The very first spell that you cast was most likely the annual wish that you conjured upon your birthday candles. Candle magic has been woven into the tapestry of society for centuries. My grandma Helen, who is of Romani Czech descent, revered candles as one of her favorite methods of magic at home. Her sky blue magical cupboard was filled with candles in a variety of colors and sizes, next to books of matches emblazoned with nightclubs and casinos in Atlantic City. Now as we feel the nights become longer, it is the season to pour a hot cup of tea, light a magic candle, and curl up as I share some secrets of Grandma’s magic with you.
My grandma believed that as you burn down a magical candle here on the earthly plane, it will start to “appear” little by little on the other side. When your magic candle is fully done here on earth, it will be burning for you in the spirit realm to make your wishes known. I have never seen this explanation in any book on candle magic, and that’s why it’s so important for me to share with you here, to keep the magic of my ancestors alive.
Are you ready to create some powerful candle magic? Let’s begin!
Step One:
Words are wands. What is your intention? Take a moment to clear your mind and breathe deeply. Why would you need to create a magical candle at this moment? What do you wish to manifest in your life? Imagine that your spoken intention is like planting a seed of language into the universe itself!
It’s important to note that magic is not about manipulation. You cannot “put a spell on someone” or force someone to do something against their will. Instead of asking for Billy at the coffee shop to finally notice you, ask for your own natural gorgeous mojo to be magnified to bring the very best partner to you. Formulate your intention in the positive and try to condense your intention into one clear and powerful sentence. I often use the phrase “this or something better” at the end, because this makes your magic become limitless!
Step Two:
Type of candle. Do you need a quick boost? Then those small white emergency candles that you can get from the local grocery store are perfect and burn down in about two hours. Have a big wish and really want to focus your energy on it for a week or two depending on burning time? A glass seven-day candle is your friend! All in all, the size of a candle doesn’t make a difference; it’s about the amount of energy and intention you put into it. My two favorites to carve on are coach candles (see image above), and seven-day glass pullout candles that I can pop out of the glass and carve and put back into the glass.
Step Three:
Color magic. Colors can embody many different emotions for people. Think about the intention you created: What color do you feel would best suit it? If you would like a guideline to work with, I would suggest red for love and passion, pink for self-love or friendship, orange for communication or magnetizing, yellow for a happiness blast, purple for standing in your power, blue for calming and healing, and green for abundance and growth.
Step Four:
Carving your candle. With any type of carving tool, write your name on the candle from top to bottom. Then decide what would represent your intention best … a word, a symbol, a sigil? Use your imagination. Lightly carve a drawing of your intention, and then go back and carve it again with deep lines. You can use stencils or you can freehand your art.
Step Five:
Oil the candle. Put five drops of essential oil into your palms and rub all over your name and design on the candle.
Step Six:
Glitter! Choose your color of nontoxic glitter and shake it all over your candle. Then put on latex gloves and rub the excess glitter into a bowl. The result will be your intention and name sparkling in glitter.
Step Seven:
Moon phase. For intentions where you want to build, grow, magnetize, and bring in, burn anytime between the new moon and the full moon (waxing moon). For intentions that you want to let go of or move away from, or that involve clearing away negativity and obstacles, burn anytime between the after the full moon to the dark moon (waning moon).
When you blow out your candle, may your words of intention become script in smoke so that your guardians, ancestors, and spirits can read it to make it manifest in your world!
