by: Marissa Subia, Copyeditor and Narrative Writer

You’re a Kid Again Playing Arts and Crafts

This is the ideal way to approach candle magic, especially if you’re a beginner. Too often, we get bogged down with trying to do something right. We want our spell to work, to get the results we want. That’s natural, except from my experience, I didn’t find the success I was looking for until I started prioritizing fun over correctness. I’ve since found that delightfully ironic. Perhaps you can too!

Now without further ado, let’s do some candle magic. Roll up your sleeves; magic is a messy, fun time.

Parts of a Candle Magic Spell (in a nutshell)

There’s more that you can include and do with your spell, but for now, let’s start with the basics:

Intention
The candle itself
Candle dressing (herbs, oils, and/or crystals)

Steps of a Candle Magic Spell

Here are the steps to creating your candle magic spell. The later sections will go into more depth about each part above. When you read about those, you can come back. Then you’ll understand these steps a lot better.

Step 1: Determine the type of candle you want.

Step 2: Gather dressings for your candle (a little bit of herbs, oils, and/or crystals).

Step 3: Find a space to do your magic, whether an altar or safe, open surface.

Step 4: Dress your candle with oils, herbs and/or crystals while thinking about the intention behind your candle spell.

Step 5: When you’re done dressing, write down your intention.

Step 7: To set up your candle for lighting, find a glass, metal, or other fireproof open bowl. Pour melted wax onto the center of the bowl and immediately press the base of your candle into it; the wax will hardens quickly and will act as glue to keep your candle in place. Then add about an inch of water at the base of the candle in the bowl. The water will kep the bowl from overheating, which for glass, can cause it to break. If the candle won’t stay in place, add more wax. Be sure to pour the wax before you add your small amount of water.

Step 6: Speak your spell aloud when you are ready to light your candle.

Step 7: Have fun watching the flames and interpreting the messages there. A strong flame will speak something differently than a weak flame, a flame that jumps or sparks might speak something differently than a flame that is still. Have fun watching the wax and interpreting messages there. The wax might drips in certain ways and form different shapes in the base of the bowl and within the water. Notice hat your intuition tells you.

Step 8: Watch your candle burn all the way down, feeling, speaking and imagining your intention. When the candle puts itself out in the water, you can thank the flame or you may put it out with a candle snuffer.

Step 9: Over the coming days, notice what changes in your life. Notice any serendipity during the spell or immediately after.

Since you’re working with fire, be sure to practice fire safety. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

Why Candle Magic?

The Concept of Energy

The energy within you includes your thoughts, feelings, and bodily senses, which are constantly shifting.

The energy outside of you consists of the energy of other people, the motions and actions of the world and the elements, plants, animals, energetics, and the influences of other nonphysical beings.

It’s a lot to grasp, but we can perceive when there is a noticeable change in energy, like when we’re in a bad mood and we decide to make ourselves some tea, lavender, for calm and peace, which then shifts our mood, as an example.

Making tea is meditative. It’s even therapeutic; that’s why we do it. It helps us shift our energy to a calmer state.

From Therapeutic to Magical

We can make some tea, or we can light a pretty scented candle. Candles are a great, easy way to relax. We stare at the flame and let it hypnotize us because it helps us change our energy, whether we need to decompress or uplift ourselves.

So what makes a candle transform from the mundane to the magical?

It’s the intent.

What separates candle magic from regular candle-lighting is the act of setting an intention. In other words, by writing a spell.

And with this spell, you’re doing magic.

Simply put, according to Jacki Smith, the author of The Big Book of Candle Magic, magic is the shifting of energy toward an intended goal.

Thus, when you perform candle magic, you’re shifting energy, within or without, in your favor.

If that sounds cool, then read on to learn more about what goes into a beginner’s candle magic spell.

Intention Setting for Beginners

An intention, in the context of magic, is a specific statement made as if it has already happened.

Instead of writing I will improve my diet, you might write something in the past tense that’s more specific to your situation, like After two weeks, I will have eaten the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, each day, every day, of those two weeks.

See how more impactful the second statement is?

How to Write an Intention

Start with where you’re at, because the real magic comes from you.

Answer the following questions to get as clear as you can on your intent.

These questions are straight from The Big Book of Candle Magic.

I’ve been using them when I do spells, and they’re great!

Every time I answer these questions, I feel ready to do my spell.

What are you struggling with or where do you feel limited right now?
What are you feeling right now?
What do you want to be feeling right now?
What support, wisdom, or resources do you have right now?
What support, wisdom, or resources are you open to receiving?
Finally, make a statement of how your life is now that you have resolved the issue at hand and received the resources you’re open to. State this as if it has already happened and end it with, “That or something better.”

Hey you, you’ve just written a baby spell! Yay!

The final statement “That or something better” is important because it opens the way for The Universe, or hidden parts of you, to manifest something that you couldn’t imagine at the time of your spell.

