Candles
CANDLE MAGIC
One of the simplest of magical arts which comes under the heading of natural magic is candle burning. It is simple because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial artifacts. The theatrical props of candle magic can be purchased at any department store and its rituals can be practiced in any sitting room or bedroom.
Most of us have performed our first act of candle magic by the time we are two years old. Blowing out the tiny candles on our first birthday cake and making a wish is pure magic. This childhood custom is based on the three magical principals of concentration, will power and visualization. In simple terms, the child who wants his wish to come true has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true( will power).
The size and shape of the candles you use is unimportant, although highly decorative, extra large, or unusually shaped candles will not be suitable as these may create distractions when the magician wants to concentrate on the important work in hand. Most magicians prefer to use candles of standard or uniform size if possible. Those which are sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal.
The candles you use of any type of magical use should be virgin, that is unused. Under no circumstances use a candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used as a bedroom candle or night-light. There is a very good occult reason for not using anything but virgin materials in magic. Vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or equipment may disturb your workings and negate their effectiveness.
Some magicians who are artistically inclined prefer to make their own candles for ritual and magical use. This is a very practical exercise because not only does it impregnate the candle with your own personal vibrations, but the mere act of making your own candle is magically potent. Specialist shops sell candle wax and molds together with wicks, perfumes, and other equipment.
The hot wax is heated until liquid and then poured into the mold through which a suitably sized wick has already been threaded. The wax is then left to cool and once is this has occurred the mold is removed , leaving a perfectly formed candle. Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual. Craft shops which sell candle making supplies can also provide do-it-yourself books explaining the technicalities of the art to the beginner.
Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning. The purpose of dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between it and the magician through a primal sensory experience. By physically touching the candle during the dressing procedure, you are charging it with our own personal vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical act into the wax. The candle is becoming an extension of the magician's mental power and life energy.
When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that it is a psychic magnet with a North and a South pole. Rub the oil into the candle beginning at the top or North end and work downwards to the half-way point. Always brush in the same direction downwards. This process is then repeated by beginning at the bottom or south end and working up to the middle.
The best type of oils to use for dressing candles are natural ones which can be obtained quite easily. Some occult suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names. If the magician does not want to use these, he can select suitable oils or perfumes from his own sources. The oils soluble perfumes sold by craft shops for inclusion in candles can be recommended.
The candles you use can be colored in accordance with the following magical uses:
white: spirituality and peace.
red: health, energy strength, courage, sexual potency.
pink: love affection and romance.
yellow: intellectualism, imagination, memory and creativity
green: fertility, abundance, good luck and harmony
blue: inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and devotion
purple: material wealth, higher psychic ability, spiritual power and idealism
silver: clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and intuition
orange: ambition, career matters and the law.
If you wanted to use candle magic for healing, you would select a red candle to burn. To pass an exam, burn a yellow candle, to gain esoteric knowledge burn a blue candle or for material gain, burn a purple one. It is obvious these colors relate to the signs of the zodiac and the planetary forces.
The simplest form of candle magic is to write down the objective of your ritual on a virgin piece of paper. You can use color paper which matches the candle. Write your petition on the paper using a magical alphabet, such as Theban, Enochian, Malachian, etc. As you write down what you want to accomplish through candle magic-- a new job, healing for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair, etc.-- visualize your dream coming true. Visualize the circumstances under which you might be offered a new job, imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love partner.
When you have completed writing down your petition, carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion. Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set light to it. As you do this concentrate once more on what you want from life.
When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to have completely burned away. You do not need to stay with the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is safe and that red-hot wax will not cause damage or fire. Never re-use a candle which has been lit in any magical ritual. It should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn away or be disposed of afterwards.
If you are conducting a magical ritual which involves two people (e.g. an absent healing for a person some distance away) then the second person can be symbolically represented during the ritual by another candle. All you need to do is find out the subject's birth date and burn the appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign. These are as follows:
| ARIES | RED |
| TAURUS | GREEN |
| GEMINI | YELLOW |
| CANCER | SILVER |
| LEO | ORANGE |
| VIRGO | YELLOW |
| LIBRA | PINK |
| SCORPIO | RED |
| SAGITTARIUS | PURPLE |
| CAPRICORN | BLACK |
| AQUARIUS | ALL COLORS |
| PISCES | MAUVE |
Written and Compiled by George Knowles
Candles have long been used in association
with magick and witchcraft, as indeed they have been adopted and used by many
other religions for spiritual communication.
Candle magick is probably the oldest and
simplest form of ritual magick still performed today. Ever since fire was
discovered, the naked flame has been regarded as sacred. In ancient times
they used to light touches to invoke the Goddess and Gods.
