At every market, one question finds me without fail: "How do you come up with these?"
And I love that question — because the answer is nothing like what most people expect.
What I also notice is that people keep coming back to our intention candles. They pick them up, they linger. They tell me they can see the beauty, but also feel something—a pull they can't quite explain. Honestly? That pull is exactly what we set out to create. It's not accidental. It's the result of a process that begins long before any wax is ever poured.
It begins in stillness. It begins in meditation. It begins with a word.
The Word Comes First
In my meditation practice, words arrive. Not words I brainstorm or choose from a list — and I'll be honest, I don't Google "intention candle ideas" or look at what other makers are doing. That's never been my process. These words come through me. Grounding. Renewal. Devotion. Calm. Each one feels like a gentle nudge from something bigger, a signal that this energy is needed right now. Maybe by someone standing at a market table. Maybe by you reading this.
That word becomes the soul of everything that follows.
Scent as a Language
Once the intention is clear, I ask myself — what does this feel like? What does it smell like? Using aromatherapy as my guide, I begin matching scent to energy. This is equal parts intuition and research. The fragrance notes in our Grounding candle aren't chosen because they smell beautiful — though they do. They're chosen because they help anchor you. Every note has a reason.
Crystals That Mean Something
Next comes crystology — and this is where I slow way down. Every crystal carries its own vibrational frequency, and I take the selection seriously. This isn't about what looks pretty on top, though I'll admit they are stunning. It's about what each stone is genuinely here to do, and whether it truly supports the intention we're working with.
Sacred Placement
Once the crystals are chosen, I place them by hand, guided by sacred geometry and numerology. How something is arranged carries its own energy. I think about this with every single candle. Each one ends up feeling less like a product and more like a small altar.
The Activation
The final step is the one you can't see — but I believe it's the most important. Every candle receives a Reiki charge and a sound bath before it ever leaves my hands. By the time it reaches you, it has been held in stillness, bathed in sound, and charged with healing intention.
That pull people feel at the market? This is where it comes from.
Made With All of This in Mind
I started Montclair Candle Co. right here in Montclair, NJ, because I wanted to make a product that actually meant something in a very sustainable and intentional way. Every candle in our intention collection — carries this same process, this same care.
So the next time someone asks me how I come up with these, I smile. Because the real answer is: I listen. And then I get to work.