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Nikola

Febuary 1, 2025

Building Rituals from Routine

Where can we create ceremony from commonplace?

The New Year! A marker of passing time stirs our most reflective spirit, evoking us to pause and appreciate where we are. Wherever that may be, the unwritten year ahead is swinging in with the refreshed momentum of beginnings. Resolutions are made to be more intentional, disciplined, mindful or even more relaxed. Time and again it feels as though what we set out to do at the top of the year can be lost in hum drum logistics, monotonous scheduling and the ever swirling to-dos of modern living. So, this year in an attempt to weave importance into the mundane, a couple questions surfaced: How can we find ritual in the routine? Where can we create ceremony from commonplace?

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With these questions in mind we set our sights towards the strong lead of the natural world. Nature so easily holds space for significant beauty. We can bring this energy into our home through practical additions to our already established patterns. Through the starkness of winter the sun comes up painting pastels on the frost and beckoning steam from the frozen ground. Without even trying the glorious sun wakes up and so do you. Ritual number 1 perfected just like that! Mimicking the flickering low light of a winter sunrise, a lit candle is a cozy way to warm up the small hours of early morning. A natural taper’s gorgeous flame making its way down the wick is akin to bare tree trunks contrasting the emerging sun. Adding a bit of ambiance to our indoor spaces can elevate overlooked moments of our day into a subtle tribute to the outdoors. Here in the Catskills many other natural phenomena are happening each day with grace and intention. A current of migrating birds or the enduring color of Norway spruce trees are just a handful of seasonal wonders requiring nothing more than presence to become our very own rituals. As we make our morning coffee or tea we can use this time to breathe and borrow some of that grace and intention from nature.

Just like routines, rituals may include our loved ones or be a solitary endeavor. Many of us check in with friends at the start of the day or as we are getting cozy for the night. A sweet, meditative practice that pulls those that we care about into our rituals is a written message. If we are looking for a serene solo practice, a gratitude list or an account of what our senses are experiencing helps center us in the moment and appreciate our surroundings. Looking back on journal entries or sitting down with friends to reminisce on letters once sent are added customs that may come from getting into the habit of writing. Another energizing way to join up with friends in tradition is hiking. Taking a walk in nature offers that much needed space to be mindful. As we take each step we can remember to be grateful for all of the journeys in our lives big and small. Bringing this attitude into our day to day can be just as satisfying! When we walk out to our car to leave for the day we can take this time to be mindful of our world and romanticize the smallest moments. Alone or with great company, regard for the things that bring us joy helps foster rituals that last our lifetimes and touch the lives of others.

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Preserving a sense of sacredness has always propelled humankind to make room for a little magic, a beautiful vignette, to set a scene for life to play out upon. Collecting that perfect bouquet of flowers for a centerpiece, stowing away our favorite seashell to bring home from vacation; all exercises of uniquely human desire to memorialize beauty. Whichever direction is most magnetic is the right direction to begin building a ritual from. Some of us may prefer all out pageantry when it comes to rituals; a grandiose dinner table with breathtaking statuesque candles paired with each placesetting. Others may be drawn to simpler pleasantries of a weekly sit down with a good book and a single taper lit as the only indicator of time passing. There is certainly no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to how the heart fashions a ritual. This is one of the many reasons we feel so passionately about crafting an array of colors, shapes and sizes of beeswax candles. We hope to share our own well practiced rituals through our work.

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As we handmake each of our candles with care here at the shop, it is easy to see why ritual is so important across the world. The craft of candlemaking has spanned various cultures, ritualistic and practical uses and been passed down throughout 5,000 years of human history. Our hands rehearse a familiar dance pouring, guiding out of molds and polishing our candles. Tapping into that shared meditative space of ritual building can be gratifying in the moment but also satisfying in the long term as we evolve with and pass on our rituals. Just as the sun rises and sets, the birds sing, the plants come up strikingly green in spring and gracefully back away in fall we can harmoniously reflect these patterns in our own seasonal intentions. Next year, looking back in time, we hope to have more memorable moments as we incorporate ritualizing our everyday life. Taking note of our mind, body and soul aspirations for the year, nature can remind us, within our routines there are always little chances to incorporate beauty, significance and consciousness. Here’s to a new year of nurturing space for something special between ourselves and our world, a moment for mindfulness, a ritual rising from routine.