Candlelight Spells: The Modern Witch's Book of Spellcasting, Feasting, and Healing - Gerina Dunwich 2000

Candle Crafting

Candlemaking is an ancient craft that is practiced by most witches who prefer working with their own homemade candles rather than the store-bought ones. Candles that are made by hand absorb the witch’s own psychic energies and thereby are more magickally powerful than those that are mass-produced in factories.

To make your own candles you will need: equal parts paraffin and pure beeswax (amount depending upon the number you plan to make), a double boiler, wicking and candle molds. These items can be easily found in most hobby and craft stores as well as candle shops. Waxed milk cartons, muffin cups and metal cans make perfect (and inexpensive) candle molds, as do plastic and glass bottles of various sizes and shapes.

Cut the candle wicking to fit the size of the mold, allowing one extra inch of wick above the top of the mold. Attach a nut or screw to the bottom of the wick as a weight and then insert into the center of the mold.

Cut the paraffin into small pieces and place them in the top of the double boiler. (A large tin can placed in a pan of boiling water may be used in place of the double boiler.) Add the pure beeswax to the paraffin and melt over low heat. Do not try to melt the wax directly over fire. Scent with oil of cloves, lavender, lemon oil, mint, rose, sage or any other aromatic herb oils. For colored candles, melt a colored wax crayon in the paraffin.

After the paraffin and beeswax have been melted down, slowly pour into the candle molds. As the wax cools, a depression will form in the middle of the candle’s top near the wick. Refill the depression with more melted wax until the mold is level.

Remove the candles from their molds only after the wax has dried and hardened thoroughly.

DRESSING THE CANDLE

Before using a candle in a magickal ceremony, it is recommended that the candle be dressed—or anointed—with a small amount of oil, (as below).

Using your bare hands, rub the oil into the wax starting at the middle of the candle and working your way up to the top. Start again, this time at the middle of the candle and work your way down to the bottom to complete the anointing ritual.

This ancient Wiccan practice of candle-oiling helps to put your psychic vibrations into the candle, magnetizing it and transforming it into an extension of your mind power.

CANDLE ANOINTING OIL

1 cup rose petals

1 cup violets

1 cup water

1 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon clove oil

2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon

1 tablespoon powdered myrrh

¼ cup wild fennel seeds

Gather the rose petals and violets at sunrise. Place them in a clean ceramic crock. Cover with water (fresh rain water, preferably) and let crock sit in a sunny location for three days until an oily film (the essential oil of the flowers) is seen floating on top of the water.

Remove the oil from the water by carefully absorbing it into a small cotton ball. Squeeze out the oil into a clean, long-necked glass bottle. Add the olive and clove oils, and gently swirl the bottle in a clockwise direction to slowly agitate the oils. Next, add the cinnamon, myrrh and fennel seeds.

Seal the bottle tightly and store it in a dark, cool place. After four weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth and use for candle anointing rituals.

COLOR

The color of the candle is very important when it comes to performing magick for each color possesses a different vibration and attracts different spiritual influences. (See “Evocation of Spirits” in Chapter V—Spellcasting.)

Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac is also ruled by its own color, and when casting horoscopes or working zodiac-related magick, the colors of the candles used should correspond to the proper zodiacal color:

AQUARIUS: Light blue

PISCES: Aquamarine

ARIES: Red

TAURUS: Green

GEMINI: Yellow or silver

CANCER: White

LEO: Gold

VIRGO: Gray

LIBRA: Royal blue

SCORPIO: Black or red

SAGITTARIUS: Dark blue or purple

CAPRICORN: Black or dark brown

During the four major witches’ sabbats, the following colored candles should be burned: brown for Candlemas, dark green for Beltane, yellow for Lammas and orange or black for Samhain.

Candle magick should never be performed in the dark of the moon—the three days preceding a new moon. A waxing moon is the proper time to perform spells that attract, and the waning moon is the correct time to perform spells that banish.

Candles that are used when working black magick should never be reused for white magick spells as the negative vibrations of the candle will interfere with the magick and possibly reverse the effects of the spell.

BAYBERRY CANDLES

The wax of bayberries produces pleasant smelling candles that can be used for healing, spiritual purification, protection or increasing the powers of the psyche.

To obtain the bayberry wax, boil at least 10 cups of berries in a large kettle of pure water until the bayberry wax floats to the surface. (Always use spring, rain or well water. Never use water from the tap when crafting candles for magickal use.)

