The candle tips over and flames up into a potential fire hazard Provided that you know you have placed the candles properly, this indicates there is danger about for you or your client. You should clear your sacred space and cleanse it by whatever means you prefer. It is probably wise to wait a while before retrying the spell and remember to take a ritual bath before you do.
There is a dirty, black burn (especially one that deposits soot on a glass-encased candle)
This means things are not going to go well – the spell may not work, the blessing may fail, the person is in deeper stress or trouble than you first thought. There is a great deal of negativity around. Sometimes it is good to change the focus of the candle and ask that it be used to burn off the negativity, which will enable you to get a handle on the situation.
A free-standing candle lets out a lot of smoke but burns clean at the end
Difficult conditions need to be dealt with first of all but eventually conditions improve.
A glass-encased candle burns clean to begin with but ‘dirty’ with a great deal of smoke later
This indicates that things will go well to begin with, but there are other conditions that have not yet revealed themselves and will need to be resolved. Someone may be working against the required outcome, so the correct timing and correspondences of further spells are crucial.
A free-standing candle burns down to a puddle of wax or sets in runs down the side of the candle
When this happens, most workers will examine the shape of the wax for a sign. For instance, a heart-shaped wax puddle is a good sign if you are burning a red candle for a love spell. You may see something of importance there, for the shape of the run may suggest an outcome regarding the matter at hand. Wax puddles come in all kinds of shapes; most candle-workers look for symbols in the wax, or sometimes use numerology or other divination techniques similar to teacup reading, to discover meaning.
A free-standing candle runs and melts a lot while burning
This gives you an opportunity to observe the flow of wax for signs. Quickly melting wax shows there is a good deal of positivity available. If one side burns quicker than the other, a balance can sometimes be achieved by turning the candle round and it is useful to note how many times you do this, since this can indicate the number of adjustments the person may have to make to ensure success. Other people prefer to let nature take its course and to watch the wax run for signs, without interfering in its movements.
Check first for draughts and then decide intuitively whether there is a pattern to the flaring and guttering. If you are performing the spell with someone in mind, you may feel the recipient of your spell is trying to block your efforts. Sit quietly for a while until you feel you have grasped the significance of the pattern, which may be because the spell itself is not right for the time. In this case simply be prepared to try again another time.
The candle gives a clean, even burn
This might be called a successful burn and suggests the spell will most likely achieve the right result. If a glass-encased candle burns and leaves no marks on the glass that is best. If a free-standing candle leaves little or no residue, this is by far the best result.
Not every magical practitioner takes heed of the manner in which spell-casting or ritual candles burn; there is often a great deal to be learnt from understanding a little bit more about how to interpret the way a candle burns. In voodoo and Afro-Caribbean magic, for instance, spiritual workers who ‘set lights’, as it is called, for clients will automatically take notice of such details and incorporate their findings in any further work. It is worth remembering that some candles are simply poorly made and will burn badly no matter what you do with them. If the wick is the wrong size, for instance, the candle may be no use for magical work. It is nice to make one’s own candles, although there is quite an art to it and the novice may end up feeling rather frustrated, if the intention behind the candle is not quite right.
External factors can also play a huge part in how candles burn. The way the candle is placed in the holder, the temperature in the surrounding area, an open window causing a draught, and other such things can all make a difference. Equally, the candle can be affected by your own mood and really until you have learned how to meditate using a candle flame you need not worry too much to begin with. All that having been said, here are some of the things to watch for when burning candles.
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? 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 — a candle that takes too long 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 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 — perfect for spell work.
You should always use a brand new candle for spell work — in other words, 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 — in other words, a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, and so 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, sweet love
Orange: Attraction and encouragement
Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, solar connections
Yellow: Persuasion and protection
Green: Financial gain, abundance, 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, lunar connections
* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other colour.
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 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.
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.
Whenever possible make your own candles.
While the wax is in a liquid form, add a corresponding oil, herbs, or flower petals.
