09/14/2026
Long but final post in the seriesā¦
Whatās in a Name? Part 3: Finding the Way
If youāve followed Parts 1 and 2, you know that Soul Dust came first, and 79 came later when Luke 1:79 became the verse at the heart of the business.
But, I was still figuring out just how much that verse would come to mean.
Seabreeze Sunset was only the second scent I created when Soul Dust officially became a business, so for many of you, it has simply always been here. It quickly became a favorite and developed its own look: the pale blue green recycled glass, that became our signature jar, h**p rope, starfish charm, cork lid and a nautical compass stamped on top.
At the time, the compass wasnāt particularly deep.
I liked it. It fit the candle. It fit the coast. So I used it.
Sometimes the meaning comes later. š
Citrus Sunrise was different.
It has been one of my favorite scents for quite some time, but for reasons I canāt really explain, I kept putting off officially releasing it. When I finally decided it was time, I knew I wanted the finished candle to tell a story.
The sun charm was an easy choice. I already knew I wanted to photograph it at sunrise along the North Florida coast. But when it came time to decide what belonged on the lid, I kept changing my mind.
Then something finally clicked.
Citrus Sunrise and Seabreeze Sunset felt like bookends.
Sunrise and sunset. The beginning and ending of a day. Two candles inspired by the same coastline and two moments when the world seems to slow down just a little.
So I decided they should share something.
I went back to the compass I had placed on Seabreeze Sunset years before, except this time the choice was intentional.
A compass is about direction. Guidance. Finding your way when you donāt necessarily know exactly where the road ahead will take you.
And suddenly I found myself right back at the verse that had been part of Soul Dust 79 from the beginning:
āTo shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.ā
Luke 1:79
Light. Guidance. Peace.
This time, I put Luke 1:79 inside the lid of Citrus Sunrise, with the compass on the outside.
And thatās when I started seeing the bigger picture.
For as long as I can remember, the coast has been one of the places I go when life gets too loud. Not to sunbathe or escape life altogether, but to walk, sit, think, pray and breathe. Iām an introvert at heart, and sometimes I simply need to step away from the noise for a little while before I can return to it.
Nature does that for me too, but more often than not, I find myself headed toward the water.
Maybe thatās part of why so much of Soul Dust has naturally been influenced by the coast. I wasnāt intentionally building a brand around it. I was creating from something that was already a part of me.
And somewhere along the way, the mission of Soul Dust became clear:
To create spaces of peace in a world that rarely slows down.
There was that word again.
Peace.
The same word that had been sitting at the heart of Soul Dust 79 all along.
So today, I see Citrus Sunrise and Seabreeze Sunset a little differently. They arenāt just two scents anymore. Together, theyāve become a visual reminder of what I hope Soul Dust can offer:
From sunrise to sunset, a little space to slow down, find your way and breathe.
Thatās also why youāll notice something slightly different on the newest batches of both candles. The compass on the lid has gotten bigger.
Now that I understand what it represents, it deserves a little more room. š
And perhaps thatās the best ending to this little three-part story.
In 2019, I found an angel outlined in sawdust and felt a nudge that Soul Dust was supposed to become something, even though I didnāt know what.
Years later, 79 kept showing up until I finally followed another nudge and found the verse that gave the business its name and its foundation.
And now, years after that, Iām still discovering pieces of that same verse in the things I create.
Maybe we donāt always have to see the whole path.
Sometimes we just need enough faith and light to take the next step. ā¤ļø
