LEAH'S INSPIRATION BEHIND THE CELTIC FOLKLORE COLLECTION

One of the first collections that Mythologie Candles released was our Spring/Summer 2020 Celtic Woodland Folklore collection, inspired by magical creatures you would find in the woods. It was such a huge success that we couldn't resist bringing it back, but this time, it's new and improved! We spoke to our founder, Leah, about her inspiration and vision for the Celtic Folklore collection.

How did you become interested in all things Celtic?
It all started with learning about my Celtic heritage on both sides of my family. There's a lot of Irish, Scottish, and English in my blood, so I feel a pull to those areas and when I'm there, I strangely feel right at home. My love for all things Celtic was only more solidified as I came to know more of the history, folklore, and of course music.

What do you love about Celtic folklore and culture?
While you'll find many similar creatures and stories across different cultures, Celtic folklore has a special and magical spin on storytelling. There are endless stories and creatures to choose from, so picking the creatures for this collection was difficult!

Aside from this Summer collection, imagine we'll eventually have an entire Celtic Folklore collection that stays around all year because of the vast amount of creatures and folklores we can cover.

How did you come up with the names for the candles?

I wanted to make sure the candle titles instantly transported you to this magical realm, so I mixed visual places and characters together.

So when you read the title Elven Courtyard, you can instantly picture grandiose white marble pillars and eloquent tile flooring resting on a forest floor on the edge of a cliff, or something very dramatic. Each of the titles is meant to give you an instant visual of the mood and atmosphere.

What was your inspiration for the scent notes?

I first started with a huge list of all the character possibilities, then went through my fragrance library and started making matches. My aim is to always have some diversity of scents in each collection, so in this summer collection, you'll find a range of earthy forest scents, herbal scents, fruity, and citrus scents, with notes that range from musky to sweet.

Each fragrance is crafted and mixed to perfectly capture this magical Celtic forest and all the delightful creatures you'll discover as you walk through it.

Which of the candles is your personal favorite?

Elven Courtyard has to be one of my all-time favorites. The perfect blend of fresh honey from the hive and delicate lemon on a bed of vanilla sandalwood.... it's unbelievable! So sophisticated and nostalgic at the same time, perfect for elves.

The Enchanted Grove is right up there on my list too... the uplifting sweet citrus and exotic greens... it's the perfect summer scent you'll want burning in your house, even on a hot day! It's also a fantastic scent to cover up pet smells or anything you don't want people smelling - this will definitely make your humble castle amazing.

What was your inspiration for the packaging?

In working with our team and our talented artists, this collection was a bit more challenging to design for, in that we didn't have one cohesive theme (unlike Always Winter, Never Christmas, for example), rather, we had six different characters/creatures. The tie-in is they are all creatures you might find in a Celtic woodland, so this packaging needed to reflect that common theme.

We created a scene in a different artistic style, which resembles something you might find in a vintage storybook. On the boxes, you'll find lush trees, water features, fairy houses, magical lanterns, and elven architecture, with a few extra little surprises if you look closely.

Why is creating beautiful packaging important to you?

Our company aims to allow you to completely immerse themselves in a fantasy world, so the packaging needs to help them achieve this! The combination of colors, artwork, scent design, characters, vessels -- and don't forget the stories! -- all work together synergistically to transport you to this magical forest realm.

From a marketing perspective, in addition to many other things, our packaging is a big part of what sets us apart in the market. We go to great lengths and expense to make sure our artwork and packaging is truly immersive and magical (and very difficult to knock off, I might add... beware if you see other brands trying to duplicate us!).

What do you hope people experience and feel when they smell these scents?

When you light one of these Celtic Folklore summer candles, I want you to step into a lush forest, where the sun beams through the canopy of leaves in neon green.

A place where owls and forest critters scurry around, birds sing loudly, and tiny eyes peer around you unbeknownst. Where the magical creatures you've heard in tales come to life, and you're enveloped with the scent of deep forest, ripe berries, and honeycomb.

Ultimately, my wish is that people can take a moment for themselves and create wonderful memories this summer. Scent is such a powerful force and can make everything feel better somehow.

We've all been through a lot this past year, and I feel that the right candle lit beside them as they read their novel on a rainy day, or watch a summer movie, or play their next tabletop game with friends, will make a world of difference in a small, but powerful way.