Components of Magical Working JUST AS A RECIPE contains ingredients, so there are certain components that are needed in magical workings, in order to enhance the power and energy that is created. To the uninitiated some of these may seem strange, yet if we remember that much magic initially had to be performed with only what was immediately and easily available to the practitioner, the use of such items makes a great deal of sense. Candles, crystals, herbs and so on thus become an important part of modern-day spell working. CANDLES Candles should be chosen carefully with regard to type, and colour, depending on the purpose of the spell. It is often better to use your intuition when choosing the type of candle, although for ease of reference, below is a list of the principal types. There are other types available, but these are the most suitable for magical working. Table The most readily available candle, they are ideal for many of the spells in this book. They usually burn for six to eight hours and need to be properly seated in suitable candlesticks. All colours can be used, but they should not be dipped, except in exceptional circumstances, and should be of the best quality possible. It is sensible to keep a ready supply at hand. Pillar This is a free-standing candle. It is usually in the form of a simple pillar, although it can sometimes be made in other shapes which can be used as part of the spell, for example heart shapes for love spells. This type of candle is best burned on a flat holder since it usually takes some time to burn out. Taper These candles are tall and thin and need a particularly stable candle-holder. They are either made in a mould, or by the traditional method of dipping a length of wick into hot molten white or coloured wax. For magical purposes they should be coloured all the way through. They can often be used when a quick result is required. Because they are quite fragile, you need to be careful not to break them when anointing them. Tea lights These small candles are excellent for use when a candle must be left to burn out, but are less easy to anoint with essential oils. Poured in small metal pots like small votives, they are normally used in oil burnes or specially-made tea-light holders. Depending on their size, they usually burn for approximately four hours. Votive This type of candle is specially designed as an offering, to carry prayers to whichever deity you honour. As the wax melts, the holder, which is made of glass, can become hot so some care must be taken when using them. They are designed to be long-burning, usually between one and seven days. CHOOSING YOUR CANDLES: There are several things you need to remember when choosing a candle: 1. Choose your candle type as above. 2. Candles used for magic should always be virgin (unused) at the start of the working, unless you have deliberately cleared them of past influences. Using candles that have been previously lit can have a detrimental effect on your spell. They may have picked up influences from previous use. 3. Charge your candle before using it. This can be done by anointing it with oils associated with the magic you intend on performing, or by simply touching it and filling it with your own energy. 4. The oils used in the anointing of your candle should, where possible, always be natural fragrances. While charging the candle, smooth from top to bottom when drawing energy toward you, bottom to top when sending energy outwards. Particularly when anointing candles for altar use, anoint from the middle to the top and from the middle to the bottom to signify the union of spiritual and physical realms. 5. If you enjoy craftwork, it is a very good idea to make your own candles for magical use. It is a whole art in itself – you infuse your candles with your own energy and thus increase the magical potency of the candle many times over. It is relatively easy to make your own candles: simply heat the wax until it is liquid and pour into a mould which is threaded with a wick. The wax should now be left to cool, after which the mould can be removed. Oils and colours can be added for extra potency. Dressing and charging candles Dressing (anointing) and charging candles are perhaps candle magic in its simplest form. Dressing a candle performs two functions. By anointing it with oil you ensure that it burns safely and you also have the opportunity to infuse it with the required vibration for your working. Charging a candle ensures you fix the intent of your magical working and also dedicates the candle to the appropriate purpose. DRESSING CANDLES: Any oil can be used for dressing a candle but initially it is best to use either your favourite essential oil, such as frankincense, or perhaps an oil infused with a suitable herb appropriate to the task in hand. There are various ways to dress a candle but what is important is the direction in which you anoint it. If you remember that working from the top down draws in power from spiritual sources, and working from the bottom up draws in energy from the earth, it is very easy to work correctly for your purpose. Never rub the candle with a back and forth movement, as you will end up with a confusion of energies – not to say a sputtering candle. YOU WILL NEED: Candle Oil METHOD: ✤ Sit quietly and, holding the candle, think carefully about your intent. If you have learned to meditate, then enter a meditative state and allow the energies to build up within