Exploring Candle Magick

by Telesco, Patricia J.

• ISBN13: 9781564145222
• ISBN10: 1564145220
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: New Page Books

Summary

A definitive guide to understanding and applying the magickal art of candles for yourself, your home, family, or friends.

Table of Contents

Preface: A Light in the Darkness	9	(10)
Introduction	19	(4)
Candlecraft 101	23	(22)
Salamander Scrying	45	(14)
Candlelight Spells and Charms	59	(20)
Prayers and Meditations	79	(22)
Rituals	101	(28)
Feng Shui and Candles	129	(18)
Astrological Candles	147	(14)
Holidays, Festivals, Gods, and Goddesses	161	(14)
Appendix: Candle Tips and Terms	175	(4)
Select Bibliography	179	(4)
Index	183	(6)
About the Author	189

Excerpts

Chapter One

Candlecraft 101

Hope, like the gleaming taper's light, adorns and cheers our way.

--Oliver Goldsmith

I am a great advocate of reclaiming arts that have been lost to dusty bookshelves or technological advances. There is something special about items made by hand, a uniqueness and feel that you just can't get from machine crafts. From a spiritual standpoint, there is also a kind of energy that handmade items bear like a fingerprint. This astral fingerprint not only indicates who made the item, but for what type of magick it was made.

    With this in mind, this chapter will review some of the simpler methods of making candles yourself. There are certainly more approaches than what I cover here, but I've chosen the ones that I feel will save readers the most time and cost the least in tools and materials. After all, we live in a time-challenged environment where scheduling doesn't always allow for long, drawn-out processes. If you're interested in more elaborate approaches to candle-making, there are some excellent books on the subject listed in the suggested reading list at the end of this book.

    Secondly, this chapter discusses the magickal aspects of candle-making--namely how to instill a candle with the right energy for the task you have in mind. There are many things that you can easily do while making your candle that will have a positive effect on its completed symbolic value. Better still, following these techniques yields an item that, from beginning to end, was willfully fashioned for metaphysical use. This, in turn, results in more powerful and meaningful magick.

The Mundane Fundamentals

    Okay, first the nitty-gritty. You can't add magick into a process if you have no idea where the process starts! I think many people reading this remember making milk carton candles at camp or school, and that's probably the extent to which most folks have been exposed to this ancient art. Heck, I have a lot of craft-oriented hobbies and I was totally taken back by the variety of candle-making methods and decorating techniques available. So, let's explore together!

A Sticky Wicket?

    When buying a wick at a craft shop you'll notice that it's labeled for the size candle in which it can be used most successfully. Extra small candles are less than 1 inch in diameter, small ones are up to 2 inches in diameter, medium up to 3 inches, large up to 4 inches, and extra large continue upward from a 4-inch diameter.

    You may also see other labels on the wicks. A flat braid wick is best for dipped and pillar candles. Square braids work well with beeswax, pillar candles, square block candles, and novelty shapes. Cored wicks have support, which makes them ideal for self-contained candles. Note that no matter which wicks you choose, the strand must be soaked with wax for at least one minute, then pulled straight and allowed to cool. Then a small metal piece should be secured around one end (called a tab) before using it to make a candle. This tab goes in the bottom of the candle.

    If a candle overflows its edge with wax, drowns in wax, or smokes a lot, you've chosen a wick that's too small. A wick that gathers carbon on the top, or a pillar candle that begins dripping out, indicates too large a wick. Candles that sputter may have air pockets and aren't very safe. It's best to re-melt and remold.

    In researching this book I found it interesting that not all wicks are present in the pouring process. Some are inserted into a candle after it sets. This is done by using a thin, heated metal rod inserted through the candle, followed by threading the wick through that hole. Any excess space is then filled with additional wax. The advantage to this method is that you don't have to go crazy trying to keep the wick straight or erect while pouring molten wax.

Waxing and Wanting:

    Speaking of wax, there are also several kinds of wax, suited to different types of candles. A low melting point wax is best for self-contained candles and pillar candles so the wick can get more oxygen, for example. Other kinds of wax best suited to home candle-making efforts include:

* Bayberry: Very costly and hard to find, but makes a lovely scented candle (beware of paraffin that's scented with bayberry oil as this is not the same thing).

