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Lesson 3-page 1 Ways of the Candle
In dealing with Candle Magick, it is first and foremost best to learn about candles and their ways so you can better understand just what the heck you are doing. No two candles act the same way, no matter how or who made them or what they are made of. It is the personal act of our desires and our own will that gives it life and we are able to perceive its ways. This will be an attempt to provide some insight on the candle itself and the ways in which the candle speaks. The candle is made up of different elements and different parts which respresent different things. The candle itself contains the element of water, air and earth. When lit, the elements of fire and the spirit are employed. So a lit candle is then a full blown item incorporating all of the elements and thus rendering it again, an extremely effective magickal tool. Down throughtout history, you will find many references to the use of canles in many of our modern day activities. Fire was the ultimate tool used for banishing, cleansing, destruction and worship, life and death. Such a simple thing as an act of lighting a candle to hold within itself such power. The body of the candle consists of the elements of water, air and earth. Made from a variety of ingredients from tallow to beeswax, it can include herbs, scents or even gems or stones. The body consists of the top half which starts at the wick and down to the center. The bottom half is from the base up to the center. The Body
The shape of the burned wax when left to flow on its own can also be very revealing. Never realized that before huh? Check back and see if the candle left you a message in the shape of the burned wax. You will have to take into consideration your own circumstances and situation, but not only will it tell you while it's lit, it just might give you a "PS" along with it.
Remember that each candle is different as our own personal wish. Use your journal and learn the different ways in which it will speak to you. An example, if your desire is to draw a new love, you might get a very soft or muted pop or snap sound. This is the candle whispering your thoughts and desires for the forces to take hold. If however, you are hiding something, holding something back or in some way have a negative thought towards this, you might hear some strong snaps, cracks and popping. If it is inbetween, not quite so soft and not quite so loud, it may be telling you something. Still you mind and let it speak to you. You may be surprised if you don't all of a sudden have a new idea or suddenly learn that everything will be okay and a peaceful felling comes over you. Learn to listen to your candle.
In performing candle magick, this is a part of the steps when dedicating your candle. In this process, you are adding the necessary element of your will, or desire. The wick represents the human potential. A candle needs a wick to be lit, a wick needs a human to light it. When lit, we are sending off our human desires in hopes of manifestation.
The noises you hear from the burning candle or the was shapes it leaves can help you in communicating with your candle, speaking or acknowledgement of your wish. The candle speaking happens especially in times when figure candles are used, such as Male or Female, Skull, Cat or any other number of symbolic figures you may use to enhance your will or desire. The Flame
The flame or halo of the candle is the life of the fire itself. Upon lighting the wick, we have now included the elements of Fire and Spirit along with the human will into the candle. It can speak to us if we are watchful and aware. We can learn of its ways of acknowledging our wishes. It casts a halo or aura outside of itself and is usually regarded as the state of the highest potential of Spirit. The resultant smoke is what carries our prayers and wishes out to the forces, thus creating our simple act of magick. Watching the actions of the flame, you will also see the candle speaking. Again, no two candles are going to react the same way. Use your head and think about what it is you have asked of the candle and apply it to the actions. Write all of this down in your jounal, the first few times you try this. You will soon learn automatically to see and hear the candle. Each tiny movement of the flame will tell us something. This is the life of the element of Fire and it has the ability to communicate with us, if we are only willing to see and hear.
A STRONG tall flame will tell us that the energies we are using are inded inherent in the candle and it is empowered by our desire or will. This is an excellent sign of acknowledgement by the candle.
A LEAPING or jumping flame can indicate indecisiveness is along for the ride, make sure you are clear before you begin. It can also indicate instability in emotions or actions or the problem/need needs to be worked on.
A WEAK or small flame may mean there are just too many negative energies at this time and you may have to repeat the process again at a later time. It could also indicate a communicationproblem, a smother of emotion, be it in yourself or the other. Direction - Elements
The direction also of the smoke of the flame can tell us alot. Know the elements and their directions for correct interpretation of this.
NORTH - if the smoke goes to the north with the element of earth, it can indicate that true manifestation will be revealed, a physcial happening is occurring. Physical labor can be indicated or a need for stability. If it concerns a health question, you may want a second opinion or be cautious and pay more attention to your health or even that a check up is indicated. If it is about finances, be sure your checkbook is in order, make sure you are not allowing frivolous speding habits destroy your savings and make sure you have balanced the checkbook within the last month.
