There are many tools in a witch’s toolbox. One of the simplest, most universal, and powerful tools, in this witch’s opinion, are candles. It’s an easy kind of magic that anyone of all levels can start putting into practice right away.
Let’s talk this through a little bit. In this article, I’ll cover the meanings of the different colors of candles and the best color matches for your spells. The difference between spell work candles and altar candles. My go-to tools and accessories for doing candle magic. Intention work, manifesting, spells, and even divination. So let’s dive in!
I want to start by saying, in my opinion, there is no right or wrong way to be a witch. Being a witch and practicing the craft means you are taking your power into your own hands; you are not giving it to someone else. This isn’t a “Jesus Take the Wheel” kind of path. A witch holds her own power and uses it however she sees fit. Do whatever feels right.
One of my favorite things about witchcraft is that there are no set-in-stone rules. Don’t let anyone try and gatekeep magic from you, that’s not how this works. That being said there are, of course, understandings of right and wrong. “An’ ye harm none, do what ye will.” Free will is the big one; honor your own free will, and honor others’ free will. Remember, consent is sexy friends.
There are also some general understandings of how certain tools and ingredients work, which I will cover in a different post, but when it comes down to it, everything you see you can use, anything you have on hand, doesn’t matter what it is exactly you can use it for magic. You’re a witch, and you can easily make do with anything you’ve got. MacGyver it!
Follow your intuition, follow your gut, and if there is something you’re passionate about, something you love, that’s your magic. We get power from the things we love. Taking note of these things can help you tap into your power. If your soul lights up because you love something, that something can be a tool for your magic and power.
Colors:
Here is a quick very brief synopsis of different candle color meanings:
Pink: Love, Friendship, Harmony, Femininity, Self-Love, Romance
Red: Sex, Vitality, Power, Courage, Victory, Strength, Will Power, Lust, Stamina
Orange: The Sun, Success, Joy, Optimism, Confidence, Intellect
Yellow: Communication, Intellect, Charm, New Ideas, Intelligence, Focus, Learning,
Green: Success, Emotions, Prosperity, Balance, Good Luck, Abundance, Money
Blue: Truth, Justice, Insight, Knowledge, Wisdom, Healing, Loyalty,
Violet: Divine, Spirituality, Wisdom, Healing, Psychic Manifestations, Meditation, Astral Travel
Brown: Earth, Grounding, Lost Objects, Concentration
Gold: Success, Prosperity, Wealth, Manifesting
Silver: The Moon, Goddess Energy, Stability, Intuition,
White: Clarity, Purity, Protection, Healing, Truth, Divination, Peace, New Beginnings,
Black: Protection, Transition, Regeneration, Loss, Banishment, Cleansing.
The list goes on and on, and here’s a friendly reminder that there doesn’t have to be any rules at all. Whatever your favorite color is, it can have more potent power in any spell, especially when it comes to self-love and healing. So don’t limit yourself to what I say or what the broader world might say. Use whatever you want or whatever you’re vibing with.
⚝ Witchy Tip: You can substitute a Black candle for ANY other color candle, so if you’re not sure what color to use, Black is a good call. I ALWAYS have at least 3 Black Candles and 3 White candles on hand, in case I need to cast unexpectedly.⚝
Dressings:
Candle oil, Incense, Dried flowers, Dried tea leaves.
Tools:
Awl (pointy tool to inscribe a candle), Paint Brush (My personal preference, you can use your finger or even a Q-tip, for that matter), Lighter/matches, Candle Snuffer, Little spoon or scoop, scissors.
My Altar Accessories:
Altar candles: 2-4, Fountain/Chalice/ cup of water, Salt lamp, Crystals, A Rock, Something to represent the Earth, Incense holder, Caldron, Pentagram, Wand.
My Current Ritual:
I usually cast a circle before I start. I turn on my little desk water fountain (I got it at Walgreens for $6!) to represent water. Then I plug in my little USB desk salt lamp to represent Earth. I light my altar candles to represent fire. Typically, 2 candles on the top tier and two on the bottom tier of my current altar space. I’ll cover Spirit and air a little later in this article.
