Happy Midwinter! This box will probably get to you a little after the actual Solstice, but I’m hoping the items inside will shed a little light on the longest nights of your year.

For seven months now I’ve been trying to launch a pagan subscription box. My goal is to send a curated collection of gift items 8 times a year – for the Quarter Days (Equinoxes and Solstices) and the peaks of the Fire Festivals (the midpoints in between the Quarter Days).

The items I’ve put together for this particular box are mainly what I’ve put together for the Winter Solstice box, but I’ve also used the opportunity to send you some practical supplies I’ve been hoarding for you since July.

I’m looking for people to give me feedback on my subscription box idea for a whole year before I actually launch the product. I would be honored if you’d be willing to be one of my testers! All you’d need to do is let me keep sending you free ceremonial supplies and little self-care treats for a year, and occasionally let me know what you think of the items and their presentation. Let me know if you’d rather opt in or opt out!

Just for fun, with every delivery, I make a contribution to an environmental cause. This month I’m supporting Coral Gardeners by adopting one coral per purchase. I grew up snorkeling in the coral reefs of Southeast Asia so this cause is dear to my heart. I think I can find a way to loop you in on updates on our corals’ progress, let me know if you’re interested.

Gift guide below!

Four Friends candle by Flamingo Estate

The tale of the Four Harmonious Animals is a popular Buddhist folk myth. It describes four animals who work in cooperation to eat fruits from a tree. The elephant carries the monkey on his back, the monkey holds up the hare, and the hare has the bird perched on his head. The moral of the story is that when everyone works together, even the smallest and least tree-mobile creatures can access the best fruit.

Food for thought: the original version of the myth wasn’t about cooperation, it was about seniority as social hierarchy. The original myth said the animals were stacked (and given easier access to the fruits) in order of age, with the eldest at the top. It just goes to show that the same story can be told two different ways, giving completely opposite meanings.

All told, this myth doesn’t make a lot of sense. The hare is the only animal who would otherwise be unable to reach the fruit, and it might be easier for everyone if the others just knock the fruit down for him. One might wonder why they’re stacking up in the first place; who told them it was a good idea?

Mythology aside, I wanted to give you something from Flamingo Estate. They drives me nuts half the time with their LA-intoxicated obsession with celebrity. But I can’t help but agree with 100% of their business philosophy, and I love the way they put their money where their mouth is. Their sourcing team does a really great job of finding small businesses in the regenerative agriculture world to support. The quality standards are as high as I want them to be, which is rare. And they’re even taking steps to increase the recyclability of their packaging *when it’s already good* to begin with. I cringe at myself for loving a business that’s genuinely so kitschy sometimes – but until I’m well enough to do my own sourcing, putting money into Flamingo Estate has been a really great way to feel like my financial privilege is making a positive impact on society.

This candle is made with a blend of copal, amber, cedarwood, and myrrh essential oils. All four of those botanical substances have longstanding traditional uses in cleansing, protection, and energetic invocation. Whether you believe in that stuff or not, this blend creates a lovely woodsy fragrance to set the tone of your home during the winter season. It’s a small candle, but Flamingo Estate is generous with their essential oils, so burn it in a more open space for a better experience – and don’t lean over the flame to smell the candle, you’ll get a faceful of oil. Ask me how I know.

Cast iron candle spike by Takazawa Candle

You will need this Japanese candle holder for many of the seasonal candles I’ll be sending you throughout the year.

Earth Colors rice wax candles by Daiyo

This is a set of 10 differently colored handmade rice wax offering candles handmade by artisans in Japan. (It’s worth watching the “how it’s made” video on the Daiyo website.)

These candles need to sit on the given candle spike to burn properly: the hole in the bottom of each candle, the hollow paper wick, and the spike work together to create air flow that gives the candles a beautiful tall flame.

These candles are happiest when there is *no air movement* in the room. I try not to burn them when my heat or AC are running often, and if I have no choice, I place them somewhere that won’t be affected by the air flow. They’re hard to burn outdoors in even the slightest breeze. But if you can set the scene so everything is peaceful, they are a beautiful candle experience.

Each candle burns for around 20 minutes – they *will* burn through much more quickly if air flow is making them drip.

Make a ritual out of burning these candles. Choose the color based on the meaning of your ceremony – the colors match pretty well with nature archetypes that make easy symbols (sea, sky, sun, storm, etc). As you remove the candle from the box, examine it closely; notice the handmade details. Then focus on your intention as you light it, and contemplate that intention *or take action toward it* while the candle burns.