SOUTH - a south direction to your flame is the direction of the element of fire. This is an excellent sign. If it concerns health, a recovery will be imminent. If it concerns love, a passionate love affair is on its way shortly. If it concerns the home, you will find new ideas and the energy to expedite these. If the concern is work, success is on the way. You must be careful with this. As it all sounds wonderful, you must remember, fire can burn if you get too close, so keep your head on your shoulders through this whirlwind and you should be fine.
EAST - If the flame goes east, the element of air is involved and there will be some mental as opposed to physical labor involved. It is telling you to sit and follow your head in this situation. Practice logic and patience, think before yu speak. A waiting period, no rash decisions! If applied correctly, success will be yours.
WEST - A west following flame, the element of water, you have emotions literally flooding everywhere. It could indicate a period of intense emotions in whatever you desire. A warning of excess could be indicated. You could be too close to the situation and need to back off for a while. Or it could indicate that you need to clariy this thing more. Ground yourself, clear off the emotional aspect of it and look more toward the thinking part. Conclusion
You must remember the desire when interpreting these signs and apply them to the situation. Sometimes you may not get what you want to hear or see. Learn to incorporate all of the signs you are given. Seperate them when searching them out and then learn how they all interact together. You may get a completely different answer when applied to another of the signs. Also, too, step back then and do some more thinking. Did you clear and calm yourself first? Have you got some leftover emotions hanging out there? Are you willing the candle? Is your attention totally focused? Are you truly being honest with yourself? These and many other things must be considered when communicating with your candle. Use your jounal like a second skin and write it all down and try again. Possibly on a different day or at a different time. Notice the slight similarities and differences and apply them to the desire and the way in which you approached it this night. You would be amazed at what you can end up reading. Now make sure that you have a nonflammable surface upon which your candle is resting and in an area that children or your favorite pet can not investiage the pretty fire. Use your head and common sense in safety here. This way you can let it burn all the way down without any unfortunatte mishaps. Also be careful with your clothing when using candles. A good idea is a small in home fire extinguisher near by incase of mishaps. Use your common sense and your journey into candle magick will be safe and full of wonder! |
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Lesson 3-page 2 CANDLES 101 Early candles were made of vegetable waxes produced from plants such as bayberries, candelilla leaves, candletree bark, esparto grass, and various varieties of palm leaves such as carnuba and ouricury. They were also made of animal tissue and secretions, such as spermaceti(whale oil), ambergris, and beeswax (insect secretions). Sometimes entire animals such as the stormy petrel and the candlefish of the Pacific Northwest were threaded with a wick and burned as candles. Tallow candles were made of sheep, cow, or pig fat. All these candles were rather crude, time-consuming to make and smoky. Of the two kinds of candle fuel, beeswax was considered the better since it burned cleaner than tallow and had a lovely odor compared to tallow's rancid, smoky smell. Being scarce, beeswax was expensive. Only churches and the wealthy could afford beeswax candles. By the 17th century, European state edicts controlled the weight, size and cost of candles. In 1709, an act of the English Parliament banned the making of candles at home unless a license was purchased and a tax paid. Matches were invented in 1827, using poisonous phosphorus but were improved by the end of the century, eliminating the need for sparking with flint, steel, and tinder, or for keeping a fire burning 24 hours a day. Probably most important of all, Paraffin was refined from oil around 1850, making petroleum based candles possible. The combination of paraffin, which burns clean and without odor, and stearins, which harden soft paraffin, with new wick technologies developed in the nineteenth century, revolutionized the candle industry, giving us the tools and materials we still use for candle manufacturing. Candle Shapes Container: Any candle that is poured into a container and intended to be burned in the container is a container candle. These candles are often made of soft wax and would not be able to stand on their own outside their enclosures.
The container also prevents soft wax from dripping. Since these candles are safely contained in a vessel, they are often used in restaurants and in religious rituals that require long-burning candles. Pillar: A thick candle with a geometrical cross section such as a circle, oval, or hexagon is called a pillar. It is usually referred to by its diameter followed by its height. For example, a 3-by 6-inch pillar would be 3 inches in diameter and 6 inches high. Some pillars come in standard sized for commercial and religious use but you can make many variations of pillars by using molds. Novelty: These are irregularly shaped candles made by molding, sculpting and/or pouring. Taper: These are the long cylindrical candles that kindle memories of historic candle-dipping. Tapers can be made by dipping wicks into melted wax, by pouring wax into a mold, and by rolling wax around a wick. No matter the method, the result is always candles made to fit into a holder.
