It's January in Salem and things are quiet around downtown. The streets are empty, the sky is that dull winter gray, there's a little bit of snow on the ground and this month forces us to slow down whether we want to or not.
Back in 2011 Witch City Wicks was formed in my kitchen, without a business plan or timeline. Just the excitement of a fun new hobby, using wax and sampling fragrances. The excitement for new things still matters to us. January is when we return to why we started in the first place, examine the path we've been on and forge ahead with new ideas.
SCENT FOCUS
The scents we choose to surround ourselves with in January are what get us through this month as life quiets down. We're wrapping up our holiday candles (my beloved Christmas Hearth is nearly gone, and maybe your Winter Witch candle is mostly burned down). This is when we reach for fragrances that comfort and make our spaces feel cozy on the coldest nights.
January’s Candle of the Month: Gothic Winter
Gothic Winter is inspired by a quiet, secluded retreat. This scent opens with crisp aldehyde (a fragrance compound that creates the sense of fizziness), lemon zest, camphor and sage follow, bringing a clean, herbal sharpness with powdery soft amber warmth, and earthy patchouli.
Companion scents:
For those building a winter candle rotation, these scents pair naturally with January’s focus:
Holy Ground for spiritual grounding and clarity
Midnight Amber for warmth and emotional comfort
WITH LOVE, FROM SALEM
If you’ve only visited Salem in October, you’ve never truly seen it. Salem in January belongs to the locals. This is the Salem that shapes our daily lives. The Salem that social media influencers don't know about and don't know how to handle.
Our Salem shop remains open and will be running on a winter schedule.
Shop hours beginning in January:
Sunday-Tuesday 11-5pm
CLOSED Wednesdays
Thursday - Friday 11-5pm
Saturday 11-6pm
WHAT'S NEW / WHAT'S NEXT
For us, January is about digging back into work: restocking core scents, refining internal systems, and preparing for the year ahead. Things might be slow around us, but for production this is where we ramp up. We'll be staying incredibly busy in our 100+ year old warehouse (that survived the Great Salem Fire of 1914!).
We'll be working on restocking our core fragrances, brainstorming new ideas, refining internal processes and cross training our warehouse staff. We're also working on our darkly romantic seasonal release for February!