I settle in and get quiet by doing a quick breathing exercise. This helps me draw my attention and focus to my magical practice and helps block any outside distractions. Once I’m aligned I usually invite the Divine, and my guides to join me. (If it’s a full moon, I’ll call in Hekate first; if it’s a new moon, I’ll call in Lilith first. Any other time, I’ll call Luna in first, as that’s what I call the moon herself. But I always honor all three (This is not remotely necessary but I’m a Lunar Witch and it has become a big part of my lunar spells))
I’ll then place my hands on my Runes and ask for guidance as to what I should be focusing on during my Ritual, and draw the Runes I can feel the energy from. I will incorporate those runes and the meaning I’m concluding into the ritual for a more powerful punch.
Set an Intention:
I’ll then set an intention based on what I want to manifest. This is something I’m somehow both really good at and, at the same time, really bad at. There are many times I don’t have a clear idea of what I’m looking for, or asking about. It definitely helps your spells if you go in with a clear idea of what you want. It’s not always necessary, but it will help you get better and more consistent results. When I’m not sure what I want or need, I’ll ask for clarity from my guides on what I should be looking for or what I should be focusing on.
During and coming out of a full moon, I typically ask for the banishment of energy that no longer serves me, of the things that are holding me back, washing it away with the oncoming dimming light of the moon. During and coming out of the New Moon I manifest, I’ll ask for the success of a project I’m working on, or good fortune for a loved one. Drawing in the magic as the moon starts to glow brighter with each day.
Dressing the Candle:
With those intentions set, the next step is to dress the candle. I usually pick a candle based on the moon phase. (Black for a new moon and white and or silver for a full moon) I’ll also do colors based on the specific manifestation. If I’m setting an intention that has to do with money, I would pick a green candle. Blue or white for health, pink and red for love and passion, orange for joy, purple for the divine and magic. I’ll also pick colors in honor of the seasons. Blue or white for winter, pink for spring, green for summer, and orange for autumn.
I then trim the wick (easier to do it before we’ve dressed the candle than trying to handle it when it’s covered in stuff). This may seem like a less important step, but it’s a very important one. Your flame can get really erratic and can be dangerous if left too long. A trimmed wick will give a much cleaner burn of the candle. Trimming the wick to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long seems to be the sweet spot, but all candles burn differently. Be cautious not to go too short, or you could experience tunneling or flooding the wick, where it won’t burn.
With my color picked, I’ll use my Awl to inscribe my candle (I use the end of my little spoon as it has a pointed end. You can use whatever you have on hand, a Knitting Needle, a nail or thumb tack, you can even use a pen in a pinch, but it typically looks messy and will likely screw up the pen’s writing capabilities). I typically inscribe my candles with 3 words that describe my intentions or manifestation. I’ll also carve in the runes I drew earlier. If I don’t have intentions or a manifestation specifically set, I’ll just write out the names of the runes instead. This inscribing part isn’t always necessary, but I find that it does help set the intentions of the spell and, in turn, receive much more powerful results.
Next, I pick the oils I want to use. My favorite oils are “The Death Witch” oils. They are very versatile and handcrafted by a (previously local) witch. There are a bunch of different types of oils that are crafted with different intentions, so I’ll pick according to the spell I’m casting. You can also make your own with carrier oils and Essential oils if you want to. (I sense a future post here)
Because I have Death Witch oils which each have their own intentions I usually pick based on those. I’ll typically pick Hecate for all spells because she represents all the phases of the moon. Dark moon oil for Lilith on a new moon, success oil for when I ask for things to come into my life, banishing oil for when I want things out of my life, and you can mix and match depending on what spell you’re working on. All that being said, this has less to do with the exact oil you’re actually using and more to do with your intentions. So really focus your energy and thoughts on what you are manifesting. Put that intention into each step to ensure the best possible results.
I’ll then take my paintbrush (You can use your finger or a Q-tip, whatever you have on hand) and dip it into the oils. I usually do one oil at a time. As I brush the oils onto the candle, I ask for the success of my spell. For manifesting, I apply the oil in a clockwise direction. To banish, I apply in a counterclockwise direction. As I do this, I am essentially having a conversation with my spirit team who have joined me. I speak or think about what my intentions are and hold the thought in my head as I dress the candle.
Next, I open my tin of dried florals/tea and begin to gently lay them across the surface of the candle. With each petal, I reaffirm my spell. Again, not required, but adding dried flowers to the candle will help it burn faster, and putting in the effort and intention of placing the petals, I find, helps intensify the spells.
Lighting the Candle:
Once I’ve covered a good portion of the candle with petals, it’s time to light it. Still holding the manifestation in my mind, I will light the candle with a match (I find matches more magical and romantic than lighters for spell candles, but use whatever you have).
