Tag: Candle Magick

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.

White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indigo is for spiritual healing, for psychic awareness and knowledge of past lives and worlds; it is the colour of the seer.

Lavender

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Black

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

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

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.

Using Colour In Rituals

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.

Witches’ candles can be used as a source of light, as devotional symbols of deity, as a means of communicating with Spirit, and to aid transformation in many spells.

Candles have a magical way about them as they allow us to work directly with the element of Fire.

Witches work with a variety of candle colors, depending on the deities being represented and/or invoked, as well as any particular magical purposes of a ritual or spell.

Candles are a simple and direct way to work with color magic.

Candles used in the Craft do not need to be fancy or expensive, though some Witches like to have one or more large, long-lasting candles for use on the altar.

Candles used for specific spell purposes are usually left to burn out on their own, and so for practical reasons tend to be smaller.

Beeswax, tapers, votives, and tea light candles can all be used, though many shops sell individual candles sized and colored specifically for spellwork.

These tend to be no more than 4 inches tall and less than one-half-inch in diameter.

Witches will generally distinguish between candles used for specific ritual purposes and more “multi-purpose” candles used for additional lighting during spellwork (or simply to enhance any evening atmosphere).

Candles consecrated for magical use are therefore not used for any other purposes.

Choose a candle with the colour according to the Spell you wish to cast.

It does not matter what size candle you use as long as its A fresh candle that has never been used before.

Hold the candle in your left hand(Hand to Receive Energy)and with your right hand(Your Power Hand)use your thumbnail on your right hand to scratch the correct rune, or symbol you would like to use to properly bless your candle with.

While doing so visualize A white light coming from above and into the top of your head(Crown Chakra)and thru your body and exit out of your thumb and into what you have inscribed onto the candle.

Hold the visualization in your mind until you feel the candle is fully blessed with Divine light.

While holding your candle with your power hand, visualize A purple light coming out from in between your eyes and entering the candle.

Along with your magickal intent, fully overtaking the whole inside presence of your candle and trapping itself in there getting sealed in.

You should be able to visualize the candle glowing as it gets empowered.

Hold that visualization there until you feel as if the candle can no longer hold any more power, and at this point, the empowerment portion is done.

At this point, inscribe any other magickal symbols, or written Spells you would like to add to the candle while visualizing the magickal intent at hand.

Lots of people use the end of A stick of incense or A wooden toothpick for this task.

Now your candle is ready to be anointed with oil.

While keeping good visualization of the Spell at hand, hold the candle in your left hand close to your stomach, as in solar Plexis Chakra, with the tip facing out.

Then on your right hand use your first finger to anoint oil from top to bottom in one complete motion.

Do so pulling the oil toward your stomach as if you were pulling energy into your Solar Plexis.

In your mind, you can feel the energy trembling and generating all through your body as you become one with the candle.

You should be able to see in your mind the energy glowing from the candle as you have now successfully empowered and anointed A candle from start to finish.

Seal the deal with this,

by the power of mind-body and Spirit this candle is empowered,

blessed, and as I will it so,

blessed be this tool that I have chosen as an extension of my spiritual growth.

So Mote it be,

Or you can use your own twist on the end the choice is yours!

if you are in fact using this candle for the fifth element as in Spirit

When anointing the candle only anoint the top half first from top to middle then flip the candle over and anoint the bottom to the middle.

Not only is this for balance but is for grounding as well so make sure you visualize this when anointing this candle.

Red is for Fire and the South, noon, and summer. Place your red candle in the six o’clock position.

Fire represents light, the Sun, lightning, fertility, power, joy, ambition, inspiration, and achievement, and also the destruction of what is now no longer needed.

Like Air, Fire represents the yang, a male god in the form of the Sun deities.

Fire rituals are good when you need power or you have an important issue that needs energy.

They are effective against drought, global warming, all pollution caused by burning fuels or chemicals, forest fires and the ‘slash and burn’ policy in rainforests.

Surround your Fire candle with golden sunflowers or chrysanthemums, tiny mirrors that reflect the light and clear crystal quartz, which is called in the Orient ‘the essence of the dragon’.

Aries, the Ram:

21 March to 20 April.

Colour: red.

A cardinal Fire sign, for all matters of the self and of identity, for rituals of innovation, courage assertiveness and action.