Beautiful Imperfect Spells

Creating the perfect spell candle is impossible, so no need to worry. And if you do worry, that’s okay too—it tends to crop up, the little rascal.

It’s a journey, start small, start simple, and be curious about the results you get: you may feel an inner change or notice some changes happening around you.

The Candle Magic Journey

Three of my candle spells come to mind: a stellar one that I did without thinking, a sputtering one that I hardly thought out, and a powerful one that I needed to follow up with a spell to calm it down.

It’s not that the previous spells I did were wrong. They were what they were at the time, and each served its purpose. I learned.

Thus, candle magic is a process of learning and adjusting. You may swing back and forth between two extremes before you find a more measured approach.

To minimize those swings, you can journal for reflection and remember to enjoy the ride!

Now that you know the gist behind candle magic, and know how to focus your intention to write a magic spell, let’s get to the physical things you need to create your candle magic spell.

Types of Candles

The candle itself is a physical representation of your focused magical intent. More practically, the type of candle you use depends on your intentions and your availability. Below are some types that I’ve used and I can confidently recommend.

Container Candles

These candles come inside a glass container.

A good kind of container candle to start with is the 7-day candle. They burn for a total of 7 days, but it’s generally recommended to extinguish the flame after 4 hours each session. There are a plethora of 7-day candles to choose from, including but not limited to Goddess 7-day candles, astrological 7-day candles, and religious 7-day candles.

Candles without Containers

These candles are either bare or wrapped in packaging (remember to take any packaging off before you light your candle).

There are two types that I recommend starting with:

Pillar candles

Vary in size
Vary in burn time
Vary in price
Can come with premade intentions (Reiki candles for instance)

Chime candles

Small candles several inches high
Inexpensive (usually not much more than a buck)
Time efficient because they burn for two hours (quicker if you dress the candle)
Will need to make an intention yourself

There also figural candles. These are shaped into angels, people, animals, plants, practically anything under (and beyond) the Sun. Honestly, sometimes, they’re so pretty I don’t want to light them at all!

Candle Colors

The color of your candle can play an important role in directing the intention of your candle spell. Different colors have different meanings associated with them, both on a collective and personal level. Yellow may mean happiness in terms of the collective, but in terms of your own experience, it may mean peace. It’s okay to feel differently. Black may be associated with darkness or safety, whatever it means to you, go for it!

Check out this color magic guide by Leigh Ann, the owner of Psychic Medium Witch, to get a taste of the spiritual meanings associated with your basic colors.

Candle Dressing

There is magic everywhere. So the objects you use each contribute meaning to your spell that you can then incorporate into your intention.

Candle dressing is the act of putting whatever you want directly on your candle: herbs, oil, or crystals to start. This act helps to further define your intention by giving your mind something to latch onto.

Dressing your candle doesn’t have to be a much more complicated process than say . . . dressing your salad with some ranch dressing (I couldn’t resist). You can make a pretty drizzle, or you can sprinkle some on. The major difference is that splashing some on like you’re an impassioned artist will do more than make a soggy salad—you can start a fire!

So be careful, please. Be sparing. Use only a little of each (i.e., a pinch of lavender buds).

Herbs

Herbs are plants. Plants grow and decay, and one of the purposes they fulfill in the cycle is to help others, including humans. For this purpose, they are called helping spirits.

So if you’re using lavender, or cinnamon, or chamomile, take a moment to activate and thank the spirit of the herb. Then anoint your candle with them.

Here are two ways to anoint your candle with herbs:

Use an oil of your choice, keeping in mind the metaphysical characteristics of that oil, anoint the candle with the oil, then grab a pinch of herbs and simply sprinkle on top of the candle.
Use the melted wax of another candle to adhere herbs to the outside of the candle.

Watch this video tutorial for a fun way to dress your chime candles with wax in less than 10 minutes.

Oils

The oil you use can be as simple as the olive oil you already have for cooking, or as intentional as a witch oil with herbs and crystals in it.

According to Phillip Cooper, author of The Power of Candle Magic: Spells and Rituals for an Abundant Life, dressing your candle with oil is also called anointing, and it’s done on bare candles without a container. More than using herbs, anointing your candle can further connect you with the candle and your spell because you’re transferring the oil from your hands onto the candle. Furthermore, the direction and motion you anoint add different meanings.

For example, you can anoint in a certain direction to either bring energy toward you or away from you. Jacki Smith recommends that if you want resources to come to you from all directions, hold your candle with your oiled hands at either end of the candle and draw them to the middle. If you want something to go away from you, do the opposite.

Crystals

Did you know the oldest known crystal is 4.4 billion years old? That’s almost as old as the Earth!

So yeah, crystals have been here WAY longer than we have. They represent ancient, raw magic given form. They can be powerful allies in your candle magic journey, and you only need a little bit in your spell.