For example, if you are doing a money spell you could add Heliotrope oil and mint leaves.
When dressing the candle, close your eyes, concentrate, and visualize what the candle represents.
See in your mind’s eye the manifestation of your desire.
Always keep in mind, and allow for, the burning time of the candle when scripting a spell or ritual.
When creating your own spells, always use the proper phase of the moon and planetary symbolism.
This will align the spell with the natural flow of energy produced by the moon and corresponding planet, giving the spell more power.
Beeswax
The most common types of wax used in candle making are beeswax, paraffin wax, and dip-and-carve wax.
Beeswax is an all natural wax with a sweet aroma. It is preferred because it adds softness and beauty to candles and it also increases burning time. It is also more expensive.
Beeswax comes in one-pound cakes or sheets. The sheets are sometimes used for making rolled candles. The rectangular sheets measure about 8 x 16 inches and are available in natural taupe, bleached white, and various dyed colors.
Beeswax can be used alone or combined with other waxes. Adding beeswax to other commonly used waxes will both soften colors and enhance burning time.
When using beeswax remember that it is naturally sticky. When making molded candles you will want to treat the mold with a releasing agent (such as silicone spray) to make it easier to remove the candle. Also, keeping the temperature above 160° F when you pour the candle will help to keep it from sticking as much.
When you are using 100% beeswax to make candles there is no need to add opaque crystals (beeswax is naturally opaque) or stearin to your candles. These two ingredients are listed below.
Paraffin wax
Paraffin wax is less expensive and more widely available than other types of wax. It is the primary ingredient in most molded candles. Because it is colorless and odorless it is also used more when adding dyes and fragrances. It is also harder than beeswax and produces a candle with a sheen. When combining beeswax and paraffin wax use a ratio of one part beeswax to ten parts paraffin wax. You should not have any problems with sticking when using this small amount of beeswax.
Paraffin comes in ten or twelve-pound blocks or in granular form. You can also buy it with ten percent stearin already added. You can also find different types of paraffin wax, classified by the temperature at which it melts and the pliability of the wax at room temperature. For most candle-making projects, it is best to get paraffin wax that melts at 135° F to 140° F but you will still need to melt the wax to 160° F or
more for most recipes. The exact temperature depends on the candle-making method you are using, the type of mold and the effect that you want to achieve.
Dip-and-carve wax is a little softer than paraffin wax. This quality keeps it from cracking when it is carved. It is also better for dipped candles. The softer wax helps the layers adhere to each other better.
Wick
The wick is a conduct that supplies the flame with a steady stream of wax. The best wicks to use are made with tightly woven cotton fibers. Wicks come in rolls or pre-cut lengths. Although they are made of cotton most will be treated with substances that allow the wick to burn along with the wax.
There are three types of wicks: flat braid for dipped candles, square braid for molded and rolled candles, and wire-core for long-burning candles such as container candles. Be sure to choose the right wick for the candle you are making. The width of the candle determines the thickness of the wick. If your wick is too thin for the candle it will not supply enough wax to the flame and your candle will not stay lit. If the wick is too thick it will flood the flame with melted wax. The package that the wick comes in will suggest the best candle-diameter.
If your not sure here are some guidelines:
• Candles 3/4 inch in diameter or less use 4/0
• Candles 3/4 – 2 inches use 2/0
• Candles 2 – 3 inches use a #1
• Candles 3 – 4 inches use a #2
• Candles over 4 inches use a #3
Wick Holders
These are small squares of metal with a hole in the middle. They are used to anchor the wick to the bottom of container candles. Insert the wick into the hole and pinch the holder together to hold the wick in place.
Each of the four elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth – is represented by a single candle colour – yellow, red, blue and green.
A coloured candle representing each of the elements can be placed at the four main compass points around the circle to mark the quarters – East, South, West and North.
You can place the elemental candles either on the edge of the circle in sturdy floor-standing holders, or on small tables or plinths at the compass points.
