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Candles have a unique place in our society today, and are also an
incredible link with our past. Unlike anything else, candles
convey messages of romance, warmth, spirituality, secret wishes
and brightness, all with the simple construct of wax and wick.
Embraced by almost every faith, creed and nationality, there is
something special about a solitary flame and the energy exchange
that it puts forth. It touches our souls. Who among us has not
been be touched by the commonality of candles in our religions?
People of all faiths and walks of life, and many different creeds,
can join together in a candlelight vigil to grieve, or come
together in prayer. Candles are unique tools indeed to link
mankind to the Divine.
Few people in modern civilization haven't had contact with
candles. In fact, most of us encounter them every year blazing
forth upon a birthday cake, ready for us to blow out and "make a
wish." Our enchantment with birthday candles as children
predisposes us to the belief that magic and candles naturally go
together. Not only "birthday wishing" but any religion we were
likely exposed to as children was surrounded with the symbolism of
candles. Many older church sanctuaries even have a special place
to light a votive for remembering a departed loved one or to send
special prayers for the living who are in need. Candles "connect"
like a conduit between people, to the Divine, and to the deceased.
In our everyday homes, they are special reminders when we need a
lovely "romantic" candle light supper, a "relaxing" candle light
soak in the tub or even just "warmth" to look at on a frosty
winter night. They set the tone and focus us.
The popularity of candles has skyrocketed in our world of electric
lighting. There are now more colors, better production methods and
much nicer scents than our ancestors could ever have wished for.
Due to the popularity of aromatherapy, essential oils are also
more widely available for home use. Properly anointed, our
energies become focused on what exactly is our "will" and "intent"
each and every time we glance at the dancing flame.
The History of Candles
Illuminating the darkness was one of early man's first concerns,
along with finding a source for heat on cold dark nights. Gaining
control of fire solved both the illumination and heat problems.
Archeologic records reveal that Paleolithic humans began to the
creation and use of fire. It is speculated that by this period in
history, early man had begun to use fire for cooking. Cooked
foods, particularly meats, improved the diet of early humans,
because fire released proteins in food. While fire was being used
for cooking, our ancestors would have discovered the unique
ability of animal fat to burn as a fuel. How often have we in
modern times had to run out and douse a barbecue grill because
grease has caught fire? Those who have ever cooked with grease in
the kitchen are well aware of the quick ability of fat to burn.
The precursor to candles would have been a torch or lamp. A
portable source of flame such as a greasy torch, in addition to a
fire pit, would have provided a much more efficient method of
lighting a cave. The candles of early man were plants, like reeds
or grasses, in animal fat. Some have speculated that the soot
caking the walls of the famous Paleolithic caves of France and
Spain may have been caused by torchlight while the artists were
creating the cave paintings. Others have hypothesized that the
indentations in the cave walls were used as sconces to hold the
torches. Soot was a common drawback to the use of of animal fat
for lighting. Things would not improve until the modern era.
The Egyptians have been credited for both the inventive use of
soaking pithy reeds in animal fats for "rushlights", and the early
use of beeswax. As early as 3000 BC, beeswax candles looking
pretty much the same as our beeswax candles do today--cone shaped
and with a reed as a wick, have been found placed in tombs of
rulers. Romans quickly adopted and improved the methods of candle
making, adding a "wick" of woven fibers. Romans used these
"candles" to illuminate their homes and places of worship.
Although many ancient cultures also used clay type oil lamps for
illumination, the principles were the same, a "wick" usually made
of flax to hold the flame and "fuel" of animal fat, plant oils
(such as olive oil) or beeswax. The word "candle" comes to us from
the Latin candere, meaning "to shine."
Although there is more information readily available for the
Mediterranean civilizations, people all over the world had a
history of illumination. The Chinese extracted oils from the seeds
of the tallow tree for this purpose. Also in Asia, wax was derived
from insects called "Cocus" as well as plant oils, and molded into
paper tubes. As ancient man became aware of the uses for, and
methods of, deriving oils from animals and plants, he was also
learning about herbs, spices and fragrance, all of which was later
to develop into the spice and oil trade. In India,wax was made
from boiling cinnamon and skimming the remaining wax to make
candles for temple use. In India, there was a ban on the use of
animal fat candles in temples. On the other side of the world,
native people were also using things like Jojoba nuts for oil, and
learning how to use shrubs like the wax myrtle, bayberries.
Animals were also discovered to have an oily wax content, and
Native Americans made use of "candlefish" (a very oily species of
fish) which could be threaded with a wick impaled on forked stick
and used as a torch.
With the archeological finds of Egypt and the Mediterranean
countries of early candle and oil lamp use, illumination took on a
whole new religious significance. A light in the darkness became
hope for the ancients. Light symbolism of many of the ancient
pagan religions included that of the Ancient Hebrews. In the
Temple of Jerusalem, God occupied the Holy of Holies as a cloud of
light. Oil and light figure heavily in the Chanukah story of
"everlasting flames" on the sacred menorah. When Hellenistic
Greeks seized control of the Temple, the defending Jews regained
control and rededicated their Temple. There was but ONE vial of
precious oil to keep the sacred flame lit,which would have burned
for only one day. Instead of only one day, however, it lasted a
miraculous eight days...long enough to allow the Jews to make more
oil. Modern celebrations of Chanukah have replaced the ancient oil
menorah with candles, in celebration of the miracle of those eight
days. The menorah of nine branches holds a candle for each day,
with a ninth branch for the shamash or "servant" light.
Early Christianity shunned the use of lights, because of the
popularity of honoring the divine with light was viewed as pagan.