Tapers are generally made 1/2 inch or 7/8 inch in diameter at the base because most holders are designed to fit these two sizes. There are, of course, exceptions, such as birthday candles (3/16 inch) and Danish tapers (1/4 inch). Some specialty candleholders are designed to hold a taper larger than 7/8 inch. Votive and Tea Lights: Although these candles originated in the church, the term now refers to small plug-type candles that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 2 to 3 inches high. This shape has become popular for scented candles because their small size allows them to fit easily into small rooms, such as bathrooms.
As votives melt and become liquid in their containers, the wick uses up all the liquid fuel. If you burn a votive on a plate, the burn time will be shorter because the wax will drip and the wick will be unable to use it.
Tea lights are small votives used to warm pots of potpourri and to heat foods. They fit in smaller-than-standard votive cups. |
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lesson 3-page 3 CANDLE MAGIC Candle magic can be quite a complicated procedure, but these steps should help make it a little easier.
- Choose an appropriate color: The color of the candle you use is your first concern. You must correlate color with the goal you have in mind. (See my list of candle colors for reference.
- Cleanse the candle: Now that you've chosen the appropriate color of candle, your next task is to remove energies infused into the candle during the manufacturing process(Unless you made the candle yourself with a particular goal in mind).
Saturate a tissue with rubbing alcohol and, holding the candle in your hand, cleanse its surface, moving from bottom to top. This expels energy from the candle(If you are working with a glass encased candle, clean the exposed wax and the glass with the alcohols.
- Consecrate the candle: Next, dedicate the candle to your purpose. There three methods in which to do this, any or all may be used
Carve symbols into the candle: Take a sharp object (Such as your athame or a toothpick) and carve appropriate symbols into the side of the candle(or the top if glass-encased). If you are working for prosperity and dollar sign may be appropriate, if the goal is romance a heart would work. Astrological signs, runes, element signs, or personal signs may also be used. Think intensely of your goal while you carve. Even better is to repeat a verbal formula, such as an incantation or affirmation.
Oil the candle: Most metaphysical stores carry a wide range of oils for sale, some pre-mixed for particular goals, choose one of these or mix your own.
Dip your fingers into the oil and anoint the entire surface of the candle with it. If you want to attract good, oil the candle from the top to bottom. If you want to expel something from your life (such as a bad habit, illness, or an unwanted situation) oil the candle from bottom to top.
If you can't decide which direction to oil from, try an alternative method; begin at the center of the candle and apply the oil upward toward the top, then from the center down.
If working with a glass-encased candle, oil the exposed wax: clockwise (deosil) to draw good, counter-clockwise (widdershins) to expel negativity.
It's important to use a verbal formula while you oil the candle, for this focuses your mind on the work at hand.
Spray, sprinkle, or anoint the candle with water Purchase a water (such as Prosperity, Love, Success or Healing Water) from a metaphysical store, and pour some into an atomizer or plant mister. Spray the entire surface of the candle as you repeat your affirmation or incantation. If you don't have an atomizer or plant mister, simply sprinkle the candle, or dip your fingers in the water and anoint the candle as you would with an oil.
A cleansed and consecrated candle should be used for one purpose only. If you prepare a candle for prosperity purposes, don't use it for anything else. You should decide how often and for how long a time your are going to burn your candle. Choose your candle size according to your purpose. If your goal is very important, you may wish to burn your candle every day for several days, which means you must use a very large candle. An alternative is to use several smaller candles and burn one each day. If you choose to use smaller candles remember to cleanse and consecrate each one before use.
When you light your candle, do so consciously. Be aware that fire has an affinity with the spiritual plane.
Remember the Rule of Three and the Wiccan's Rede: "An it harm none, do what ye will". |
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Lesson3-page 4  ALTAR The altar or working space is the first thing you'll need in any magickal working. Ideally, you should have a special room for this, but few of us live in ideal situations.
Your altar can be as simple as a coffee table or as elaborate as you wish. The ritual altar serves a dual purpose; it's a place to keep your ritual tools and materials; and it serves as a visual focus for your magickal work. Some traditions hold that the altar should always face the East, or the South, or in the center, etc., etc... Put your altar where it feels right for you. More important, put it somewhere where you will be able to see it easily, where you'll be able to reach the things you need to reach, and where you won't trip over it. The right side of the altar is usually dedicated to the God. A red, yellow or gold candle, or an appropriate figure, is usually place there, as are the censor, wand, athame, bolline and a bowl of salt.
