An example:

Broadwell Hill Transition Candle Making Party!
11 AM – 7 PM
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Broadwell Hill Learning Center and Resiliency Initiative
http://www.broadwellhill.org info@broadwellhill.org
http://transitionohio.ning.com/events/candle-making-party

The light is returning in the northern hemisphere as the Wheel of Life turns and we approach the mid-point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.

We will be making healthy 100% local beeswax candles this weekend on Broadwell Hill and you are invited to participate; if you are unable to join us physically please send your hopes, prayers and wishes to be included in the process.

Celebrating Candlemas in this way is a tradition on the hill that brings us together in the moment while helping us reconnect to the past, the future and the natural world. It also fulfills a responsibility to keep an archaic craft alive while bringing folks together to have fun, reskill, promote beekeeping and share in great local food and Transition related conversations. Many thanks to Athens' Own for collaborating via logistics, food service and support.

You may be thinking that we will be pouring wax into molds, rolling sheets of beeswax around wicks or dipping wicks into wax to create these candles. However, we will be perpetuating an ancient and nearly forgotten method of candle making.

This three day practice, which results in Wands of Light called Candelaria Tapers, begins with focused intent and prayer. It continues as the candle wheel is decorated with ribbons and other offerings; including messages from people around the world. Then, 72 weighted cotton wicks are suspended from the freely rotating wheel that hangs from the ceiling above a large vat of well-filtered beeswax. A homemade ladle is used to pour one thin layer of melted beeswax over each spinning wick before turning the wheel to repeat the process over and over and over.

Candelaria Tapers therefore come into existence one breath, one pour at a time as we laugh, play, focus, think of loved ones and share our hopes and prayers for the future.

If you are unable to join us, you can also participate by sharing your thoughts and wishes which will be printed, rolled into a scroll, tied with a thread and hung from the chains that support the candle wheel. We will take turns reading these notes while pouring the wax over the wicks. In that way, we will also be pouring our prayers and visions into the candles as the aroma of beeswax and the sounds of falling wax and chimes fill the air.

The Candelaria tapers, 18”x 7/8”, will come off the wheel in pairs as elegant and efficient 100% beeswax candles. These candles serve as beautiful reminders that we are not alone in our efforts and that we share common goals. Essential oils can be thoughtfully rubbed on them before lighting and prayers, wishes and goals can also be etched into the wax with a sharp tool.

Folks use them when praying for self and others, meditating, sharing in romantic moments, fine dining as well as in birth, death and marriage ceremonies. They serve as great tools for group process, talking objects, emergency and/or non-electric lighting, gestures of appreciation and alternative currency.

You can also participate and assist us in our local Transition efforts by purchasing Candelaria Tapers at $50.00 per pair, plus shipping. Pictures are available on this site. All proceeds will go into a fund for Training for Transition scholarships and other related events.

Your participation will help strengthen our connections, fuel our Transition Initiative and help spread the light of love, hope and inspiration around the globe.

Please send your prayers and purchasing inquiries to info@broadwellhill.org. Thank you!