From her work as a school counselor to her connection to her ancestry in search of her divine ourpouse, we sat down with Melody Paniagua, also known as Magical Mel, to learn about her ancestral history and how it beautifully connects with her business encompassing astrology, energy, and growing her bilingual community.

*Melody, the founder of Making Magical Candles in NYC.*

Please, tell us about the origins of your brand, Making Magical Candles.

People think this was a mid-life crisis from grad school, but it was more hitting rock bottom in a way, and eventually seeing it as emotional burnout. A lot of it happened as I went through my Master’s Program for School Counseling where you’re not just trained in specific therapeutic work but rather psychology from a macro perspective. This helps in meeting the kids I work with where they’re at, in a way I am the tool that helps them.

I started questioning myself, especially as I was nearing the end of the program when the pandemic started. I graduated in May 2020 and had a virtual cremony so not even an actual commencement and my family couldn’t even be there. But before that, I had this wondering moment, thinking: is this journey for me? Was I going to feel this way with doubts forever? There was certainly a lot of unpacking through grad school. Even when I started the program. I finished my first semester while also being a pledge mom for my sorority, and barely any self care time in the process.

Eventually, I went to New Orleans seeking something different, in a way escaping New York, the dread, the worrying. This was in January of 2020. I ended up walking inside a tarot reading shop and the reading I had there was simply amazing. She knew so much, it was truly magical! In a way that inspired to start my business. From getting the message that I was magical, my business was born from that sense of being renewed and connecting with a purpose. In a way this also influenced how I see therapy and counseling, not just about solving problems but about the feeling I got in that tarot reading, about leaning towards magic. This was so impactful that I started leaning into it. Eventually I created my first candle and gave one to my father and the connection with my grandfather, a curandero, began. Although I never got to meet him he has a special impact on my business.

*Picture from Making Magical Candles* *Instagram page*.

Why did you decide to make candles as the center of your business?
I got tired of burning candles that didn’t feel energetically correct for me. It was either a Bath and Body Works type of candle that would smell good but not align with me or natural candles that wouldn’t smell at all. I wanted them to have both elements. My first candle, called “More Myself”, was born right after coming back from NOLA and the candles in general started more as something fun to do for myself.

When it comes to connecting with the duality of being a school counselor and an entrepreneur, how is that combination working out for you?

I focus on allowing things to flow with me, my business and my job, you should let it flow organically with you. For example, if my ideal client wanted my candle they will wait for the time it takes for me to deliver something intentional rather than me rushing into somwething.

I’d also say lead with the thing that has the most boundaries which is the school counseling, flow organically with what feels correct. Push yourself but also learn from overcommiting and under delivering. For example, you cant launch a candle collection every season. Flow with your business. This has allowed me to create ultimate spiritual tools.

And speaking of these tools, more specifically your candles, how do you channel the energy of each collection? Walk us through the process.

It takes about 3 months for the process itself; spiritual business feels things in ebbs and flows. The astrology candles idea was developed in he second year of the business, then I came out with two candles, and during the third year a lot of more action happened, so it’s a whole process.

Each collection has its own periods. The colder months are best for selling candles, but the summer is dormant and great for planning new collections. Then there are the candles that are not in a specific collection, which are inspired by inner work. I have different notebooks for emotions, potions, etc and some blends come up from some of the ideas i have in them.

In terms of a special collection, I’d say Autumnal Collection has been the best so far, its for my birthday, so it felt very full circle. When it comes to collections I’d say Ori (Oriana Rivera) inspired the curation of collections itself. She is honestly someone I admire on social media.

*One of the candles from the Autumnal Collections. Picture from Making Magical Candles* *Instagram page*.

Let’s talk about one of your latest offerings, the Candleside Chat Podcast.

I launched one podcast before my business, but that was made as the live show for my imposter syndrome in a way. This time around I wanted it to connect more with my story and for people to get to it organically. At this time, social media isn’t really a big deal for me so I might not advertise it much, so for my podcast and my business in general, whoever arrives will do so organically, I’m not really looking for virality. Also in the podcast its the space where I feel most myself: I can talk there for days, it’s my space!

You can learn more about Melody by following her on @_magicalmel and @makingmagicalcandles as well as her podcast Candleside Chats.

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