Ruled by Mars.

Taurus, the Bull:

21 April to 21 May.

Colour: pink.

A fixed Earth sign, for rituals concerning all kinds of material matters and security, also for patience and caution if the way ahead seems hazardous.

Ruled by Venus.

Gemini, the Heavenly Twins: 22 May to 21 June. Colour: yellow or pale grey. A mutable
Air sign, for spells concerning communication, learning, choices, adaptability and short-distance
travel. Ruled by Mercury.

Cancer, the Crab: 22 June to 22 July. Colour: silver. A cardinal Water sign, for spells
concerning the home and family, especially for protection and for gentle love and friendship. Ruled
by the Moon.

Leo, the Lion: 23 July to 23 August. Colour: gold. A fixed Fire sign, for rituals for courage
and leadership, sensual pleasures and love affairs. Ruled by the Sun.

Virgo, the Maiden: 24 August to 22 September. Colour: green or pale blue. A mutable Earth
sign, for spells to increase efficiency, for bringing order to a chaotic situation, for self-improvement
and for healing. Ruled by Mercury.

Libra, the Scales: 23 September to 23 October. Colour: blue or violet. A cardinal Air sign for
rituals concerning justice and the law, for balancing options and priorities relationships, harmony and
reconciliation. Ruled by Venus.

Scorpio, the Scorpion: 24 October to 22 November. Colour: burgundy or red. A fixed Water
sign, for increasing second sight, for passion and sex, secrets, inheritance and for claiming what is
rightfully yours in any area of life. Ruled by Mars in the ancient system, now by Pluto.

Sagittarius, the Archer: 23 November to 21 December. Colour: orange or yellow. A mutable
Fire sign, for optimism, fresh perspectives, long-distance travel and house moves, creative ventures
and expanding horizons. Ruled by Jupiter.

Capricorn, the Goat: 22 December to 20 January. Colour: brown or black. A cardinal Earth
sign, for ambitions, perseverance, matters concerning officialdom, loyalty and for the acquisition of
money. Ruled by Saturn.

Aquarius, the Water Carrier: 21 January to 18 February. Colour: indigo or dark blue. A fixed
Air sign, for independence, friendship, creativity and for detachment from emotional blackmail. Ruled
by Saturn in the ancient system, now by Uranus.

Pisces, the Fish: 19 February to 20 March. Colour: white or mauve. A mutable Water sign,
for spells to develop spiritual awareness and intuition, and for divination, especially involving water
and the fulfilment of hidden dreams. Ruled by Jupiter in the ancient system, now by Neptune.
In magick, it tends to be the old rulerships that are used in spells.

Although tools of the craft may at times help you can practice magick with nothing but a candle.

A candle is a self-contained magical system, for although it represents the Fire element, it also contains the other three basic elements of magick:

Earth is represented by the unburned wax of the candle,

Air is the smoke,

Fire the flame,

Water the melted wax.

Thus is created Akasha or Spirit.

For most spells, however, you should have one or two altar candles in white, cream, or natural beeswax.

A single central candle can be good for times of quiet meditation, but for more focused rituals you may prefer to light one candle to represent the Goddess on the right and another for the god polarity, on the left of the altar.

Any tools and elemental substances that you wish to use, such as salt – which represents Earth in the North -can be set at the four main compass points around them and any symbols set between and in front of them.

These will be the first candles lit in any ritual, either before or immediately after casting a circle.

It may be preferable to light the candles first, to mark a beginning and empowerment to the magick, and to avoid casting an empty circle, but there are no hard and fast rules.

There is debate over whether you should blow or pinch out candles that you do not wish to burn completely away.

The act of blowing out a candle is itself a magical release of power, for, rather than holding the light in a snuffer, you can send it towards all who need it.

This is an excellent way of releasing and directing power at the end of a rite.

If you buy candles with two or three wicks, a new one can be lit each day in a three-day ritual.

Larger candles can have up to seven wicks and if you need a lot of power, you can light all the wicks during a single ritual.

Candles vary considerably in their burning times – the better-quality ones may state the number of hours, but with practice, if you always use the same type of candles, you will be able to assess how long they will last.

Then you can choose one to match the occasion – either one that will have burned through by the end of an evening in a dusk ritual or one that will last for up to 12 hours for an all-night vigil candle, for example on one of the solstices.