Indeed, the Greek funeral custom was to accompany the dead with
torchlight or candlelight so that the soul of the dying could not
be seized by demons. Many church leaders in the first three
centuries of Christianity spoke openly about the disdain they had
for candles and lights. At this time Rome also had a competing
salvation religion that centered on the Egyptian goddess, Isis.
The followers of Isis kept her temple lamps lit at all hours, both
day and night, to symbolize constant hope. Despite the fact that
Christ called himself the "Light of the World," the early
Christians resisted adopting anything obliquely seen as pagan into
their religion. At the turn of the third century, Tertullian is
credited with saying "on days of rejoicing, we do not�encroach
upon the daylight with lamps." However, those who converted still
celebrated with lights. They simply adapted their pagan ways and
lit the darkness in celebration of the new religion. When the
frustrated church leaders met at the Spanish council, the Synod of
Elvira in 305, Lactanius, scoffed, "They kindle lights," he said
of the pagans, "as though to one who is in darkness. Can he be
thought sane who offers the light of lamps and candles to the
Author and Giver of all light?"
The early Christian leaders were upset about the multitude of
candles being used, and condemned it as an abuse of superstition
to burn them during the daytime in cemeteries. Evidently, the new
Christians were lighting candles in memory of their dead loved
ones. The people loved candle lighting so much they did not want
to give it up. They continued to do what was labeled as a "folk
custom" by church leaders - lighting candles for the dead at
funerals and, of course, in the catacombs of Rome. Vigilantius
made it a reproach against the orthodox to light candles while the
sun was still shining. Finally, due to the efforts of Saint Jerome
and Constantine (who reportedly changed day into night with
"pillars of wax"), cooler heads prevailed towards the end of the
third century, and candle lighting became an integral part of the
church. Although Saint Jerome thought it wrong for the pagans to
light candles for their gods, he saw nothing wrong with people
using candles to celebrate joy. As long as believers were lighting
their candles for the presence of God, everlasting life and hope,
Saint Jerome was supportive, and finally candles and lights became
part of the early Roman church. In fact, the church became quite
stringent about candle usage by the time of the fourth century,
putting forth guidelines on candles and their functions for the
various services provided by the church. New symbolism of candles
and flames emerged to coincide with the church beliefs. Primarily
the focus was on beeswax symbolizing the virgin mother, the wick
symbolizing the soul of Jesus Christ, and the flame representing
the Divinity which absorbs and dominates both. By the twelfth
century candles had become the norm in churches, rather than oil
lamps. The word ceremony comes from the Latin word cermonius,
meaning "the person who carries a wax candle at public rituals".
Pope Gelasius in the fifth century established a feast day called
Candlemas, during which all of the church's candles were blessed,
though the blessing of the candles did not come into common use
until the eleventh century. In Dorsetshire England, the custom of
giving the poorer tradesmen a large candle at Candlemas continued
up until this century.
Snuffed Out
Feel like being labeled a heretic or a witch? Book, Bell, and
Candle refers to the excommunication ritual of the Roman Catholic
Church. While we may scoff at the implications now, during the
Middle Ages this could mean social shunning and dire consequences
to one's standing in the community. The phrase, "Bell, Book and
Candle" may bring you fond memories of a cute comedy film from
1958 starring Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart, but during the Middle
Ages, this was a curse.
From "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce. EXCOMMUNICATION,
n.
This "excommunication" is a word In speech ecclesiastical oft
heard, And means the damning, with bell, book and candle, Some
sinner whose opinions are a scandal -- A rite permitting Satan to
enslave him Forever, and forbidding Christ to save him.
This very serious form of excommunication was called "anathema"
and found ("apostasy, heresy, or schism,") in the Roman Pontifical
canon of 1364. So what was Bell, Book and Candle? It's unclear if
the church still does this, but a bishop performs the rite with a
bell, holy book and candle upon the altar. Twelve priests with
lighted candles attend and the following is said:
'We separate him, together with his accomplices and abettors, from
the precious body and blood of the Lord and from the society of
all Christians; we exclude him from our holy mother the church in
heaven and on earth; we declare him excommunicate and anathema; we
judge him damned, with the devil and his angels and all the
reprobate, to eternal fire until he shall recover himself from the
toils of the devil and return to amendment and to penitence."
The priests answer, "So be it!" The bell is rung to symbolize a
death toll, the book is shut, and the candles are blown out and
dashed to the ground to indicate the sinners soul being cast out
of the church and away from the sight of God. Who says there is no
magic in the church?
The next major rift in the history of candles came when
Protestants gained a position of power, particularly in England.
As with other trappings of High Mass, the Protestant faith
banished candle burning as a "idolatry." Ceremonial lighting was
banished by law. When it was discovered that Queen Elizabeth I had
two lit candles in her private chapel, it was enough for
scandalous attention. She was, after all, the reigning Protestant
"virgin" queen of England. The Catholic faith and all that went
with it was viewed as superstition. There is a documented case of
gentlemen being arrested for "use of wax lights and tapers" in the
Durham Cathedral. Protestants scoffed at the Catholic ceremonies
and called it "Candle Religion". One would think that Protestants
were fearful of the Bell, Book and Candle rite mentioned above!
