A form of alternative therapy which involves inserting a hollow tubular candle into your ear and lighting it. As far as I can gather, as the candle burns down it is supposed to create a vacuum and draw 'debris' out of the ear. But that's not all it's supposed to do. On the 'KiSS Ear Candles' web site, they also include a list of other miraculous benefits which they're clearly itching to claim for their product -- but which they can't quite bring themselves to come right out and claim.
"As manufacturers, KiSS Ear Candles cannot claim that our candles clean out the old debris from the ears; that they have cleared up sinus problems, eliminated sinus headaches, relieved symptoms of allergies, colds, ringing in the ears - in three consecutive sessions, nor... of course that they draw wax and Candidia from the ear (yeast infection by any other name), even though our current customers are affirming all that and more."
The 'KiSS Ear Candles' web page is thoughtfully entitled "Ear Candling - How It Works and Why Bother?", which I'm guessing is a fairly frequently asked question. Ear candling, it turns out, is an ancient art that has been recently rediscovered. "Ear Candles are used to open the higher spiritual centers, Chakras, when striving to develop our more than human senses"
KiSS are good enough to supply a step by step guide, complete with some great pictures of a woman with a candle stuck in her ear. So here's how ear candling is done: essentially, the candle is lit and slipped through a hole in a foil-covered paper plate. The unlit end is then inserted into the ear canal of the 'patient' who is lying on his/her side. When you think they've been completely candled or whatever the verb is for this activity...
"...cut the candle open. View the debris ..."
Mmmm... I feel better already.
KiSS will sell you twelve pairs of their splendid ear candles for just $49.20 plus $6.50 shipping and handling. Perhaps it's just me, but this does seem a rather high price to pay to have your head turned into a particularly unattractive and impractical candle-holder.
KiSS's "Ear Candling - How It Works and Why Bother?" is at http://www.shopmt.com/publicaccess/kissearcandles.asp
SEE ALSO the 'rekindle the romance' cartoon at http://www.specialtybottle.com/~tenzing/ec.html
"Candidia"-free at last!