Though each element is represented by a single candle, you can use a second to increase a particular element in its own quadrant of the circle or use the elemental colour in all four quadrants.
So, for example, if you were carrying out a Fire spell, you could use four red (or gold or orange) candles and begin the ritual facing South.
Some practitioners invoke Fire to conquer floods and Water to conquer drought but I believe that each element can most effectively counter excesses of itself.
Light elemental candles after the altar candles, after you have cast the circles but before lighting any wish or astrological candle. Begin in the North, with a green candle.
At times witches may receive a lot of requests for help.
These requests may come from, people who are ill, or grieving, or maybe need healing, they could be lonely, possibly victimized, or challenged in some other way, that they will turn to someone else for assistance.
It is almost certain that it will never be possible to cast spells for everyone.
However, it can be a good practice is to light candles for people. with the magickal intent of. sending energy for whatever their specific need is.
At times witches may also work magickally on personal objectives.
Often work can be carried out on several of these personal objectives, simultaneously, such as health, prosperity, and protection.
Creating magickal candle gardens is one way to keep these practices organized.
A candle garden is a collection of attractively arranged candles, usually of different sizes, that are all burned at the same time.
When a candle garden is meant simply for home decoration, its candles are often all the same color, shape, and scent.
They are generally purchased in the same place, at the same time, and chosen only for appearance.
It takes a great deal more thought and planning to create a magickal candle garden.
Such a “garden” should contain separate candles for each person, condition, problem, idea, or issue for which its candles are burned.
Each candle should be carefully selected so that its size, shape, color, or scent resonates with its magickal intent or with the person or thing that the candle is meant to represent.
Each of the candles in a magickal garden should be unique, yet, as in a flower garden, all of the parts of the whole must work harmoniously together.
The candle arrangement should please the eye, and the different scents should mingle pleasantly rather than clash with one another.
A magickal candle garden is personal.
You determine how your garden will look, what its purpose will be, when it will be used, and how long you will burn the candles each time you activate the garden.
You can burn them every day, on certain days of the week, at appointed phases of the Moon, whenever you have a need, or simply whenever you feel like lighting them.
The more frequently that a candle garden is used, the stronger its magick will grow.
length of red silk cord,
Love-drawing oil.
Love-drawing incense
One red candle that will burn for at least seven hours.
Begin this spell on a Monday during the waxing moon.
Place the red candle in the centre of your altar and light the incense.
Use a pin or sharp knife to etch the names of each person into the candle.
Dress the candle with the love-drawing Oil as you chant:
Candle of love, work me this spell,
That the one I do love will love me as well.
Light the candle. Pass each poppet through the smoke of the incense and then through the candle flame as you say:
Air and fire, bring forth my desire.
Place the poppet that represents you seven inches to the left side of the candle and the poppet that represents your loved one seven inches to the right of the candle.
See in your mind’s eye the one you love as you chant the following seven times:
I enchant you by earth and heaven
Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me by seven.
Through moonlight and the black of night
All of my love you shall requite.
[Insert name] think of me with loving pleasure
As you turn to me by daily measure.
Now turn to me, turn to me
For this I will, So Mote It Be.
Let the candle burn for one hour.
Repeat the spell exactly as you have just done it for six consecutive nights.
Each time you do the spell, move the poppets one inch closer to the candle.
On the seventh night the dolls should be touching the candle, but not to the point that they will catch fire.
At this time you will allow the candle to burn out.
As soon as the candle has extinguished itself, use the red cord to bind the poppets together face to face.
Conceal the dolls in a place where you and your loved one will meet.
Colour is of great significance, both in healing and magick.
Colour symbolism is used frequently with candles, as well as with crystals, flowers, foods and coloured water.
These uses are a way of focusing on and activating the different qualities inherent in the colours.
In magic, white represents light, the life force and clear vision and so is helpful where a new beginning or a sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm is needed.
White is a good colour for work involving rites of passage, especially for birth, marriage and welcoming new family members by marriage or adoption.
