Candle burning has been a very spiritual thing for many many years. It has evolved into a form of magick as well. There are many factors one must look at when practicing candle magick. These are:
- Candle Color
- Size and Shape
- Candle Flipping
- Marking and Dressing
- Measuring
- Charging
- Lighting and Extinguishing
Often times you will find that Candle magick often uses color correspondence. Colors have an impact on our emotions, behavior, and feelings. Therefore, there are now correspondences that have been assigned to each color for candles.
Now, the color of the candle should match your goal and intent. The colors should only act as a mere guide when picking your candles, because the impact of colors and meaning to each and every one of us will either be the same, or differ slightly. Here are the basic Correspondences:
- White -Cleansing, Protection, Purification, All Purpose
- Yellow -Creativity, Communication, Compelling
- Pink -Romance, Friendship, Happiness
- Orange - Employment, Activation, Stimulation
- Red -Health, Passion, Lust, Strength, Love
- Purple -Power, Success, Independence, Spirits
- Brown -Friendship, Law, Stability, Order
- Blue -Truth, Justice, Mental Health, Wisdom, Wishes
- Green -Abundance, Physical Health, Luck, Prosperity
- Black -Banishing, Binding, Protection, Cursing
Candles come in a plethora of sizes and shapes. They can be seperated into the categories of Vigil, Household, and Votive. Votives are smaller, burn hotter and faster. These are most often used when fast results are needed. They are sometimes burned around honey jars, or taper/vigil candles to speed up results.
Many candle magick spells are done with tapers, but not all. The tapers will usually be 6 to 12 inches long, and come in all the colors of the rainbow. The thickness of these candles will vary.
Vigil candles are candles encased in class with an image that usually states their purpose. They burn anywhere from 7 to 9 days. Pillar candles are very similar to Vigils, except they are not encased in glass. Pillars can be used as alternatives to Vigil candles. They may be marked with a wish, dressed with oil placed on an overturned saucer, under which a petition should be placed. For long term goals, pillars can be prepared on the day that corresponds to your goal which falls closest to the full moon. The candle is the burned on the same day every week until your goal is manifested. If your goal has yet to manifest, and you candle has been spent, prepare a new one, lighting it from the flame of the old one, and repeat.
Candle Flipping
Candle flipping is quite old. Some say this orginated from Gypsies, who would burn their candles ‘upside down’ to ensure they would not be incarcerated.
To flip a candle, you cut off a portion where the exposed wick was, and then cut away the wax at the bottom of the candle to expose the wick at the bottom. Candles burned upright, or not flipped, are meant to draw things towards you, while flipped candles are meant to move things away from you.
Marking and Dressing Candles
Marking a candle is inscribing or carving something into the wax of the candle. Candles are usually marked with two things
- Who the candle is to affect
- The goal of the spell.
Dressing a candle means an act of anointing the candle with oil. Candles are anointed to spiritually cleanse the candle and seal the magick inside until burning the candle. Candles are either anointed to draw something to you [money, love, etc.] or to drive things away from you [negativity, someone, etc.]
To anoint a candle, hold it’s base to your abdomen. To draw something to you, dip your finger in the oil and stroke the candle from tip to base three times and call the essence of you desire using a keyword or phrase. To drive something away, anoint it from base to tip.
After dressing a candle, you can choose to roll your candle in a mixture of 10 to 13 herbs, but never more than 13. Herbs chosen should match your goal.
Measuring
In most cases, a candle is allowed to burn until it extinguishes itself. However, some workings will require you to burn the candle at certain intervals. The method of dividing candles into to accomodate the intervals is called measuring.
Candles are measured two ways, Timing, and Pinning. In timing, the candle is only allowed to burn for a certain number of minutes each day for a number of days [usually 7 to 9] . In Pinning, a candle is divided into a certain number of sections by sticking a needle/pin in the candle. The candle is then burned for a certain amount of time until the pin drops.
In the case of a candle that is measured and pinned for nine days, 8 pins go into the candle and the ninth goes through the wick. If a petition is written, and is underneath the candle, the pins will be placed in the petition until the spell is completed and ritually disposed of. If no petition is present, the pins can be cleansed and reused, or disposed of with any leftover wax.
Charging
After your candle is prepared, you will need to charge it. Charging is filling the candle with energy. Charging your candle will fill your candle with energy to send to the universe once the candle is burned.
To charge your candle, hold your hands over the candle in a triangle shape with your forefingers and thumbs. Position the candle in the center of your triangle, visualize what you desire as you make your prayer or petition. When done, tap the candle three times to signal that your intent is sealed.
Lighting and Extinguishing
When it comes to this, it’s pretty much up to you. Some say you should use matches, others say you should use the flame of another candle. To extinguish, some say you must pinch out the flame, but they believe it’s pinching out your wish, others will say to just blow out your candle, but then you might blow away your wish. Go with what you feel you should do on this one.
More Types of Candles
There are other candles that are used for a very specific purpose. There are Specialty Candles and Figure Candles.
Specialty Candles
These candles are quite different from the others I’ve mentioned earlier. They may come in a drastically different size, shape, or have two different colors of wax.
- Jumbo Candles - These are nine inch long candles that may come in one or more colors, and are typically used in 7 day candle type spells.
- Double Action Candles - Candles that have been made from two different colors of wax. They are usually red, white, or green on their top half, and black on the bottom half. They are believed to get rid of negativity and draw positivity to you.
- Reversing Candles - Jumbo candles which consist of a red candle covered with a layer of black wax. They’re used to reverse negativity back to it’s source.
These are candles that are carved in a specific shape to represent someone, something, or an idea. They come in a huge variety in which the practitioner can choose from.
- Human Figure Candles - These candles usually are in the shape of a naked man [Adam Candle] or woman [Eve Candle] . They’re often used to represent a specific person. The name of the person is usually scratched across the chest of the candle. Personal Concerns [if any are provided] are loaded into the base of the candle. Sometimes these candles aren’t burned at all, some practitioners will prepare the candle as shown above, and use them in the same way as they would with a doll-baby.
- Skull Candles - These are usually shaped like a human skull. These are used to penetrate the mind of another, or in some cases, to bring illness to another, or even to bring health to the sick.
- Cross Candles - These candles are shaped like a cross and are embossed with a bible and crossed keys. They are often used when praying Psalms for specific goals.
- Lover’s Candles - Shaped like a heterosexual couple embracing and are used to enhance the romantic/sexual aspect of one’s relationship.
- Cat Candle - Shaped like a cat sitting on it’s hind legs. Comes in Red, Green, or Black. Used to draw Good Luck.
- Genital Candles - Represent the genitals of a male and female. Used to manipulate one’s sexual prowess/nature. Also used to attract a new lover, ensure sexual fidelity, and curse an individual’s sexuality.
- Pyramid Candle - Shaped like a pyramid with an eye in the center. Used to draw money quickly when burned with a sincere prayer.
- Mummy Candles - Shaped like a mummy and are used to bind an individual. Can also be used to lift cross conditions/empower an individual.
- Praying Hands - Shaped like praying hands. Used when praying for the sick/injured.
- Witch Candle - Shaped like the stereotypical witch. Used to cast hexes or bring love.
- Devil Candle - Molded in the likeness of the Devil. It is not Satan of Christianity, but and amalgam of Pagan/African/Christian deities into a powerful ally of magick. Depending on color, used to incite passion, bring in money, or hex your enemy.
- 7 Knob Candle - Created to have 7 knobs. Used by carving one’s wish on each of the 7 knobs, anointing each knob with oil, then burning one knob each day.