During medieval times most people could not afford the beeswax
candles. Candle making became a registered tradeguild of
craftspeople, remembered in the old nursery rhyme about "the
butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker." The art of making
candles was called "chandlering," and the Guilds themselves were
sometimes differentiated by two separate types of Chandlers. Wax
Chandlers primarily made the higher-end candles of the nicer
smelling beeswax and the Tallow Chandlers made candles out of
mutton fat. For the most part, common folks could only afford the
tallow candles as the beeswax tapers were costly. The types of
rendered animal fat most frequently used for tallow were from
cattle, pigs and sheep. The tallow acquired from sheep, or mutton
tallow, was preferable as it burned longer, and the smoke and
smell was not as bad. Either way, tallow candles had a distinct
acrid odor and nasty sputtering. Up until this century, many women
looked forward to spring cleaning as a ritual as the time to get
the soot and grime out of her house from the long winter months.
Though we detest spring cleaning in the present time (if we even
do actually DO it) it was an entirely different story before the
coming of electricity. In my own family history, my great aunt can
still recall how her grandmother would scour the house from top to
bottom just to get rid of the dirt. It wasn't just dirt. It was
greasy dirt.
We have great choices in our modern world of colored candles, but
prior to this century, colored candles were not commonplace. In
fact it would have seemed odd if you actually had colored candles
in your home in the days of old. The dyes used today weren't
readily available. Most candles were the natural color of the
ingredients that went into their making. You might not know what
color a mutton fat candle was, but you can be reasonably sure it
wasn't a nice mauve pink with a tea rose scent attached to it! To
put it quite simply, the technology to produce oil soluble
(remember, we are dealing with oils and mutton fat) dyes was not
in place until recent history. It's possible that alchemists,
ceremonial magicians and perhaps even a few witches were able to
make individual candles with natural pigments from plants, but
they would only have been able to color the wax to the warmer
shades of the color spectrum. There was, of course, always the
possibility of adding herbs and other special ingredients if you
were making your own candles for occult purposes, but the vivid
colors we see in candles today were just not possible.
During the settlement of America, Colonial women discovered the
use of bayberries, and bayberry oil. This addition to the history
of candle making is completely American, as bayberries (from the
plant known as Wax Myrtle, Myrica, Candle Berry, Arbre � suif,
Myricae Cortex, Tallow Shrub, Wachsgagle) got their common name
from what the early colonists called them when the berries were
first found growing near Cape Cod Bay. It's no wonder we think of
the East Coast when we see or smell bayberry candles, which are
highly aromatic and have wax more brittle than beeswax. Not only
could the colonists make candles with this bayberry wax, it has
also been documented that the oil could be used in a shallow dish,
with a string serving as a wick. It was a vast improvement over
tallow, because the bayberry oils were richly scented and
smokeless after snuffing. The popularity of extracting bayberry
oil for candle making did not last long because of the arduous
process used to collect the bayberry oil. It takes one and a half
quarts of bayberries to make enough oil for a taper. Settlers also
used "pine knots" made from pitch pine trees to light their homes.
Because there were no chandler guilds set up for the new settlers
in America, it usually fell to the lady of the house to create the
illumination for the family. This involved saving every scrap of
household grease, gathering tallow from the slaughtered farm
animals, and knitting her own wicks from cotton thread. When it
came time to make candles, she would generally make a large
quantity of them at a time, saving enough tallow and grease to
make the family's soap supply as well. Colonial and pioneer
kitchen often came equipped with wooden racks for dipping tapers
and candle molds.
June 10, 1861
My wife said I should write down how to make candles since I was
writing down how to do stuff. I'd a', had her write it down, but
she don't write so good as me.When ye kill a beef or a sheep, ye
gather all the fat ye can from inside the hide and around the guts
and save it. After ye've got a passable bunch of it, ye put it in
a big pot and build a fire under it. Not a big fire, mind ye, else
the stuff may catch on fire its ownself. Ye let that come to a
boil and then boil it right easy for two or three hours. They ye
strain it through a crocus or burlap sack and throw out the chunks
that are left.The liquid that's left is called tallow except us
poor people call it "taller" (pronounced like gal). Ye keep that
warm enough to stay liquid, cause if it gets cold, it gets hard
like soap.Ye take a stick and tie about 6 flax threads onto it
about 2 inches apart. Let one end of the threads hang down about 6
or 8 inches. These are the wicks for yer candles, so make 'em as
long as ye want.Hold the stick over the pot of tallow, with the
strings hanging down and then dip the strings into the tallow.
When they're all good and wet, pull them out and make sure they're
all hanging down straight. Gotta get 'em straight quick a'fore the
tallow gets hard. This is called dippin', the wick. After the
tallow hardens, dip 'em into the pot again and pull 'em out quick.
Do it quick a'fore the tallow on the strings melts off. Let that
harden and then keep doin', it.Every time ye dip it into the pot,
it puts on a layer of tallow. Keep doin', it until the candle gets
as big as ye want it to be. Then cut the strings off the stick and
ye've got six candles.The rich people have got candle molds that
look like a hollow candle. Ye open it up, put a flax string
through it, close it and then pour it full of tallow or bees wax.
When it hardens ye've got a candle. It's quicker but molds cost
money.Ye might guess that since candles take a lot of time to
make, we don't waste 'em. If we set up much past dark, we usually
set by the fireplace for the light it gives off. We save candles
for company or if my wife has to sew something at night and can't
see by the firelight.
