Most of people have been using candle magick for years without the slightest inkling. When you blow out the candles on a birthday cake and make a wish … well, isn’t that sort of like a little spell? Yep!

Many birthday traditions have strong pagan roots. For the Greeks, the birthday candle was lit in honour of the spirit or guardian that attended the birth of the celebrant. The Romans lit tapers to honour the birthday child and to grant good fortune. Others lit candles to protect the celebrant and ensure security for the coming year

These aren’t the only candles with a pagan past. The lighting of vigil votives in churches has it’s own pagan roots. Wether they are lit to ask for favours, giving thanks, or rembering loved ones past, the pagan associations are strong. Candles were a feature of worship in many pre-Christian societies.

(An interesting side note here. Many ritual candles were made of beeswax, because bees were regarded as messengers of the gods and goddesses, now the meaning has changed to the wax being symbolic of Mother Mary and the wick being the soul. Also note that the pillar candles that you see in churches today may not be candles at all! Oil lamps are available that are made to have the appearance of beeswax pillar candles.)

Candles are magickal items and using them for spell casting and magick making is as popular as ever. Here are a few ideas and tips to using candles for your own magickal purposes ...

SAFETY FIRST
The most important part of candle magick is doing it safely. You’ve heard the statement “Never leave a candle unattended.” Follow it. Now, I know that there will be times when you will leave the room, when you feel the need to keep a 7 day candle lit … if you do at least take some precautions. Place the candle on a tray (like a cookie sheet) that is covered with sand. Keep lit candles as far as possible from other items (look up as well as around … hanging plants can catch fire). Use a strong, sturdy holder made specifically for candles (I’ve had glass ones shatter from the heat of a low burning candle)

BUY QUALITY CANDLES
There are very few things that I think you need to spend a few extra bucks on but candles is one of them. You don’t have to go out and break the bank on pure beeswax but spend a couple of bucks and get yourself some nice candles. I buy a box of plain white utility candles at Ikea and they seem to do the trick nicely. They aren't the best, but they are a step up from those sold at many bargan type dollar stores. Cheap candles are just that … cheap. Consider them unstable and unreliable. Especially steer clear of metallic candles and those that are embellished with lots of ‘decorations’.

CARVING
The traditional tool for carving into candles is the thorn, specifically, from the Blackthorn. This tree has very hard, durable thorns which are surprisingly strong and sharp. You should be wary if you plan on harvesting the thorns, be sure that you approach the tree at the correct time of year, ask permission and give thanks. It is considered unlucky to mess with this tree at the wrong time.

Some sources tell practitioners to use their Athame to do the carving but I would recommend against that. The blade would certainly become, at the very least, ‘messy’ from carving and the wax make your lovely ritual tool sticky. A small pocket knife or artist carving tools would be more suited and can be inexpencive. Use what is at hand if you are in a pinch. Pins, tacks, nails … pretty much anything sharp and pointy will do the trick when necessary.

What to carve? Anything that gets your point across. There are books on candle magick that include elaborate designs and sigils to carve for different intentions. I simply write my intention, initials or symbols that I associate with the effect I desire. For example "Bring me money $$$ Remove all debt"

A FEW WORDS ON OILS
First and foremost let me just say one thing … oil burns. If you saturate your candle with ANY type of oil it will melt faster and may catch fire. A few small drops is all that is needed, and even that needs to be used with caution.

Oils are used to enhance a magickal candle or to imbue power into a regular ole candle you happen to have on hand. Some people make their oils only with essential or highly perfumed oils. I choose to use herbal infused oils which aren’t as perfumed but just as potent.

Here is the method I recommend for dressing a candle with oil. Place a couple of small drops in the middle of the candle and stroke the oil from wick to base with your finger (if you are handling irritating oils use a cotton swab or tissue to stroke the oil). You don't need to soak the candle ... more is not better.

Here are a few different ways/methods of ‘dressing’ a candle with oil…

- Stroke up to send your ‘prayer’ up and then down to bring it back to the earthly plane.
- Apply only in one direction, from wick to base, for banishing or spells that you want to cast to ‘reduce’ something.
- Apply only from base to wick for spells that you want to cast to increase or gain
- Hoodoo method: Apply oil to a paper towel or in the palm of your hand and wrap around the center of the candle and rub from the center to the wick to the base, then up again.

OTHER IDEAS
Sometimes after I dress my candles with oil I rub them, or roll them, with powdered, ground herbs. I think that this gives a nice added magickal boost. The herbs often find their way in to the carved crevices which makes them stand out more. But, once again, this added touch poses more of a fire risk. Be careful, especially of larger bits of herbs that may catch the flame.

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