you. ✤ To bring something to you, rub oil on the candle in a downward motion from the top to the middle and then from the bottom to the middle. ✤ To send something away from you, you rub the oil from the middle of the candle out to the ends. ✤ Continue with either movement until you have a sense that you have done enough. If you have any oil left on your hands either rub your hands together until the oil is absorbed or dab the remaining oil from your fingers onto the centre of your forehead, which is the Third Eye and the seat of vision. Then say the following or something similar: “I cleanse and consecrate this candle (in the name of your chosen deity of you choose to use one). May it burn with strength in the service of the Greater Good.” Your candle is now ready for use. CHARGING CANDLES: This is a quick, uncomplicated method of more fully charging a candle. This method can be used without having to set up your altar completely. It can equally be used to charge your altar candles. YOU WILL NEED: A candle or candles of the appropriate colour (if preferred, mark them with appropriate symbols) A candle holder Matches rather than a lighter METHOD: ✤ Hold the candle in your ‘power hand’ (the hand you consider you give out energy with). ✤ Open the other hand and turn that palm towards the sky. ✤ Breathe deeply and visualize your goal. ✤ Now perceive whatever you think of as Universal Energy flowing through the palm that is turned skyward, filling your body. ✤ Visualise that Universal Energy mixing within you with the energy of your intention. ✤ Now allow that mixed energy to flow into the candle. ✤ Be conscious of the energy as it builds up. ✤ Feel the energy streaming into the candle. ✤ Fill it from bottom to top as though the candle were an empty vessel. ✤ If you are comfortable with doing so, speak your intention out loud. ✤ As you place the candle in its holder, stabilize the thought within the candle so that it will be converted into pure clear intent. ✤ Strike a match above the candle ✤ Draw down the flame toward the candle, lighting the wick. ✤ Extinguish the match flame, but do not blow it out in case you blow out the candle. ✤ Stay with the candle for a few moments visualizing your intention, feeling its energy moving into the universe. ✤ Leave the area and let the candle burn right down as it does its work. Candle colour and the symbols inscribed on them create additional power. As you become more proficient, you will find yourself using certain colours and symbols more often. Try not to be too rigid, and always be open to widening your focus. Candle colours: Many different colours are used in candle magic and below are listed the most common ones, along with their key associations and purposes. You may not wish to use black candles because of their association with the darker side of magic. If so, dark grey is a good substitute. White can be used as a substitute if your chosen colour is not available. White: • The Goddess • Higher Self • Purity • Peace • Virginity Black: • Binding • Shape shifting • Protection • Repels negativity Brown: • Special favors • To influence friendships • Healing earth energies Orange: • General success • Property deals • Legal matters • Justice • Selling Purple: • Third eye • Psychic ability • Hidden knowledge • To influence people in high places • Spiritual power Blue: • The Element of Water •Wisdom • Protection • Calm • Good fortune • Opening communication • Spiritual inspiration Pink: • Affection • Romance • Caring • Nurturing • Care for the planet earth Green: • The Element of Earth • Physical healing • Monetary success • Mother Earth • Tree and plant magic • Growth • Personal goals Red: • The Element of Fire • Passion • Strength • Fast action • Career goals • Lust • Driving force • Survival Silver: • The Moon Goddess • Astral energy • Female energy • Telepathy • Clairvoyance • Intuition • Dreams Copper: • Professional growth • Business productivity • Career maneuvers • Passion • Money goals Gold: • The Sun God • Promote winning • Male power • Happiness Yellow: • The Element of Air • Intelligence • The Sun • Memory • Imagination supported by logic • Accelerating learning • Clearing mental blocks Signs from candle-burning: Not every magical practitioner takes heed of the manner in which spell-casting or ritual candles burn; there is often a great deal to be learnt from understanding a little bit more about how to interpret the way a candle burns. In voodoo and Afro-Caribbean magic, for instance, spiritual workers who ‘set lights’, as it is called, for clients will automatically take notice of such details and incorporate their findings in any further work. It is worth remembering that some candles are simply poorly made and will burn badly no matter what you do with them. If the wick is the wrong size, for instance, the candle may be no use for magical work. It is nice to make one’s own candles, although there is quite an art to it and the novice may end up feeling rather frustrated, if the intention behind the candle is not quite right. External factors can also play a huge part in how candles burn. The way the candle is placed in the holder, the temperature in the surrounding area, an open window causing a draught, and other such things can all make a difference. Equally, the candle can be affected by your own mood and really until you have learned how to meditate using a candle flame you need not worry too much to begin with. All that