The most important thing about a candle when it comes to doing spellwork is the color. White candles are great to bring some generic positive energy to a ritual, but if you can tailor the color to your intention, all the better.

On a similar note, you should also take note of your candle's scent. Smells and essential oils have their own associations, and you can add some unwanted influences if you get a candle that is the right color but the wrong scent for your purpose. It's usually better to find unscented candles if you can, though if the scent matches your intent, that would certainly work fine.

How to Use Candles in Spells

Sometimes a candle will be the central focus, using the flame as the driving force to build your energy. But sometimes you can just light a couple candles as a bit of background atmosphere to a spell, but there are more ways to incorporate candles into a ritual.

A sharp tool can be used to carve words or symbols into your candle for additional power. It's a technique to bring fire directly to your words. Don't use an athame though. Keep a small awl or pointed screwdriver near your altar for this job.

Another very common approach to using candles is to anoint one with the appropriate oil before burning. Choose an essential oil that meets your purpose and rub a small amount along the surface of the candle before you light it. Just don't use cheap perfumes for this. Only true herbal oils are suitable for magickal purposes.

Many spells will call for a candle to burn down completely on its own (in other words, you're not to blow or snuff it out). If you have done your ritual with a huge pedestal candle, this could be a very, very long time. Unless you have a very safe place to leave a candle burning, this is usually not a great idea. So choose your candles to be relatively small so you can let it burn out completely in a reasonable length of time.

A steady and secure candle holder is also a must when doing candle magick, and you should have a few on hand in different sizes so you can keep your candle in a safe position while it's burning. You should never have a candle going without a secure foundation, even if it's a fat votive candle. If nothing else, a dish or saucer should be in place to contain the melting wax.

The Element of Fire

Aside from the physical material itself, a candle also brings the element of fire into a ritual. Though it may be tempting to use candles in every spell you ever cast, try to remember that fire does have its own set of qualities that may not be the best fit for your purpose.

Fire is a very active energy, and that's the kind of power it brings to a ritual. It's a definite difference from the peace and emotion you find with water or the steady grounding of earth.

So next time you are lighting up a candle for a spell or ritual, take a little time to think if you are adding the right energy to your spell and using your candle properly for your purpose. Of course, if you just love the look of a candle, go ahead and light one. You just don't always have to make it the central object in your work.