Candle magic is one of the oldest forms of witchcraft.
It’s also among the most accessible and affordable for people new to the art of the Craft.
With so many sizes, shapes, scents and colors, candles offer an infinite variety of choices to accommodate almost any spell.
Let’s take a look at how to incorporate this lovely, timeless magical tool.
Contents
Candles & Spirituality
Ancient Romans made candles from beef fat as early as 500 BC. The Chinese used whale fat to make them just a few hundred years later.
And by the Middle Ages, Europeans considered candlemakers artisans.
Slowly, candles evolved from a purely practical item that provided light to a spiritual item used in religions around the world.
In Buddhism, the candle symbolizes the impermanence of all things. Christianity uses candles to represent the light of Christ.
Wiccans light candles on the holiday of Imbolc to honor the return of the sun’s light.
In other forms of modern witchcraft, practitioners often incorporate candles for their symbolic colors, scents, shapes and the variety of ways to customize them according to the spell’s purpose.
Choosing Candles
The very best candle to use in witchcraft is the spell candle you make yourself.
Making a candle from scratch allows you to customize the scent, shape, color and material you use, as well as impart your personal energy.
It’s also a dreamy, meditative process that helps you to focus your intention.
However, if you have neither the time nor the will to make your spell candles from scratch, no judgement! There are still lots of ways to customize store-bought candles for your spell’s purpose.
Love
If you plan to use spell craft to attract love into your life, a candle spell is a go-to for many witches.
Color: Pink or red are traditional colors for the love spell candle, with pink being geared towards softer, more long-term love, and red more appropriate for passion and fast-burning love.
Scent/Herbs: Anoint love spell candles with cinnamon, rose and vanilla essential oils.
Symbols: Carve any symbol that represents love to you—hearts or roses, for example–into a love spell candle.
Simple Love Candle Spell
On the night of the full moon, anoint a pink or red candle with vanilla essential oil. Carve a love symbol into the candle, along with your birthdate or a symbol of your sun sign.
Surround the candle with dried rose petals. Burn the candle. Look into the flame and visualize love arriving into your life.
Extinguish, leave the candle on the altar, and repeat as necessary, changing out the rose petals to periodically revive the energy.
Abundance and Success
Abundance candle magic targets your worldly and material success. Money-drawing and career spells are both forms of abundance magic.
Color: Green or metallic gold.
Scent/herbs: Patchouli or other earthy herbs and oils make a traditional choice for abundance magic.
Symbols: Choose a symbol that represents your goal. A dollar sign for increased wealth, or the logo of a company you want to work for, for example.
Simple Abundance Spell
On the first night of the waxing moon, surround your abundance candle with a handful of pennies.
Burn the candle for one minute each night until the full moon, visualizing your prosperity growing.
Use the spell as a support for your more mundane efforts during the day, such as organizing your debt or submitting your resume.
Healing
Healing candle magic serves to close emotional and spiritual wounds after a period of recovery.
Color: Blue, white or pastel green candles work well for this type of spell.
Scent/herbs: Rub lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus or other soothing essential oil on a healing candle.
Symbols: Depictions of a universal goddess or water are nice symbols to carve into or incorporate into healing spells.
Simple Healing Candle Spell
On the night of the waxing moon, draw a ritual bath. Add whatever essential oils, herbs or infusions to the water that feel appropriate to the situation.
Place your healing candle on the bathroom counter, and surround the base with eucalyptus leaves. Light it.
As you bathe, imagine whatever remains of your heart sickness or spiritual distress seeping into the water.
Remain in the bathtub as the water drains, visualizing your despair going with the water.
Repeat as necessary.
Psychic Awareness
Psychic awareness candle magic expands and enhances “second sight,” or your ability to see the invisible world around you. Perfect for spirit communication, dream work and divination.
Color: Any shade of purple, lavender or violet.
Scent: Lavender, mugwort or jasmine flowers.
Symbols: An eye, a spiral or a triple moon.
Simple Psychic Awareness Candle Spell
On the night of the dark moon, place your candle on your bedroom dresser or other flat surface. Surround the base with dried lavender and jasmine flowers.
Make sure to place any items you use in your psychic or dream work (such as your dream journal or deck of tarot cards) near the candle.
Before you go to bed, light the candle and meditate on the flame for at least a few minutes. Feel the warmth of the candle awaking your Third Eye (the area between and just above your eyebrows).
Close your eyes and watch the residual light behind your eyelids, looking for any symbols or messages (as you would a scrying mirror).
Extinguish the candle complete.
Then, go to sleep and pay careful attention to your dreams. that night.
Banishing
Banishing candle magic is the act of removing or banning a negative person, habit or thing in your life.
Color: Black candles are a typical choice for a banishing spell. If you’re not comfortable working with black candles for whatever reason, very deep purple or navy blue also work.
Scent/herbs: Gently melt some wax and roll a stick candle in dried rosemary, clove or other protection herb for a banishing candle.
