(Author of Dark Moon Magic) Cerridwen Greenleaf takes you through the steps of magically charging your candles.
“Charging” a candle means instilling it with magical intent. A candle that has been charged fills your personal space with the intention of all four elements into the celestial sphere. Ritual candles are chosen for their color correspondences and carved, “dressed” or anointed with special oils chosen for their own special energy. Herein is a quick guide to candle color magic:
Black: banishing, absorbing, expelling the negative, healing serious illness
Brown: home, animal wisdom, grounding, physical healing
Dark blue: change, flexibility, the unconscious, psychic powers, emotional healing
Gold: solar magic, money, attraction, the astral plane
Gray: neutrality, impasses, cancellation
Green: money, prosperity, growth, luck, jobs, gardening, youth, beauty, fertility
Light blue: patience, happiness, triumph over depression, calm, deep understanding, compassion
Orange: the law of attraction, success with legal issues, mutability, stimulation, support, encouragement, joy
Pink: love, friendship, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, affection
Purple: female power, stress relief, ambition, healing past wounds, goddesshood, business success
Red: strength, protection, sexuality, vitality, passion, courage, heart, intense feelings of love, good health, power
White: purification, peace, protection from the negative, truth, binding, sincerity, serenity, chastity, gladness, spirit
Yellow: mental power and vision, intelligence, clear thinking, study, self-assurance, prosperity, divination, psychism, abundance, wisdom, power of persuasion, charisma, sound sleep
Once you clarify your intention, cleanse your candles by passing them through the purifying smoke of sage or incense. Further charge your candle by carving a symbol into the wax. You can warm the tip of your ritual knife using a lit match and carve your full intention into the candle wax. As you engrave the appropriate magical words onto the candle, you are charging it with energy and the hope and purpose of your spell. Some highly successful examples of this I have used and witnessed in circle gatherings are: “Healing for my friend who is in the hospital; she will recover for renewed and increased health.” “I get the raise I am asking for, and more!” “New true love enters my life in the coming season, blessed be.”
Next, you should “dress” your candle with a specific oil. Every essential oil is imbued with a power that comes from plants and flowers of which it is made. You can also use oils to anoint yourself at the crown of the head or at the third eye to increase mental clarity. By using the inherent powers of essential oils, you are increasing and doubling the energies by anointing both your tool— in this case, the candle—and yourself.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flowers, herbs, root, or resin extract, sometimes dilated in neutral base oil. Try to ensure you are using natural oils instead of manufactured, chemical-filled perfume oil; the synthetics lack any real energy. Also, approach oils with caution, and don’t get them in your eyes. Clean cotton gloves are a good idea to keep in your witch’s kitchen for handling sensitive materials. You can avoid any mess and protect your magical tools by using oil droppers. Find a trusted herbalist or the wise sage at your local metaphysical shop; usually their years of experience offer much in the way of useful knowledge you can use to your advantage. I have included as much as I can in this at-a-glance guide to oils.
Magical Meanings of Essential Oils:
Astral Projection: jasmine, benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood
Courage: geranium, black pepper, frankincense
Dispelling negative energy and spirits: basil, clove, copal, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, pine, peppermint, rosemary, Solomon’s seal yarrow, vervain
Divination: camphor, orange, clove
Enchantment: ginger, tangerine, amber, apple
Healing: bay, cedar wood, cinnamon, coriander, eucalyptus, juniper, lime, rose, sandalwood, spearmint
Joy: lavender, neroli, bergamot, vanilla
Love: apricot, basil, chamomile, clove, copal, coriander, rose, geranium, jasmine, lemon, lime, neroli, rosemary, ylang-ylang
Luck: orange, nutmeg, rose, vervain
Peace: lavender, chamomile
Prosperity: basil, clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, oak, moss, patchouli, peppermint, pine, aloe
Protection: bay, anise, black pepper, cedar, clove, cypress, copal, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose geranium, lime, myrrh, lavender, juniper, sandalwood, vetiver
Sexuality: Cardamom, lemongrass, amber, rose, clove, olive, patchouli
Dark moon magic
Supernatural Spells, Charms, and Rituals for Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Take advantage of centuries of knowledge: In this utterly unique grimoire, bestselling author Cerridwen Greenleaf gathers celestial lore, history, and mythology, drawing from the Dark Ages mystical practices of the original Gothic tribes, Scandinavian shamans and other medieval sources to infuse these spells with the magic of the ancients, allowing the modern reader to tap into that pure power. Here, you’ll learn how to call upon the fairy world and little-known gods and goddesses to empower your magical workings, as well as ways to consecrate and wield magical tools, create a home and garden full of enchantment, and rituals to enhance every aspect of your life. With Dark Moon Magic, she has crafted nothing less than a Wiccan mystery school in book form.