Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Taurus, First Quarter.
"C is for cookie thats good enough for me, c is for cookie coz cookie starts with c, oh cookie, cookie, cookie starts with c!" ... sorry i couldn't help myself!
I was brainstorming witchy things that start with C and the old Cookie Monster song popped in my head, i probably didn't need to share but that was fun huh ... oh well!
I decided on Candle magic ... I then wondered if i had anything new to add to an already well known topic and maybe i can't add anything new to this subject but i will share with you my own candle magic story.
Humans have been burning candles for ages for their practicality, ambiance and in ritual - nothing is more relaxing than a bath, full of oils, sweet smells and candles, or a candle lit dinner to encourage romance - classic forms of everyday rituals, no matter how subconscious the action is - humans respond emotively to candle light. Witches and magikal folk have always generally had a connection to the burning flame and the use of candles in spells and rituals. Not to mention the practical application of that pack of candles in the kitchen near the matches for when the power goes out - illumination!
I fell in love with candles as a teenager and had a room filled with different coloured, sized and shaped candles, some scented with the most beautiful essential oils, I remember vividly a red rose scented candle that i loved the smell of. In the evenings as the sun set I would light the various candles and sit in front of my altar space and gaze into the flames for what felt like hours mesmerised by the flickering of the flame willing it to grow higher and move to the left and to the right. Once the candle wax began to melt i would drip them into dishes of water and again be mesmerised by the patterns and shapes created in the pools of water, it all delighted me no end and many a night was spent sitting on the floor gazing into the flames and playing with the patterns of wax in the water.
It would be 10 years later, whilst working at a new age store that i was flipping through a book that for the life of me i cannot remember darn it and i opened to a random page about candle magic, the act of gazing into a flame to aid manifestation and the use of dripping wax in the water to interpret the symbols within, similar to the art of tea leaf reading. Well reading this filled me with wonder at my intuitive practice as a teenager, it was lovely to acknowledge the magic that just was as a child, all the wisdom within when we tune in and go with the flow, trust our intuition and do what we love.
In regular ol' candle magic practice the main steps are;
1. The choice of candle in response to your intentions such as size, type and in particular colour symbolism and association e.g. love = green, pink, red. Please bear in mind my colour association is powerful for me and your colour association is powerful for you, i feel it is important to use colour symbolism personally not just what a book tells you they symbolise.
2. The chosen candle is then inscribed with a word suited to your intention e.g. Love
3. It is then anointed or 'dressed' with a suitable oil blend by rubbing the candle with your chosen oil, keeping in mind your word and intention.
4. Once the candle is lit the flame is gazed upon whilst visualising your intention - focusing on your inscribed word as you meditate upon the flame.
Some say a candle should only be used once for its magical use - i sort of agree, but being environmentally conscious i am not a fan of wasting materials, so what do we do with a candle not fully burned down, some last 10 hours - are you going to sit for those 10 hours keeping vigil? No you will probably wear yourself out and fall asleep and set something afire! Maybe instead the candle is burned on consecutive days, building up your intention? Maybe if your ritual is complete the candle becomes a functional item and is burnt to create ambience during your next ritual? Not wasting materials and not used in a ritual role so not affecting its original spell purposes - wonderful!
In the book Advanced Candle Magick by Raymond Buckland there is a section on making candles that is inspiring my crafty nature and maybe a good use for all my waxy magikal leftovers i hoarded as a kid! Advanced Candle Magick also takes the extra ceremonial step and not only is the candle of choice inscribed and anointed but a lot of candles are and then they are laid out in a particular shape in association with that intention, crystals, poppets, incense and herbs may also be included. The practise required a lot more effort that the single stand alone candle usually used but maybe all that extra dedication, energy and time has a greater reward, if anything it is visually beautiful!
There are free meditation sessions held near me that i attended once and the first session had us gazing upon beautiful flowers and the flame of a candle to assist us in developing our meditative state and it does.
So if you are curious or delighted by the vast array of different candles but haven't practised a candle ritual before, how about just a meditation practise to begin and if your keen i recommend the ceremonial aspects as described in Buckland's book!