Use white also for protective magick, for replacing darkness with light, in meditation, for Goddess-focused rituals, for increasing spiritual awareness and contact with spirit guides, angels and the higher self.
White contains both solar and lunar energies and is often used for altar candles.
You can substitute white for any other colour.
White candles can be used on any day of the week, though they are associated with Monday in the Goddess aspect and Sunday and the Sun for life force magick.
Red, the colour of Mars, the planet and god of war, represents action, power, determination, physical energy and health, courage and determination, sexual passion and potency, survival and change, for careers where danger is involved and the armed forces.
It is used as a focus for rituals calling on the power of the gods.
Orange is the colour of the Sun, of fertility – both physical and mental – and of creativity with words.
Growth, self-esteem, confidence and abundance of all kinds are related to orange, as are independence and asserting your identity if it is under threat or being eroded by the demands or unfair criticism of others.
Orange also relates to careers involving people and the arts.
Above all, orange is the colour of joy and also the successful integration of all aspects of the personality into a harmonious whole.
Orange candles are best used on a Sunday.
Yellow is the colour associated with Mercury, the winged messenger of the Roman gods.
Through his skill and dexterity, he came to rule over commerce and medicine and also became a patron of tricksters and thieves.
Yellow candles, therefore, encourage clear communication and activity of all kinds, improving memory, concentration and learning, and are good for overcoming mental stagnation and blocks in
ideas or assimilation of facts.
Use them in rituals when you wish to gain another person’s confidence and approval or to win someone round in business or intellectual matters; to sharpen logic; for succeeding in examinations
and tests; also for good luck, for short journeys or to initiate a house move within the same area.
Yellow is also a healing colour, especially for conditions needing surgery or concerning the mind.
Yellow is good for careers in business, medicine, technology, communication or the media and also for job changes.
Yellow candles are best used on a Wednesday.
Green is the colour of Venus, goddess of love, and so is good for all love and relationship matters, especially partnerships and romance; it is also potent for rites involving the natural world, herbs,
gardening and tree magick, for healing the planet and especially the forests and the land.
Green is for peace and harmony, especially within the self. When green candles are used in rituals for wealth, they tend to encourage a gradual increase in profits or resources.
As the faerie colour, green is also potent for spells for good luck and increasing magical abilities.
Green candles are best used on Friday.
Turquoise is the colour of Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of wisdom, music and dance, whose magical mirror reflected back the true person of all who looked in it.
Turquoise rituals are for the integration of heart and mind, feelings and thoughts and the synthesis of wisdom and experience.
Turquoise is used for successfully combining different aspects of life or two different career strands; for compassion and altruism; for increasing healing abilities; for maintaining impartiality when making difficult decisions and judgements; and for seeing other dimensions.
It is the colour of artists, sculptors, dancers, writers and poets, and can bring inspiration and originality increasing artistic ability.
Turquoise candles can be used effectively on Thursday or Friday.
Blue is the colour of the Father God and other Sky deities in their external roles as wise judges and rulers and so can be used for this aspect of the god and as a protective colour.
In magick, blue can expand the boundaries of possibility and bring success, confidence and power mingled with altruism, nobility and idealism.
Blue is also used for prosperity rituals where this involves advancement or for maximising opportunities, for promotion and expansion of business.
Blue is the colour of long-distance travel and house moves, legal matters and dealing with officialdom.
It is also for careers involving justice and leadership. Above all, blue brings calm and the ability to solve problems in the midst of a crisis.
Blue candles are best used on Thursday.
Purple is the colour of Jupiter in his role of wise teacher and keeper of hidden knowledge, and of Osiris, the Ancient Egyptian Father God and Lord of the Underworld, who died each year and was
resurrected by his wife Isis.
It represents unconscious wisdom and is used for all things of a psychic and spiritual nature and for divination.
Purple provides a link with higher dimensions and can bring happiness for all who yearn for something beyond the material plane.