Practitioners of strict ceremonial magick say that you should never use a candle that has been lit for another ritual or purpose and should not use these afterward for household illumination.

However, since candles are so expensive and since you will only be performing positive magick, there is no reason why ritual candles should not be adapted for everyday use.

Candles from harmony and healing spells may be used in quiet areas of the home, and candles for energy and success in work or study areas.

On the other hand, candles for banishing magick should be left to burn down and any remaining wax buried, or the unused candle is disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

You can, if you wish, place your banishing candle on a metal tray etched with a symbol of what you wish to remove from your life and bury that.

Both for ritual magick and for your informal candle spells and meditations, you will need a supply of candles in a variety of colours.

I will list here astrological significances, the magical colour meanings, and the elemental correspondences so that even if you are new to magick you can begin work at once.

If you are an experienced practitioner, some of the ideas may suggest new directions for your personal and coven work.

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

White: A balance of all colours; Spiritual enlightenment, cleansing, clairvoyance, healing, truth seeking; Rituals involving lunar energy’ May be substituted for any colour candle.

Yellow: Activity, Creativity, unity; brings power of concentration and imagination to a ritual; use in rituals where you wish to gain another’s confidence or persuade someone,or in rituals that require solar energy.

Gold: Fosters understanding and attracts the powers of cosmic influences; beneficial in rituals intended to bring about fast luck or money, or in rituals needing solar energy.

Orange: Creativity, ability to speak one’s mind, ambition, career matters and the Law, self-confidence. Solar color and also stands for Leo.

Pink: Promotes romance, friendship; standard color for rituals to draw affections; a color of femininity, honor, service, brings friendly, lively conversation to the dinner table.

Red: Health, passion, love, fertility, strength, courage, will power; increases magnetism in rituals; draws Aries and Scorpio energy.

Silver: Removes negativity and encourages stability; helps develop psychic abilities; attracts the influence of the Mother Goddess.

Purple: Power, success, idealism, psychic manifestations; ideals for rituals to secure ambitions, independence, financial rewards, or to make contact with the spiritual other world; increases Neptune energy.

Magenta: Combination of red and violet that oscillates on a high frequency; energizes rituals where immediate action and high levels of power or spiritual healing are required.

Brown: Earthly, balanced colour; for rituals of materiel increase; eliminates indecisiveness; improves powers of concentration, study, telepathy; increases financial success; locates objects that have been lost.

Indigo: Colour of inertia; stops situations or people; use in rituals that require a deep meditational state; or in rituals that demand Saturn energy.

Royal Blue: Promotes laughter and joviality; color or loyalty; use to attract Jupiter energy, or whenever an influence needs to be increased.

Light Blue: Spiritual colour; helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations; brings peace and tranquillity to the home; radiates Aquarius energy; employ where a situation must be synthesized.

Blue: Primary spiritual colour ; for rituals to obtain wisdom, harmony, inner light, or peace; confers truth and guidance.

Emerald Green: Important component in Venusian rituals; attracts love, social delights, and fertility.

Dark Green: Color of ambition, greed, and jealousy; counteracts these influences in a ritual.

Green: Promotes prosperity, fertility, success; stimulates rituals for good luck, money, harmony, and rejuvenation.

Grey: Neutral color useful when pondering complex issues during meditation; in magic, this color often sparks confusion; it also negates or neutralizes a negative influence.

Black: Opens up the deeper levels of the unconscious; use in rituals to induce a deep meditational state, or to banish evil or negativity as in un-crossing rituals; attracts Saturn energy.

Colours associated with the Zodiac

Aries: Red, white, pink

Aquarius: Light blue, dark blue, green

Capricorn: Red, black, dark brown

Cancer: White, green, brown

Gemini: Yellow, silver, green, red, blue

Leo: Gold, orange, red, green

Libra: Royal blue, light brown, black

Pisces: Aquamarine, royal blue, white, green

Sagittarius: Dark blue, purple, gold, red

Scorpio: Black, red, brown

Taurus: Green, pink, red , yellow.

Here are the most common candle colors and their suggested uses:

White.

The color of purity and new beginnings.

Use a white candle for rituals involving healing, new beginnings, and spiritual growth.

