Mars-Hour Candles

I poured candles during Mars hours using beeswax, infused oils, copal and aromatic plants. I wanted a scent that could mark the beginning of a practice before any visible action occurred.

After curing, three friends joined me to describe what the blends did in the room. Resin-heavy mixtures traveled; others stayed close to the candle. A blend that helped one person focus made another want distance. Those disagreements were part of what the test produced.

Scent has a pace of its own: it spreads, clings and outlasts the flame. I am working with that duration as a possible transition between states of attention. Any shared use needs a way to enter the atmosphere and a way to leave it.

December 2025 candle tests: preparation, curing and small-group descriptions of the resulting scents.