Candle Magic

Candles have burnt on the altar spaces for countless millennia in honour of various deities, to manifest change in the world and indeed, just to bring some physical light to the space or home. They have been used as beacons for change and indeed many of them have been consecrated over the years with such intentions.

Ways of consecration have included being dressed with specific oils, charged up with energies from the astral plane, carving images and symbols into the wax with crystals and athames. In modern times, it is not uncommon to see the wax being moulded and shaped into certain figures with images and symbols imbued into them. However, this is not just a modern fancy.

In times such as Ancient Egypt, candles were carved from lumps of beeswax into the shapes of certain Deities, such as Goddess Goddess Isis and Lord Osiris in order to invoke their energies into the home or temples. They would also, in the heating and pouring of the wax, add herbs, aromatic oils and powdered gems

tones within them to amplify that of which is the intention.

The Rosicrucians saw a candle as a transformational object, a work of pure alchemy, for the lighting of the candle by flame, turned the wick and the wax, into a beacon of physical light. To them, it was a symbol of enlightenment for to many the Divine communicates with physical light and sensations, much like that of sitting by a warm candle.

In the modern world at this time, many of those who are in the Pagan faith, also referred to as “Witchcraft”, utilise candles in their everyday life for rituals and bringing in specific energies for change and indeed manifesting that of which they desire. Doing so upon an altar space with other tools of the craft such as athames, incense, statues and altar cloths.

With modern day advances, it is now easy to buy candles in any form and indeed any colour or shade imaginable and too, with the scents already within them. So you don’t always need to dress the candle with the oils, however if you do still wish to do so, unscented candles are available so you may energise them with your energies and intentions much more easily.

PERFORMING A SIMPLE CANDLE SPELL

Before you prepare the candle for your desired goal, it is recommended that you set up a sacred space as an altar of which the candle is to be lit upon inside or on top of a candle holder. This can be a small table with a nice cloth over the top, the top of a bookshelf or even on a desk. Just ensure that the surface is steady and that it will not tip or be knocked over when someone walks past. Ensure too that it is away from curtains and other flammable items. This maintains the safety of yourself and those around you as well as ensuring that your intentions are stable and strong.

The first part of preparing a candle for a magical purpose is to choose the goal and set the intention or intentions for the lighting of this candle. A common use is to help attract abundance and prosperity into your life. For this a gold or a green candle can be used quite effectively. (For other intentions and candle colours, see the list below.)

Once you have got the intention and colour in mind it is now time to search for the candle itself. Candles come in many shapes and forms from little tea lights to large pillars to some more intriguing styles shaped as pyramids or cubes. Once you have found the candle for you that feels right, and you will know that it does because you will have a strong feeling or even a physical tingling sensation when you hold it, it is time to consecrate the candle.

Consecration of a candle does involve concentration, so it is best that you are in a place that you are not like to be disturbed. Know too, that this is something that can be achieved with others of whom wish to help or are indeed to be on the receiving end of this. In this case, if you are attracting abundance and prosperity into your life to help your family, then having as many of them focusing on the candle as possible is ideal. Music or audio tracks such as affirmations focussing on the intent can be played as well, as it helps keep all those involved focused on the consecration.

To consecrate the candle, hold it in your dominant hand of which is often the one that you write with. Within your mind, see your intention flowing into the candle. In this case it may be many symbols of your currency flowing through the candle from up above in a pillar or a swirl of coloured energy. You may see utility bills marked “Paid In Full” or any thing else that comes to mind. You may now choose to carve symbols, such as that of your local currency into the wax using a crystal with a point on one end. The beauty of candle magic is that you can do no wrong in setting the intentions for it all helps, no matter how small it may seem.

This step of consecration applies if you are anointing the candle with a particular oil attuned to your intention and works best on larger candles such as tapers or pillars. In this case the oil may be a variety of prosperity or abundance oil. As you are choosing to draw prosperity into your life, you pour some oil into your hand or hands and then you start from the top of the candle and rub the oil towards the centre. Once you have reached the centre, you then start from the base and rub the oil onto the candle till you reach the centre once more.

Once you feel that the consecration is complete, place the candle in its holder and step back and take a deep breath and centre yourself. When you feel the time is right, focus on your intention, light the candle and allow it to burn for as long as you feel is necessary. You may extinguish the flame with a candle snuffer or with your breath, it is up to you. Remember to say thank you and express gratitude to the energies involve in this spell as this helps manifest your desire.

Take note that it is NOT recommended you leave a candle burning unattended.

CANDLE COLOURS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

Blue candles of varying shades represent many aspects of truth, healing, psychic awareness and tranquillity, much like the calm blue waters of a lake or ocean. Specific shades and the energies they represent are:

• Blue: Healing, truth, inspiration, high wisdom, occult power, psychic protection, understanding, good health, and the Divine Feminine principle in nature.
• Light Blue: Helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations, brings peace and tranquillity to the home.
• Royal Blue: Promotes laughter, happiness and loyalty, can be used whenever an influence of positivity needs to be increased.

Brown, black and grey candles of varying shades represent many aspects of neutrality, protection and also nurturing, much like the shade of a tree upon a hot day.

• Brown: Increased self esteem and empowerment.
• Black: Can be used for grounding negative energies and also can be used for protection. It is also a mourning colour.
• Grey: A neutral colour, useful when pondering complex issues during meditation, in magic this often sparks confusion, it also negates or neutralises a negative influence.

Green candles of varying shades represent many aspects of fertility, growth, abundance and harmony, much like that of a lush rainforest. Specific shades and the energies they represent are:

• Dark Green: Colour of ambition, greed and jealousy, counteracts these influences in a ritual.
• Emerald Green: Attraction of love, social delights and fertility.
• Green: Abundance, fertility, good luck, and harmony.

Metallic candles of varying shades represent many aspects of positive influences in life within career, professionalism and long term memory, much like that of a mine shaft, glittering with potential.

• Copper: Financial goals, business, career strategy and professional growth.
• Gold: Attracts positive influences and is connected with justice and career matters.
• Silver: Clairvoyance, astral energies and channelling. As well as enhancing the faculty in the mind of long term memory and remembering past lives.

Pink and white candles of varying shades represent the many aspects of love, purification and protection, much like that of a gentle hug from someone you love.

• White: Purity, spirituality, protection and peace.
• Pink: Romantic love, affection, friendship.

Purple candles of varying shades represent many aspects of psychic abilities, meditation and intuition, much like that of a softly painted room. Specific shades and the energies they represent are:

• Indigo: Colour of inertia, stops situations or people. Often used in rituals that require a deep meditation state.
• Lavender: Intuition, dignity and spiritual shields.
• Purple: Success in financial affairs, psychic ability, idealism, spiritual powers.

Red, orange and yellow candles of varying shades represent many aspects of energetic passion, intensity, intellect, quick action and high power, much like that of a raging inferno. Specific shades and the energies they represent are:

• Magenta: Quick changes, exorcism, spiritual healing. Energises rituals where immediate action and high level of power or spiritual healing is needed quickly.
• Orange: Attraction, stimulation, control, the powers of the creative imagination, luck, ambition, property deals.
• Red: Health, energy, strength, sexual virility,courage and the Divine Masculine principle in nature.