* Beeswax: A slow-burning wax whose color and aroma changes depending on the flowers from which the bees made it. More expensive than paraffin but also makes a longer lasting candle.

* Mix n' Match Wax: This is wax that you've saved from other candles. Although the results may be somewhat undependable, it's a great way to recycle and save money. Magickally, however, I suggest keeping candles that have been used for specific purposes together or carefully mixing, balancing, and matching the themes of the candles so the result isn't a lot of confusing energy.

* Paraffin: The most common wax used in modern candles. The advantage to paraffin is that it is separated by melting point. The disadvantage is that it needs to be mixed with 10 percent stearic acid to keep the wax hard and create an opaque appearance. Generally speaking you'll be looking for a melting point of 125 to 150 degrees and a fully refined paraffin, which is very dependable. Do not, however, buy paraffin at the supermarket. This doesn't make good candles (it's intended for canning).

    Note that some candle makers blend waxes to create a variety of effects, like paraffin with beeswax and stearic acid for a good poured or dipped candle, or a 50-50 blend of paraffin and beeswax for molded candles. In any case, you need about 12 pounds of wax to make a dozen 10-inch long, 7/8-inch diameter taper candles (note that 1 1/2 cups of melted wax equals about one pound of solid wax). Generally speaking, it is best to buy wax at a craft supply store.

Additives:

    For magickal candles it's highly likely that you'll wish to add herbs, oils, and other ingredients to personalize the energy. When you do, put in as little as possible and mix thoroughly. Bear in mind that wax with a high proportion of additive may not set or melt properly, let alone safely. In particular, make sure herbs are powdered (not in large pieces that can catch fire) and stir these into the liquid wax by hand for at least three to five minutes so they are evenly distributed.

Color:

    Colored wax or color additives can be purchased at most craft supply stores. By far the most common is the aniline dyes that come with complete proportion instructions at your local craft store. A nice alternative for magickal candles, however, is looking to nature's storehouse for aid. This way there are no chemicals that might hinder the effective flow of energy.

    Steep deeply colored flower, herb, or vegetable parts in warm wax, repeating as necessary to achieve the results desired. In particular beets yield a lovely red hue, fennel yields brown, onion skins give a pale brown or golden hue, and saffron gives a yellow.

Aromatics:

    The easiest way to scent a candle is through essential or aromatherapy oils. I would avoid any aromatic that's decocted in alcohol, as it will lose its scent very quickly. Additionally, you may still have to rub the outside of the candle or dip the wick in more oil to get a personally pleasing level of potency. The average proportion of wax to oil is 1/2 pound of wax to 1/4 teaspoon oil. Under no circumstances should oil additives exceed 3 percent of the wax's weight.

    Alternatively you can add powdered herbs and spices to the wax (or steep large plant parts in the wax) to create an aroma. Be careful, however, about the temperature at which you add the herbs. Some are heat sensitive (like roses) and need to wait until the wax is between hot and warm. This might mean repeated steeping, but it's far better than the smell of burnt plants!

    Some of the best sources for aromatics are New Age stores, food cooperatives, spice and herb shops, and online sites such as www.frontiercoop.com .

Tools:

    Like any craft, candle-making requires a few tools. If you choose to take these tools out of your home stock, do not return them to culinary use. Some of the additives for candle-making are not edible, so these tools should be safely stored away from kitchen utensils.

    To begin, you need a pot. A non-aluminum double boiler is nice if you can find one, but otherwise a regular pan will do. A mixing spoon, ladle, newspaper (to cover the working surface), scissors, knife, paper clips or tape (to hold wick in place), plastic cutting board (for sheet wax), and bucket (to cool molds) are all easily found around the home. You'll also need pot holders and cold water. Wax gets very hot--upwards of 170 degrees at melting.

    If your wax isn't already cut and weighed, you may need a scale. For candles that you plan to put a wick through after solidification, you'll want an ice pick or a metal rod that you can heat up. Finally, to make life easy, get some spray-on cooking oil so your candles come out of the mold easily.

