Candles are lovely for mood lighting, making a room smell nice, and generally improving any atmosphere, but are you aware that they also hold special powers? Yes, candles are a staple item in any magickal tool kit, and if you're just beginning to explore magick, you should make sure that you're keeping some of them handy. They can be used to amplify and release energy. And they're actually helpful whether you leave them unlit around your home, or light them up to be used in rituals and spells. But if you're looking for a tutorial (or simply need a refresher) on all things candle magick, look no further. We've got the full lowdown ahead.
What is candle magick?
Candle magick is an ancient form of manifesting and wish fulfillment, used to make people's intentions and goals a reality. Fire has been an ever-present force in human history, across all cultures and continents. And if you've ever blown out candles on your birthday cake, you've already done a bit of magick-making! The very act of lighting a candle, mindfully investing a wish into the candle, and watching its flame burn as you allow that wish to be released to the universe is a simple spell.
Fire is transformational—it burns, cooks, and boils, literally changing everything it interacts with. That's the energy that you’re channeling when you're working with candle magick. You're activating changes in your life by utilizing this element's power.
The act of burning is believed to connect the physical world to the spiritual realm, but the other powerful key element in this work is about using different candle colors. This is called color magick! Because different colors have different types of energy (more on that later), burning candles is an easy way to access that color’s energy. (And fun fact: you can also wear certain colors or decorate your home with various shades to welcome these vibes into your life.)
Your Candle Magick Kit
Power, Purpose, Practice: Finding Your True Self Through Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot
Llewellyn Publications The Book of Candle Magic: Candle Spell Secrets to Change Your Life
Heritage Apothecary Himalayan Salt Stone 2 Hole Candleholder
What do I need to perform candle magick?
All you need is a candle (white will do, but you can use color magick to identify which candle color best suits your desires) and some oil (almond, coconut, and jojoba all work well). You don’t need to be a witch, psychic, magic, or even particularly "believe" in anything. This is about using a ritual to be present with your thoughts and hopes. The tools are perhaps less important than the actual intention to spend time thinking about your wishes and goals.
Candle color meanings, explained
White
White can be used as a good "default candle" if you’re short on resources. However, in color magick, it encourages serenity, peace, personal strength, and insight. White makes you feel clear-headed and resolute about your goals.
Black
Black is always a protective force in color magick. Black crystals, clothes, and, yes, candles are all there for psychic protection. Think of black as your personal cosmic bodyguard.
Green
Green represents growth, luck, fertility, vitality, and creativity. Green is nature’s natural ally, and is always looking to innovate, expand, and bring your ideas to life. It also amplifies prosperity (aka finances), so you'll want to use this color for any money manifestation.
Blue
Blue promotes harmony, peace, understanding, empathy, and wisdom. Blue is a great color to surround yourself with when you feel conflicted or stressed. It’s a soothing, calming force and connects with your chakras and any emotional wounds that need healing.
Light blue
Similar to the meaning of blue candles, light blue candles zero in on understanding the truth and accepting it, as well as assisting clarity and communication.
Dark blue
In contrast to light blue, dark blue candles are linked to intuition, psychic abilities, and spiritual work.
Indigo
This color is linked to intuition and psychic abilities. Indigo candles also represent spiritual awareness and overall wisdom.
Yellow
Yellow is a networker, a super connector, and a chatterbox! It enhances your networking and social skills, bringing in new career opportunities. (Try keeping a yellow candle on your desk—unlit—as a beacon for a new opportunity).
Red
Red encourages love, sex, and passion. If your ritual has anything to do with your love or sex life, odds are you’ll need a red candle.
Pink
This one’s for romance. <3 Placing a pink candle by your home’s doorway will welcome in love, and use a pink candle in a ritual to draw the eye of your object of affection.
Purple
This color is all set to boost your spiritual enlightenment, psychic ability, and creativity. Purple is a deeply spiritual color.
Lavender
Lavender candles have a particular link to intuition and psychic ability. Use one when you're working in a deep meditation or trying to interpret your dreams, for example.
Orange
Orange is vibrant, vital, and energetic. Think of it is like a pep talk. In candle magick, this color encourages your ambition and helps you broaden your horizons. Make your goals bigger and bolder with orange!
Brown
Brown is a materialistic and practical grounder of the color spectrum. It helps with all things relating to your resources—like health, energy, possessions, pets, endurance, and courage.
Silver
Silver is another deeply spiritual color linked to purification, intuition, healing, setting intentions, and interpreting your dreams. Use one when you're trying to tap into your psychic abilities or intuition.
Gold
Gold is another color that promotes wealth, as well as power, manifestation, and prosperity of all kinds. Use it along with a green candle to give your money spells an extra oomph.
The colors for each day of the week
Along with different qualities and goals, different colors align with different days of the week. If you can do your ritual on the right day, it will further power the energy and enhance your efforts. (For example, if you’re using a red candle for love, try doing your ritual on a Tuesday.)