Today we symbolize those acts by utilizing
candles. The naked flame remains the finest and easiest means of focusing
in on power and energy.
The use of differently coloured candles
symbolizes the nature of intent and ultimately the outcome of a particular
spell. Coloured candles are therefore used to pinpoint our focus on a
particular deity or planetary association. We need to understand the
colour properties and other associations of candles to make magick work.
Below is a list of candles and their associations. For other associations and correspondences see:
Incense / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Tools of a Witch / Elements and Elementals
Black Are used for Banishing evil or negativity as in uncrossing rituals, Crone Magic, Mourning a loss, Meditation, Feminine Divinity, Samhain. Also used in rituals to induce a deep meditational state. This candle attracts Saturn energy.
Light Blue - Is a spiritual colour and is helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations. It brings peace and tranquillity to the home and radiates Aquarius energy. Use in situations that need to be synthesized.
Royal Blue - Is the colour of Loyalty and is used to promote Laughter and Joviality. Use it to promote Jupiter energy and whenever an influence needs to be increased.
Blue Is symbolic of the spirits of the West, and the elements of Water. It is used in rituals to obtain Wisdom, Peace, Healing, Tranquillity, Truth, Sleep, Prophetic Dreams, Friendship, Physical Protection and Hope.
Brown Is symbolic of the spirits of the North, and the elements Earth. It is used for rituals involving Animal Magic and the Home in regards to Material Increase. It eliminates Indecisiveness and improves the Powers of Concentration, Study and Telepathy. Use it also for increasing Financial Success and for locating Lost Objects.
Gold Fosters understanding and attracts the power of cosmic influences. Use it in rites intended to bring about fast luck or money. When communicating with Solar Deities and for honouring the Gods. This candle generates solar energy.
Grey Is a neutral colour and is useful when pondering complex issues during meditation. In magic, this colour often sparks confusion. It also negates and/or neutralizes a negative influence.
Emerald Green - This candle is important in Venusian rituals. It attracts Love, Social Delights and Fertility.
Dark Green Are used for Beauty, Employment, Fertility, Healing, Success, Good Luck, Prosperity, Heart Matters, Money and Masculine Divinity. Being the colour of Ambition, Greed and Jealousy, it can be used to counteract these influences in a ritual.
Orange Are used for Creativity, Attraction, Stimulating Energy, Legal Matters, Success, New Home, Intelligence and Mental Clarity. It charges and recharges the intellect and combines with any other candles to stimulate their actions. Use for rituals stipulating Mercury energy, and sometimes-solar energy. Also used during Samhain.
Pink Promotes Romance and Friendship, and is the standard colour used for rituals to draw affections. It is used for Love, Honour, Friendship and Fidelity. A colour of femininity, it brings lively conversation to the dinner table.
Purple Are used for Psychic Ability, Wisdom, Spirituality, Success, Independence, Spiritual Growth, Power, Healing and the Feminine Divine. Ideal for rituals to secure Ambitions and Financial Rewards. Increases Neptune energy.
Red Is symbolic of the spirits of the South, and the elements of Fire. It is used for Strength, Courage, Power, Passion, Health, Energy, Vitality, Love and Will Power. It increases magnetism in rituals and draws on Aries and Scorpio energy.
Silver Is used to remove Negativity, encourage Stability and helps to develop Psychic abilities. Use for Protection, Honouring the Goddess, Telepathy and Clairvoyance. This candle attracts the influence of the Goddess.
White Is a balance of all colours and is used for Meditation, Healing, Truth Seeking, Peace, Spiritual Strength and Enlightenment, Rituals involving "Lunar" energy, Purity, Protection, Happiness, Masculine Divinity, and may be substituted for any other colours.
Yellow Is symbolic of the spirits of the East, and the elements of Air. It is used for Charms, Confidence, Attraction, Wisdom, Visions, Psychic Powers, Mental Powers, Activity, Creativity and Unity. Use it to bring the power of concentration and imagination to the success of a ritual. Also used in rituals where you need to gain someone's confidence or need to persuade someone. This candle generates solar energy.
Magenta - Is a combination of Red and Violet that oscillates on a high frequency. It energizes rituals where immediate action is needed, or high levels of power and spiritual healing are required.
Indigo - Is the colour of inertia. It is used to stop situations or peoples intentions. Use it in rituals that require deep meditation and rituals that require Saturn energy.
Sources:
Books:
Candle Magic - By Phillip Cooper
Wicca, A guide for the Solitary Practitioner - By Scott Cunningham
Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft - By Raven Grimassi