The left half of the altar is usually dedicated to the goddess. Tools sacred to Her are placed there: the cup, the pentacle, bell, crystal, cauldron and the bowl of water. An image of the Goddess may also stand there, or a green, silver or white candle can be substituted. The besom or broom may be laid against the left side of the altar.The cauldron is also sometimes placed on the floor to the left of the altar if there isn't room on top.   ATHAME Your athame (or personal knife) should be purchased new, the shape and size depending upon what appeals to you. In the Wiccan tradition the hilt is usually black and the blade sharp on both sides. The blade should also be of a metal that can be sharpened as you will use this knife to cut herbs and incise candles. The sharp edge is also a reminder of the power we take into our hands when we work magick.
If you do purchase a used knife be very certain there are no negative vibrations on it. Cleanse and consecrate it before use.
The dirk is the equivalent of the athame in PectiWita. It generally has a longer blade, though whatever feels comfortable to you is acceptable.
The athame is associated with the Fire Element and the South (some traditions associate it with Air and the East  BELL Some Wiccans use a bell in their rituals, though certainly not all. Sound is vibration and vibrations are important, not only in everyday life but, especially, magick. To help achieve the right vibrations, the right "mood" or "frequency", it helps to ring a bell. It can actually be just as effective-and thereby as important-as the burning of incense, which also affects vibrations. Don't overdo the bell ringing. A very occasional single-, double-, or triple-ring, scattered throughout the ritual, can be far more effective than a constant jangling.
The bell you use should be chosen carefully. Don't just take any bell - each has its own particular timbre. Find one which seems "right" to you, one which soothes and mellows rather than one which is harsh and strident. If possible, remove the handle and replace it with a leather loop. In this way you can carry the bell strung from you belt (if you prefer that is!).
The bell is a feminine symbol and so is often used to invoke the Goddess in ritual. It is also rung to ward off evil spells and spirits, to halt storms, or to evoke good energies. Placed in cupboards or hung on the door, it guards the home.  BESOM The Besom is used to cleanse the ritual area. There are those who insist that a besom must be made of broom, but this isn't necessarily true. In fact, it is said that fairies hate the scent of broom. Straw or grass brooms are fine for indoors, while outdoors, any leafy twig found on the ground will work well. Many stores and craft shops carry the old-fashioned "witch" broom made of straw or grass that is perfectly acceptable as long as it feels right to you. I made my besom with an oak branch and eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender and twine. It works and that's what matters most.
To cleanse your ritual area, start in the center and moving deosil (clockwise) sweep the circle from the center to the outer edges, all the while envisioning and chanting that negativity is being swept out and the circle is being cleaned   BOOK OF SHADOWS One of the most important items is the Book of Shadows, or Journal if you prefer. This is where you should record everything associated with your journey; rituals, spells, thoughts, inspirations, and any other information you deem needful. It can be in any form you choose; 3-ring binder, journal, computer file(!), etc...  BOLINE This is usually a white handled knife traditionally used for physical cutting if you don't want to use your Athame for that. It is simply a practial, working as opposed to a purely ritualistic magick knife. It is used to cut wands or sacred herbs, inscribe symbols onto candles or on wood, clay or, wax, and in cutting cords for use in magick. Some Wiccan dictate that the white-handled knife be used only within the magick circle. This would, of course, limit its usefulness. Do what feels right to you. Personally, I don't use a bolline, unless you'd consider my garden clippers qualify!  CANDLES Candles are associated with Fire and Air, and are used for everything from lighting the altar to specifics in spells. The type of wax does not matter, Color is what is important here. For basic magickal working the basic candle colors needed are white, black, green, red, yellow, blue, gold, and silver. For more information on these colors see my candle page.
 CAULDRON The cauldron is an essential in Celtic magick. It represents the element of Water. The cauldron is mentioned in many Celtic myths (most notably Cerridwen's story) and is always connected with magickal happenings. Black cast iron is best and most traditional material, although it can be of other metals. Filled with water it can be used as a scrying tool, similar to a magick mirror or a crystal balll. During certain spells candles are set in it and allowed to burn out. It is an all purpose tool; a vital part of your Celtic spellworkings. The Wicca see the cauldron as a symbol of the Goddess, the manifested essence of femininity and fertility. Ideally the cauldron should rest on three legs, its opening smaller than its widest part. Cauldrons can be difficult to find, and expensive when found. I use a cast iron dutch oven. It doesn't have legs but it seems to do the trick anyway.  CHALICE Your chalice or goblet can be of any shape, size or composition. Beware of pretty pewter cups, they contain lead and can be dangerous to drink anything from, especially wine. The chalice holds water or wine, but is occasionally used empty. The chalice, like the cauldron, is of the Element of Water and associated with the West. It may be used for everyday drinking but is usually reserved for occasions when it is felt necessary to pour libations to the gods, or similar ritual use. Personally, my goblet is part of my Renaissance costume as well as a magickal tool. Since I feel like it will pick up the right energy when I use it at RenFaires this really doesn't stray too far from tradition.   HERBS AND OILS Herbs are often burned for incense during a spell or ritual. Charcoal blocks are available for this purpose in gift and candle shops as well as new age and occult supply stores. Essential oils are used for anointing candles, tools, the altar and the body in rituals and spell working. They may be used as tokens of esteem and respect for the deities and energies of the Craft. As plants of various kinds have customarily been offered to the Lady, herbal offerings can be especially meaningful for their particular significance and properties. Since all herbs and oils have their own particular energies they can be a valuable, if not essential, addition to your magickal matierials. Herbs are always associated with the element Earth.