Part of the problem with candles in the old days was that they
were too soft. They quite often drooped in hot weather. The first
major change in candle making since medieval times was the
discovery of spermaceti (solidified oil from the Cachalot or Sperm
Whale). When a Nantucket fisherman caught a sperm whale in 1712,
the whaling industry was born (which later led to the over hunting
of whales). The whale oil burned cleaner than other oils, and
became used as a fuel. Spermaceti wax hardened the usual tallow or
beeswax candles so they were no longer soft when temperatures were
hot during the summer months. The popularity of whale oil waned in
the United States soon after the Civil War. With the discovery of
better ingredients, whale oil is no longer used in candle
production. An interesting historical note is that when it came
time to measure the intensity of a lightbulb, a spermaceti candle
was used as the basis for calibration. The Standard International
Candle is the intensity of light emitted from a 1/6-pound
spermaceti candle, burning at a rate of 120 grams per hour,
duplicated in an incandescent lamp.
Several changes came about in the past two centuries to make vast
improvements in candles as we know them. Stearin and stearic acid
refined tallow with alkali and sulfuric acid, removing the odor
and hardening the animal proteins. These additives also increased
the burning time of candles. Several inventors were involved in
the mass production of candles. In 1825, patents were issued for
M. E. Chevreul and J. L. Gay-Lussac for candles made of stearin.
Stearin can still be found in candles today. It is a compound of
palmatic acids (palm oil) mixed with stearic acid (a byproduct of
the slaughter industry, which increased the burning time and the
melting point, making for stronger sturdier candles. Joseph Morgan
is credited with the 1834 invention of a piston-cylinder machine
that allowed the non-stop production of candles. Shortly after
stearin use had become prominent, in 1850 paraffin was discovered
as a by- product of the oil industry. Paraffin was made by
distilling the residues left behind in crude petroleum production.
Today, paraffin has been further refined so that it burns even
more cleanly, and with no unpleasant odor. If you think about it,
burning candles is a way to recycle. Two byproducts of very messy
industries (slaughter and petroleum) keep our flames burning
better than those of our ancestors. With the introduction of
paraffin, candles became more economical. Paraffin became the most
widely available and easily obtainable ingredient in centuries of
candle making.
Vast improvements were made to wicks as well when in 1834
"mordanting" was discovered. It causes the wick outside the flame
to curl and turn to ash. Mordanting is also sometimes referred to
as "pickling" the wicks. Today wick manufacturers plait the wicks
by machine, and they emerge as flat thin strips. The wicks are
dipped into a solution which may contain ammonium phosphate,
ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, borax, boric acid and
potassium nitrate. If a wick is not mordanted, it remains straight
and does not curl outside the flame. At one time every pioneer
home had a "wick trimmer" which was used to trim the wicks on the
burning candles. There were even men called "candlesnuffers" who
went around with snuffing scissors to cut the carbonaceous matter
off of wicks. Mordanting solved this problem. The burning tip of
the wick now drops outside of the flame zone, and is reduced to a
bead of glowing ash which automatically decomposes as the candle
burns.
Anointing with Oils
Oil plays an integral part of candle production from its basic
stages to the mixtures of scents blended with the wax. Many
religions including and starting with pagans believed in the
powers and properties of oils. In candle magick, anointing with
oils is an integral part of the process. While some authors stress
that "dressing" a candle with oil isn't always necessary, they
pretty much agree that anointing a candle with corresponding oil
is indeed preferable. The action of "anointing" has long been a
part of sacred religions and belief systems. As soon as processes
were developed to process plants into essential oils by ancient
civilizations, trade routes became established for the spices,
incense, essential oils and cooking oils, such as olive, dates and
palm. Most interesting yet is the sacredness of olive oil, which
began cultivation in Greece around 2500 BC. "Liquid gold" are the
words that Homer used to describe olive oil. It is here that
wonderful pagan mythology and religion "blended" together. Athena
and Poseidon had a contest over who would claim a Greek city that
they both wanted as sanctuary. Poseidon gifted the city with a
spring of saltwater, however Athena touched their hearts with the
gift of an olive tree. Thus the city came to be known as Athens.
Olive oil connected man to the gods. Not only did people eat foods
with olive oil, they used it for lamp fuel. Within the trade
routes of other Mediterranean countries, essential oils from other
flowers and spices began to develop. The word perfume comes from
the Latin "per", meaning through, and "fumum," meaning smoke,
meaning not only oil based fragrance as we know it, but it also
incense (the smoke). Incense and oils began to take their places
of religious significance in China, and India as well. It seemed
that every region began perfecting the art of plant essences and
oils.
Anointing with oils became a ritual. Thousands of years before the
time of Christ, the Egyptian and Chinese were learning the arts of
extracting oils, resins and spice. The Egyptians used their herbal
skills not only to prepare their dead, but to leave in the tombs,
which were filled with precious oils for the afterlife. This
knowledge was also used to heal the sick and to anoint leaders.
Kings, priests, and prophets all were anointed with oils.
Manuscripts from King Khufu records the use of herbs, oils and
salves for religious purposes and healing around 2700 bc.
Scientists later discovered that Ramesses II had his nose stuffed
with peppercorns, although it was perhaps to retain it's
distinctive shape during mummification, one would think that the
art of preserving bodies, masking the odors of decomposition and
ceremony/ritual was all involved with the Egyptian selection of
herbs for both the deceased as well as the living. Even
Cleopatra's love of fragrance rekindled the interest in it in Rome
during the time of Julius Caesar. With the intermingling and trade
between Mediterranean countries, all became familiar with the uses
of oils. This tradition permeated all the religions and regions.