having been said, here are some of the things to watch for when burning candles. The candle gives a clean, even burn. This might be called a successful burn and suggests the spell will most likely achieve the right result. If a glass-encased candle burns and leaves no marks on the glass that is best. If a free-standing candle leaves little or no residue, this is by far the best result. The flame flares, dips, gutters, repeatedly. Check first for draughts and then decide intuitively whether there is a pattern to the flaring and guttering. If you are performing the spell with someone in mind, you may feel the recipient of your spell is trying to block your efforts. Sit quietly for a while until you feel you have grasped the significance of the pattern, which may be because the spell itself is not right for the time. In this case simply be prepared to try again another time. A free-standing candle runs and melts a lot while burning. This gives you an opportunity to observe the flow of wax for signs. Quickly melting wax shows there is a good deal of positivity available. If one side burns quicker than the other, a balance can sometimes be achieved by turning the candle round and it is useful to note how many times you do this, since this can indicate the number of adjustments the person may have to make to ensure success. Other people prefer to let nature take its course and to watch the wax run for signs, without interfering in its movements. A free-standing candle burns down to a puddle of wax or sets in runs down the side of the candle. When this happens, most workers will examine the shape of the wax for a sign. For instance, a heart-shaped wax puddle is a good sign if you are burning a red candle for a love spell. You may see something of importance there, for the shape of the run may suggest an outcome regarding the matter at hand. Wax puddles come in all kinds of shapes; most candle-workers look for symbols in the wax, or sometimes use numerology or other divination techniques similar to teacup reading, to discover meaning. A glass-encased candle burns clean to begin with but ‘dirty’ with a great deal of smoke later. This indicates that things will go well to begin with, but there are other conditions that have not yet revealed themselves and will need to be resolved. Someone may be working against the required outcome, so the correct timing and correspondences of further spells are crucial. A free-standing candle lets out a lot of smoke but burns clean at the end. Difficult conditions need to be dealt with first of all but eventually conditions improve. There is a dirty, black burn (especially one that deposits soot on a glass-encased candle). This means things are not going to go well – the spell may not work, the blessing may fail, the person is in deeper stress or trouble than you first thought. There is a great deal of negativity around. Sometimes it is good to change the focus of the candle and ask that it be used to burn off the negativity, which will enable you to get a handle on the situation. The candle goes out before completely burning. This can mean that the spell you are using is not the most appropriate one and you need to use stronger means than you first employed. It can also mean that someone is actively working against you. In this case it is wise to go back to the beginning and start your whole spell over again. The candle tips over and flames up into a potential fire hazard. Provided that you know you have placed the candles properly, this indicates there is danger about for you and your client. You should clear your sacred space and cleanse it by whatever means you prefer. It is probably wise to wait a while before retrying the spell and remember to take a ritual bath before you do. The candle burns too quickly. Generally a fast burn is good, but an overly fast burn means that although the work will go well, its effect will not last long. Again you might wait before retrying the spell, though sometimes a fast result is required. You should use your own judgment. Disposal of candle wax In European-American traditions, many people bury candle wax and other remains after a spell is cast. Burial toward the appropriate quarter of the compass is considered a thoughtful way to go about this. Some neo-pagans dispose of ritual or spell remains in a bonfire or fireplace. If the intention of the spell is positive or involves matters around your own home, like blessing, love-drawing, money-drawing, or home protection, it is perfectly acceptable to wrap the materials in a cloth or paper packet and bury them. If you are removing hexes or opposing negativity, you would burn the packet, bury it, flush it into a stream or allow it to blow away on the four winds as far away from your own home as possible. Many people follow tradition and throw the packet over the left shoulder (into the face of the Devil) and walk away without looking back. If the intention of the spell is not centered on matters close to home, or if you do not have a suitable garden, you can wrap the materials in a cloth or paper packet and throw them in running water over your left shoulder and walk away. Alternatively, you can take the materials to a crossroads – any place where two roads cross – and throw the packet into the centre of the crossroads over your left shoulder and walk away
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:04:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015