Doing a whole ass ceremony can be that simple. You don’t have to recite incantations or build an altar or anything. Just engage your willpower. This is like making an offering to yourself, and that’s often more useful (and less chaotic) than invoking the Gods.

Things that are handmade in extraordinary detail like this contain *a lot* of energy. These candles make great one time offerings because unlike the Four Friends votive, they’re designed to burn all in one sitting. No strings attached. If you want to give one of these candles as an offering, choose a color appropriate to the God it’s for, and call out to them in your mind as you light the candle’s flame. Imagine you have them on FaceTime while the candle is burning.

Rose quartz mini facial roller by Mei Apothecary

As a person with muscle tension everywhere in my body, I think everyone on Earth could benefit from the occasional facial massage. Either you already know how much tension you hold in your face or your mind is about to be blown.

I love this tiny tool for its precision – it’s great for targeting the little muscles around the eyes, nostrils, lips, and ears. Just trust me and try it. I like doing it absent mindedly while reading or doom scrolling.

You know how all the stories say you can use anything as a wand? See if you can extend your sensory awareness into the tool. Use the tool’s awareness to locate where your tension needs work. Don’t think too much about how to do it, just give it a go.

Friendship bracelet kit by Mercury Provisions, featuring Sero by Gist Yarns

It’s good for your brain to do stuff with your hands. Did you ever make friendship bracelets as a kid? I didn’t, but over the summer I got into it and it healed something inside me. I had forgotten that textile crafts are one of the most intrinsically human pastimes ever – one of the first things humans ever did for fun *in all of history.* Playing with yarn is something we’re *supposed* to do.

Anyway, if you ever feel inspired to do something creative in your downtime, friendship bracelets are a super easy way to get into a craft. There are a ton of tutorials out there and I trust you to find one that works for your learning style.

I wanted to outfit you with the best possible thread because I feel strongly that as adults we deserve good quality grown up materials for our arts and crafts. I tried to pick out an expressive selection of colors for you to play with. There’s enough for you to waste some of it in a trial and error process, and then still be able to start over with the same design when you figure it out.

The yarn I’ve given you is made of raw silk from China. I feel good about supporting Chinese makers during the trade war. I love the saturation of color it’s able to achieve. The red almost glows in the dark.

Winter cookie selection by Mercury Provisions

Twice-baked shortbread: Made with only three ingredients. Small batch, half-salted cultured butter, unbleached organic cane sugar, and Red Tail Grains’ “miller’s choice” blend of the discard mixed grains that come off the mill between different batches of flour. Rustic, toothsome, and buttery.

Cocoa Crinkle: A brown sugar based cocoa cookie made with Bensdorp 22/24, the Gods’ own cocoa powder, and rolled in two types of sugar for a nice outer crust. I had crinkle cookies made with this specific cocoa powder as a 12 year old child when I was on holiday in the Philippines, and I imprinted on them. Spent the next 18 years searching for the flavor… and I found it.

Brown butter sugar cookies: A simple soft cookie with extravagant details. My standard golden sugar mixed with browned salted Kerrygold butter, an almost offensively large amount of Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, and a touch of malt powder to balance out the sweetness. Humble and beige, just like all the best cookies are.

Hazelnut semolina cantucci: A twice-baked Italian low-sugar cookie made with Flamingo Estate’s famous extra virgin olive oil, organic hazelnuts, a touch of Nielsen-Massey vanilla, maple sugar for the rich flavor, and Red Tail Grains’ soft semolina. I wanted to get a deep golden color on the hazelnuts so I baked them until very dry and crisp.

Pistachio rose cantucci: Similar to the hazelnut version, but lighter and more floral. I used a touch of almond flour, yellow cornmeal, Turkish pistachios, and Flamingo Estate’s member exclusive rose petal infused wildflower honey. These are baked softer – let me know whether you prefer them or the crunchy ones more.

Bensdorp 22/24 Hot Cocoa by Mercury Provisions

Bensdorp 22/24 is unquestionably *the* world’s best cocoa powder. It’s processed in Belgium using the Dutch method, which adds alkali to balance the acidity of the raw cacao. The result is a high-fat, low-fiber cocoa powder that is packed with both flavor and nutrition.

