Plant a tree, save the world 

I believe trees can save the world. For most of us, trees are such an ordinary sight we don’t give them a second thought. But, once you take the time to consider all the ways in which trees sustain both human life and the planet, you begin to realize the magnitude of their significance.

Trees create the very oxygen that we breathe and are critical for balancing the Earth’s atmosphere by filtering harmful carbon dioxide and toxins in the air. Tree shade cover cools the Earth’s temperature and can prevent heat sinks (also called heat islands) in urban areas. Their roots enable soil to store more water, thereby preventing flood and drought. Trees protect soil from wind and water erosion. When tree leaves fall, they provide the earth with organic nutrients producing fertile soil to grow the food we eat.

“On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.”

Scientists like Suzanne Simard and famed German forester Peter Wohlleben have found trees communicate and share resources through their roots and biological pathways of funghi in the soil called the “mycorrhizal network”.  Through this web, trees share water and mineral nutrients, nourish saplings, send distress signals alerting their neighbors about drought or insect attacks and fend off hungry herbivores.

“Trees are far more alert, social, sophisticated—and even intelligent—than we thought.” ~ Smithsonian 

Trees have been misunderstood for centuries. Dismissed as objects of nuisance or monetary gain, mankind hasn’t treated trees as sentient beings with their own life force and purpose. Incredibly, Wohlleben’s New York Times bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees recounts the studies where he discovered trees have families and nurse their children; they can even count, learn and remember. As Wohlleben states in this interview , 

“Scientists normally use language than cannot be understood. So I translated this, and surprise, surprise! Trees are living beings, trees are social, trees have feelings.”

Not only do trees have the potential to prevent and reverse the catastrophic effects of climate change, perhaps their greatest attribute, is their potential for teaching humanity empathy for the life force of beings so vastly different from themselves.

Once we recognize and acknowledge the critical role trees have in maintaining the delicate balance of life on Earth and are living creatures with a distinct consciousness we are just beginning to understand, we can change our relationship with them. 

By increasing awareness, we can honor and hold reverence for trees, for nature and the Earth who sustain us at every moment. 

Green Gamine handmade soy candles

Green Gamine soy candles are handmade in California from small batches of sustainable materials. Each hand poured candle is made from USA-grown GMO-free soybeans, organic cotton wicks and recyclable glass jars and metal lids. 

Green Gamine candles all contain magical symbolism according to carefully researched herbal lore, ancient mystical traditions and medicinal properties. The candles can be used as powerful tools for setting intentions to manifest desires.  

We believe every consumer should be empowered to support companies and products that improve the planet. In the spirit of conscious consumerism, Green Gamine plants one tree for every single Green Gamine soy candle purchased. Green Gamine has partnered with the non-profit “One Tree Planted”. The simple act of buying a candle empowers consumers to aid imperiled forests and combat global warming.

Green Gamine has five bewitching collections with three distinct scents in each.

Herbes Aromatiques

The Herbes Aromatiques or or Aromatic Herb collection is inspired by the herbs of Provence. The three scents in this line include: 

Lavender – Harmony and Serenity 

Rosemary Mint – Success and Good Fortune

Sage & Sea Salt – Health and Healing 

Fleur Blanche

The Fleur Blanche, or White Flower collection, features the scents of snowy blooms with potently sweet floral fragrances and luxuriously elegant notes. The three scents in this line include:

Jasmine – Abundance and Prosperity 

Honeysuckle – Safety and Protection 

Gardenia – True Love 

Maison Aromatiques

Maison Aromatiques, or Aromatic Home, is a soothing collection inspired by the ancient practice of Feng Shui. Each candle is designed to purify and transform the energy in your home. Scents in this collection include:

Green Bamboo – Lucky Home 

Lemon Citrus – Happy Home 

Fig & Brown Sugar – Harmonious Home 

Saison Des Fetes

Our Saison Des Fetes or Holiday Season collection aligns with the cycles of the Earth by honoring celestial dates. The Fall-Winter holiday collection features the dark half of the year when daylight is waning to include:

Autumn Equinox which typically falls on September 21st  scented with Apple Cinnamon

All Hallows Eve the midpoint between Autumn and Winter scented with Pumpkin Spice 

Winter Solstice which usually falls on December 21st and is scented with Evergreen

The Spring-Summer holiday collection, or light half of the year, celebrates when the daylight is lengthening contains:

Candlemas, the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, with Sweet Butter Crepe

Spring Equinox marking the first day of Spring, typically on March 21st, with Blooming Freesia 

Summer Solstice, on or around June 21st, scented with Ripe Strawberry

Artisan Soy Candle Brand Rep Search!

