How to Choose Spell Correspondences: A Wiccan Guide to Candle Magick
Almost every single spell a Wiccan will ever perform will more than likely incorporate a candle. Candles are one of the most common magickal tools used by Wiccans and Witches. We use them for practical magick as well as formal magick. We light them in honor of deity and the elements; we light them to manifest our desires. Candles may be lit to purify a space, or to aid a departed soul in crossing over to the other side. We meditate upon and divine answers through a burning candle flame. And we use them to generate energy to perform magick.
There are multiple reasons why candles are such an important tool in magickal workings. One principle reason is, the lighting of a candle represents the act of creation. According to the Witches’ gospel, the Vangelo de Streghe, the first of all creation was the Primeval Deity Diana. She existed alone in the darkness… until She became aware and began to think. In an explosion of “fire and flame,” Her thoughts became manifest, and the physical world was created. When we light the wick of a candle, we are symbolically reenacting Diana’s first act of creation. We are using fire to manifest our thoughts, words, and emotions into physical reality.
Another reason why candles are used in magick is because the candle incorporates the element of Fire. Fire is a masculine energy that represents the God (recall from the gospel that Diana created the God). Fire corresponds to the direction South, and it rules: purification, manifestation, healing (destroying disease), energy, inspiration, transformation, passion, and the power of the will. Fire also rules leadership and authority and of course, all of these forms of energies are important when working any type of spellcraft.
Candles are also a primary tool because they help raise the power and generate energy. In scientific terms, all candles contain potential energy. Potential energy is defined as stored energy that has the potential to become another form of energy. The candle wick has stored energy with the potential to combust. The candle wax also contains stored energy that can also combust. When a candle wick is lit and candle wax begins to melt, the stored energy within creates a controlled chemical combustion that is transformed into thermal and light energy. Although predominantly thermal in nature, a candle flame gives off approximately the same amount of energy as an 80W light bulb. When working magick, any extra energy generated only makes our spells more powerful!
The first step in choosing the correct candle for your spellwork is determining how you intend to use the candle. For example, if you need a ritual candle that will be lit during the invocation of a Goddess or God, a pillar or taper candle is an excellent choice. This is because the candle’s purpose is to be used over and over again, and these candles are larger and can be used for a longer period of time. Furthermore, each time the invocation is said and the candle is lit, the candle itself increases in power and potential energy!
If a ritual or spell requires the candle to be burned completely in a single night, one would obviously then choose a smaller size, like a chime candle or tea light candle which is designed to burn out in one to three hours. If a spell calls for a candle to be lit and extinguished over multiple nights, with the final night burning completely, the choice would be a knotted taper candle. Lastly, if a rite calls for a candle to burn continuously for days without extinguishing, a container candle would be the safest choice. You will also find candles made for a specific purpose. For example, in the shape of female and/or male external reproductive organs, which are excellent candles to burn during the Sacred Rite, in fertility spells or even passionate love spells.
Another key and important factor in choosing a candle for magickal correspondence is the color of the candle itself. Color, is also a form of energy that enhances the potential energy of a candle. While color is most often associated with the hue of an object; scientifically, color is actually electromagnetic radiation being emitted in specific wavelengths that are perceptible to the human eye. Every color of the light spectrum has a highly specific energetic correspondence because each color is its own wavelength (energy) that interacts with matter. Matter can cause this energy to be: absorbed, reflected, refracted, scattered, or diffracted, all of which affect the vibration of the light energy. This vibrational and visible energy is what we call color!
In other words, color is light energy vibrating at a different rate (or speed). And when you combine color-light energy with the candle’s flame energy, the combustion produced generates even greater power! Therefore, the energy of a specific color must vibrate at the same frequency as the spell being generated. If the spell is not on the same frequency, the positive energy from the candle is reduced by the discordant energy created by the color and the results of a spell may turn out somewhat distorted. Every color vibrates at a specific frequency that can then correspond to a specific type of spell:
Silver – Silver is sacred to the Moon and the Goddess. Use silver in spells corresponding to lunar magic, protection, psychic opening, and clairvoyance.
Gold – Gold is sacred to the Sun and the God. Use gold in spells corresponding to wealth, status, leadership and authority, longevity, wisdom, fame, and personal achievement.
Pink – Pink is sacred to the Maiden and Love Goddesses. Use pink in spells for beauty, friendships, fidelity, romantic love, compassion, and nurturing. Rose, a variation of pink, is excellent for love spells.
Red – Red corresponds to the direction South and the element of Fire. It is sacred to Aries and Mars. Use red in spells corresponding to strength, vitality, passion, lust, protection, courage, and power.
Orange – Orange’s direction is South, its element is Fire, and is sacred to the God Mercury. Use orange in spells corresponding to courage, success, travel, communication, creativity and self-expression.