Purple candles aid meditation, work with past lives, scrying with candles and mirrors, and astral travel. They are good for psychic protection and preventing nightmares.
Purple can also be used for all rituals where the facts are not clear, for clearing secrecy, for healing the spirit and for banishing what lies in the past, especially failure, and for remembering departed loved ones.
Below, I have given subdivisions for different shades of purple, but in practice they are interchangeable.
Indigo is for spiritual healing, for psychic awareness and knowledge of past lives and worlds; it is the colour of the seer.
Lavender is for dreams and connections with others, on a telepathic level, for awareness of Devas and other higher nature spirits and for herb wisdom.
Violet is for clairvoyance, mediumship, spirituality and contact with the evolved self, angelic guides, mysticism and peak experiences.
Purple candles are best used on Thursday.
Pink is the colour of Venus in her gentler aspects, for family relationships, affection, friendship matters, children and for the growth of new love and trust, especially after betrayal or a setback.
Pink rituals are excellent for restoring self-esteem and healing wounded emotions, for letting go of past hurts involving family or childhood, for quiet sleep and for mending of quarrels.
Pink candles are best burned on Friday.
Magenta represents the path of service to others, especially for older women and men in the role of wise counsellor.
It can help all in the caring professions and will help anyone transform experiences, both positive and negative, into wisdom that can be offered to guide others.
Magenta candles are best used on Friday.
Brown is a colour of Saturn, the Roman form of Cronus, god of time.
Deposed by his son Jupiter, he was sent to Italy where he taught the farmers, agriculture and engineering and there established a golden age of peace and plenty.
Brown is good for protection, for magick concerning animals and especially household pets, for locating lost objects, learning new skills, for the home, property, practical matters, security and having enough resources for one’s needs.
It is also the colour of all who work with their hands.
Brown is also the colour of Mother Earth and the Earth spirits and so is good for environmental matters and conservation, especially as an impetus for practical conservation projects.
Brown is good for grounding rituals.
Brown candles are best used on Saturday.
Grey is ruled by Saturn and by Mercury, some say, when he becomes invisible in the sky.
Grey is used primarily for neutralising or erasing negative energies or feelings.
It is the shade of compromise and adaptability, of lowering one’s profile in times of danger, and offers protection against both physical and psychic attacks.
It is a colour for keeping secrets and for smoothing down potential conflict and keeping one’s counsel when to do otherwise would be unwise.
Grey candles are best used on Wednesday when Mercury cannot be seen and on Saturday.
Another colour of Saturn and also the kings of the Underworld – the Roman Pluto, the bestower of the hidden wealth that lay within the Earth, and the Greek Hades, who abducted Persephone ,thus causing winter.
Black is the colour not only of death, but also of regeneration.
This belief goes back to Ancient Egypt when the annual flooding of the Nile carried with it black silt, which brought new life to the land each year.
In magick, black is the colour of endings that carry within them seeds of new beginnings.
It can be used for banishing negativity, for leaving behind old sorrows and redundant relationships; for acknowledging grief, for rituals of partings, for breaking hexes and for psychic protection.
Some people do not like using black candles because of their associations with black magick.
If you feel that these associations are too strong for you, substitute dark blue, dark purple or brown candles in rituals.
In a positive sense, black, like brown, is a colour of acceptance, whether of a restriction or of the frailties of self and others and so it is a candle colour of forgiveness.
Black candles are best used on Saturday.
Silver is the colour of the Moon and all lunar goddesses such as Diana, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, who, because of her strong association with the Moon in all its phases, was a goddess of
fertility as well as love.
It is also used on some altars to represent the Goddess, with a gold candle for the Horned God.
Silver is potent in all forms of divination, but especially for candle divination, for awakening clairvoyant powers, telepathic and psychometric abilities, astral projection, for rituals to invoke anima (female) power, for intuition and mysticism.
It represents dreams, visions and a desire for fulfilment beyond the material world.
