small-batch wellness goods to warm your home (+spirit) this winter

Handcrafted, intentionally-designed goods make excellent gifts— even more so, when it’s your self that you’re gifting. These three beautiful products were my holiday gifts to myself, and I feel like their magick (and the amazing, creative minds that brought them to life) must be shared. Winter can be brutal, but these mindfully-made creations can help the fire stay lit.

fashioned for the fire within.

My first self-gift of winter came from a beloved local maker whose wellness wares are known for their legitimate quality, potency, + yes, gorgeous packaging (which varies by collection; how amazing is that?). A powerful potion packed carefully into a little bottle, Fire Cider is part of the seasonal Mysterium Oculi collection crafted by Alysha of Seven Dreams Ceremony, based out of Baltimore, Maryland.

If you’re a local, you’ll probably recognize that name, as Alysha Davila is the founder and orchestrator of the well-known Bazaar Esoterica events that many mystical, cosmically-curious Marylanders (and visitors) look forward to during spring + fall. And if you’ve ever been to one of the Bazaars, you know that Alysha is an amazing spirit who provides immaculate vibes to the community through nature-infused wellness products, workshops, and events.

An immune-supportive blend crafted with apple cider vinegar, turmeric, cinnamon, burdock, lemon, and other herbs, this Fire Cider has been keeping me healthy (and warm!) this season. There’s many ways to use it; I love to enjoy it in soda water or tonic as a little mid-winter “mocktail”— served in a wine glass, of course.

Alternatively, to really warm up, the Fire Cider makes a beautiful addition to a hot cup of tea. My preference is a nice, spicy ginger tea, with a bit of honey to further complement the herbs and plants that bring this cider to life. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think aside from enjoying this potion in food or drink, Fire Cider could be immensely useful in personal magick or offerings that honor the properties and intentions of the ingredients it contains.

The plants + herbs that fuel each seasonal release from Seven Dreams Ceremony are homegrown by Alysha or otherwise locally-sourced. The love / intention can be felt in this cider, and in every one of their products that I’ve tried before (the incense cones + herbal pre-rolls are highly recommended).

a retreat into nature, in a single spritz.

While visiting an out-of-state makers’ market a couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to find myself in front of the Singe Studios table. The sleek, minimal packaging is what pulled me in, but it’s the kindness of the creator, and the quality of the offerings that transformed me into a repeat customer.

Founded by Angela DeBruhl-Kale and based in Asheville, North Carolina, Singe brings a special kind of magick to home + body goods. My first purchase was a perfume roller in the scent of Blossom, which I was absolutely addicted to for months. My next self-treat from Singe was this room spray, called Woodlands. This spray has made its way into my weekend micro-rituals; I tend to spritz it around the house after cleaning, namely in my room once the bed is made with fresh sheets.

Combining sensual wild violet, earthy oakmoss, and uplifting bergamot, this scent of this spray is not what I was expecting— and that’s a good thing. I expected it to smell like dampened earth (which would’ve been fine), and while there’s an unmistakable, grounding energy to it, the scent is more vibrant than I thought it would be. Imagine mother earth showering in fresh rain, adorning herself in flowers, and preparing for a date night with the sky. That’s what this smells like.

Singe offers indulgent, natural gifts that are clearly crafted with a ton of care + a deep connection to nature that you can feel. I’ve enjoyed every product I’ve been able to buy from them, and I have to add that my mom adored the perfume that she was gifted (she got the scent called Rarity).

If you weren’t already convinced to go ahead and treat yourself to your new favorite perfume or room spray, you should know that when shopping from Singe Studios, you are supporting a beautiful creative business that was adversely affected by the hurricane that ravaged Asheville and much of the Southeast in September of 2024.

a passport to a world between pages.

Wrapping up this list is one of my favorite candles from one of my favorite makers. While vending at my first Bazaar Esoterica in 2023, my table neighbor was none other than Woodland Magic. I was immediately drawn to their candles not just by the stunning vessels and memorable labels, but by the unique scents they housed.

The first candle I experienced from Woodland Magic is called Forest Floor, which had me in a trance for months. After mourning its last hour of burning, I graduated to the mossiest offering, the famous Bog Witch candle. Finally, at the start of this winter, I knew it was time to get cozy with the scent I was dying to experience: Volumes of Forgotten Lore.

It truly is a haunting scent, in the best way. Picture yourself in a barely-lit library, where that nostalgic “old book” smell envelopes the space, and there’s a fireplace crackling in the main reading room. This is the atmosphere that one can escape to with this candle, which was inspired by “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. In their description of this book-lover’s favorite, Woodland Magic describes Volumes of Forgotten Lore as the perfect winter night, featuring “the scent of old books, embers, and wood.”

Included in their official description of the library that inspires this scent, there are lush, velvet cushions involved, which makes this scenario even better in my book (I am a certified velvet fiend). Having this candle burn safely on the mantle while I cocoon in my giant, velvet blanket, enjoy some lavender-chamomile tea, and get lost in a book (…one of the several books I’m trying to get through) is my idea of a nourishing night.

I am lucky in that Woodland Magic is based out of Maryland, and their candles can be found at several locations throughout the area, including countless makers’ markets (they stay busy!). But if you’re a long-distance candle lover, fear not: you can shop Woodland Magic online via their shop any time. Their candles are non-toxic, handpoured, and infused with love + lore.

These three beautiful offerings have made my winter a little less frigid and a lot more comforting. It is incredible to me the way these respective makers craft their wares; you can sense the soul, heart, and passion in each of the products mentioned in this post. And as an added bonus for myself, they were all a joy to photograph.

how will you
nourish your spirit
this winter?

elemental metal; vol. 1: fire

This is the first playlist in a series of four; a musical journey throughout which we’ll be exploring the essence of each natural element through variegated genres of metal.

The star of this playlist is fire, the element of passion, rage, and creation. Each song has a place here, chosen carefully to represent the multitude of emotions and experiences that one might relate to the element of fire:

Newness, and the light of life. Environmental destruction. Uncontrollable change. Detrimental loss. Necessary and natural alterations of self and planet. Anger, for a cause. Personal transformation, through the most extreme circumstances— unavoidable change that paves the way for new growth.

Featuring an oldie-but-goodie from the heavy kings of Black Tongue, a brand new collaboration track from the Maryland-based experimental masterminds in Full of Hell, and a doom-heavy offering from the almighty, often extraterrestrial YOB, this playlist will guide you through the full range of every fiery feeling.

thrifted fall finds: semigoth edition

The thrift goddesses have been extremely kind to me this autumn season. How about you?

I’m always thankful to happen upon a really dramatic, “right place, right time” kind of piece.

This look combines two of my favorite thrift store finds for the colder months: a gorgeous, black satin-esque trench that looks like it came from the set of The Matrix, and this stunning, floor-length maxi dress that features a nude mid-length dress draped in black lace.

The bottom of the dress from the thigh area downward is all see-through, stunning black lace, every goth-inspired, shadow-dweller’s dream.

self-love ritual: 9 songs to romance your spirit

Each song on this alternative + metal-infused playlist has one thing in common: passion. These are songs that would normally be dedicated to another; but your spirit deserves that love first, don’t you think?