Candle Magick

1. 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.

2. 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).

3. The size and shape of the candles you use is unimportant, although highly decorative, etra 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.

4. The candles you use for 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. The candles you use can be colored in accordance with the magical uses shown below.

11. 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.

12. The simple form of candle magic is to write dose 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, malachain, 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.

13. 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.

14. 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 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.

15. 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


Candle Making
Buy different colored sheets of beeswax (Wal-Mart carries them in their craft section), and cut and roll the wax to the exact size you need (votive, short or tall tapers, etc...). No melting or pouring needed. All you do is roll the sheet of wax around your wick. You can also add herbs or 'scents' to any kind of candles. Buy paraffin from the grocery store and just using the crayons to add some color. Melting all crayons for candles can get terribly expensive, and the paraffin is cheap.

Beeswax Candles
To make beeswax candles, wrap or roll a honeycomb sheet of beeswax around a candle wick.(artificial honeycombs of beeswax are obtainable from beekeepers, wax chandlers, honey wholesalers and hobby shops)
Cut the wax sheet to the size you desire (for a 6 inch candle, cut a twelve inch sheet in half) Place the wax on a smooth surface. Press the wick vertically against the shorter of the wax sheet around and begin to roll the sheet around the wick.(If the wax is cut on top at a slanted angle away from the wick, the candles shape will be enhanced by its tapering conical contour.) Anoint the candle with oil to consecrate it and charge it with power before using it in spells or magickal ceremonies.

Cauldron Candles
Cauldron candles are simple to make, a lot of fun and they look great! It's a wonderful way to recycle left over wax.
What you will need:
• Clean Sand
• A Box or Container
• Heat Source
• Cooking Pan
• Oven Mitts
• Small Cauldron or mayonnaise jar
• Wax
• Candle Wicking
• Scissors
• Coffee Can or Heat Proof Jar
For wax, you can use paraffin (found in the canning section of the grocery store), beeswax (can usually be obtained cheaply from people who sell their own honey), or even left over candles
If you don't have candle wicking, you can buy them at craft stores or do what I do - use small twine or get the wicks out of broken candles.

Directions:
Prepare the mold: If you are using a box, line it with a plastic bag to keep the moisture from destroying the shape.
Moisten the sand with water so that it will keep its shape when pressed.
If you have a small cauldron, press it tightly into the wet sand until it comes to the top. You don't want the sand over the edge, just flush.
Make sure that you have at least one inch of packed sand around the top so that it will hold its shape once the wax is poured in.
Carefully remove the cauldron, trying to avoid loose sand particles from falling in. If it doesn't hold its shape, or you are not happy with the results, redo it! Depending on the size of the container, you can make as many candle molds as you have room. If you don't have a small cauldron, use a small mayonnaise jar or other container that will give you the basic shape. You can even use your fist for a unique looking cauldron.
You will however need to make legs for the cauldron. Simply use your little finger or a chopstick and press into the bottom of the mold three times. Try to keep them at the same depth, and spaced evenly around the bottom, otherwise you end up with a lopsided cauldron!
Prepare the wax: Put the wax into the coffee can or the heatproof container into a pan of water; bring to a boil on the stove.
Caution - NEVER leave melting wax unattended and if there are children involved in candle making, always supervise them! Hot wax is highly flammable and can burn skin - so be extremely careful.
If you wish to make black cauldrons, add left over black candles or wax to can. If you don't have any, you can add black crayon pieces until you are happy with the color. Of course, if you want a different color, use the appropriate wax or crayon.

Prepare the wick: While the wax is melting, add the wicks to the molds. Press the wicking directly into the sand at the center of the mold. You will need to drape the top of the wick over a pencil or meat skewer that is placed over the top of the mold - preferably resting on the top of the box, to keep the wick from falling into to wax once it is poured.
Pouring the wax:When the wax is completely melted, put your oven mitts on, lift the can from the water and slowly pour the wax into the molds. You don't want the wax to cool too slowly or it may crack, so don't put them outside or in the refrigerator to speed the process.
Finishing the candles: Once the wax has hardened, you can just scoop the candles out of the sand. Trim off any wick that is sticking out of the bottom with scissors and brush off any excess sand.
By Battle Red

Cauldron Candles 2
Take a 1/2 gallon milk carton fill it 1/2 way with damp sand. take something round (ball...) and press it into the sand to get the shape of a cauldron belly.
Then use either your fingers or the point of a wooden spoon to make even 'legs' for your cauldron.
Then secure your wick into the bottom (press it into the sand) and wrap the top around a stick placed across the top of the carton (make sure you wick is long enough to do this to keep it straight (to burn straight).
Then pour in your wax and let it cool. If you have a mini cauldron, use it to make the shape of your mold.
You can use this method for all kinds of neat shapes, just remember that you will have sand on the outside of your candles.
Cyrena

Container Candles
• 1 fire safe container (glass)
• Wax of a chosen color
• Wick (enough to reach the bottom of the container to the TOP)
• Pot to melt the wax (preferably a double boiler, don't plan to use it for food again)
• Pencil (to hold the wick up)
• Penny (to weight the wick down)
Instructions:
You can use stubs of old candles or cheap new ones. While the wax melts we will prepare the rest. Secure wicking to the penny. Drop into the jar(container) and secure the free end to the pencil. Make the wick taught as possible. A crooked wick produces a crooked candle. When the wax is melted, pour into the container. Be sure the wick is centered. The wax will shrink, as it hardens. When the candle has cooled you may wish to add more heated wax to top off for a more professional look.