Remove from heat and allow to cool for one to two hours. After the wax has hardened, remove it from the kettle and combine it with paraffin to make candles.

MAGICK HERB CANDLES

Herbs are an extremely important part of candle crafting for each herb possesses a different magickal property.

When preparing candles for spells, a small amount of the appropriate powdered herb should be added to the melted wax before pouring it into the candle mold. This provides the candle with the proper magickal energy needed for spellcasting.

The following is a list of common witches’ herbs and their magickal properties:

ACACIA: Divination.

ADDER’S TONGUE: Divination.

ANGELICA: Exorcism, healing and protection against evil influences.

AVENS: Soul purification.

BASIL: Exorcism, love spells and protection against evil influences.

BAY: Clairvoyance, healing, good luck and protection against evil influences.

BERGAMOT: Prosperity.

CAMPHOR: Divination.

CATNIP: Love spells.

CARNATION: Psychic healing.

CEDAR: Healing, prosperity and sanctification.

CHAMOMILE: Sleep potions.

CINNAMON: Clairvoyance, healing and love spells.

CINQUEFOIL: Prosperity.

CLOVES: Divination, exorcism, love and spiritual purification.

CLOVER: Anti-sorcery, counterspells and protection against evil influences.

CORIANDER: Love spells.

DILL: Anti-sorcery and protection against evil influences.

DRAGON’S BLOOD: Exorcism and love spells.

ELDER: Aphrodisiac, love spells and prosperity.

FENNEL: Healing and purification.

FERN: Exorcism and spells to attract rain.

FRANKINCENSE: Consecration, divination, exorcism, healing, love spells and spiritual purification.

GARDENIA: Healing and love spells.

GARLIC: Exorcism, protection against evil influences and purification.

GINGER: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

GINSENG: Aphrodisiacs, love spells, and spiritual purification.

HAWTHORNE FLOWERS: Clairvoyance and divination.

HAZEL: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

HONEYSUCKLE: Divination.

HOPS: Healing and sleep potions.

HOREHOUND: Exorcism and healing.

JASMINE: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

JUNIPER: Aphrodisiacs, exorcism, healing, love spells and protection against evil influences.

LAVENDER: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

LEMON BALM: Healing and love spells.

LEMON GRASS: Divination.

LEMON VERBENA: Aphrodisiacs, clairvoyance and prophetic dreams.

LILAC: Exorcism.

LOTUS FLOWERS: Fertility, healing, inner peace and meditation.

LOVAGE: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

MACE: Divination.

MALLOW: Exorcism.

MANDRAKE ROOT: Aphrodisiac, cursing enemies, love spells, protection against evil influences and spells to increase psychic powers.

MARIGOLD: Anti-sorcery and psychic visions.

MARJORAM: Prophetic dreams and protection against evil influences.

MINT: Exorcism and healing.

MISTLETOE: Exorcism.

MUGWORT: Astral projection, clairvoyance, divination, prophetic dreams, protection against evil influences and spells to increase psychic powers.

MYRRH: Consecration, exorcism, healing and meditation.

MYRTLE: Sleep potions.

NUTMEG: Divination and prosperity.

ORRIS ROOT: Clairvoyance and divination.

PASSIONFLOWER: Sleep potions.

PATCHOULY: Invocation of elemental powers.

PEONY ROOT: Anti-sorcery and protection against evil influences.

PEPPERMINT: Divination and healing.

PINE: Prosperity

ROSE: Divination, healing and love spells.

ROSEMARY: Counterspells, healing, love spells and purification.

RUE: Exorcism and hexing of enemies.

SAFFRON: Love spells.

SANDALWOOD: Consecration, healing and protection against evil influences.

SASSAFRASS: Prosperity.

SERPENTARIA ROOT: Aphrodisiacs and love spells.

SOLOMON’S SEAL: Exorcism.

ST. JOHN’S WORT: Anti-sorcery, exorcism and protection against evil influences.

THISTLE: Exorcism.

THYME: Divination and healing.

TONKA: Love spells and prosperity.

VERVAIN: Anti-sorcery, astral projection and sleep potions.

VIOLET: Healing and love spells.

WILLOW: Healing.

WOOD ALOE: Prosperity.

WOODRUFF: Prosperity.

WORMWOOD: Clairvoyance, divination and good luck.

YARROW: Divination, exorcism, love spells, prophetic dreams, protection against evil influences and spells to increase psychic powers.

YERBA SANTA: Healing.