BLACK CANDLE READER CANDLE
The BLACK CANDLE READER CANDLE was designed for William Maltese's story, BLACK CANDLE READER in MLR Press' haunting anthology LOVE ME DEAD.
In BLACK CANDLE READER, Candle Artist Jfay is approached by the characters in the story to design a candle in which they can use to "read" in order to find the burial spot of missing family members thought to have been killed by Nazis and buried in a mass grave somewhere in a forest long long ago.
Kenneth Black is a candle reader and visits Jfay at her studio and requests a candle that is made of Black, representing the unknown, Brown, since he has the unmistakable feeling that those they seek are buried in the ground, and White, by way of insinuating his hoped-for-enlightenment.
When Jfay inquires to what scent they would like, Kenneth replies Pine, and his companion also asks for Clove as he's certain there will be the noticeable stench of death when the ground is disturbed.
So thus, born from the story itself, and made by the candlemaker Jfay, herself , the BLACK CANDLE READER CANDLE stands in it's hand-marbled eerie beauty, ready for gazing and leading the way to unlocking the answers sought by the BLACK CANDLE READER.
The BLACK CANDLE READER CANDLE is a tall 3X9 pillar, $29.00 ea.
And Lilith, the first woman, did see the vision within the flickering of a candle flame that did show her Jaweh’s displeasure and how He would supplant her in Adam’s favor with Eve. And Lilth became Demon. — ancient Jewish text.
For Your Reading Pleasure, an Excerpt from BLACK CANDLE READER:
I’m expecting an old crone, candle-making seeming to insinuate black-magic or even witchery. I’m pleasantly surprised by Jfay, wax artisan, who is an attractive woman, late thirties, with an absolutely charming southern accent, “Y’all come on in.” Her brown hair is perfectly coiffed. Her eyes are dark chocolate. Her lips are colored with just a hint of pale red. “I thought we could have cold Coronas and jalapeño snacks while we discuss the candle in question.
Our chairs are grouped around a round coffee table upon which sits opened beer bottles punctuating a bed of ice cupped within a large punch bowl parenthesized by two smaller bowls almost overflowing with spicy home-made chips.
“You’ve a candle color definitely in mind?” she asks and drinks some of her beer straight from the bottle.
“I’m thinking black, maybe representing the dark and the unknown but, to be quite candid, I’m not quite sure why I think it should be black; just that it should be,” Kenneth says. “If you can, please, include at least some brown, since I have an unmistakable feeling that those we seek are buried in the ground. You might slip in a bit of white by way of insinuating my hoped-for enlightenment.”
“All which can certainly be done,” Jfay says and reaches for a jalapeño chip which she puts in her mouth and crunches between her white teeth. “Scent?”
“Pine scent,” Kenneth says.
Before I can stop myself, I say, “And clove.”
This is Kenneth’s candle, and I’ve inadvertently intruded; I’m supposedly there as an interested bystander soaking up pointers. “I am sorry,” I say. “That just slipped out.”
“Pine and clove?” Jfay queries for clarification.
“Just pine,” I say. “I hope there’ll be no more such uncontrollable outbursts on my part. I don’t know what got into me.”
“Wait a minute,” Kenneth says. “Can you tell me why you think there should be clove?”
“I haven’t a clue why I even said it,” I say and feel genuinely embarrassed. It’s not as if he and I are commissioning this candle together.
“Do think about the why,” he persists. “It may be important. Do me a big favor and shut your eyes for a moment and count slowly to five.”
“I can’t imagine it being of any import in the slightest. I really…”
“I insist!” he interrupts. “Shut your eyes, count slowly to five, and try to give me some reason for you spontaneously suggesting clove.”
Just to avoid additional attention and argument, I shut my eyes. I count to five. After which time, I have an answer for him but I’d rather not give it to him.
“Well?” he persists.
Copyright MLR Press, William Maltese 2009
Available in Print from Barnes and Noble! Click Here!
Available in Print from Amazon! Click Here!
Also Available in E-Book from MLR Press:
http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=ANTHLVDD
Visit Author William Maltese Online at www.williammaltese.com
All Studio 3B Candles are Custom Made to Order