As with the Hebrews in the Old Testament, the New Testament makes
plenty of mentions of anointing with oil. There are 188 references
to oils in the Bible. The early Hebrews were possibly well
acquainted with oil use during their contact with Babylon and
Mesopotamia. The early dynasties of Egypt are referred to in the
Bible with the stories of King David, Joseph, King Solomon, and
Moses. It is with the introduction of Moses that anointing with
oils becomes very specific. "Moreover, the Lord spoke unto Moses
saying: Take thou also unto thee principal spices of pure
myrrh...of sweet cinnamon...of sweet calamus...of cassia...and of
olive...and thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an
ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an
holy anointing oil." Exodus 30:22-25. Sources point that
Biblically, anointing with oil religiously started in 1446 BC
during the 18th dynasty with Moses and the Exodus from Egypt.
When Christianity arrived, anointing with oil took on a new
significance. The Hebrew word for Messiah is "anointed one" and
when the Christ child was born, the Bible mentions that precious
substances of frankincense and myrrh are brought to him by the
wise men. Christ's feet are washed and anointed with oil of
spikenard by Mary Magdalene at the Last Supper, and when his body
is removed from the cross, it is wrapped in linen soaked with
myrrh oil to be placed in the tomb. (Myrrh is purifying and
prevented decomposition). During biblical times the known oils
used to heal the sick were frankincense, myrrh, galbanum,
rosemary, hyssop, cassia, cinnamon and spikenard. In translations
of Greek and Hebrew, anointing oil means "The Holy Spirit poured
out." After his conversion, the emperor Constantine bequeathed not
only aromatic precious oils, but deeded into perpetuity the farms
to produce them for the church all over the Byzantine empire.
With the establishment of papal authority, royal anointing became
necessary for a king to claim his crown. In the ceremony of
coronation, most essential was the anointing of the new king. This
was why Joan of Arc fought to regain control of Rheims so that
Charles VII could be crowned and anointed with holy oil. The first
record of royal anointing was Visigothic Wamba (672). It is said
that when Wamba knelt and oil was poured over his head, a vapor
arose that was believed by the people present to have been a
supernatural portent. We may believe that the royal anointing was
part of the Divine Right of Kings included in scripture: I Peter
2:13: "Submit yourselves to every human institution for the sake
of the Lord, whether to the sovereign as supreme, or to the
governor as his deputy...even when they are perverse." Augustine
pointed out, "Obey even an evil king as long as he counsels
nothing directly against God, for his tyranny is sent as a
punishment for the sins of the people." Although each kingdom had
a specific ceremony for crowning and anointing the king, the
anointing itself usually consisted of the oil being placed on the
head, hands and shoulder blades.
What was the oil recipe that went into the anointing of Kings?
Well, this would generally be the same oil that was used in
baptisms, the oil of catechumens. There were specifically three
types of holy oil: Oil of the Catechumens, the Sacred Chrism and
the Oil of the Sick. Normally these oils are blessed by a bishop
on Maundy Thursday, the day of the calendar year in which the Last
Supper is celebrated. For the most part oil of catechumens is
olive oil, blessed by a bishop to ward off evil and to bring
strength and wisdom. Almost all European royalty was anointed with
the oil of catechumens (also the same oil used for baptisms),
except for the French Kings. From the coronation of Clovis in 496
to Louis XVI, the kings of France were anointed with an ampula
containing the Sacred Chism. Chism was more of a balm than an oil,
and was used for the consecrating of bishops, chalices and altars.
It is said to be one of the most powerful of the oils in the
church's arsenal. The same ingredients in the biblical reference
to Moses are said to be in Sacred Chism--- principal spices of
pure myrrh...of sweet cinnamon...of sweet calamus...of
cassia...and of olive...Unfortunately, the ampula that anointed
the French kings for centuries was destroyed in the French
Revolution. What remained after the destruction of the ampula was
rescued and used for Charles X in 1825.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the oil and spice trade flourished
along the older routes that were known as far back as 1700 bc.
With the discoveries of Marco Polo, and the Crusades, the trade in
oils and spices surged. When the plague broke out and black death
took it's toll, some thieves were caught robbing the dead. Their
secret for avoiding the sickness? They were spice traders who had
rubbed themselves down with essential oils to avoid being
infected. As you can see, the tradition of using oils for
religious, protective, or magickal purposes is an old and varied
one. Annointed candles can be used for purposes both magickal and
religious. On a spiritual level, what do we consider that
anointing with oil will do? As with its use in all religions, it
further connects us with the Divine. It links us spiritually,
heals, and purifies us. Not only do we dress our candles with
oils, we anoint ourselves with them in hopes of gaining a more
spiritual contact with the gods.
When one glances at the attributes of an herbal or plant
encyclopedia one sees not only the folklore-magickal notations but
also some very alarmingly accurate information regarding its
medicinal properties.No matter what your reason for using
essential oils, whether it be for health care, aromatherapy, or to
"dress" your candles and yourself with magical properties, our
ancestors of centuries past left records, ascribing the "gender",
zodiac, planetary elements of every herb known to them.
In ritual magick, we anoint a candle with specific corresponding
oils to further bring about our will and intent to the purposes we
have in mind. The first step is finding a quality candle in the
corresponding color that fits the intent you have in mind. The
first step is finding a quality candle in the corresponding color
that fits the intent you have in mind. There are cheap candles
everywhere. I am just as guilty as the next person of spotting
something that looks like a good buy and being disappointed later
at the results. Quite often, the cause of the problem is cheap wax
and poor wicking materials. There is nothing more frustrating than
have a candle sputter out halfway through the burning process and
needing to get a knife to cut around the wick getting enough wax
off to re- light the candle. Equally annoying is the candle that
burns okay for awhile and suddenly the wall of the candle
collapses leaking hot wax and burning the wick down in no time
flat. There's an entire bag of wasted wax in my basement full of
candles that have collapsed in the burning process, which leads me
to an important point. Even the mammoth three wick candles that I
normally use for altar lighting (these are usually 6 x 6 or
larger) are not a good buy if half the candle is wasted during the
burning process. You just end up with a heavy candle "carcass" to
unload. In an ideal situation with a quality candle, properly
anointed and focused on, should burn down and completely out with
very little material remaining. Unfortunately, even with expensive
candles this might not always be the case.