For detailed information see my herb page.
  INCENSE CENSOR OR BURNER A good incense burner is essential, especially if you plan to use the better incenses that are burned on charcoal. Choose a burner that has some sort of a foot or stand under it. Fill it with a layer of fresh sand, which makes it easier to clean and cuts down on the heat that will pass into the altar. If you can't find a suitable censor make one. Any bowl or cup will serve well provided that you fill it at least half-way with salt or sand. If you plan to move it as all while hot, chains or handles are a necessity.
Representative of the Element of Fire and aligned with the South, the incense burner can also be used in spells that require the burning of paper.  PENTACLE A pentacle is traditionally a flat disk made of metal or wood and inscribed with a pentagram. It is used as a power point for consecrating ritual objects, such as water or wine in a chalice, amulets and tools; and is associated with the Earth Element and aligned with the North. It can also be used for grounding stray energy in a room. The pentacle was "borrowed from ceremonial magick. In this ancient art it was often an instrument of protection, or a tool used to evoke spirits. Pentacles are also hung over doors and windows to act a protective devices, or are ritually manipulated to draw money owing to the pentacle's Earth associations.
I use a large sand dollar that has a perfect pentagram already on it. I suppose traditionalists would probably say that this isn't proper, but it feels right to me, and that is the most important thing.   ROBES A robe that is only saved for spellworking can be a fundamental part of your magickal paraphernalia, (if your tradition doesn't call for you being skyclad that is!). It can be plain, decorated, and of any color that appeals to you as long as it makes you feel "magickal". It is nice to have more than one robe, each in a different color. The colors can be matched to the candle colors required for a particular spellworking.
If you don't like the idea of a robe, wear whatever feels comfortable to you. The idea is to feel at ease not to be "fashionable".   STONES AND CRYSTALS Colorful stones of various shapes and sizes are used in some spellworks. Whether you purchase them or find them yourself, be certain that their vibrations feel comfortable to you. Crystals and other stones are good conductors of magickal energy in their natural state and need not be polished to be of use.
All stones and crystals are of the Element Earth and play an important part in Celtic spellworkings.
SWORD  The sword, like the staff, is a tool of command, It is not used often, but can be necessary for certain spellworkings. Its size, style and length are a personal choice; just be careful that you can easily handle the sword you choose. The weight and length of a Scottish Claymore, for example, becomes a real test of endurance after several minutes. For a woman, a sword length of 17 to 25 inches is a good choice. Like the Athame, the sword is of the Element of Fire.
  WAND OR STAFF Traditionally, both a wand and staff should be of wood and made by the person who will use them. If your purchase these or have them made, fill them with your own vibrations before using them. This is easily done by handling them often and deliberately sending you own positive thoughts into the object. The wand and staff can be naturally-formed tree branches or made of dowels ornamented with crystals, stones, wooden beads, or whatever else you fancy.
The length of the wand depends upon what feels comfortable to you, but tradition states that it should be no longer than your forearm.
The staff should be at least shoulder-high and as thick as is comfortable to hold, usually about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. It should be cut during the waxing moon and allowed to dry out thoroughly at room temperature. You may strip the bark off of it or leave it on, whichever you prefer.It may be left natural or stained/varnished/oiled. The staff is the sword and wand rolled into one, and as such is a symbol of both magickal knowledge and the right to petition deities or archetypal powers. The staff is the main tool of the PectiWita tradition.
Both Staff and Wand are of the Element of Air and are aligned with the East(although some traditions hold that the wand is an instrument of fire and aligned with the South).
These are the simple tools you should have on your alter...
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