Blessed Be
By the way....This post is a part of the Pagan Blog Project. A site dedicated to some of the blogs of the online Pagan community. 'C' Candle Magik
"C is for cookie thats good enough for me, c is for cookie coz cookie starts with c, oh cookie, cookie, cookie starts with c!" ... sorry i couldn't help myself!
I was brainstorming witchy things that start with C and the old Cookie Monster song popped in my head, i probably didn't need to share but that was fun huh ... oh well!
Humans have been burning candles for ages for their practicality, ambiance and in ritual - nothing is more relaxing than a bath, full of oils, sweet smells and candles, or a candle lit dinner to encourage romance - classic forms of everyday rituals, no matter how subconscious the action is - humans respond emotively to candle light. Witches and magikal folk have always generally had a connection to the burning flame and the use of candles in spells and rituals. Not to mention the practical application of that pack of candles in the kitchen near the matches for when the power goes out - illumination!
I fell in love with candles as a teenager and had a room filled with different coloured, sized and shaped candles, some scented with the most beautiful essential oils, I remember vividly a red rose scented candle that i loved the smell of. In the evenings as the sun set I would light the various candles and sit in front of my altar space and gaze into the flames for what felt like hours mesmerised by the flickering of the flame willing it to grow higher and move to the left and to the right. Once the candle wax began to melt i would drip them into dishes of water and again be mesmerised by the patterns and shapes created in the pools of water, it all delighted me no end and many a night was spent sitting on the floor gazing into the flames and playing with the patterns of wax in the water.
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It would be 10 years later, whilst working at a new age store that i was flipping through a book that for the life of me i cannot remember darn it and i opened to a random page about candle magic, the act of gazing into a flame to aid manifestation and the use of dripping wax in the water to interpret the symbols within, similar to the art of tea leaf reading. Well reading this filled me with wonder at my intuitive practice as a teenager, it was lovely to acknowledge the magic that just was as a child, all the wisdom within when we tune in and go with the flow, trust our intuition and do what we love.
In regular ol' candle magic practice the main steps are;
1. The choice of candle in response to your intentions such as size, type and in particular colour symbolism and association e.g. love = green, pink, red. Please bear in mind my colour association is powerful for me and your colour association is powerful for you, i feel it is important to use colour symbolism personally not just what a book tells you they symbolise.
2. The chosen candle is then inscribed with a word suited to your intention e.g. Love
3. It is then anointed or 'dressed' with a suitable oil blend by rubbing the candle with your chosen oil, keeping in mind your word and intention.
4. Once the candle is lit the flame is gazed upon whilst visualising your intention - focusing on your inscribed word as you meditate upon the flame.
Some say a candle should only be used once for its magical use - i sort of agree, but being environmentally conscious i am not a fan of wasting materials, so what do we do with a candle not fully burned down, some last 10 hours - are you going to sit for those 10 hours keeping vigil? No you will probably wear yourself out and fall asleep and set something afire! Maybe instead the candle is burned on consecutive days, building up your intention? Maybe if your ritual is complete the candle becomes a functional item and is burnt to create ambience during your next ritual? Not wasting materials and not used in a ritual role so not affecting its original spell purposes - wonderful!
In the book Advanced Candle Magick by Raymond Buckland there is a section on making candles that is inspiring my crafty nature and maybe a good use for all my waxy magikal leftovers i hoarded as a kid! Advanced Candle Magick also takes the extra ceremonial step and not only is the candle of choice inscribed and anointed but a lot of candles are and then they are laid out in a particular shape in association with that intention, crystals, poppets, incense and herbs may also be included. The practise required a lot more effort that the single stand alone candle usually used but maybe all that extra dedication, energy and time has a greater reward, if anything it is visually beautiful!
There are free meditation sessions held near me that i attended once and the first session had us gazing upon beautiful flowers and the flame of a candle to assist us in developing our meditative state and it does.
So if you are curious or delighted by the vast array of different candles but haven't practised a candle ritual before, how about just a meditation practise to begin and if your keen i recommend the ceremonial aspects as described in Buckland's book!
Blessed Be
By the way....This post is a part of the Pagan Blog Project. A site dedicated to some of the blogs of the online Pagan community. 'C' Candle Magik
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