Clean-Up Time:

    When you're ready to clean up after yourself, avoid putting your pots and dishes in the sink. You will end up with one monster of a plumbing bill. Instead, let the excess wax cool and store it in plastic bags or other containers separated by color and scent. Wash out your tools with hot water outside, or by wiping them with a paper towel that gets properly disposed of.

Specific Types of Candles

    There are a lot of candles that you can learn to make. What I'm covering here are those that will be easy and quick and require the least amount of ingredients and fussing.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

    For time-challenged readers, the fastest candle by far is a rolled candle. For this you'll need wax rolling sheets in the color desired, any herbs or oils you want, a pair of scissors, and wick. Begin by cutting a square or rectangle whose length is the desired length of the candle. The width should be two times the length for nice burning time.

    Warm the sheet of wax so it's pliable. One easy way is by placing it in the sunlight (this doesn't run up utility bills, and it spiritually charges the wax with solar energy). Next, lay the wick on the edge closest to you, with about 1 inch hanging out the top, and start rolling, making sure the candle is tight. If you're using oils, rub the inside of the wax with them. For powdered herbs, sprinkle these on evenly (note that you may have to gently heat the entire candle for a moment when you're done so the herbs stay firmly in place. This can be accomplished with a hair dryer).

    A neat twist (literally) on the rolled candle begins by slicing a diagonal into the sheet wax from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. The long side is where you place your wick, and the rolling is the same, except that now the result will be a spiral, which is a fantastic magickal symbol. The spiral can represent cycles, reincarnation, protection, and transformation.

    Another option is using sheet wax of varying colors. To accomplish this you will need to slice pieces of the sheet wax and warm the edges (again with a hair dryer) to join them. If need be, melt a little white wax and seal the slices on the inside of the sheet. Then roll as before, preferably as a spiral candle. The candle will have varying layers of color.

    When you're done rolling the candle, get one of your melting pans out and heat it up. Put just the bottom of the rolled candle firmly on the bottom of the pan, allowing a little wax to melt. This seals the candle and ensures that you have a flat bottom.

Poured Candles

    This is a very versatile approach to candle-making, and also very quick one. You can use all kinds of molds for poured candles, including wooden ones, glass (for self-contained candles) those for gelatin, natural molds (like sand, halved orange peels, and sea shells), and the venerable ice cube tray or milk carton mold, the latter of which is disposable.

    In terms of safety, self-contained candles are fantastic. In this case you want to choose a wide-mouthed, strong, glass, ceramic, or metal container into which to pour the wax. Set up the wick in advance using a strand that's longer than the container, an aluminum foil base for the wick to weight it down, and a pencil to tie the wick to, which will keep it in the middle of the mold. You can pour a little warm wax in the bottom and let it cool to secure the wick in place.

    Glass containers are ideal for multi-colored wax. They also reveal the level of the poured and melting wax much more easily. No matter the choice of containers, it helps to keep your container candles small (less than 6 inches). Otherwise the candles burn out easily.

    If you're making the container candle in multiple colors, there's a really neat effect you can get, other than layers. Just before one layer of wax cools completely, poke a toothpick or other sharp item into it at various points around the edge of the glass. Let this layer finish cooling, then pour the next one. This will give a drip or stripe effect where it can be seen. Or, you can add a layer of crushed ice or chunk wax to the process. This will give the finished piece a mottled appearance.

    About the only difference between the molded candle and the self-contained is that the first will be taken out of the container in which it was created. You can certainly buy commercial molds, but the crafty kitchen witch will revel in finding ones readily available around the house. In particular, I love the ice cube tray's pop-out candle action! I use these for spells to disperse anger or cool a heated situation because the symbolic value of an ice cube's imagery carries over nicely into the sacred space.

    The only thing you have to be careful of is making sure you lightly oil the inside of your mold. After the wax solidifies, try to remove the candle. If it doesn't slide out, run a little hot water over the outside of the mold and try again. By the way, even if you discover a mold hasn't worked quite as you hoped, you can always re-melt the wax and try again.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Exploring Candle Magick by Patricia Telesco. Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Telesco. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.