An Introduction to Candle Magic

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Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it’s a method which doesn’t require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake?

In this article, Patti Wiginton, explains, as birthday candles, here is the same theory, only now instead of just hoping, you’re declaring your intent (and by now you’ve probably stopped hoping for a pony). If you think about it, the birthday-candle ritual is based on three key magical principles:

  • Decide on a goal
  • Visualize the end result
  • Focus your intent, or will, to manifest that result

What Sort of Candle Should I Use?

Most practitioners of magical systems will tell you that, much like a few other aspects of life, size really isn’t important. In fact, really big candles may be counterproductive. Look at it this way–a candle that takes three days to burn down can be highly distracting to someone working a spell that instructs you to wait until the candle burns out on its own. Typically, a short taper candle or a votive candle will work the best. In some cases, a spell might call for a specific type of candle, such as a seven-day candle or a figure candle, which may represent a particular person.

One of the most popular candles, believe it or not, is in fact the little menorah candles which are sold by the box in the kosher section of the grocery store. They’re about 4″ long, white, unscented, and thin. Because of this, they’re perfect for spell work.

You should always use a brand new candle for spell work–in other words, use virgin materials. Don’t use the candles that you burned at the dinner table or in the bathroom yesterday for spell work. In some magical traditions, once a candle is burned it picks up vibrations from things around it. If a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, some people believe it will lead to a negative or ineffective magical outcome.

When it comes to colors, you may wish to have a variety on hand for different magical purposes. Typically, Color correspondences for candle magic are as follows:

  • Red: Courage and health, sexual love, and lust.
  • Pink: Friendship and sweet love.
  • Orange: Attraction and encouragement.
  • Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, and solar connections.
  • Yellow: Persuasion and protection.
  • Green: Financial gain, abundance, and fertility.
  • Light Blue: Health, patience, and understanding.
  • Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability.
  • Purple: Ambition and power.
  • Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings.
  • Black: Negativity and banishment.
  • White: Purity and truth*.
  • Silver: Reflection, intuition, and lunar connections.

    * Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.

    Using Your Candle in Ritual

    After you’ve selected a candle, you’ll want to oil it or dress it before burning. This is a method by which you’ll establish a psychic link between you and the candle itself. In other words, you’re charging the candle with your own energy and personal vibrations, and projecting your intent into the wax before you burn it. To dress a candle, you’ll need a natural oil; many practitioners like to use grapeseed because it has no smell. Another option is to use special candle magic oils from one of the metaphysical supply stores.

    Begin at the top of the candle, and rub the oil downward to the middle. Then, begin at the base of the candle and rub the oil up towards the middle, ending where the first coating of oil left off. In some traditions, the anointing is done just the opposite way; start in the middle and work your way towards the two ends.

    If your working calls for herbs to be used as well, roll the oiled candle in the powdered herbs until it is coated all the way around.

    Brujo Negro of BrujoNegroBrujeria says,

    “Is a candle magical in and of itself? No, it is the flame of the candle which is what we are making the magic; the candle and its wax are the fuel for the fire. In essence the candle is a vehicle for the creation of the magic contained in the flame, it is a tool if you will and yes it is a magical tool so you should treat your candles as magical tools. You should give your chosen candle a basic cleansing, before dedicating it to the use of a magical spell.”

    The most basic form of candle magic uses a piece of colored paper that matches the intent of your candle. Decide what your goal is, and write it on the piece of paper. Just for an example, let’s say we’re going to do a money working. Write down your intent, something like I will become financially prosperous. In some traditions, you would write your intent in a magical alphabet, such as Theban or Enochian. Because this is a money-oriented working, we would select either a gold or green piece of paper, and a candle of the same color.

    As you write down your goal, visualize yourself achieving that goal. Think about the different ways in which your goal might manifest. Could you be getting a raise at work? Perhaps someone who owed you money will arrive out of the blue to repay their debt. Maybe you’ll find out you overpaid that cable bill from last year, and you will get a surprise refund check!

    Once you’ve written down your goal, fold the paper, concentrating on your intent the whole time. Some people like to say a small incantation as they do this. If you’re one of those people, this is a good place to do it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use something as simple as:

    Extra money come my way,
    I could use a little cash today.
    Extra money come to me,
    As I will, so it shall be.

    Place one corned of the folded paper into the candle’s flame and allow it to catch fire. Hold the paper as long as possible (without burning your fingers) and then place it in a fire-safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way on its own. Allow the candle to burn out completely. When the candle has burned out completely, dispose of it, rather than saving it to use again for another working. Usually there’s not much left of a candle except a stub of wax, and you can either bury it outdoors or dispose of it in whatever manner you choose.

    Candle Magic for Divination

    In some magical traditions, candles are used for divinatory purposes. The two most commonly used methods of candle divination are by reading the wax, and reading the manner in which the candle actually burns. To read the wax, the typical practice is to drop the liquefied wax into a bowl of cold water. The wax will harden almost immediately, and form shapes. Use these shapes to get the answers to your questions, much as you would if you were reading tea leaves.

    To divine by the way the candle burns is a bit more complex, and Cat Yronwoode of LuckyMojo has a great essay on ceromancy in Hoodoo candle magic.

    [NEWS] Wiccan Woman Called Devil Worshiper at Doctor’s Office

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    ALLEN PARK, Mich. – A Wiccan woman says a receptionist at her doctor’s office wrote “devil worshippers” on her medical information. Dana Hernandez was reportedly at the doctor’s office for a routine visit when she noticed what the receptionist had written on her paper. The receptionist was later fired.

    Ms. Hernandez and her husband went to the office of Dr. Ghassan Otto last week, and they were asked to update her insurance information. After she handed the receptionist a slip of paper with her and her husband’s insurance information, the receptionist asked Hernandez what religion she is part of.

    Hernandez looked at the paper that she had previously handed receptionist and noticed that the receptionist had written “devil worshippers” on it.

    Hernandez believes that the woman saw her pentagram earrings and mistook them for a symbol associated with Satanic religions.

    In an interview with WJBK, Hernandez said, “While that may be the religion of some people and I’m not being disrespectful of that, that’s a sore misrepresentation of who I am as a Wiccan of my values.”

    She notes that, deserved or not, worshipping the devil carries a negative connotation.

    While Ms. Hernandez is Wiccan, her husband Hugo is Catholic.

    The couple attempted to talk directly with the doctor about what happened with the receptionist, both the questioning about what religion they follow and the note she wrote on their insurance information, but Hernandez says the doctor appeared to brush them off.

    However, when the office manager for the doctor’s office was contacted, Elanora Clark, she says they thoroughly investigated the incident and terminated the receptionist for violating office policy.

    Attorney Robert Previto says the couple handled the situation correctly and the firing of the employee was the correct result.

    “The receptionist is clearly a bigot who doesn’t understand that Wicca isn’t Satanism,” said Mr. Previto.

    He says in this case there don’t appear to be any damages suffered by the couple, so a lawsuit wouldn’t be the most appropriate solution.

    Although if the doctor had refused to treat her or had given her inferior treatment based on her religion, then seeking legal counsel is a better route to take.

    Mr. Hernandez says he feels bad that the woman was fired, and they don’t wish ill will on anyone. Ms. Hernandez says the world needs healing and more education so people don’t turn against one another.

     

    HT: wildhunt.org