At this point, I light my incense downflow cone (I do it here because I find it easier to light with a spell candle, but you can easily do this step at the beginning) I use incense as a representation of air and spirit.
Spells I want to give a little extra energy kick to, I’ll scoop up a bit of loose incense, and at a safe distance, I’ll dust it over the flame, which causes the flame to spark when the incense hits it. This gives a super magical vibe, but be cautious when you do this. Always be paying attention.
Let the candle burn down. Some spells ask for a full/clean burn. I’ve found dressing the candle helps make them burn faster, but you can also use smaller candles. I sometimes use medium-sized birthday cake candles if I haven’t given myself enough time for a regular spell candle. I’ve found regular birthday candles tend to burn way too fast, but if you’re looking for a really quick spell, they’re perfect.
Not everything I’ve described above is perhaps totally necessary. This is just my current Candle Ritual. I’ve been developing this ritual for a very long time, and it is constantly changing. When I started, I never inscribed my candles, and I’ve only started dressing them with oils over the last several years, and I’ve only added the petals throughout this year. Do what you can with what you have available. Nothing you do is wrong as long as your intentions are clear. I’ve used tea lights and birthday candles from the dollar store. I’ve even used 7-day candles for several different spells when I’ve been unable to restock my little spell candles.
Altar Candles vs Spell Candles:
This isn’t something that I think every witch separates. But this is something I do very specifically in my practice. I take the bigger 7+Day candles and place them in essentially the 4 corners of my altar. I place long-running spells on my altar candles, such as protection, security, enlightenment, and clarity. These are things I am always looking to draw in every time I light them. We don’t have to do a specific, separate ritual every time for these candles; we’ve already set our intentions for them. The Altar Candles can also represent/honor our ancestors and spiritual team, or a deity. By lighting a candle in honor of someone we’ve lost, we invite them to walk with us in our daily lives.
A spell candle, on the other hand, is one of the typical small candles that we want to put specific intentions on at that moment. They usually burn for an hour or 2 (depending on the dressing) and once it’s burned, your spell has been cast.
Intention work, Manifestation, and spells:
These three things are all pretty similar and actually basically work hand in hand with each other. Intention is basically getting a clear idea of something you want. Knowing you want something if you will. Manifesting is drawing that something into your life. Seeing it, feeling it, knowing it is real, knowing you can have it. And the Spell (For a witch) is the act or ritual of calling it to you, basically the ritual to manifest your desires into reality.
For example:
Very recently, I found out that a condo that is owned by some relatives of mine (My current landlords, actually) will soon become available to live in. Now I’ve wanted to live on my own, literally my entire life. No roommates, no significant other, just me and my cat, all on our own. And this is the first viable way for me to do so within my means. I’ve been setting this intention for a long while, before I even moved into my current place. Not necessarily this exact scenario, but the intention of living on my own. When I found out the condo was going to be available, I told them I was very interested in renting it and fixing it up for them. Leading up to this, they had no clue that I was interested, so with that conversation, I set my intention and began manifesting it.
I started doing manifesting spells to help encourage them to allow me to live in the condo. During a Candle spell, I asked a recently departed relative (the owner of the condo) if it was okay for me to live there. As I gazed into the flame, I had a very vivid vision of her giving me a key. The next day, my relatives told me that I was at the top of the list for getting to rent it.
Now this manifestation is not yet settled as the condo has become a part of an estate situation with the passing of the previous tenant, so it is still an ongoing situation, but this story is a really good example of how all three things go hand in hand. Each one leads to the next.
Intention, manifesting, and spells are all very powerful forms of magic that can give incredible results, but you have to put the ideas out there. If I hadn’t told my family I was interested, they would never have considered me renting it. I needed to speak it out loud to them in order for them to know that it was something I wanted. To get the ball rolling, if you will. It also helps that these are family members, and I was able to call on my ancestors to help me.
Divination:
And that story leads me to divination. For the longest time, I didn’t think I did any kind of divination. I still don’t think I’m that strong at it, but I have recently learned that I actually receive divine messages through my candle magic all the time. Typically in the form of visions, daydreams, and stories. I’ve also recently discovered I can decipher messages, answers to questions based on the flame’s actions. It’s become another way for me to communicate with the divine. I have only just started to develop this side of my candle magic skills, so I don’t know too much about how it works yet, but I can tell messages are coming through. So more on that in the future.