The Sweetest Flame

Hello, Friends,

I'm happy to report that I stumbled upon a measure of relief!  

Finding myself in the presence of someone whose clothing and hair had absorbed chemical scents along the way, I began to feel the usual facial inflammation, headache, and systemic "jitters."  At some point in our conversation, we turned to the topic of beeswax candles.  We discussed how they ionized the air and purified it as a thunderstorm does.  Finally, it occurred to us to burn them!

I ran to fetch my trusty supply (I will now always keep extras on hand) and plunked down two beeswax candles under our very noses.  We lit them and continued talking.

Within about a half-hour, we both noticed a difference.  The candles had imparted a physically calming and very pleasing sensation mentally.  It was as though a healing hand had been placed on my central nervous system, slowing down the pace of things and soothing the physically raw nerves.  My mind glowed with the delicious scent of warm honey emitted from the candles.  My friend, too, felt the systemically calming influence of the beeswax.  The tranquil, pure flame, as always, was a visually heartwarming and room-altering experience.

All afternoon, I expected to have to take another ibuprofen as I generally do after this particular chemical exposure.  This morning, it occurred to me that I never took that tablet.  I didn't have to!  The headache had evaporated.

The implications of this small but significant measure of relief may be more vast than I can realize at present.  I will begin burning beeswax candles more regularly in my home.  I'm wondering if this will have a therapeutic effect on my overall reactivity to chemicals.  Since the triggering chemicals seem to enter my brain through my nose, perhaps the ionizing elements of the burning beeswax, entering through the same pathway, will have some chance to transform -- or at least diffuse -- the chemically sensitized facial and head nerves.

I'll let you know!  Cheers!

~ Carolyn