Use crystal chips if you want to put crystals directly onto your candle. Beware: a crystal that gets too hot can explode!

Simply sprinkle them on top, and use tweezers to grab up the crystals before the melted wax hardens at the end of your spell.

Otherwise, you can use bigger ones like crystal tumbles or crystal towers. You can hold them when you speak your intent, or you can lay them around your candle in the directions of the four cardinal directions (more on that in the section below).

Two More Ways to Personalize Your Candle Spell

If at any point you feel satisfied and clear about what you’ve gathered for your spell, then it’s totally okay to leave it there.

That is, if you’re satisfied and clear with your intention, candle, and dressing, then you’re good to go!

If not, there are a couple more beginner-friendly ways you can prepare your candle magic spell.

Scribing

One of those ways is candle scribing.

A candle scribe is a piece of metal with a blunted end. With it, you can carve symbols onto your spell candle (a bare candle, without a container). These utensils are sold in stores, or you can use something similar that you have in your home.

There are different things you can draw:

A sigil or rune (there are many you can find online)
An astrological symbol
Your name
Or your intention! (if it’s short; you’ll want to carve big so you can actually see what you carve)

Placing Objects Around Your Candle

Sky’s the limit for the objects you can place around your candle.

You can use objects that mean something to you. These can bring some powerful energy into your spell.

You can also use crystals (those tumbles and towers I mentioned earlier).

And a way you can arrange them is in the direction of the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north.

Four objects for the four cardinal directions, with each direction having its own spiritual meaning:

East—Air, New Beginnings and Change
South—Fire, Passion and Desire
West—Water, Harvest and Healing
North—Earth, Introspection and Goal Setting

Just grab a compass or a phone app to see where the directions are in relation to your candle, and place the objects to represent each direction (for example, a feather on the eastern side of your candle, a matchbox on the southern end, and so on).

Now that you’ve got all the goods, sit, thank all that’s involved with your spell, say your intention, and light your candle!

Now that Your Candle’s Burning . . .

You can interpret the flames or wax.

The whole process of candle magic can be fun if you let it, but watching the burning flame or the melting wax and interpreting what you see, is where many start to see the appeal. You never know what you’ll see. In one of my spells, my family and I saw a flaming butterfly!

Take pictures. Record videos. The flame will often show you messages that you can interpret.

Basic Meanings

A small flame may mean your spell might need more work.

A big steady flame may mean your spell is aligned with your intentions and is likely to succeed.

You don’t have to settle for a small flame though, as Leigh Ann says. If the wick is obviously buried in wax, consider what that might mean, and pour wax from the candle onto a plate. Pouring the wax helps the flame; it should burn bigger afterward. And the wax on the plate can give its own messages. What shape does it make? Turn the plate around. What do you see?

Your Own Interpretations

Don’t let me have all the fun. You can practice interpreting the flame’s messages yourself.

Notice which cardinal direction the flame is burning
Is it burning left or right?
What does that mean for you?
Toward or away from you?
How about the smoke?
The remaining wax?

Original Botanica has a great resource for these and more ways to interpret the messages from your burning candle.

Now before you start your candle magic journey . . .

Here are Some Last-Minute Tips

To wrap up this article, I’m circling back to the ideal way to approach candle magic: as a kid playing arts and crafts.

So here are some closing tips for beginner’s success:

Be Open to the Fun

If it’s fun, if you’re motivated to find the fun, do it. If not, then don’t. Magic works best this way. Anything that puts a goofy smile on your face is an especially good sign.

Start with some Fun Music and a Grounding Practice

Tip within a tip: this grounding practice should help you feel lighter, not heavier, and not with your head in the clouds either, where reason and common sense can’t follow—you still need those!

Keep it Simple

In candle magic, you’re looking for the sweet spot in terms of how many tools you’re using. Not too much, not too little. That’s the idea.

Keep a Candle Magic Journal

As they say, there’s only one way to learn. So keep a journal to keep track of your intentions and spell parts. If a spell has unexpected results, you’ll know where to look. Your future self will thank you!

On a Final Note, Be Kind to Yourself

If you don’t do everything, that’s okay. If you miss something, that’s okay. My own imperfect spells have worked out as they were meant to. It’s the same for your spells too.

All in all, if you release the idea of “getting it right,” you’ll open yourself up to the highest magical energy of all: FUN!

Resources

Cooper, P., & Illes, J. (2022). The power of candle magic: Spells and rituals for an abundant life. Red Wheel/Weiser.

How to read and interpret how your ritual candle burns. Original Botanica. (2023, March 31). https://originalbotanica.com/blog/candle-burning-flame-meanings-interpretations?srsltid=AfmBOorvhOE-JaJmEiUzMA2NsTm_xJ2IBOdJ2semMJ-33gDIYCgSkp1a.

Smith, J. (2022). The big book of candle magic. Weiser.

Candle Magic for Beginners