Yellow – Yellow’s direction in some traditions is East, in others Center. It corresponds to the element of Air and the Sun, and is sacred to all the Sun Gods. Use yellow in spells corresponding to centering, attraction, joy, creativity, pleasure, happiness, success, and mental clarity.
Green – Green’s direction in some traditions is North, in other’s its East, corresponding to the elements of Earth and Air. Use green in spells corresponding to harmony, healing, prosperity, fertility, renewal, growth, luck, abundance, money, garden magic, fairy magic, and Mother Nature.
Blue – Blue’s direction is West, and it corresponds to the element of Water. Use blue in spells corresponding to peace, truth, sleep, serenity, communication, and guidance. Indigo, a variation of blue, is used for psychic ability, clairvoyance, and spiritual guidance.
Purple – Purple symbolizes royalty, and is sacred to the God Jupiter. Use purple in spells corresponding to wisdom, prophecy, divination, power, spirituality and psychic ability.
Violet – Violet symbolizes the astral plane. Use violet in spells corresponding to spirituality, higher-self, intuition, insight, and astral projection.
Gray – Gray is sacred to the Graiae (The Gray Ones), and is used in spells corresponding to depression, loneliness, and sorrow. Gray is also used to neutralize negativity.
Brown – Brown’s direction is North, and it corresponds to the element of Earth. It is sacred to the Earth Goddesses/Gods. Use brown in spells corresponding to grounding, decisiveness, telepathy, Earth magic, material increase, finding lost/stolen items, and working with animals.
Black – Black is sacred to the Crone Goddesses, and corresponds to the Waning Moon. It symbolizes death and resurrection. Use black in spells corresponding to binding, banishing, mourning, divination, protection, safety, grounding, wisdom, guidance, and learning.
White – White corresponds to the New Moon, and is sacred to all Maiden and Mother Goddesses. Use white in spells corresponding to uncrossing, protection, spirituality, healing, truth, meditation, enlightenment, cleansing, innocence, manifestation, lunar magic, unity, and purity. As white is scattered light energy, it can generally be used for most any type of spell or rite. Burning an inverted white candle represents a black candle.
*NOTE: If you are purchasing a colored, scented candle, it is important to be aware that scent must also be taken into consideration when choosing a candle for magickal correspondence. The plants/herbs used to make a specific scent have their own energetic frequencies and magickal correspondences. Therefore, a non-scented candle in accordance with specific spell oils is best practice unless the candle has already been infused with the correct scent correspondence for its intended purpose.
While any store-bought, commercial candle can be used for spellcraft, candles made with magical intentions may at times be the preferred choice. Regardless of where you source your candles, one should ‘always’ cleanse a magickal tool before its use. One method of cleansing a tool is to place the tool under the full moon. This method will both cleanse and charge the tool. Another method used to cleanse a tool such as a candle, is white light. Simply hold the candle with both hands, and visualize a white light illuminating the candle from within. Hold that image in your mind, next increase the white light until it surrounds the candle by at least a few inches. Then, with your dominant hand, circle the candle three times in a widdershins (counterclockwise) direction while repeating:
“From this candle, I remove all impurities that lie within.”
Then circle the candle with your dominant hand three times in a deosil (clockwise) direction while repeating:
“I bless this candle for holy use.”
The candle is now cleansed and blessed for use in a magickal rite. You can incorporate the candle into your spellcraft in a multitude of ways. As mentioned, it can be used in conjunction with an invocation of the Goddess, God, and the directional elements. It can be carved with words of power, carved with the desired manifestation/goal, or it can be used as a poppet to represent a person by carving their name upon it. Typically, the candle will be anointed with a specific spell oil used for a specific purpose during the magical rite. One should always take caution when using spell oils as most are highly flammable. Allow the anointing oil to absorb into the wax before lighting the candle.
Wiccans also use candles for prayer and meditation. After lighting the candle, close your eyes and enter a calm space. Then open your eyes, and focus on the flame. You may receive sudden insights from the spirit realm. You can also take that meditation one step further and connect with the element of Fire by concentrating on making the flame grow larger. With practice, you may even control the ability to extinguish the flame!
Wiccans also use candles for divination. A quick, clean burning candle denotes a fast manifestation of your desire. A flame that continuously flickers to a specific direction can indicate the energies influencing the situation. Crackling or popping may also be an indication of a spirit guide attempting to communicate. Black smoke indicates the influence of negative energies, while white smoke is a very positive omen. The direction the wax drips, and any shape(s) it may form can also be used for divination and omen interpretations.
Candles are a vital tool of the Craft when performing magick- both practical and formal. They can be used to generate power, manifest desire, and divine the future. When incorporating candles and colors into our spells, we can take our magick to a higher level and, like the Goddess Diana, create the physical reality of our wildest dreams!
– The Goddess Kingdom© 2023