Tips on Candle Magick
Because there might be a mess of hot wax, it's important to
mention the where and how to burn candles. After a few hours spent
ironing red wax out of my livingroom rug a few years ago
(Important tip: If you have a candle spill on carpeting, the best
plan of action is plenty of paper towels on top of the wax and
ironing it to get the wax to absorb into the paper toweling), I
have found that in addition to the regular candle holder, it also
helps to put a serving tray or extra large plate under the candles
to catch any flow of hot wax that might get out of hand. My
favorite things to put on an altar or a table are the metal
beverage trays that you find at novelty stores. Any tray with an
edge will protect not only your carpet, but also your altar tools
if they are nearby. I have been known to burn more than one candle
at a time on the large trays. Also, if you are scouting around at
auctions or second hand stores, saucers, dinner plates and shallow
bowls from chipped or mismatched china sets make absolutely
wonderful extra things to set candles, on either with a holder, or
if it's a fat pillar, you can place it on the plate if there is
enough of a rim. Scout out second hand places for old elegant
china. One of my best investments is an entire box full of china
nobody wanted at an auction because a few pieces were missing and
a few of the plates were chipped. For ten dollars I had enough
plates with gold edging and roses to not only fit under candles,
but to use under leaky plant pots.
It is also important to keep an eye on candles while they are
burning. Those warning labels on candles that say "Never leave a
burning candle unattended" should give you room for pause. Several
people I know who are reluctant to pinch the flame out when they
have a spell candle going, have suggested that the safest place
would be to place the candle in a bathtub. I have never taken that
risk. If in doubt, I snuff it out (which is why I have a candle
snuffer in almost every area of my house.) I never "blow" a candle
out which is being used for spellwork. If I do get called away for
an emergency, I use a candle snuffer to put the flame safely out
until I can get back to re-light it. Before lighting a candle,
it's best to plan to stick around the house for a few hours.
Safety first! Many firemen can probably attest to the number of
fires that have been started via unattended candles. It's also
important to factor in the possibility of pets and small children,
and to place lit candles in a fairly protected zone. Choose where
you plan to have open flames carefully. There are several places
in my house where I quite often have several candles going. If you
do leave the room they are in, it is a good idea to pass by quite
often to keep an eye on things.. After all, the candle and flame
is a symbol of your will and intent. In checking on your burning
candle, you are reminded of what has been set into motion with
your spell, and you focus again on it. If you aren't watching or
keeping an eye on your candle how can you be in the right mindset
to do the mental work?
If you happen to find a quality candle supplier and are ready to
put some candle magick to use, the first question is what size
candle will best suit your need? Many of my altar candles - those
that serve a dual purpose of honoring the Goddess and the God, and
those that correspond elementally with the four directions - are
my primary candles in addition to any other candle work I might
do. Quite often those six main candles are lit in addition to any
spellwork type of candles to aid in the energy. This might not be
important to everyone, but in my own workings it is primary to be
balanced. In this type of situation, since they will be used
daily, weekly, monthly, large candles come in handy. Anointed and
dedicated to the individual purpose they serve, they serve as
constant reminders that it is the "religion" and "honoring" that
is daily of my focus, regardless as to whether or not there is a
spell candle present on the altar.
Votives are an excellent choice for candle magick work. Most often
when you think of votives, you think of their association with
Catholic mass and services. A Mass offered for a votum, is a
special intention. So we frequently find in prayers the
_expression, votiva dona "gifts offered with desire [of receiving
grace in return]". Votives have even derived their name from Latin
"Votum" which means prayer, wish, desire/vow, promise to God. I
like to think they are superb beacons and messengers. They are
quick (usually can be burned completely in an evening or a day)
and usually inexpensive. Those handy little glass votive holders
are easy to be found and really contain the wax so you usually
burn the entire candle without much waste at all. For this reason
I find them exceptional value-wise and extremely handy to have
around because they store easily and make "quick work" of things.
Take comfort in the fact that many church sanctuaries also use
votives for the parishioners to light for rememberences and
special prayers. Because they are small but stocky, you may find
it helpful to inscribe a small sigil, rune or magickal symbol on
them.
Tapers are wonderful to work with as well. Quite often you can
find excellent quality tapers on sale when stores change their
stocks. As they are widely available in a variety of colors.
Because they may be fragile and can break, long slender tapers
should be carefully stored. Due to this fragility, they are best
left either unscribed or with minimal inscription and enjoyed in a
elegant standard type candleholder or some beautiful ritual
candleholders. However, I find tapers a joy to anoint and nearly
as fast as a votive to burn. Quite often when I am planning to do
hours worth of work in a room, tapers will keep me company
throughout the night. Perhaps it's because of their classic candle
shape, but they really do offer a unique feel in candle magick.
Pillars - Short squat pillars, mini-pillars and the larger column
candles offer a unique opportunity because they can not only be
inscribed with many magickal sigils, runes or drawings, but offer
enough surface area to often etch in or write out the entire
working. In fact, you may come across a need to not only work out
prose on paper, but feel compelled to inscribe the entire candle
with it. Even if left uncarved, multi-hour candles like these can
continue to burn with the same energy you need daily until the
entire candle is burned if you have a particular working that you
know will take some time.