Also appropriate for Lunar and Goddess workings.

Church candles are usually white, thus white candles are associated with prayer, remembrance, and devotion.

White may be substituted for any other color candle when that color is not available.

Black.

A strong, banishing color, black is associated with transition and rest.

Burn a black candle to absorb negativity, break a bad habit, or mark the end of a phase in your life.

Many protective spells include a black candle.

Red.

Red is the color of sex, love, power, and vitality.

A red candle draws these qualities to you and aids you in any spellwork that requires strong, fiery energy.

A red candle is often used in conjunction with black—burn the black candle first to banish negativity, then the red candle to draw in fresh energy.

So-called “dual action” or “reversible” candles combine red and black into one candle.

Blue.

Blue helps you call upon the peace and patience of the element of Water.

Blue carries a gentle, but powerful energy.

Choose a blue candle for spells involving emotional healing, truth, and justice.

A very spiritual color, blue can help awaken and heal the psychic mind.

Yellow.

Yellow is associated with the element of Air and the powers of the mind.

Burn a yellow candle for success in school or the arts, or to enhance communication in a relationship.

Yellow also increases focus and intuition.

Yellow is a great choice for business spells, especially when you need fresh ideas and inspiration.

Green.

Traditionally the color of money magick, green symbolizes growth in every sense.

A green candle attracts abundance and earthly well-being.

Use for prosperity, health, and workings involving Nature.

Green is also a popular choice for luck-drawing spells.

Orange.

The vibrant hue of orange evokes ambition and creativity.

Orange candles are well-suited for career workings, or any other time you need to assert your strength and individuality.

Purple.

The color of mystery and magic, purple is associated with psychic matters.

Use a purple candle for divination, astral travel, and to strengthen your connection with the unseen realms.

Historically the color of royalty, purple is also suitable for magick related to wishes, ambition, power, and authority.

Pink.

Pink is the color of emotional well-being, sensuality, and matters of the heart.

Choose a pink candle when you wish to grow in compassion and self-love, or attract the love of others.

Forgiveness and reconciliation spells also call for gentle pink.

Grey.

Resting halfway between white and black, grey is the color of neutrality and balance.

A grey candle may be used in protective magick, when you wish to neutralize the negative energy that may be directed at you.

Also used to gain discernment and wisdom.

Light Blue.

The calming, cleansing energy of light blue is used for spells of healing, and also to dispel anger.

Light blue invokes the soothing qualities of the element of Water without its deeper, more dangerous properties.

The color of unclouded daylight, light blue is also good for truth-seeking.

Turquoise.

Turquoise is a greenish tint of blue.

It is the color of the famous desert gem or the Caribbean sea.

Turquoise shares many of the calming, healing qualities of light blue.

Turquoise also stimulates creativity and the spirit of exploration.

Sea-blue candles are sometimes used to connect with Undines and water Fae.

Lavender.

Lavender combines the innocence of white with the spirituality and passion of purple.

Lavender candles are used for spells of love, intimacy, and friendship, as well as wishes of all kinds.

Ivory.

Similar in meaning to white, but with a tinge of earthy brown.

Ivory is good for Full Moon workings, initiations, or any time you want an alternative to bright white.

Because it corresponds to precious things like ivory, pearl, and cream, this color is also used to attract luxury and abundance.

Light Green.

Light Green is used to invoke the lighter qualities of the Earth element—good luck, prosperity, and celebration.

Light green is a good choice for Faery workings and rites of Springtime.

Magenta.

Magenta, dark pink, and hot pink candles take the loving energy of pink and kick it up a notch!

While pink candles draw compassion and tenderness, stronger pinks are all about the passion.

Use a dark pink candle for spells of sexuality, sexual confidence, and flirtation.

Dark pink candles are used to attract a lover (especially a female lover).

Brown.
Brown is a strong grounding, Earthy color.

It aids in emotional stability, balance, and building trust.

Some Witches also use brown for manifestation magic and connecting with the realm of animals.

Burgundy.

Halfway between the two colors, burgundy tempers the passion of red with the practicality of brown.

Use burgundy for magick related to determination, strength, and personal power.

Burgundy resonates with the blood, and helps in grounding and bringing your passions to fruition.

Silver.

Silver is associated with the Moon, psychic receptivity, dreaming, love, rest, and healing.

