As a professional witch, fire magic is always my go-to. We organize spellwork by the elements: fire magic, water magic, air magic and Earth magic. While I try to utilize all of the elements in my craft, my bias toward fire is pretty clear. Fire itself is inherently mythical and magical and is older than recorded history. Fire creates change – it represents action, will and creation, all of which are very necessary spell ingredients. And what better way to utilize fire than with candles?
Candle spells are magical because they help us focus our wishes, commit to our spellwork and give power to our intention. Not only are candle spells infinitely adaptable as they can be prepared for any intention, but candles also have an energy and force that is all packed into a limited time span. If there is something you need to manifest quickly or you need some immediate change, then a candle spell will push things through with intensity.
From customizing your candles to figural candle symbolism, here is everything you need to know about candle magic.
Candle Spell Safety
I know it’s boring, but candle spell safety is super necessary. I thought I was pretty well-educated on basic fire safety, but I have come way too close to almost burning my apartment down way too many times.
- Make sure you are always awake and nearby whenever a candle is burning.
- Burn candles away from drafts, vents and fans.
- Always burn candles in a well-ventilated area.
- Snuff a candle if it smokes or the flame becomes too high.
- Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets.
- Place your candles in holders and on heat-resistant surfaces.
- Make sure to burn candles in an area free from things that can set on fire.
- Keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Remember baking soda or salt can also put out a small fire.
Types of Candles
The type of candle you use can impact the way it burns and therefore can impact your spellwork. Depending on the intention, intensity and length of your spell, you may decide between different types of candles.
Taper Candles and Chime Candles
Taper candles are the long, slim, fancy candles. They can come as long as 12″, but there are also slimmer, smaller ones that are sometimes called chime candles. Tapers and chime candles can be used for spells on their own or can also be added as additional candles when you want to bring in some extra power. They can also be used as support candles, which are extra candles based around a main candle. Support candles bring additional force and energy by adding an additional color or by being dressed in different oils and herbs.
Pillar Candles
Pillar candles are thicker cylinders that are able to stand on a tray or dish without a holder. They come in a variety of sizes and range from short and wide to tall and thin. Larger pillar candles are usually burned over the course of several days. They are large enough that they can be carved with names, sigils and intentions.
Vigil Candles and Jar Candles
These are the large candles seen in Catholic churches – typically they last five to seven days if they are burned continuously. When purchased, they can be purchased plain or “fixed.” which means that the candle already has spiritual oils and/or herbs added that align with the intention. A really magical way to customize vigil candles that I love is by decorating the glass jar myself by drawing sigils, runes, names and symbols on them.
Figural Candles
Figural candles are molded into representational shapes such as human figures and many more symbolic styles. Figural candles are my favorite because they are like visual talismans that add an extra degree of support to spell work.
Double Action Candles
These are special, extra-large taper candles that have been dipped so that half the candle is one color and the other half is black. These candles are like burning two spells in one. The black half is burned first to send any negativity back to its source and the white is burned afterward to bring in blessings.
Reverse Action Candles
Reverse action candles are colored candles (usually red) coated on the outside with a layer of black wax. These candles reverse negativity and send it back to where it came from.
Floating Candles
These are small candles that are shaped so that they can float in a bowl of water. They can be floated in special waters such as holy water, water infused with herbs, Florida water, moon water and water with crystals or talismans.
Candle Colors
As we read in Everything You Need to Know About Color Magic, we learned that utilizing color magic can greatly benefit and upgrade your spellwork. You can utilize color magic by choosing the colors of your candles based on your spell intention.
- Black: banishing, transformation, protection, uncrossing, endings, domination, cursing, cloaking, absorbing, removing, grief, trapping
- Blue: harmony, peace, healing, sleep, forgiveness, fidelity, honesty, communication
- Brown: justice, grounding, balance, legal matters, stability
- Grey: neutrality, invisibility, undoing prior spellwork, secrets
- Green: prosperity, abundance, wealth, luck, fertility, career, growth, healing, balance
- Orange: new opportunities, new beginnings, creativity, motivation, removing blocks, security
- Pink: romantic love, friendship, soulmates, emotional healing, affection, family love, admiration, compassion, beauty
- Purple: empowerment, commanding, power, ambition, achievement, psychic abilities, spirituality, truth, luxury
- Red: passionate love, energy, attraction, action, sexuality, lust, anger, vitality, desire
- White: cleansing, clarity, blessing, healing, innocence, connection to spirit, devotion, harmony, prayer, peace
- Yellow: optimism, prosperity, happiness, good luck, fame, self-esteem, inspiration, intellect, communication, creativity, confidence, focus
Numerology in Candle Spells
Like colors, numerology can enhance our spellwork a ton. There are four main ways to utilize numerology when it comes to candle spells:
- Use the number of candles that supports your spellwork.
- Burn candles over several days and choose a number of days that has numerological significance.
- Start your candle spell at a certain hour, either starting on the hour or choosing a repeating number (ex: 2:22)
- Consider the number of herbs and curios you use in your spell.
