Candle Magic – Colors, Rituals and Meanings

Candle magic is one of the first types of practical magic and spell work I explored in my spiritual journey. The combination of wax, wick and flame entranced me. The smells of the essential oils and melting wax, the flames dancing and forming shapes, it filled me with incredible energy and allowed me to focus in a way that was new to me. Over the years I have grown my love of candle magic, incorporating more practices and ritual activities. If you are looking to bring candle magic into your spiritual practice, I highly recommend it. Here is a simple guide to help you get started.

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You would struggle to find anyone who doesn’t associate candles with spiritual and ritual practices regardless of their path. Around the world, across cultures and religions, candles are a powerful part of spiritual work.

So it isn’t surprising that this young witch who was exploring many paths, including wicca, but who also grew up attending Catholic school, would be drawn to candle magic.

Candles help push back the darkness, to light our path, and for many witches (and other religions) it is a way to bring us closer to the divine. Fire can warm us, feed us, but it can also ravage and destroy with unfathomable power.

Candle magic adds strength and power to ritual work, spellcasting and spiritual practice unlike anything else.

What is Candle Magic?

To put it simply, candle magic is using candles as the focal point for spell work, rituals, intention setting, manifestation, meditation, plus divine and spiritual connection. Think of the candle like a power cell, uplifting and powering up any work you are doing.

It is inexpensive and can be very simple or as complex as you want to make your ritual. Perfect for everyone.

All you need is a candle, a way to light the candle, and your own intentions. From there you can add oils, herbs, special candle colors, scribing, even the shapes of the candles to power up your candle magic rituals further.

What do you need for Candle Magic?

This is where things get fun with candle magic! Personally I love the creativity that I feel in working with candles. There is something powerful yet centering about wax and flame.

To do a candle magic ritual you will need:

• A Candle
• Matches or lighter
• Your intentions, energy, and goals

To do a candle magic ritual you may want add:

• Candles of various sizes, shapes and/or colors
• Special candle holders (you don’t want just any candle holder, pick something with great intention that aligns with your ritual goals)
• Candle scribe
• Candle snuffer
• Essential oils or oils blends
• Anvil Dust
• Dried herbs
• Crystals
• Tarot cards
• Wand (for casting a protective circle)
• Incense, herb bundle, or Palo Santo (for space cleansing) with burn safe bowl
• Any ritual tools, symbols, or altar items that will aid in your magic work

What you may want to add to your ritual will depend on your goal, preferences and comfort level.

The Candle

So of the must have items, obviously the most important item is the candle. There are so many different ways you can approach this part of your magic.

You can buy special candles that are already charged and dressed from many witchy stores. Simply find a candle maker that resonates with you, then ask them for a candle that fits your needs.

Chime candles are widely available. These are small candles, usually sold in multi-color packs and are fantastic for spells where you want to burn the entire candle in one sitting.

Jar candles are also popular. They usually come in a tall glass jar and you burn it once a day for a certain number of days focusing your intentions and meditating on your goals. These are sometimes also called Prayer Candles.

Other candle styles also work including tapered candles, pillar candles, votives, tealights, and even candles with intricate shapes that hold special meanings. These could be in the shape of certain deities, guides you are working with, or some other shape that aligns with your goals or practice. Often you can find these special candles at a witchcraft or metaphysical store.

You may also want to spend some time thinking about the kind of wax used in the making of your spell candles. My personal preference is to only work with beeswax. I prefer the burn of beeswax and I find other candles, soy in particular, triggers allergies for me and I struggle to connect with the energies of other wax candles. This is just my preference, you do you!

Candle Magic Color Meanings

One of the most powerful ways you can enhance your magic is by carefully picking the color of your candles for your ritual. Each color has different meanings.

Color Symbolism

Here are some keywords associated with each color. Use this as a guide to find the color for your purposes, but also tap into your own intuition. Feel the vibrations and energy you get from a candle. Trust in that most of all to find the right candle for your ritual.

Red

• passion,
• survival,
• energy,
• action,
• strength,
• courage,
• sexuality,
• inner fire,
• vitality,
• element of fire

Pink

• friendship,
• love,
• connections,
• tenderness,
• self-love,
• compassion,
• nurturing,
• the heart

Orange

• positivity,
• opportunities,
• opening doors,
• warmth,
• creativity

Yellow

• joy,
• happiness,
• success,
• attraction,
• communication,
• knowledge,
• learning,
• growth,
• element of air

Green

• luck,
• prosperity,
• business,
• money,
• wealth,
• career,
• abundance,
• connection with nature and fae

Blue

• peace,
• intuition,
• harmony,
• clarity,
• healing,
• wisdom,
• trust,
• blessings,
• element of water

Purple

• psychic abilities,
• spirituality,
• empowerment,
• truth,
• divination,
• higher self

Brown

• grounding,
• justice,
• stability,
• safety,
• balance
• connection with Gaia,
• element of earth

Black

• release negative energy,
• protection,
• banishing,
• shield,
• breaking patterns,
• transformation,
• grief

White

• purity,
• new beginnings,
• cleansing,
• blessing,
• attract positive energy,
• healing,
• connection with ancestors,
• moon magic

How to Make Magical Candles

Learning how to make your own candles is not difficult. In fact, I find it incredibly fulfilling making my own candles. As I am making them, I charge them so they are ready to go whenever I need them. Aligned with my energies and intentions.

