Candle Magic: Invoking the Power of Fire

Come explore the realm of candle magic with me

The spark begins
Can you remember the intense energy you put into making your wish as you blew out your birthday candles when you were a child? That moment may have been your first practice of candle magic. Have you ever wondered where this tradition comes from – why you wish upon candles? It is rooted in the simplest form of magical ritual – candle magic – which has been practiced for centuries. The difference is, now, as an informed spiritual being and magical practitioner, you declare your intention instead of just ‘making a wish’ which sends a much more powerful energy to Source. Wishes are intentions with training wheels. Candle magic is “sympathetic magic,” as it takes nothing more than your chosen candle, a flame, and the power of your intention to invoke its power.

A history of fire
There is something entrancing and mystical about a flame dancing and flickering, moving and swaying with the unseen currents in the air. Fire is what kept your oldest ancestors alive in the harshest environments of early life on Earth. It cleanses, heals, and purifies. Fire gives life, and when you work with candle magic, you invoke the energy of the fire element, combining it with the energy of intention, as well as the element of air. Flames were used in sacred ceremony for as long as we have written record; the Temple of Isis was kept lit around the clock by oil lamps (the predecessor of candles). Once various sources of animal, plant, and insect oils were discovered, candles were created as an alternative to oil lamps in ritual.

The original meaning of the word candle comes from a Latin word candere which means “to shine,” and there is evidence showing the use of candles as far back as 3000 BC when ancient Romans dipped rolled papyrus with a center wick repeatedly in beeswax to form what might look very similar to Sage Goddess candles today! With the discovery and advances of electricity, candles have lost some of their importance in mainstream society. However, those of us who practice magical ritual still make use of and honor the candle. Modern day ceremonies of many religious traditions still incorporate candles as sacred tools. In India it is common tradition to offer oil flames and candles to the gods and goddesses on home altars, giving them the power to illuminate certain matters or aspects.

Step into candle magic
Candle making as an art took off in the early 19th century, as more substances were discovered that could be used to make candles. The availability of colored ingredients and dyes introduced the energy of color into candle rituals. When your ancestors practiced the Old Ways, candles would have been rare and quite expensive, especially colored ones. Now, we are blessed to have a wide variety to choose from for our practice. At Sage Goddess I offer a wide variety of hand-rolled beeswax candles to fulfill your magical intentions. Bees bring life; they spread pollen so that plants and flowers may germinate and grow. The growth they sustain in turn gives life to you. This life-giving energy is sealed into the wax. When you use my beeswax candles, this energy is released with your intention, giving extra life to it as you invoke your candle magic.

Magic works via correspondence; every connection you create (of color to material, for example, or element to element) adds a layer of energy to your ritual. That is why COLOR is so important in candle magic. You begin with a sacred material (beeswax – for life and power) and then add a color for your intention (e.g., red for passion) and now you have twice the amount of energy and intention woven in your process as you would without a sacred material or a meaningful color. Color choice is very important, as you will invoke the energy of color in your ritual work, which is why I create sacred candles of all colors. Because it is such a vital aspect of candle magic, I would like to briefly touch on the properties of each color.

RED – ROOT CHAKRA – DIRECTION OF SOUTH – ELEMENT OF FIRE
Red is the color of passion and depth of feeling. It represents blood, the life force, menses, creation and also destruction, fire, and in its darker shades, death. It is the full cycle of being.

ORANGE – SACRAL CHAKRA
Orange is the color of sexual energy and creativity, the womb and all that awaits creation. It represents flow, movement, and flux as well as transformation.

YELLOW – SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA – DIRECTION OF EAST – ELEMENT OF AIR
Yellow is the color of power, authority, and control. It is the color by which we map our destinies and locate our space in the world. Yellow is the diaphragm, the great breath, and the light of dawn that represents possibility, becoming, and potential.

GREEN – HEART CHAKRA
Green is our heartspace, our capacity for healing in love and emotional matters. It represents our capacity to hold ourselves and others, and represents hope.

BLUE – THROAT CHAKRA – DIRECTION OF WEST – ELEMENT OF WATER
Blue is our voice, our integrity, our truth. Is represents our ability to communicate and our willingness to articulate our desires, intentions, and needs. Blue is peace, the deep exhale that releases oxygen from our bodies. It aligns and balances us.

INDIGO – THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Indigo is the color of the priest or priestess, the knowing, the sacred eye that sees all and knows all from a place of ancient wisdom. Indigo opens us to worlds we have seen in our dreams but have yet to explore. It is our place of meditation, relaxation, and union with our guides.

PURPLE – CROWN CHAKRA
Purple is the crown of the divine, our connection so Source energy and All That Is. Purple reminds us that we are souls having a physical experience. Purple is our regal, Higher Self that is in alignment with Spirit.

BLACK – DIRECTION OF WEST – ELEMENT OF WATER
Black is the color of powerful protective energy. It invokes safety, wisdom, and grounding. It is the color of learning, uncrossing, unhexing, repelling black magic, and banishing negativity.

WHITE – HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS – DIRECTION OF NORTH
White is the color of purpose, unity, purity, cleansing, peace, balance, and spirituality. It brings healing, innocence, rain, magic involving innocence, truth, consecration, and balancing of the aura.

BROWN – ELEMENT OF EARTH
Brown is the color of home blessing, animal/pet magic, earth magic, and concentration. Use it to ground to the Earth. It is the color of material goods, stability, locating lost objects, and food.

Sage Goddess candle magic & simple ritual ideas
I create my candles with sacred intention. I select colors, gemstones, and anointing oils to fold into the beeswax, which layers extra magic to my candles. The blessings and invocations that accompany each candle serve to guide you in your work. If you are new to candle magic, I suggest your first ritual begin with a white candle for blessing, intention setting, and purity; or a black candle for protection. I offer simple black Sacred Protection Candles, as well as my Archangel Michael Protection Candle, anointed with my Arx protection oil, infused with obsidian, and charged with the protective energies of black and red.

If it is happiness or love you seek my Happiness Candle is charged with pink color magic, anointed with my Gaudium happiness perfume, and infused with ocean jasper chipstones, to set and surround you with the energy of joy. I invite you to view my 11:11 Twin Flame New Moon Ritual here for a glimpse into the type of rituals I practice with my candles.

Simple Candle Ritual
As a simple ritual, choose one of my candles and choose a quiet in a sacred space. Smudge your space with white sage or palo santo before you begin. Using a wand (I like Selenite sticks for this purpose) move your hand in a circle around you and your tools, clockwise, to open and protect the container of energy. Then, light your candle with a match or lighter (either is fine although purists prefer matches) and bring your attention to the flame. Spend anywhere from one to five minutes in this state, as long as you can keep your attention focused. Maintain a high vibration by focusing your thoughts solely on your intention; if your thoughts wander, don’t judge yourself. Just observe where they are wandering and gently bring them back to this moment, the flame, your intention. Immerse yourself right here. Enjoy the sensation of healing or protection or prosperity. Feel it in your bones, your skin, your heart, your mind, your hands. Allow every cell of your precious body to connect to the flame, pulling its fiery energy into you. Let it energize you from within, catalyzing its force within you, burning away resistance or fear. Then, when you are ready, blow out your flame or extinguish with a snuffer. Again, either is fine – but purists prefer not to blow out a flame because it scatters the energies. Give thanks to the guides who may have joined you for your magic, and open your circle by moving your wand counter-clockwise in a circle around you.

I hope you’ll begin practicing candle magic today! If you already do, perhaps this is your call to travel deeper.

Fire blessings,
Athena