Candle magic is a type of natural magic that has been practiced for centuries by people of many different spiritual beliefs. Most commonly, candle magic is associated with people who follow earth-based Pagan traditions such as Wicca. Essentially, candle magic is lighting a candle and letting it burn in order to attain a desired result such as prosperity, healing, spiritual protection or any number of things. A person concentrates upon the desire or the intent of the candle magic ritual and this desire is subconsciously imprinted into the candle itself. Then, once the candle is lit, the intent held within the candle is released into the universe and will hopefully become manifested. In candle magic the candle itself is but a tool or a bridge between the mind of the person carrying out the ritual and the Divine wisdom that they are communicating with.
Candle magic is one of the easiest of ritual magic or spell work that can be carried out, for it can be done nearly anywhere at anytime. It is also fairly simple to do and is a versatile ritual that doesn’t require the need for rigid rules or extensive props. However there are certain guidelines to follow in candle magic in order to make the ritual effective.
Form your Intent
As mentioned earlier, the intent or goal of the ritual is very important. Focusing on this goal while carrying out the preparation and lighting of the candle will help the goal to manifest itself. But it’s also important to be realistic in the goal. For example, desiring a new car to appear in your driveway wouldn’t be realistic, but desiring the discipline to be able to save up for one or even a better paying job would be more realistic. It’s also of extreme importance to be ethical in your intentions. A candle magic ritual should never be carried out to direct harm or revenge upon another. Nor should it be done as a way to manipulate someone, such as trying to make a specific person fall in love with you. Manipulation and harm go against the wisdom and flow of the universe and will end up causing unhappiness to the person who carries out such rituals.
Choose your Candle
The best types of candle to use are beeswax candles, but simple paraffin candles can work fine. Be sure to use a candle that has never been lit before. The best way to carry out a candle magic ritual is to let the candle burn all the way down. So, for this reason, it’s a good idea to use a small, votive size candle. Very often people will use a specific color to correspond with the spell or ritual that they will be carrying out. A list of correspondences can be found further in this article.
Dress and Dedicate your Candle
Once the intent is formed and reflected upon, you will need to dress and charge your candle before lighting it in order to infuse it with the energy of your intent. To dress the candle means to anoint it with oil and this can be any type of natural oil. However many people prefer to use a specific essential oil such as lavender or frankincense. The oil is rubbed gently, with your fingertips, into the candle in a circular motion. This can either be done by working the oil from the top to the bottom of the candle to draw from spiritual sources, or from the bottom of the candle to the top to draw on earth energy. The oil should not be rubbed onto the candle in a back and forth motion, as this will only cause a confusion of energies. As you dress the candle with the oil, dedicate it by focusing upon the goal that you wish to achieve. Once all of this is done, then the candle can be lit and the energies of your intention will be sent out with its flame.
Common Colors and Oils used in Candle Magic
This is a list of some common colors and essential oils used in candle magic along with their purposes and associations. These serve only as a guideline, for you should learn to use your own inner wisdom and intuition to guide you and help you make your choices. With time, practice and patience your intuition will become stronger and these choices will become easier.
Blue- wisdom, peace, communication, protection, happiness, healing
Red- passion, strength, career goals, bodily strength, health
Pink- romance, affection, nurturing, peace, friendship
Green- physical healing, money, personal goals, mother earth, fertility
Purple- psychic ability, hidden wisdom or knowledge, third eye chakra, enhance spiritual power
White- peace, purity, Goddess, higher self, protection
Yellow- intelligence, memory, confidence, communication, travel
Orange- justice, success, legal matters, attraction
Black- protection, repel negativity, transition
Essential oil correspondences
Cinnamon- attraction, enhancement of a ritual
Frankincense- purification
Honeysuckle- money, psychic ability
Jasmine- spirituality, love
Lavender- healing, peace, love
Lilac- protection
Patchouli- fertility, money
Peppermint- healing
Sage- wisdom, purification
Sandalwood- protection, purification
Vanilla- love, relationships
Ylang-Ylang- spiritual balance, opportunity
A Safety Note
Since you are obviously working with fire it’s important to take a few precautions when carrying out a candle magic ritual. Keep the lit candle away from any flammable objects such as curtains, plants, etc. Make sure that the candle is out of reach of young children and pets. Keep the candle in a holder that will contain the melted wax. Don’t leave a candle unsupervised for long periods of time. If you must leave your candle burning for an extended period of time, place it in a large fireproof bowl or a large metal pot in case it happens to tip over and to contain any of the hot, melted wax.
