Early in my magical career, when I was but a wee faun, I wasn’t really interested in what we might call results-oriented magic. I was there to see spirits, feel energy, and get high on cosmic power. So I never learned candle magic way back in the day.
I picked up a few things here and there, of course. Bits and pieces from books, stories from my peers. Enough to synthesize with sigil magic and evocation (and with good results) when I started fucking around with those things in the 2010s. but it’s only been in the last couple years that I started trying to make an actual study of it.
And, in the course of that study, I’ve found a stunning dearth of clear and concise instructions for doing candle magic spells. So, of course, I’ve been working on fixing that.
Here is what I have so far, synthesized from a handful of books and dozens of TikTok videos and anecdotes from several friends and a fair bit of experimentation. It’s not complete. Even when it’s complete it won’t be absolute (there are too many conflicting schools of thought). And, of course, it’s written in teaching voice because I am literally teaching myself.
But, with those caveats aside, this seems to be doing it for me. I would love input from anyone with more experience than I have. If you give this method a try, please share your results!
(Patreon supporters who are re-reading this may note some very small editorial changes above and below.)
Candle Magic Spell Template
In advance, prepare a clear statement of intent: name your desire in plain language.
Clean and set up your space.
Clean and prepare yourself.
Cast your circle and enter a magical frame of mind.
Bless, consecrate, and empower any and all material you’ll be using. Pray aloud to whatever god(s) you honor to awaken and enliven the materials for your purpose, including pre-consecrated oils you may be using.
Bless and consecrate your candle, saying aloud what you desire.
If you are dressing your candle, repeat your statement of intent as you do so. Rub the candle tip to base and toward yourself for drawing things to yourself, and to rub the candle base to tip away from yourself for banishing and protection. Rub the candle from the ends to the middle if your intention doesn’t clearly go one way or the other. Dress container candles (tea lights, novenas, &c.) clockwise or counterclockwise along the top.
If you like, you can also write down your desire/statement of intent. Write it once, or write it repeatedly, filling the sheet of paper with an inward spiral of text, then folding it in half toward yourself at least twice, so that it fits neatly under your candle. Or you can sigilize it, and set your candle on top of the sigil. If you are using a container candle, you can write your desire or sigil on the outside (a sharpie or paint pen is going to be your best bet.)
Now, before you light your candle, having clearly and repeatedly articulated your desire, hold the candle in your hand. Picture your desired outcome as already accomplished. Hold the image in your mind as firmly as you can, imagining what success looks and feels and smells and tastes like. As you do so, focus on pouring your energy into both the image and the candle.
Light your candle before your attention starts to slip.
Once you have lit the candle, continue to focus on the image of success. Feel the fire from the candle fueling that image. Know that, when the candle burns down, your success will be set. Focus on that image, on that feeling, on your candle, for as long as you can.
When you can no longer hold your attention in place – ideally, when the candle has burned all the way down – stop pouring attention and energy into the spell. Walk away and think of something else. If you can, leave the completed spell on the altar until the sun has set (or risen), or at least until you feel sufficiently separated from it.