Many people enjoy burning candles in their home, as a way to improve the ambience and add a nice scent to the room. But candles also have therapeutic qualities that can soothe us, lift our spirit or help clear away negative energy. The burning of a candle, in conjunction with certain colors or scents, can bring these healing qualities into your own home.
Candle Scents
The therapeutic benefits of scented candles is based on aromatherapy, which is the use of essential oils to promote physical and psychological well being. Each scent, which comes from the essence of particular plants, offers its own unique healing properties.
- Cinnamon- Invigorates the mind and body. Helps to open the Heart Chakra
- Cedar- Calms and soothes. Also helps activate the Third Eye Chakra
- Geranium- Helps heal and release negative memories. Calming to mind and body
- Jasmine- Uplifting and stimulating. A good scent for bringing balance to the Sacral Chakra
- Lavender- Dispels negativity, and helps create a sacred space. Good for activating the Crown Chakra
- Lemon- Improves concentration and awareness. Good to use when studying or working on a project that involves a lot of mental focus
- Rose- Helps bring harmony and balance, and encourages a sense of well-being
- Sandalwood- Releases negativity, and helps bring a sense of calm, centered focus
Candle Colors and their Meanings
Burning candles of certain colors can also bring positive, healing energy to your home. Each color has its own, unique qualities.
- White- Often used during meditation or prayer, white is the color of higher awareness. It helps to bring inner peace, centered thinking and clarity. Also good to use for blessing a room, or clearing away negativity
- Black- Good for protection against negativity
- Green- A very balancing color that increases feelings of compassion, forgiveness and empathy. A good color to use in a room after an argument or any type of emotional upheaval
- Yellow- Can increase psychic awareness, and helps expand the imagination. Yellow can also inspire joy and optimism
- Orange- Inspires a sense of playful curiosity. A good color to use when life feels too heavy and serious
- Red- Encourages creativity, courage and confidence. Helps balance the Root Chakra
- Purple- This is the color of spirituality and higher thought. Purple helps bring spiritual fulfillment, and can activate the Crown Chakra
- Blue- This very soothing color helps bring peace and tranquility. Also encourages positive self-expression
A Few Quick Guidelines
When lighting a candle for spiritual or therapeutic purposes, it's important to focus on your intent, or goal, as you light the candle. This focus, whether it be for happiness, inner peace, clearing away negativity, etc., helps your goal manifest into reality as you light the candle. As you focus on the intent, see in your mind the desired outcome of what you wish to achieve. For example, if you're lighting the candle for personal happiness, see yourself as a happier person and open your heart to the possibility of greater joy.
When using scented candles for therapeutic or spiritual purposes, it's best to use candles made with essential oils rather than synthetic scent. Essential oils are plant based, and have a the therapeutic benefits that synthetic scent lacks. It's best to use candles made with 100% pure soy wax, as these tend to burn cleaner and slower than candles made with paraffin wax.
