Dressing a Candle for Specific Outcomes
There are many ways to increase the power of your candle magic. Choosing the candle best suited for your needs will increase the likelihood that your desired outcome is achieved. To enhance the intensity of a ritual, it is helpful to dress or anoint the candle before lighting it.
The act of dressing a candle -- anointing it with oil, carving it with symbols, loading it with herbs and curios, or rolling it in honey and herbs -- attunes it to your purposes, whatever they may be. As the candle burns, it releases the energy you have imbued it with and directs it to whatever purpose you want. In addition to hex breaking, love-bringing, and money-drawing as discussed here, dressed candles can be used for many other outcomes.
The actual process of anointing is simple. By dressing a candle, you create a link between your intentions and the candle. During the dressing process, you charge the candle with your personal energy. As you focus on your goal, the candle becomes an extension of your thoughts and mental power. First, choose a candle that is in sync with your desire. Once you have your candle in your possession, you can begin the process of dressing it.
To Draw Money
Begin by inscribing the candle. With a straight pin, rose thorn, nail, or another sharp object, carve the amount of money you wish you come to you onto a green candle. You can also inscribe the candle with a word or mantra, such as prosperity or wealth. Take the candle in your non-dominant hand. Place a few drops of Quick Money Oil or Money Drawing Oil on the fingertip of your dominant hand and rub it onto the candle starting at the top and going from wick to base, leaving just enough room at the bottom of the candle for you to be able to hold it with your other hand.
Repeat this action, dipping your index finger into the oil and rubbing it from the wick to the base until the entire candle is covered with oil (except the very bottom of it where you are holding it). As you are dressing your candle with the oil, visualize the outcome you desire. Just as you will visualize as you cast the spell, use visualization as you dress your candle. Never rub your candle up and down. Always wipe the oil in the same direction.
To Bring Love Your Way
To try and find love or to strengthen the love you already have, inscribe a love-based symbol such as a heart on a pink candle or red candle. Feel free to carve the name of the person you desire into the candle, or your initials and their initials. Inscribe your carvings lengthwise on the candle, stopping approximately one inch from the candle base.
Using Desire Me Oil or Seduction Oil, follow the same steps as in the money-drawing dressing. Start at the top of the candle and work your way down to the bottom. Focus on your lover as you anoint your candle.
When drawing influences, such as love, money, or success, some folks prefer to work in the morning, as the sun rises. Hoodoo practitioners say that the candle should be lit when both clock hands are rising, in the second half of the hours between six and twelve.
Additionally, some people like to sprinkle glitter on their candles. Glitter tends to stick and gather in certain places as the candle burns, sometimes creating shapes, which can be used to gain insight into the condition they are doing magic for. This process adds to the divination aspects of the ritual or spell. When using glitter, choose a color appropriate to the task. Interpretations are highly personal, and ultimately you should rely on your intuition to discern the messages formed on your candle during your spell.
To Remove a Hex
If you are casting a spell to get rid of a hex or curse that has been placed on you by an enemy, start by carving their name into a black candle. If their name is not known, simply carve ‘my enemy’ into the candle. Inscribe the words ‘shatter’ and ‘purify’ into the base of the candle.
Next, inscribe your name on a purple candle. Rub Jinx Removing oil onto both candles starting at the bottom and going from the base to the wick. Continue rubbing on the oil from base to wick until the entire candle is covered with oil. Remember to visualize your goal as you dress your candle with oil. Picture your oil filled with magical energy.
When repelling or casting off influences, it is best to dress and light your candle as the sun is setting. Wait until both hands of the clock are falling, in the first half of the hours from twelve to six.
To Get Over An Illness
Nothing is worse than fighting a lingering cold, flu, or other "bug," but candle magic can help. A St. Lazarus or Dr. Gregorio Hernandez 7 day saint candle is best but if you prefer, a plain blue or white 7 day candle can help as well. Holding the candle at the base, place a few drops of Healing Oil or Angelica Oil on the tips of the fingers of your dominant hand. Begin to rub the oil into the candle starting from the middle and stroking upwards, moving around in a clockwise direction. As you do this, picture yourself - or the person in need of healing - in perfect health. Once you have anointed the top half of the candle, flip it around and repeat with the bottom half. Once it is anointed, inscribe it with the words "health" and "longevity," or whatever healing symbols or sigils are appropriate for your situation.
Light the candle once a day, and meditate on healing the subject of your spell. Continue until the person is healed. Some people like to roll or sprinkle the candle with healing herbs, like peppermint or arnica. If you choose to do so, keep an eye on it as it burns to ensure they burn safely.
For Protection
Protection is an area where most people could use more help, but it is also often neglected. Though black candles are often associated with baneful magic, they are powerful protectors. If you are a man, choose a Male Image Candle in black. If you are a woman, choose a Female Image Candle. If you prefer, you can also choose a plain black or purple candle. Anoint it with Protection Oil following the instructions above.
Then, using a skewer, pin, or the end of a quartz crystal point, inscribe it with protective symbols. These can be a shield or protective bubble, or a rune, sigil, or religious symbol associated with protection. If you like, you can rub it with red or black glitter to make the symbols stand out.
As you burn this candle, envision yourself or your spell's target surrounded by a protective, reflective bubble. No matter what harm is directed that way, the bubble helps shield the wearer and send bad things back to their source. Do this every day when you will be facing difficulties, especially right before you leave the house.
For Spirit Communication
Communicating with spirits is a big part of many people's spirituality, and candle magic can help. Anoint a white or purple candle with a mixture of honey and Spirit Oil, to help sweeten the connection between you and the spirits around you. If you like, you can also sprinkle it with purple, silver, or iridescent glitter. If you know the name of the spirit you are trying to communicate with, you may inscribe it into the candle. Place the candle on a fireproof surface, and surround it with dried dandelion leaves. Burn the candle before using a Spirit Board or other forms of divination that rely on communicating with spirits, or before requesting their advice in prayer.
Dressing a Glass Devotional Candle
When anointing a glass-encased candle, like our 7 Day Candles, it is helpful to have a dowel, letter opener, screwdriver, or rod to sink down into the soft wax. Your goal is to create wells into which the oils are poured. An odd number of holes are traditional, with three or five fittings quite well on the top of the candle. If your instrument is long enough, you can get all the way down to the bottom of the glass. Do not worry if you cannot get that far down into the candle. Going in just an inch or so will serve you fine.
Some people choose not to create indentations at all, instead pouring a few drops of oil on the exposed top of the wax, opting instead to use their finger to stir the oil in a circle. The goal is to release as many of the magical ingredients as possible while the candle burns. If too much oil pools on top of the candle, it will drown and extinguish your wick, negating your spell.
There is no exact science to candle dressing. Develop your own technique and style in working with candles and soon it will become second nature to you. Allow your creativity and instincts to guide you and you will be amazed at how simple, yet powerful, the invocation will be to help manifest the things in your life that you desire.
Candles do more than create the right atmosphere for spells -- they are powerful holders of energy in their own right. Their flames transform things, directing and releasing the energy of herbs, oils, powders, and your intentions toward your goal. Best of all, they can be dressed when conditions are good and kept for burning whenever you have need of them. This makes them valuable tools for use in an emergency.
