“I believed in love; the kind we all dream of
The once in a lifetime kind of love
I fought for that love
I gave all that I had
Until I had no more to give
If my hopes and dreams for love
Were like a rose, then
I know I believed in true love
Until the last petal fell”
- Will Hazlett, poet
Woven throughout myth and legend, the beautiful sweet rose touches and inspires the heart of humanity as a symbol of love. There may be no other plant that embodies such deep feelings of the heart.
Perhaps the most iconic symbol in Beauty and the Beast is the enchanted glass-encased rose. In as much as a rose symbolizes love, the enchanted rose also symbolizes the transience of life and the futility of worldly pleasures. Flowers fade and die, reminding us that the beauties and luxuries of this life will pass, sometimes without warning – stolen away in a fleeting moment.
The sweetness of rose helps those who feel unloved and who struggle with self-love. Rose can comfort the wounded heart while calming and deeply nourishing the nervous system, allowing us to open to our inner self AND to the outside world. In rose we can find a dear friend who will be there to hold our hand and help us to open our hearts to fresh and fruitful life experiences as we strive to meet our full potential. Just as The Beast, through his love for Belle, comes to understand that life is precious and meant to be cherished–and shared. True love is redemptive and transformative...a powerful force that embraces imperfections, allowing us to see the beauty and potential in others.
Alongside its silky petals are rose’s sharp thorns, which remind us to keep our boundaries intact and to balance our soft openness with a strong sense of discernment between what or who to allow into our space. In the original Sleeping Beauty story by Brothers Grimm, Little Briar Rose, the cursed princess is put under the spell of a hundred years’ sleep. Her castle becomes cloaked in an impenetrable thicket of thorns that denied access to many a potential rescuer. Here the lesson of the rose challenges us to set healthy boundaries and offers a path towards healing and promise. A realistic fairy tale “happily ever after” ending would embrace unconditional love - a love that knows no bounds and transcends the limitations of our human understanding.
The iconic rose prompts us to reflect on the nature of life and symbolizes the transience of life; a reminder to embrace and appreciate the ephemeral moments that often bring us profound joy. Like the first flush of love, these fleeting moments may not last forever, but their impact may touch us deeply.
Our February 2024 Til The Last Petal Falls Collection embraces the beauty of rose’s uplifting and supporting wisdom - from artfully crafted soaps and relaxing aromatic bath blends to perfumes that capture her many endearing facets, to massage oils that lean into her aphrodisiac qualities and stimulate the senses. With each product, you’ll learn more about her exquisite simplicity and her constant reminder that softness and strength can co-exist. In fact, they MUST.
FEATURED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: FAIREST OF THEM ALL artisan botanical soap
"It was the middle of winter, and the snow-flakes were falling like feathers from the sky, and a queen sat at her window working, and her embroidery-frame was of ebony. And as she worked, gazing at times out on the snow, she pricked her finger, and there fell from it three drops of blood on the snow. And when she saw how bright and red it looked, she said to herself, "Oh that I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the embroidery frame!" Not very long after she had a daughter, with a skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony, and she was named Snow-white.
And when she was born the queen died. After a year had gone by the king took another wife, a beautiful woman, but proud and overbearing, and she could not bear to be surpassed in beauty by any one. She had a magic looking-glass, and she used to stand before it, and look in it, and say,"Looking-glass upon the wall, Who is fairest of us all?" And the looking-glass would answer,"You are fairest of them all." And she was contented, for she knew that the looking-glass spoke the truth. Now, Snow-white was growing prettier and prettier, and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as day, far more so than the queen herself. So one day when the queen went to her mirror and said,"Looking-glass upon the wall, Who is fairest of us all?"It answered,"Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, But Snow-white fairer is than you."
from Little Snow White, by Brothers Grimm
Magic mirrors in folklore, from the talking mirror in Snow White to the cursed mirror in the Snow Queen that distorts the appearance of goodness, beauty and truth, are objects of mystery and seduction....and generally not in a good way! The distortion of truth and innocence always leads us down a dark path; some do not return from such a journey.
Fairest of Them All reflects both the sweetness of a floral heart of rose and blackberry against the mysterious, intoxicating edge of distinctly smoky oud, spicy peppercorn, velvety myrrh, warm amber and dark musk. It's captivating and intoxicating.....and completely unexpected. It may not be the prettiest soap (or is it??! LOL!), but it will definitely make you see rose scents in a new light.
Now if a smoky scented rose soap isn't your jam for bathing (we get it, really we do!), but you're intrigued about this unique scent, perhaps you'd prefer to try it out in a candle. We've put together a fantastic candle collection this month! You serious Solstice fans know that we don't make candles often, but when we do....oh we do make them well worth it! Check out our latest - The Other Side of the Mirror Candle Collection!
BRAND NEW PRODUCT LINE!
Some of you have been begging for a luxury massage oil crafted from our magic hands, and we've finally mastered our formula...with a sultry and seductive slant and aphrodisiac surprises.
Tis the season of love, after all....
Our sultry aromatic blends are designed to create a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for an intimate couples massage. Turn up the heat in the bedroom...or simply relax and unwind after a hard day at work.
We've custom crafted three exquisite scent options for you to choose from. You should DEFINITELY read each product listing to truly appreciate the special vibes that each one has to offer.
Here's the short and sweet of it:
Sweet Seduction - chocolate + strawberry
Glass Slipper - jasmine + neroli
Ephemeral Beauty - vetiver + rose + saffron
Luxury for lovers!
Stay sexy, my tribe! Mwah!