 

If you’d like FREE lusciously fragranced, pure soy artisan affirmation candles made with a dose of magic every month and have a talent for styling and photography then please enter our rep search! We are looking for TWO reps who can taking amazing photographs, with a talent for styling candles, home decor and a love of nature, flowers and trees.

In exchange for submitting and posting 1 styled candle image per week which will be used for Green Gamine’s social channels (website/blog, Instagram and ultimately pinned to Pinterest) you will receive 1-2 candles per month for the next 3 months. If all goes well, we can extend the length of our agreement.

How would this work? Prior to each month I would send you 1-2 of our lusciously scented handmade soy candles and provide a little creative inspiration. You would then use your dazzling photography talents and creative genius to style the photos, send them to me and we would both post them once per week.  You are only required to post to Instagram, though you are welcome to post wherever you want!

How can you ensure you win? We are looking for beautifully styled photos with a lot of light, arranged with natural objects, plants, bouquets and books – basically we want to show how beautiful candles can look in your home and how they can enhance your life.

To enter:

Follow @greengamine on Instagram

Share this post on your page tagging @greengamine & #greengaminebrandrep

Take 3 styled decor-oriented photograph of a candle tagging #greengaminebrandrep .If you wish to put them in a collage, you are more than welcome to do so, we really just want to get an idea of your style.

You do not have to have a large Instagram following, just working knowledge of Instagram, reliability, flexibility, a passion for nature and candles and an amazing talent for styling quality photos with candles. Deep apologies to our international friends, but you must be a US resident as we only ship within the USA.

Timeline:

We will be accepting entries through July 30, 2017.  Winners will be announced by August 7th. I will send you September’s candle by August 18, 2017 and your first photo will be published by September 5th!

Your pot of gold – the subconscious mind and how it works

Green Gamine candles serve not only as a lovely aromatic indulgence to enhance your home, but can also be used as a tool for manifesting your desires in the physical world. This can be achieved by using the power of the subconscious mind. But, how does the subconscious mind work exactly? 

The human brain has a conscious mind and subconscious mind. Your conscious mind reasons, processes new experiences and learns new skills. When you think and communicate, you are using your conscious mind.

Your subconscious mind is the part of your mind that records information and establishes habits and new skills. Your subconscious mind gives you the ability to breathe, walk, ride a bike and drive a car without thinking. Basically, once a skill is learned with your conscious mind, your subconscious is programmed to perform the skill on autopilot.

Your subconscious mind has a RAS, or a reticular activating system, that acts as a doorway to the mind. The RAS filters information around you both familiar and unfamiliar. Once the RAS has filtered the same information multiple times, it recognizes a pattern. After identifying a pattern, the RAS create a superhighway with a new network of neurons.

That superhighway allows you to bypass your conscious mind and the new new thought pattern becomes automatic – much like riding a bike. Here is the kicker: Your conscious mind processes 2,000 bits of information every minute. In comparison, your subconscious processes 4 million bits of information. It is inconceivable to consider everything you are picking up around you at every moment without even realizing it. That means the only thing you are noticing, are the neural pathways your RAS has already established.

If you are seeing the same negative patterns continuing to show up in your life, your subconscious has most likely created a neural superhighway leading you straight back to the things you don’t want – poverty, failed relationships, poor health and unfulfilling jobs – only because you have developed a pattern.

Your subconscious is witnessing positive events too – evidence of good fortune, abundance, happiness, health, peace and love – but your psycho cybermetic set point is filtering it out because those neural pathway haven’t yet been established.

A new neural pathway or superhighway must be created. There are many techniques for doing this, one of those being affirmations.

Consistently repeating affirmations allows you to create a new neural pathway over time. Affirmations should always be stated in the present tense because your subconscious does not know the difference between past, present or future. Your subconscious doesn’t think or reason because that is your conscious mind’s job.

By repeating an affirmation such as “I shine with success and good fortune” in the present tense, your conscious mind will probably resist if it is not true in that moment. But, as long as that message is getting to your subconscious, ultimately through repetition you are going to program your subconscious to believe that it’s true. Your subconscious only supports your conscious mind once it has made a decision. Affirmations are best if they are short and concise – easier for your conscious mind to process and hence easier for your subconscious mind to create a new positive superhighway.