Mind Your Beeswax

Over the years I have enjoyed sourcing bees wax from around the country. Who knew beeswax comes in such an interesting variety of textures, colours and aromas? I certainly didn't! For a long time I prefered the lightly coloured and fragranced, soothing North Canterbury varieties that I like to use in skin conditioning balms for tattoos. Then, a bit closer to home, I discovered the heavily scented manuka beeswax with a fudge-like consistency that I currently use in my personal face balms and 'deluxe' balms.

The healing kawakawa balm includes manuka bees wax.

Blended with kawakawa infused cold pressed grapeseed oil from the South Island, jojoba and tsubaki oils, it keeps skin cleansed and well moisturized. To my misery, after the last lockdown, I developed a line of eczema down the center of my face that got dry and brittle with ointments the doctor gave me, so I have been relieved to find a remedy for myself that is soothing and natural. I admit, the usual balm would be fine for the eczema, and I only went to the doctor because I ran out and was curious to see if there was something better. It is really the antiaging effects I am after by adding those particular oils to the deluxe balms. They are amazing if you are wanting a natural way to manage the effects of aging, but the ingredients are too expensive for me to keep on hand for general sale. If you are interested message me and I will put your name down for the next batch.

What is beeswax? Some history.

Taken from https://www.apiaristsadvocate.com/

Beeswax is a natural, sustainable, non-toxic substance produced by honey bees. Mary Bumby, the sister of a Northland missionary, was probably the first to introduce non-native bees to New Zealand, in March 1839. The New Zealand bush proved a hospitable place for bees, and the number of wild colonies multiplied rapidly, especially in the Bay of Islands. Isaac Hopkins, regarded as the father of beekeeping in New Zealand, observed that by the 1860s bee nests in the bush were plentiful, and considerable quantities of honey were being sold by Māori – who were the country’s first commercial beekeepers.*

Fun and healthy beeswax creations!

Burning beeswax releases negative ions that bind to airborne particles like dust, pollen, and mould, so purify the air. With the wonderful shapes that can be crafted, and long burn times there is so much to like about beeswax in the candle world.

Beeswax candles have been used for thousands of years, with the earliest known examples dating back to ancient Egypt and China. The ancient Egyptians used beeswax to make candles, cosmetics, balms, fillings, and embalm the dead. The ancient Greeks and Romans also used beeswax candles in their religious ceremonies and to light their homes.

Is there spiritual significance to beeswax?

Physically beeswax candles spread light, warm and purify while beeswax itself has healing and protective properties. So it's not hard to see why beeswax candles are used in so many religious and spritual practices. Candles themselves can be seen to signify the living being, life, the spirit and illumination therefore truth. They represent the fire element, in the Chinese traditions. For me the process of burning can be seen as a powerful metaphor for change, and I like to think of thoughts, ideas and dreams being sent up and out to the Universe or Seven Heavens, perhaps assisted by Tawhirimātea, the god of the wind. Like the ancient Greeks who believed the smoke carried their prayers and wishes heavenward and even better they believed their deities or Atua heard and would ward off evil spirits.

Beeswax candles have been considered symbols of purity and light in many spiritual traditions, and their use has helped to honor deities and create an atmosphere for meditation and prayer. By the Middle Ages, beeswax candles became synonymous with religion. Churches across Europe relied on the steady glow of beeswax to illuminate religious ceremonies and icons. The production of ceremonial church candles became an important craft, with strict guidelines on purity and quality. This holy association led to beeswax candles being seen as a symbol of luxury, purity and ritual for many centuries.

See more on https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/mind-your-beeswax

The Western European tradition of “telling the bees” is fascinating and where the saying, 'Mind your beeswax' comes from. The beekeeper treated their bees as extended members of their own family and kept them informed of any family news in the household. Little is known about the origins of this practice, although there is some unfounded speculation that it is loosely derived from or perhaps inspired by ancient Aegean notions about bees' ability to bridge the natural world and the afterlife**

Beeswax increases the burn time of these soy candles, topped with mini bees and honeycombs, while the soy and beeswax blend holds the scent, 200ml.

A section from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Tell the Bees" describes the practice of 'Telling the bees':**

Before them, under the garden wall,Forward and back.Went, drearily singing, the chore-girl small,Draping each hive with a shred of black.Trembling, I listened; the summer sunHad the chill of snow;For I knew she was telling the bees of oneGone on the journey we all must go!"Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!Mistress Mary is dead and gone!"

*teAra.govt.nz

**Wikipedia