Red didn't realize her mouth hung open until she snapped it shut, teeth clicking together. The tale of the Wolf bringing Gaya's body to the edge of the forest detailed only how SHE looked, making no mention of his own appearance. Everyone knew the Wilderwood had made him different, something not quite human, though no one knew the specifics. But the Wolf's story was one of mythic beasts, and as it was told throught the centuries, he became one, too.
These scarred hands, this overlong hair, this face too hard-edged to be handsome - she'd thought she was prepared for anything, but she wasn't prepared for this. The Wolf was a man before he was a monster, and the figure before her didn't fit neatly into either category.
-Hannah Whitten, For the Wolf (book one in the Wilderwood duology)
We've frolicked through a medley of childhood favorite fairy tales and literature this year, but this month we'll meet some characters from a modern retelling of a few classics. Hannah Whitten's duology For the Wolf & For the Crown have a Red Riding Hood meets Beauty and the Beast vibe that we think is absolutely brilliant. Fairy tale lovers will appreciate this modern twist and Whitten's atmospheric prose.
The wolf is a recurring symbol of wildness, the unknown self, the feminine, the forbidden or shadow woven into the cultural stories around the world. The wolf archetype has lately been embraced as a devoted symbol for the feminine, thanks to Clarissa Pinkola Estes' book, Women Who Run With The Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. The Wild Woman is an endangered species, but she is both magic and medicine and a powerful force that is vital to the future of humanity. HOWL and be heard, wild women.
Read more about wolves and the plight of the red wolf in NC in our blog post:
The Wolf takes you on a journey through a misty forest with a base of green moss, mineral-rich earth, juniper and light musk with a whisper of smoke to accent the intense earthiness. Our earthy palette echoes the coloring of a wolf and each bar is stamped with a wolf paw and topped with a crescent moon. HOWL!
Approx 4-4.5oz bar
Handcrafted soap will continue to evaporate water and lose weight over time. This makes for a finer, harder, and longer lasting bar.
Ingredients: Coconut oil, Hi-oleic sunflower oil, Olive oil, Sodium hydroxide*, Distilled water, Mango butter, Cocoa butter, Avocado oil, Castor oil, Fragrance, Citric acid, Sodium lactate & Mica
*None remains in final product
The Wolf Artisan Botanical Soap
Handmade soaps need to breathe! We recommend storing your soap on a slatted or free draining soap dish so that it can air dry in between uses.
- Remove botanical toppings prior to use.
- Don't allow your soap to sit in a puddle of water.
- Use a wash cloth, loofah or soap saver bag to extend the life of your soap bar.
- Use your soap bar within one year of purchase. I know they're pretty to look at, but they're intended to be used so enjoy them! :)
- Store unused soap out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperature fluctuations and high humidity conditions.
- You may experience colored lather with dark or brightly colored bars; however, no permanent staining should occur.
- Discontinue use if irritation occurs
- Soaps are for external use only & are not edible