Making or buying quality candles - Anyone can make their own
candles by simply following a good guide on candle-making
available at any bookstore or library. Molds can be purchased or
even made from household items (such as milk cartons and coffee
cans) Sputtering wicks, or smoky wicks, or wax that burns too
quickly are all problems which can occur in either store bought or
homemade candles If the wax cracks, it could be that the candle
was cooled at too rapid a temperature. Most chandlers use silicon
spray on molds to help in getting a candle out. Candlemaking is a
fine art to perfect.
Here are a few tips on some candle problems:
* Excessive Dripping - Usually this happens when the wick is too
small and cannot absorb the melting wax. Be sure the candle is not
in a draft that is blowing melted wax over the edge. Sometimes if
the wick is the proper size, the wax is too soft or has too low of
a melting point for the wick to absorb the wax. * Rapid Burning -
Not enough stearic acid in the wax, and the candle has been cooled
too rapidly * Cave-ins on the sides -The candle was not pierced in
the center of the cavity around the wick well, which leaves the
cavity in the middle of the candle to contract inwards. *
Excessive Smoking - When the wick is too large for the candle, the
flame consumes wax faster than the wick can absorb it.
Again the key to a quality burning candle whether you make it
yourself or buy it, depends upon the materials: the wicks, the
wax, the stearine additive, the dye and the oil fragrance.
Some wax formulas that are used today: 70% paraffin + 20% stearic
acid + 10% Beeswax 90% paraffin + 10% stearic acid 48% paraffin +
52% beeswax
It's important to select the right size of wicks for candles too:
* Nightlights, tea lights and low light long burning
candles-usually use a wire wick that has meltable wire inserted
into a cotton wick * 1- 3 " votives and columns should use a 15
ply mordanted wick * 4" pillars and taper should use a 24 ply
mordanted wick * over 4 " should use a 30 ply mordanted wick
If you were like me as a kid, and baked crayons in your Easy Bake
Oven, you probably thought that crayons were wax, and would
probably make a good candle. This turns out not to be true. If you
use crayons in your homemade candles as one of the dye
ingredients, the crayon will cause a chemical reaction that "eats
up" the wick and put the candle out. The best dyes to use for
coloring homemade candles are those MADE for being used in
candles; oil-soluable aniline dyes which can withstand both the
heat and the acid nature of stearic acid.
If you are creating your own candles, there are ways of making
your candle flame burn a unique color, if you add some ingredients
to the wax. Sodium chlorate or potassium nitrate added to the wax
will give you a yellow flame. Strontium nitrate added to the wax
will produce a red flame. Calcium chloride makes an orange flame.
Borax, copper nitrates, barium nitrate will produce a green flame,
and Lithium chlorate will produce a purple flame. You can either
add the chemicals to the wax or soak the wick in them.
If you are adding an essential oil or fragrance to a candle, it
should be added just prior to pouring the wax. Too much oil will
cause the wax to mottle. Three pounds of wax can be scented with a
quarter of an ounce of oil, or you can saturate your wick in
essential oil.
Carving and Dressing Candles
As a candle is a tool, it is preferable to consecrate it as such.
You can do a simple little ritual of your own or within your
particular tradition of the craft. The purpose is to charge the
candle with power, and charge and seal the magical tool with your
will. If you are going to "dress" the candle with corresponding
oils, you can consecrate, dress, charge and carve your candle all
within the same steps. It's not simply enough to mindlessly say
the words; you need to really focus on your goal mentally. Intent
is always of utmost importance. If you are a solitary
practitioner, feel free to individualize the consecration and
dressing phase of charging your candles. If like me, you have a
dish of salt, water, and smoldering incense on the altar at all
times, you can use these elements to cleanse the candle and charge
it.
One important word about carving on candles, some sources suggest
that you can heat the tip of your athame to carve the wax. I
disagree, and would suggest sharp small easy to handle pushpin
tacks, or a long nail are better choices for this than a beloved
ritual tool! It is easier to carve if you heat the tool you are
using in a flame, but be careful of burns!
For anointing, the proper way to dress a candle is to start at the
middle (center) and rub the oil towards the wick, then to start at
the middle and rub the oil down towards the base. My only
contention with this well known method of candle "dressing" is to
first of THINK of the energy. In most cases, this is indeed the
correct way to dress a candle. Most of us are intending to send
energy OUT like a beacon to someone in need of a healing,
banishing, or attraction to someone or something who is yet
unknown to us. However, in my own practice with money candles, my
intent is to draw more of that energy IN. When I mentally
visualize what I want to do with a candle, I have at times
switched the process around and started at the wick, drawing the
oil to the middle of the candle and then going to the bottom and
anointing from the bottom to the middle. While this is my own
particular practice and my own particular style, I believe it's
important to know mentally what you are hoping to accomplish with
the will and intent...do you want that energy sent out, or do you
want to bring something in? It's a logical question, and quite
often when candle magick I have energy drawing in on one set of
candles and energy going out with another set of candles. For me,
it's a system of balance. I usually oil the candle all around the
sides with either the "OUT" or the "IN" method of candle
anointing.
Timing
Much has been made of the astrological influences of candle magick
and spellwork. Ideally, I personally consider the moon phase to be
the most important.
