Athena's Familiar Owl

12 oz soy candle

This candle celebrates Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts, and her familiar, the little owl athene noctua. The fragrances of this candle evoke the Mediterranean landscape over which the little owl flies, combining bay leaf, sea mist, fig, and olive. Grecian olive leaves are blended into the wax, offering texture, color, and additional earthiness. As the story goes, the people of the yet unnamed Athens chose Athena’s gift of the olive tree over the offering of Poseidon. Thus the olive tree is sacred to Athena, and serves as a perch for her familiar. This offering reminds us that Athena and her familiar share the same root: one of the most common descriptors given to Athena in the works of Homer is "glaukopis," or “the bright eyed,” or “with gleaming eyes,” etymological kin to "glaux," or little owl. They are bound together by the brightness and intensity of their eyes and of the vision and scope those eyes can perceive.

This 12 oz candle is hand-poured in small batches, made from 100% soy wax with a burning time of 50+ hours. The owl mason jars are durable and can be reused to store various herbs, teas, spices, etc. or to use as a glass (the lid has a hole for a straw). To reuse the container, simply wash with hot water (alternately, you can melt remnants of the candle in the oven. Line an old baking sheet with wax paper and put the candle upside down on the sheet for 20 minutes on 180 F).

Each candle is imbued with word and sigil magic. For Yule candles, the power phrase is: "We seek Athena's unwearying courage in the face of daunting struggle."

Historical & magical associations of the ingredients:

• Fig: Divination, fertility, love, protection
• Bay leaf: Victory, creativity, prosperity, banishing, protection, healing
• Olive: Peace, healing, protection, luck
• Cedarwood: Cleansing, protection, eternal life
• Amber: Beauty, love, warmth, sunlight, healing

About this candle:

• Made with 100% soy wax from the US
• Made with lead-free cotton wicks
• Made with non-toxic fragrances
• Contained in a reusable glass container
• Made in a workshop now powered by solar energy!

Click here to read about candle safety & care