I’m not a food scientist, but one thing I know is that the flavor in food mostly comes from the fat. So it’s important that the processing Bensdorp uses for their cocoa powder retains a lot of fat. That’s what makes it so flavorful compared to lesser cocoas.

A lot of people insist on making their hot cocoa on the stovetop, but this mix works just as well if you microwave your milk (or dairy alternative). There’s no solid chocolate bits to melt in slowly. Just stir in as much or as little of the mix as you want.

If you want to make an American style hot cocoa, use about a tablespoon of mix with about 12 oz of milk or dairy substitute. For closer to a Spanish style, use a heaping tablespoon with 4-6 oz of milk. For a Filipino style that’s somewhere in between, prepare on the stovetop, follow the American style proportions, but also grate in some dark chocolate.

The cocoa powder does tend to stick to itself and lump up upon contact with liquid. Really take your time smushing out all the lumps you can find.

Ingredients: Organic unbleached cane sugar, Bensdorp 22/24 cocoa powder, Maldon salt.

Charm 01 Embodiment essential oil blend by Mercury Provisions

This one doesn’t have a label – it’s the small amber bottle marked with a red dot of paint.

I’ll say it up front: don’t use this product on your skin! It’s a fragrance only. It is not for skin care. If you get it on your hands, wash them with soap right away because this will hurt if it gets in your eyes.

All that said, this essential oil blend is designed to center your awareness in your body and help you detach and ground from ruminating thoughts. If you focus on the fragrance for minute or two, you will start to feel your energy moving downward from your head into your body. It’s not magic, it’s just herbs.

The ingredients in this essential oil blend are parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and ginger (SPICY TO TOUCH). They’re all soup aromatics! Is that a coincidence? Nope – it’s history.

Before the days of doctors and medicine, herbs were incorporated into everyday food for health reasons. These particular herbs became soup staples because they were used so often for strengthening and warding against illness, especially in cold weather. Of all herbs, why these ones? Because they are traditionally believed to have properties of strengthening and empowering the body.

Fragrance cuts right through to the lizard brain. Smelling the soup herbs’ essential oils works a little differently than eating the same herbs, but the effect is the same. The energy that is circulating in your mind centers will be pulled back down into your body as you breathe in the fragrance. That ends rumination spirals and hands back your agency.

Heart diffuser and wool coaster by Mercury Provisions

A lot of people are sensitive to the fragrances of essential oils and have a strong aversion to active diffusers, the kind that puff essential oils into the air. I prefer passive diffusers, which simply hold a drop or two of oil for you to smell only when you get close enough. Active diffusers disperse fragrance that lasts for days, while passive diffusers tend to quiet down after a few hours.

I thought these heart shaped lava rocks were little cuties. The pocket made of wool felt also functions as a coaster to absorb any extra oil that falls through the pores of the lava rock. When you’re done using the essential oil you can put the lava rock back into the pocket so Jinx doesn’t steal it.

Make sure you don’t douse the lava rock with too many drops at a time – you don’t want the essential oil to drip out of it, because if it soaks through the wool coaster, it can eat the finishing off your furniture. 2-3 drops of oil is plenty. If you need more intensity, stick the whole bottle right under your nose.

Charm 02 Nerve Tonic herbal tisane by Mercury Provisions

This herbal blend is designed to function as emotional regulation support. Its active ingredient is Skullcap, a natural anxiolytic. As an herbal tonic, it’s also packed with a ton of diverse nutrients to give you a generic boost like a multivitamin.

The other herbal blend I’ve given you has more of a mind quieting effect. This one does more to quiet the physical symptoms of emotional distress, not the thoughts. It slows down the fight or flight response.

Charm 03 Lucidity Aid herbal tisane by Mercury Provisions

The active ingredient in this herbal blend is Mugwort, a traditional lucidity aid. Mugwort has the effect of cutting out mental noise, leaving you in literal mental silence. This can be helpful if you’re suffering from ruminating thoughts, and maybe less helpful if you have a job that requires you to do a lot of on the spot creative thinking. I suggest trying it for the first time on a day off.

Mugwort also has the effect of making you lucid dream – and also making you feel calm during those dreams. This is an interesting enough effect that many people want to drink it just for that. Try not to drink mugwort for dreaming too many nights in a row, because your body may not find the sleep quite as restful, even if you enjoy it.

Mugwort tastes bad, and the rest of the ingredients are mostly there to mask its flavor.