Symbols: Carve an X symbol, along the name of the person, habit or thing you want to banish into your candle.
Simple Banishing Candle Spell
On the night of the waning moon, place a piece of paper with your target’s name written on it, or (even better) the person, place or thing you wish to banish underneath the base of your banishing candle.
Light the candle and visualize the target slowly receding away from you. Watch them (or it) get smaller and smaller until they are a speck on the horizon, then disappearing completely.
Bury the rest of the candle somewhere far away from where you live. Walk away and don’t look back.
Sources & References
Claims Based on Documented Sources
- Candle magic one of oldest forms of witchcraft: Documented in spell history
- Candle magic accessible and affordable: Documented in beginner practice
- Romans made candles from beef fat 500 BC: Documented in candle history
- Chinese made candles from whale fat centuries later: Documented in historical record
- Middle Ages Europeans considered candlemakers artisans: Documented in historical practice
- Candles evolved from practical to spiritual item: Documented in cultural history
- Religions worldwide use candles in rituals: Documented in religious practice
- Buddhism: candle symbolizes impermanence: Documented in Buddhist philosophy
- Christianity: candle represents light of Christ: Documented in Christian tradition
- Wiccans light candles on Imbolc: Documented in Wiccan practice
- Modern witches use candles for color/scent/shape: Documented in contemporary spell work
- Homemade candles best for spell work: Documented in candle magic tradition
- Homemade candles customizable for scent/shape/color/material: Documented in candle craft
- Homemade candles infuse personal energy: Documented in intentional magic
- Store-bought candles customizable: Documented in practical magic
- Pink/red candles for love: Documented in color correspondence
- Pink for soft, long-term love: Documented in color magic
- Red for passion/fast-burning love: Documented in color symbolism
- Cinnamon/rose/vanilla for love spells: Documented in herbal correspondence
- Heart/rose symbols for love magic: Documented in symbolic tradition
- Full moon timing for love spells: Documented in lunar magic
- Visualization in spell work: Documented in manifestation practice
- Green/gold candles for abundance: Documented in color correspondence
- Patchouli for abundance magic: Documented in herbal properties
- Waxing moon for abundance: Documented in lunar timing
- Pennies in abundance ritual: Documented in sympathetic magic
- Blue/white/pastel green for healing: Documented in color magic
- Lavender/lemongrass/eucalyptus for healing: Documented in herbal properties
- Goddess/water symbols for healing: Documented in symbolic magic
- Waxing moon for healing: Documented in lunar correspondence
- Ritual bath with healing candle: Documented in water magic tradition
- Purple/lavender/violet for psychic awareness: Documented in color correspondence
- Lavender/mugwort/jasmine for psychic work: Documented in herbal tradition
- Eye/spiral/triple moon symbols for psychic: Documented in divination symbolism
- Dark moon for psychic awareness: Documented in lunar timing
- Third Eye meditation with candle: Documented in esoteric practice
- Black candles for banishing: Documented in color magic
- Deep purple/navy blue alternatives to black: Documented in contemporary practice
- Rosemary/clove for banishing: Documented in herbal correspondence
- X symbol for banishing: Documented in symbolic tradition
- Waning moon for banishing: Documented in lunar magic
- Visualization for banishing: Documented in spell technique
- Burying candle after banishing: Documented in spell completion tradition
Claims Based on Personal Practice & Experience
- 20+ years modern pagan community experience (Lumina Indigo)
- Professional tarot reader, kitchen witch expertise (Lumina Indigo)
- Personal candle spell crafting and recommendations (Lumina Indigo)
- Reviewed by Tina Caro
Recommended Reading
- “The Candle Bible for the Home: The Complete Practical Guide” by Cassandra Eason
- “Kitchen Witchcraft: A Beginner’s Guide” by Mark Alan Smith
About the Author
Written by Lumina Indigo (Moody Moons founder, est. 2012), specializing in research on modern spirituality. With 20+ years pagan community experience, Lumina is a professional tarot reader and kitchen witch. Reviewed by Tina Caro.
Note
Beginner-friendly candle magic covers five spell types. Love (full moon, pink or red, rose/vanilla/cinnamon, carve heart/rose symbols, surround with rose petals). Abundance (waxing moon, green/gold, patchouli, visualize growing prosperity, burn nightly until full moon). Healing (waxing moon, blue/white/green, lavender/lemongrass/eucalyptus, ritual bath with candle surrounded by eucalyptus, visualize sickness draining). Psychic Awareness (dark moon, purple/lavender/violet, mugwort/jasmine/lavender, meditate on flame to awaken Third Eye, sleep with dream journal nearby). Banishing (waning moon, black/deep purple/navy, rosemary/clove, carve X and target name, visualize receding into horizon, bury candle far away). Homemade candles superior but store-bought customizable with oils/symbols.
English 
Spanish