stuck through and pushed to the bottom. If the wax is too soft the wicks sink off to one side. If it is too hard it will be tough to push the wick down.

Ta-da! The wax gets quite a bit lighter as it hardens, so don't be afraid to use plenty of color for a brilliant candle if you want it. These make great crafts for kids, or craft loving adults. The shells can be decorated for added excitement! They are also perfect for outside spaces, as they are entirely biodegradable.

Enjoy your Equinox, welcome to spring!

Autumn's Offerings - Thor and Sif

NOTE - This article was written, and should have published back in September. It seems it got lost in the ones and zeros...

At the time of balance of the year, I look to nature to see the importance of balance in our lives. In this harvest season it's easy to look to the bountiful fields and the food on our tables as proof of the benefits of balance.

In the Norse tradition Thor is, besides being a mighty warrior, the Lord of Storms. By his presence or absence we get rain and fair weather. Thus, he would be praised for both bringing rain and snow, and for sunny days. Sif, his wife, is a goddess of the fields. Her golden hair (get it right Marvel!) is representative of ripened grains.

Their relationship is a thing of Balance. If there is not enough rain the grain will not grow, if there is too much it rots in the fields. Throughout the winter the soil rests to prepare for the next growing season. Their partnership has space. This is the lesson of the Autumn Equinox,  establish balance in order to create fruitfulness.

As for the making, I placed my ring on the top half of a rectangle of linen, and started stitching! The clouds slowly filled in with undulating waves. I added falling rain drops near the end, and the last touch - a bolt of lightening from the God of Thunder.

The bottom ring I filled with the plants of the fields - vetch, bindweed, grasses, and most importantly golden ripening grain! That space of overlap is the Venn Diagram of the season - rain on the fields.

We gathered for a large feast, think early Thanksgiving, to share in the fruits of the second harvest. This piece was an offering to the Patrons of the rite - Thor and Sif. That is to say, it went up in flames. We got a good omen, and had a fantastic night of food and fellowship. Sacred stitchery has become one of my favorite things!

What are you thankful for? How do you bring balance into your life?