Prairie Fire Herbal was born out of my desire to explore the liminal spaces I haunted as a child and a longing to reconnect with the enchantment of the old ways. I was born in the Deep South and grew up steeped in folklore and herbal traditions. Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the foot of Appalachia, I spent my childhood wandering lonely mountains looking for arrowheads and witch huts or had my nose in a book. My paternal grandparents were professional astrologists who informed my first forays into the occult and fostered my lifelong kinship with plants and animals. Today I reside in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas, which inspired the name Prairie Fire Herbal, where I co-lead a traditional witchcraft coven and practice folk herbalism.
Every item sold by Prairie Fire is hand crafted by me. I grow many of the herbs I use and forage for many others. What I can’t grow or forage, I source with a sustainable ethos in mind, limiting the use of plastics and non-renewable packaging and choosing only those ingredients that can be attained through responsible growth and harvesting practices.
How do you choose the herbs you use? I spend a lot of time researching deities, herb lore, mythology, traditional folk practices, historical sources, and occult practices. Several times a year I road trip to the mountains and the desert to collect plants and other natural elements. I also grow many unusual specimens including baneful plants that find their way into my blends.
I practice magical herbalism and folk herbalism.
How are your candles made? Each pair of ritual tapers are crafted using centuries-old techniques. Beeswax is melted, hemp wicks are cut to the appropriate length, then dipped into the hot wax, building a new layer with each dip. After curing, candles are dipped into colored melted beeswax and rolled in corresponding herb blends.
How long will your candles burn? Beeswax burns more slowly and cleaner than any other wax. Your ritual tapers will burn for 10-12 hours. Keeping the wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch will help your candles burn longer and more efficiently.
What kind of candle holder should I use for the ritual tapers? Because these candles are dressed with herbs and resins, it’s important that you use a plate-style taper candleholder to catch any burning herbs or dripping wax that may fall. The ritual tapers are designed to fit a 1-inch candle holder. Whichever style of candle holder you choose, please make sure that your candle is on a heat-proof surface when lit.
What is the white stuff on the outside of my candles? That’s called ‘bloom’ and it’s perfectly natural. It can occur when compounds in beeswax crystalize. If it happens on undressed candles, you can ‘buff’ it off with a soft cloth or by gently warming your candle with a blow dryer on low heat.
Why aren’t your candles scented? I create the beeswax tapers for ritual and occult use and feel that natural materials work best in magick. Beeswax smells like honey. That’s magical.
I also make soy jar candles and those are scented with fragrance oils and are paraben and phthalate free.
Do you offer wholesale pricing? Wholesale is currently closed to new accounts.
How long does it take to process my order? Processing time is 7-10 business days.