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Witch Candles

To make homemade Witch Candles, you will need the following items which are obtainable at most hobby and craft stores as well as candle shops: candle wicking, wick tins, fireproof candle molds, wire rods, equal parts paraffin and pure beeswax (amounts depending upon how many candles are to be crafted) and a double boiler for melting the wax.

Place the end of a metal core wick (pre-cut to fit the size of the mold and allowing at least one extra inch of wick above the top of the mold) through the star-cut stamped in the center of a wick tin and then bend the tips of the star down to hold the wick in place.

Place the wick tin and wick in a candle mold with the wick centered by a loop in a wire rod placed across the top of the mold. (Candle molds, plain and fancy, are also available in most of the shops that sell crafts and candles. Ordinary household things such as empty waxed milk cartons, plastic bottles, paper towel rolls, paper cups and metal cans make wonderful molds that are inexpensive and disposable.)

Non-disposable candle molds such as muffin cups and fireproof tumblers can be made stick-proof with special candle spray, silicone sprays or non-stick sprays for frying pans. Another (and more old-fashioned) method to prevent candles from sticking to the molds is to grease and then dust the mold with flour or talcum powder.

Cut the paraffin into small pieces with a sharp knife and place them inside the top of the double boiler. (A large tin can placed in a pan of boiling water may be used in place of the double boiler.) Partially fill the bottom part of the boiler with warm water and then place the top part with the cut-up wax inside of it. Add the beeswax to the paraffin and place the double boiler over low heat to melt the wax. (Never attempt to melt the wax directly over fire!)

Scent the melted wax with an aromatic herb oil appropriate for the type of magick spell the candle will be used for. For instance, scent the candle wax with oil of cloves if the candle will be used for divination, exorcism or rituals involving spiritual purification; frankincense oil for love spells, consecration, healing, protection and rituals to banish evil and negativity; lavender oil for love spells; lemon oil for healing rituals and spells involving clairvoyance and prophetic dreams; mint oil for exorcism and healing rituals; musk oil for love spells, sex-magick and fertility rites; patchouly oil for love spells and invocations of elemental powers; pine oil for spells to attract money and success; rose oil for Goddess invocations and spells to increase good luck, courage and love; sandalwood oil for purification rites, healing and protection against evil influences.

To make colored candles, melt a colored wax crayon in the paraffin. (See Chapter Three for the symbolism of candle colors.)

After the melted wax has been scented and colored, remove the double boiler from the heat and slowly pour the wax into the mold(s). Allow it to solidify.

After the wax has cooled, a conical cavity may form on the top surface around the wick. Pour enough melted wax to fill the cavity and provide a level surface to the candle.

Remove the candle from the mold only after the wax has cooled and hardened thoroughly.

Before burning the candle in a magickal ceremony, anoint it with a small amount of oil to put your psychic vibrations into the candle, magnetize it and transform it into an extension of your mind power. (See Chapter Two: Consecration.)

Beeswax Candles

Beeswax candles are tapers fashioned from the honeycombs of bees and used in special magickal spells and rituals that require that no tallow (animal fat) be burned.

To make beeswax candles, wrap or roll a honeycomb sheet of beeswax around a candle wick. (Artificial honeycombs of beeswax are obtainable from beekeepers, waxchandlers, honey wholesalers and hobby shops.)

Cut the wax sheet to the size you desire. (For a 6-inch long candle, cut a 12-inch wax sheet in half.)

Place the wax on a smooth surface. Press the wick vertically against the shorter side of the wax sheet and begin to roll the sheet around the wick. (If the wax is cut on top at a slanting angle away from the wick, the candle’s shape will be enhanced by its tapering conical contour.)

Anoint the candle with oil to consecrate it and charge it with power before using it in spells or magickal ceremonies.

Rune Candles

Runes are letters of magickal alphabets used to spell words containing powerful mystic meanings. There are many different forms of Runes, including the Druidic Ogam Bethluisnion, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Theban Script, Pictish, Celestial, Malachim, etc.

To make Rune Candles, heat the tip of a consecrated athame and use it to carve the magickal designs into the wax of smooth tapers or jumbo candles. (A heated steel knitting needle or nail can also be used just as effectively.)

Magick Symbol Candles

Other powerful Pagan symbols that can be carved into (or painted on) candles include the sign of the Pentagram (a five-pointed star within a circle) which represents the four ancient elements of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, surmounted by the Spirit, and is used in many spells and magickal ceremonies.

As a Witch’s Star (or “Goblin’s Cross” as it was called by churchmen of the Middle Ages), the pentagram symbolizes human spiritual aspirations when its point faces upwards. When its point faces down, it becomes a negative symbol of black magick and Satanism.

The Crescent Moon is a sacred symbol of the Goddess and feminine energy. It is the appropriate symbol to be used on candles crafted especially for Goddess invocations, Sabbats and women’s healing.

The ancient magickal symbol called the Seal of Solomon is a hexagram consisting of two interlocking triangles, one facing up and the other one facing down. It is a symbol of the human soul, and is most powerful when used on candles crafted for spells and rituals involving spirit communication, wisdom, purification and the strengthening of psychic powers.

The ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol resembling a cross with a loop at the top. It symbolizes life and cosmic knowledge, and every major god and goddess of the Egyptian mythology is depicted carrying it. Also known as the “crux ansata,” it is an appropriate symbol to place on candles for spells and rituals involving health, fertility and divination.

The Eye of Horus is another ancient Egyptian symbol which is often used in contemporary Witchcraft. It depicts the divine eye of the god Horus, represents both solar and lunar energies, and is carved into candles to symbolize spiritual protection as well as the clairvoyant power of the Third Eye.

The triangle is a symbol of finite manifestation in Western magick, and is used in rituals to evoke spirits when the seal or sign of the entity to be summoned is placed in the center of the triangle.

Triangles containing veves (intricate symbolic emblems representing certain Voodoo spirit-loas) are extremely powerful when carved into candles. (See Chapter Nine: Voudoun Candle Magick.)

The triangle, equivalent to the number three (a powerful magickal number) is also a symbol of the Triple Goddess: Mother, Warrior, Crone. Inverted, it represents the male principle.

The Swastika is an ancient religious symbol formed by a Greek cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Before being adopted in 1935 as the infamous official emblem of Nazi Germany, the Swastika was a sacred symbol of good luck in pre-Christian Pagan Europe and in many other cultures around the world including the Orientals, the Egyptians and the Indian tribes of North, Central and South America. (The word “Swastika” stems from the Sanskrit “Svastika” meaning “a sign of good luck.”)

In addition to the above-mentioned symbols of magick, there are numerous ancient as well as modern mystical symbols that can be used to empower candles with specific magickal energies. These symbols include the male and female fertility symbols, crosses, circles, peace signs, astrological and planetary symbols, numbers, etc.