In times of stress and sorrow, silver candles can remove negativity, promote inner stability and bring to the fore your hidden potential.
Silver candles are excellent for scrying, especially by the full moon, and for all magick involving the female life and for female fertility.
Silver candles are best used on a Monday.
Gold is the colour of the Sun and is associated with the solar deities, for example, the Egyptian Ra.
In Ancient Greece, Helios, the Sun God, was worshipped each dawn as he emerged in the East and drove his chariot of winged horses around the Sky before plunging into the ocean in the West at sunset.
Gold is potent for worldly achievement, wealth and recognition, for long life, ambitious schemes and money-making rituals that require an instant or substantial return.
The colour of male potency and fertility, it represents animus (male) power, energy and change and all rituals with noble or altruistic purpose.
Gold is best used on a Sunday.
You can also use coloured candles as a focus for wishes in a particular area of experience represented by the colour.
So you might write a wish for a better memory on yellow paper and burn it in a yellow candle, the colour of Mercury.
You could then collect the ash in a heatproof ceramic pot or metal bowl beneath the candle and scatter it to the four winds.
For banishing an injustice, you might write about the event on dark blue paper, burn it in the blue candle of Jupiter and bury the ashes.
Around the home, different coloured candles can be burned for different purposes. Scented candles can also amplify the colour energies
Green is for Earth and the North, midnight and winter.
A green candle is placed at what would be the 12 o’clock position on a clock, aligned with magnetic or a symbolic North.
Earth is the element of order, both in nature and institutions such as the law, politics, finance, health, and education.
It also represents yin, the female, nurturing goddess aspect, Mother Earth, the home and family, as well as money and security, and is a good element to invoke when you have matters of property or money that need attention.
It is also a focus for all rituals against famine, deforestation and land pollution, and devastation through unwise industrialization or building, and for caring for animals and their natural habitats.
Surround your green Earth candle with grains, berries, fruits, coins, or potpourri. Brown candles may also, be used as Earth candles.
The history of candle burning is as old as humanity itself.
It originates from fire worship.
Early man was in awe of fire—it warmed him, protected him, and helped him cook his food.
The flame of the hearth was guarded carefully, shielded against the ravages of wind and rain.
Over time, fire came to represent strength, power, and the ability to see past the terrors of the night.
Symbolically, candlelight represents illumination, the energizing power of the sun, and the spark of life that resides within the human soul.
As an agency of the fire element, candles are quick to respond to magickal incantations and creative visualization.
The simple lighting of a candle creates an atmosphere of magick, and as the darkness gives way to the light, desires are brought into reality.
Candles can be used by themselves as a form of magick, or they may be incorporated as part of a spell. In either case, the candle itself becomes the point of focus.
The colour of the candle and its shape and size all play important roles in the art of candle magick.
The colour signifies intent, the design or shape represents the objective, and the size is equivalent to the amount of time needed to carry out the spell.
Colour is of primary importance in candle magick.
There are 12 basic colours, which offer different sensory vibrations.
Red is the most physically potent and powerful, and violet is the most passive and spiritually receptive.
The primary colours of the light spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) emit specific energies, which are symbolic of their intrinsic properties.
These colours move energy outward and forward, as well as inward and backwards.
In addition to the seven primary colours, there are five additional colours used in the art of candle magick.
These are black, white, grey, pink, and brown. Black anchors and absorbs; white encourages and supports; grey is seldom used because it is considered to be void, without movement; pink attracts and entices, and brown stabilizes and sustains.
Burning times (that is, how long the candles should burn) are as essential to candle magick as color is.
Each color of the spectrum has its own special wavelength or vibrational frequency.
This vibrational frequency is the equivalent of motion and energy, which is the amount of time needed to activate a spell.
Therefore, a candle that requires a burning time of four hours will take four times longer to work than a candle that requires only one hour to burn.
However, the longer it takes a spell to work, and the more energy involved in its formulation, the more enduring its results.