On a Witch’s altar, a silver candle is often used to represent the Goddess.

Gold.

Gold corresponds with the Sun, wealth, confidence, willpower, generosity, and optimism.

A gold candle may be used to represent the God.

A grey or white candle may be substituted for silver, but there is really no substitute for the eye-catching gleam of gold!

Blue is for Water and the West, dusk, and autumn. A blue candle is placed in the nine o’clock position.

Water represents love, relationships, sympathy, intuition, reconciliation, harmony, healing, and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, natural cyclical evolutions from one stage to another as opposed to changes made consciously under the auspices of Air.

It is also potent for fighting floods, cleansing seas, lakes, and rivers of pollution, in campaigns to provide fresh water in arid places, in all initiatives towards world health and the care of whales, dolphins, seals, and endangered sea creatures.

Like Earth, Water represents the yin, a female goddess in the form of the Moon Goddesses. Surround your Water candles with silver objects, seashells, and pieces of coral or, for the lunar goddesses, mother of pearl and moonstones that grow brighter as the Moon waxes.

Candles etched with zodiacal signs may be used to represent people born during a particular Sun period.

They may then be burnt in rituals for different purposes.

For instance, you can burn your own zodiacal candle at a time when you need confidence or to assert your identity.

Alternatively, you may burn any astrological candles whose strengths you need at a particular time, perhaps the courage of Aries before a confrontation or travelling to an unfamiliar location.

You might also use them in a love ritual.

Note also the influence of particular groups of signs of the zodiac.

The cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn – are so-called because when the Sun moved into these signs, it marked the beginning of a new season – spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

People born under a cardinal sign manifest this as a desire to initiate and to take command of people and situations.

The fixed signs – Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio – are signs entered by the Sun in the middle of a season.

People born under them exhibit stability and a tendency to continue in a predetermined path.

The mutable signs -Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces – mark the time when the seasons are about to change.

Those born under them are correspondingly versatile and ready to compromise.

This recipe makes six 10 x three-quarter inch tapers.

You will need

• 4 pounds of bees wax.
• Three 24-inch lengths of flat-braided 2/0 wick
• A drying rack. You can make a drying rack by hammering pairs of nails into a board or by suspending a dowel or slat between two chairs.

Method

Place a 12-inch dipping can in the bottom of a double boiler over medium heat.

Heat the wax to 160° F.

To start dipping your candle pairs drape a wick over 3 fingers so the sides hang separately and evenly.

Dip the lower 10 1/2 inches of wick into the wax and hold for 10 seconds.

Remove the wick and hang it on a drying rack to dry.

This primes the wick and adds the first layer to the candle.

Dip the other two lengths of wick the same as the first. Be sure to check the temperature of the wax often to maintain a constant temperature of 160° F.

Start with the first pair again and dip only the lower 10 inches of the wick to create a 10-inch candle.

Repeat again with the other two pairs hanging the pairs on the drying rack each time.

The optimum drying time between dips depends on your workroom temperature. The cooler the room, the shorter the drying time.

For the best results dip the candles while the previous layer is still tacky.

Continue dipping the candles until they measure 3/4 of an inch in diameter (about 30 dips) then dip once more.

To give the candle a smooth, clean finish, bring the wax temperature up to 180° F.

Dip each pair for 3 seconds.

Allow the candles to cool for 4 minutes.

Hold the candle with a sheet of waxed paper to keep from leaving imprints.

Trim the base of the finished candles with a sharp knife.

Return the candles to the drying rack and allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Trim the wicks to 1/4 inch and the candles are ready to light.

Pillar candles are tall, wide, and generally round.  They last a long time, so they are excellent for ongoing spells. The way that pillar candles burn varies according to shape, content, and manufacture, but they generally burn down the center. This creates a growing ring of wax around the wick.

You may find it necessary with some pillar candles to trim or pour off their wax after you extinguish them, in order to keep their wicks exposed.

The longevity of some pillar candles can be increased by gently pushing the ring of wax inward, while it is warm and malleable so that the excess wax will be remelted. With time and practice, you will develop a personal method for working with pillar candles.

Many witches feel that to blow out a candle is to extinguish its magick, or to undo the spell. If you feel this way, you should use a candle snuffer for these spells.