- 1: beginnings, unity, newness, independence, ambition, strength, peace
- 2: duality, partnership, division, choice, cooperation, harmony, marriage, love
- 3: trinity, expression, creativity, optimism, family, joy, communication, movement
- 4: practicality, logic, loyalty, foundations, concentration, health, job
- 5: adventure, adaptability, change, freedom, imagination
- 6: beauty, harmony, balance, healing, comfort, service
- 7: spirituality, good luck, wisdom, faith, religion
- 8: achievement, strength, power, success, money, career
- 9: completion, change, evolution, endings
Customizing Your Candles
Dressing a Candle
Referencing specific herbs and oils with their magical correspondences can add a lot of power to your spellwork and help amplify your intention. The first step of working with oils and herbs is to apply oil to the candle. Applying the oil gives you an opportunity to put your intentions into the candle. If you are drawing something in, dress the candle with the oil towards you, or away from you if you are pushing something out. You can then apply the herbs or herbal powder by rolling the candles in them, or you can also sprinkle the herbs around your candles.
Inscribing and Decorating Candles
Inscribing candles is another way to add some extra energy to your spell. Wax is a soft material so it isn’t very difficult to carve. You can really use anything with a point. When inscribing a candle, you can carve sigils, runes, or symbols that align with your intention as well as names, birth dates, zodiac placements and more. Holding the candle vertically and inscribing horizontally brings stability, equilibrium and balance to a spell. Inscribing a candle vertically emphasizes movement and change. Inscribing around the candle in a spiral, like stripes on a candy cane, is great for complex spells, spiritual intentions, or work that requires the coordination of a lot of moving parts. Wind the words around the candle going up from the base toward the wick for something you want to bring in or going down from the wick toward the base for something you want to clear out. Writing backward, also called “mirror writing” is used in reversing spells to send negativity back to its source.
Figural Candle Symbolism
Using figural candles in your craft is a game-changer because it allows us to truly visualize our spellwork.
Angel
Protection, blessings, working with angels or spirit guides.
Apple
Long-lasting and committed love, self-love, lust, fertility, beauty.
Cat
Used when you want to “catch” something or want something to be brought to you. They can also be used to connect to cat spirits or spirit animals, can turn bad luck to good and can reverse spells.
Cauldron
Initiations, rites of passage, gaining spiritual wisdom, transformation, fertility, pregnancy
Coffin
End relationships, eliminate difficult situations, break bad habits, harm enemies
Divorce / Back-to-Back Couple
Separation or break up spells between a couple
Dog
Create loyalty, faithfulness, attract friendships, ensure fidelity
Devil
Invoke, drive out, commanding, controlling, lust, passion, fast cash
Embracing Lovers
Sex magic, passion, love
Gargoyle
Driving out evil, fierce protection, wealth bindings, call in spiritual guardians
Heart
Romance, passion, healing emotions, empathy, love between lovers, family or friends
Horseshoe
Ongoing luck, gambling
House
Bring in peace, protection, prosperity to the home, keep from being evicted, finding a new living situation
Lips
Opening communication, romance, passion, stopping gossip, improving speaking skills
Bride and Groom
Get a proposal, get a proposal accepted, strengthen commitment, bless a couple, improve marriage
Owl
Wisdom, silence, secrets, transition, knowledge, learning, education
Phallus
Attraction, sex, passion, control over someone’s penis
Pyramid
Build wealth, success, power and strong, long-lasting results in any aspects
Rose
Invoke deep spiritual love or in beauty spells, used to invoke Mary, Aphrodite or Santa Muerte.
Seven Knob
Used in spells of any kind that are cast over seven days
Skull
To affect and influence your own or someone else’s mind and for ancestor communication
Vulva
Attraction, sex magic, fertility
Candle Spell Layouts
Using candle spell layouts is another huge way to advance your spellwork. To make a layout, observe your candles from above and arrange them in a shape. You can also sprinkle your herbs and powders to reinforce the shapes.
Arrow
Direction, movement, unification separation.
Arrows can be laid out point up, down, left or right, each with its own meaning:
- Point up: forceful movement, direction, expressive power, building strong foundations, hierarchy
- Point down: receptivity, drawing something in, bringing spiritual knowledge down to Earth
- Point right: moving forward in time, progress, new ventures
- Point left: looking backward, revisiting, healing the past, sending things back
Circle
Fertility, unity, completion, wholeness, harmony, infinity, cycles, protection, luck, commitment
Cross
The four elements, four directions, intersections, cross-roads, Christianity, banishing
Crown
Power, royalty, divine blessings, success, mastery, attainment, achievement, wisdom
Diamond
Wealth, action in two directions, manifestation, transformation
Heart
Love, romance, emotional healing, marriage, lust, friendship
Line
Division, separation, connection, movement, a path, open roads, travel, growth, direction
Octagon
Transition, renewal, regeneration, rebirth
Pentagon
The five elements, manifestation, creativity, travel, freedom, spiritual over material
Spiral
Invoking/banishing, meditation
Square
Structure, reliability, stability, order, authority, home, blocking, binding, protection, comfort
Star
Fame, recognition, happiness, good fortune, luck, divine connection, protection, health, manifestation, wisdom, spiritual guidance
Triangle
Trinity, summoning of spirits, direction, movement, past-present-future, body-mind-spirit
Candle Remains
What to do with the candle remains when you’re all done?
- Throw it in the trash! In your own trash if the spell was to bring something to you or trashcan far from your home if you were doing uncrossing, banishing, hexing or clearing away something negative.
- Keep the remains! Place them in a paper bag or wrap them in a cloth and place them in an appropriate place (like your bedroom for a love spell or your office for a prosperity spell) until your spell comes to fruition.
- Keep the energy of the spell ongoing by burying the wax and herb remains on your property or in a potted plant.
- Leave your candle remains at a crossroads to send out into all directions.
- Bury the remains in a graveyard or somewhere far from your home if you did work to remove a heavy curse, hex, or banish something negative.