NEW MOON - If the goal you desire is one of a new beginning or a
"start", the best time to do this is during a New Moon (this is
when the moon is dark in the sky) While many do not like to work
with a New Moon, I have come to discover it's one of my favorite
times to work. This is the time I can to tie up loose ends, smudge
the house, seal and protect. This is also a great moon to work
with when you need to retreat a little bit and revive yourself. As
it is the moon of "hidden knowledge" this would be an opportune
time to try to ferret out information that you feel you need to
know. Although the darkness in the sky is startling during a new
moon, it is often associated with dormancy. We know the moon is
still there, even though her reflection may be hidden. I prefer to
think often of some of the darker sides of the Goddess or the
darker Goddesses themselves.
WAXING MOON: While the moon is slowly filling in from a crescent
on it's way to full is the best time for work that "increases". I
find this an excellent time to do financial, job, attraction or
anything else that needs "increasing" in volume or intensity.
FULL MOON: The full beauty of a full moon night is enough to make
you gasp. Ideally, this is the time for things to come to full
fruition, especially if you have been working on candle craft goal
to coincide from the waxing moon into the full moon. I like to
think that the Goddess can hear you better on a full moon, but
seriously, whether culminating an "increase" to end on the full
moon, or starting a "decrease" to begin on the full moon to
decline on the course of a waning moon, the full moon has an
advantage because it seems like our invocations and focus are all
in high gear.
WANING MOON: When the moon is slowly crescenting bit by bit into
the new moon, this is an excellent time to work on banishings or
getting things out of your life that you need let go of and leave
behind. Again, if it's taking you longer to let go of things or
get rid of situations in your life that have outlived their
usefulness, you can always gear your candleworking to culminate on
the New Moon.
Often, a situation might arise which must be dealt with
immediately, and cannot wait until the appropriate lunar phase.
Listen to your guy instinct, and act when you must. Of course,
there are always "ideal" times to light a candle. In fact, if we
were to get really obsessive about perfect timing, we could
consider the appropriate positioning of astrological elements,
days, hours, months, and corresponding archangels to help us
along. Let's face it, it's struggle enough to keep track of
corresponding colors and oils to meet with our end goals!
Naturally one should rely on one's own instincts as to which color
of a candle would work the best purpose for a healing, or a
sabbat. We can sometimes associate what is best for "fertility" or
"money" simply by visualizing the green of a field or cash and
associating that with the color of a candle. There are ancient
ties with candles and scientific methods too. Within the color
spectrum there are seven primary wavelengths or vibrations.
Ceremonial Magicians have even ascribed colors to the Kabbalah.
Without overwhelming yourself on technicalities of color, you can
always make exceptions or go with what feels best. If you have a
friend who's going through a tough time and pale blue does NOT
feel like the right color to use, why not send healing energy with
an orange candle to give her the zing and zest (and not to mention
the strength) to handle whatever she may be dealing with?
One of my favorite candles to make is one that I call "Justice".
The inspiration for that candle came from watching a woman judge
on television. I loved her no nonsense approach to the riff raff
that came before her bench. Wouldn't it be great, I thought, if I
could create a candle that would push justice along? It was my way
of focusing on letting the gods sort out whatever cluster of mess
was coming across my path. Funny thing about that candle is that I
was willing to own up to my own actions and take on the self
responsibility for my part in the mess, but in real life, just
because "you" may be paying attention, doesn't mean other people
are. There was no color correspondence in anything I ever came
across for "Justice" , but in my visualization the color black
seemed most approachable. It was comparable to a judicial robe,
and I also felt strongly that it banished negativity and
protected. So black candles became my own very own "Justice"
candles.
The most important point in selecting a colored candle is to find
one that relates to your own path, your own tradition and most
importantly, to your "will" and "intent."
Color Correspondences
WHITE: purity, innocence, cleansing, centering, truth, psychic
ability, spirituality, protection, power of divinity, healing,
Planet: Moon, Zodiac sign: Cancer. May also be used as an all
purpose corresponding color. Associated to the South and with the
element of Air by Kelley and Dee (Enochian)
BLACK: meditation, uncrossing, protection, banishing of
negativity, endings, death, binding, ridding self of bad habits,
Planet: Saturn, Element: Earth, Zodiac: Scorpio. Samhain
Associated to the North and with the element of Earth by Kelley
and Dee (Enochian)
RED: South, fire, blood, passion, will power, sex, energy, health,
protection or defensive needs. Zodiac: Aries (Golden Dawn), Leo,
Scorpio. Planet: Mars Associated to the East with the element of
Fire by Kelley and Dee (Enochian)
RED-ORANGE: Taurus
ORANGE: encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, attraction,
friendship, organization, career success, Zodiac: Leo, Gemini
Planet: Mercury. Samhain
ORANGE-YELLOW: Cancer
YELLOW: east, air, intelligence, imagination, mind power,
creativity, confidence, success, action, attraction,
concentration, communications. Zodiac: Leo, Planet: Mercury
GREEN: north, earth, fertility, luck, abundance, success, money,
health, healing. Zodiac: Pisces, Taurus. Planet: Venus. Associated
to the West with the element of Water by Kelley and Dee (Enochian)
BLUE-DARK: west, water, loyalty, wisdom, devotion, deep emotional
ties, occult power, protection. Zodiac: Pisces
BLUE-LIGHT or PALE: Tranquility, patience, peace, health. Planet:
Venus
PURPLE: psychic ability, protection, power, wisdom, honors,
clarity, spirituality, Planetary: Jupiter, Moon, Mercury
BROWN: earth, stability, home, work, friendships.
GRAY: neutralize negative forces and influences
GOLD: sun, the God, riches, good luck, Leo
SILVER: lunar/moon, the Goddess, psychic abilities
PINK: honor, love, beauty
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