There are many ways you can make a candle, here are three different simple ways to make candles.

Customize a Candle

One of the easiest things to do is take a regular candle like a pillar or taper or chime candle and customize it. There are a few different ways you can do this:

• scribe it with sigils or words or images
• anoint it with oils
• dress it with herbs or anvil dust

Making Spell Jar Candles

You could also make your own magic spell candles. I love to save the leftover beeswax from spent candles to make new candles. I often burn candles just because I love having a candle going at all times, but they often leave left over wax that I hate to waste.

To make my candles I simply remove the old wicks, then melt the wax down, add a wick to a candle jar, then pour the wax into the jar. It is very easy to customize it with oils, herbs or even crystals.

Rolled Candles

This was the first way I learned how to make candles over 30 years ago. You can buy sheets of beeswax and long coils of wicks. Cut the wick to length, then warm the wax a little bit (I do this with a hair dryer), then roll the sheet around the wick. Keep it tight as you roll until your candle is finished.

If you wish to customize a rolled candled, simply sprinkle oils, dried herbs or small crystals onto the wax sheet as you roll.

Remember when making your own magical candles, the key is your intentions and energy you are putting into the creative process. Focus on your goal and work to manifest it through the wax.

How do you do a Candle Ritual?

There are so many different ways you can do candle magic. The key is to find the rituals that resonate with you, that connect with your spirit, and free you to be open to the divine energies. Your rituals and spiritual practices will also vary based on your goals. As with any magical practice, find what works for you!

Prepare

The first thing you will want to do is prepare the items you plan to use in your ritual. Make sure your space is fire safe and you have burn safe area with nothing flammable near by. Ensure everything is cleansed and ready to go. Plus, have enough time and space to really focus on your work without distraction.

Sacred Space – Altar

Set up your altar or ritual space. An altar is something sacred and unique to the practioner. You can set up your altar based on planetary alignment, to work with sabbats or seasons, as a tribute to your ancestors, for a full moon or whatever works for you. When doing a ritual, it is best to adjust your altar space to work with the intentions of your spell. This could involve adding talismans, crystals, etc. Or it could be simply a small area with a candle and you.

Cleanse

Cleanse the area. This can be done with a wand, smoke, sound, crystals or simply visualizing the cleansing of the area. If you wish, you can cast a protective circle and cleanse the circle. Take a moment to take a cleansing breath yourself.

Grounding

Ground yourself. It is so important that you are grounded and in the moment while doing your ritual.

Dress the Candle

This is where you can use a candle scribe to carve symbols, sigils or words into the wax of the candle. Anoint it with oils and roll it in dried herbs or incense. In my resource on Anvil Dust I share a special candle magic ritual.

Intention

Speak your intention. Depending on the spell, I also like to write my intention on a piece of parchment paper. Then I can either set the candle holder on the paper, hold it in my hand, or burn it. Close your eyes if that works for you. Feel your intention and goal filling your being. Feel that energy rise up in you.

Light the Candle

Now light the candle.

Scrying Fire

While the candle burns, spend time watching the flame. See if any messages come to you as you meditate on the fire.

Conclude your Ritual

At the end of your ritual you do not want to blow out your candle. Instead use a candle snuffer, a wick dipper, or snuff it with your fingers. If you are using chime candles, you can let them burn to completion. For larger candles, or more complex rituals you may want to repeat your ritual for a certain number of days or until the candle is spent.

I always say thank you at the end of my ritual to my guides.

This is a very simple practical magic ritual with a candle. For more specialized rituals I highly recommend adding some candle magic books to your collection.

Candle Magic Books

Here are a couple of my favourite books on candle rituals on my magical shelf.

Candle Magic by Minerva Radcliffe – this is a beautiful book that provides a wonderful introduction to candle magic. It’s small size is perfect for carrying around and makes a fantastic gift for someone learning candle magic.

The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita – this is another gorgeous book with beautiful imagery that goes into a lot more depth and detail if you are looking for a more comprehensive resource.

Enjoy your journey working with wick, wax and flame as you walk your own magical path!