- Sunday: gold and orange
- Monday: silver, white, and gray
- Tuesday: red, brown, and other autumn shades
- Wednesday: yellow and gray
- Thursday: purple and deep blue
- Friday: light blue, green, pink, and copper hues
- Saturday: maroon, dark shades, and black
Combining colors in candle magick
You can choose one candle and focus on that, or you can get creative and mix and match different colors by burning multiple candles to tackle a more nuanced intention or desire. For example, say you’re an aspiring tarot reader trying to manifest the perfect role to bring you both material rewards (yellow) AND fulfill your spiritual potential and growth (purple). Then you could burn a yellow AND purple candle.
Or maybe you’re feeling emotionally bruised from an argument with your partner and you want to both heal yourself from the encounter (blue) and restore the romance and connection between you as a couple (pink). Then you might burn a blue AND a pink candle.
How to Do Candle Magick
Step 1: What are you trying to manifest?
Think of what you want to bring into your life. Be specific, realistic, positive, and kind. (Don’t wish bad things for others, no matter how aggro they’re being. Let karma take care of it.) Clarify your intention in a single sentence, like, “I need to find a job that pays more and makes me feel excited.”
Step 2: Create your spell.
The most basic candle magick spell is to simply visualize your goal, say a sentence, and light the candle to release the energy. Job done.
Step 3: Choose your candle.
Choose the candle’s color carefully. Pick one that corresponds with the nature of your goal, like yellow for your job search. You may also want to place relevant crystals, herbs, or flowers around your candle to amplify the right vibes.
Step 4: Choose your day.
To level up, you can check on astrology placements to align your ritual with the right energy from the cosmos. If it’s about love, maybe wait till Venus is in Libra. If you’re hoping to bring fresh opportunities into your world, you might choose a New Moon. Avoid Mercury Retrograde, naturally, unless you’re feeling like playing Russian roulette with the outcome of your spell. (Yikes.)
Step 3: Level up your spell.
You can mix and match the candles to create more focused intentions. For example, if you’re looking for great sex AND true love in your next partner (aren't we all?), then use a red (sex) and a pink (love) candle in your ritual. If you want to set the scene for having and healing from a difficult conversation, you might use a yellow (expression) and white (healing) candle to balance the mood.
Or if you want to make money from your creative talents, then try a green (creativity) and orange (ambition and success) candle combo. And if you want to project protection and healing onto a loved one who’s going through something, then bring in black (protection) and blue (healing) candles to double up your psychic care package. If you want to receive messages about your true calling in life, then use a purple (spiritual enlightenment) and orange (personal success) candle to help you find your niche. Mix and match it up.
You can try creating a little chant, poem, or song about your goal. Trust me: It helps increase your commitment to and resonance with your intentions.
Step 4: Dress the candle.
This is important. You’re aiming to forge a psychic link between the candle, you, and your goal. This is called “dressing the candle.”
First, rub the candle with oil (any oil you have works, like almond, coconut, or jojoba. If you’re an essential oils fan, you can also mix them in). Rub the candle from top to bottom to draw things to you or from bottom to top to send things away. As you rub the candle with oil (cover the whole surface but skip the wick), focus on your goal and mentally *pour* that vision into the candle. Chanting helps—srsly. You may feel your hands start to tingle or get really warm. This is a good sign that the vibes are flowing and the magick is working.
Continue dressing the candle for a couple of minutes, until you feel like it’s really charged. You can also scratch names, numbers, or symbols in the wax if there’s something relevant to your spell.
Step 5: Light the candle.
Okay, you’re ready for magick. Take a few deep breaths, release tension, and visualize your worries or thoughts drifting away from you. Clear your mind.
Then start to visualize your goal as if it has already happened. Imagine how you’d feel and what life would look like. When you have a clear mental picture, repeat your chant/song/poem or say your intention out loud. When you feel close to full of your goal’s energy and positive vibes, light the candle.
Focus on the candle’s aura (the light right outside the flame) and visualize it getting bigger and bigger until it fills the room. Then imagine it expanding beyond the room into the universe, beaming out and sending a signal to bring your intention to you. Hold this vision in your mind as long as you can. When you feel your energy waning or you start getting distracted, blow out the candle, and you’re done.
Step 6: Interpret the flame
As your candle burns, pay close attention to the way the flame moves during your ritual, because, yes, that can have meaning too. For instance:
- A blue flame: A spirit is close by!
- A tall, strong flame: The spell will work wonders!
- A flickering flame: This could mean the imminent arrival of spirits (!) or that strong feelings are at play around this spell.
- A sputtering or popping flame: This could indicate tension, conflict, or opposing forces working against your manifestation right now. You might want to wait and try again another time.
- A slow, faltering, or weak flame: You need to put more focus and intent into this spell. Visualize your wish in technicolor and concentrate. If the flame grows, the power increases.
- A candle that sizzles, pops, or hisses: Something or someone is trying to communicate with you, perhaps an ally from the "other side." Try to interpret words or messages within the sounds.
- Something else catches fire, or the candle explodes: Beware—something or someone may be blocking your wish. Perhaps re-examine your goal for ways it could hurt or impact someone else and tweak your strategy. Make sure you do not harm yourself getting what you wish for.
- The candle won’t burn: Start over.
- The flame is burning only on one side of the candle: The wish will only be partially delivered; there will be some aspect missing or delayed.
Happy spellcasting!
