The Book of Shadows of a Broom Closet Dweller *EDITING*

Tools: Candles

Candles are one of the witch's most common tools, and have multiple uses in both rituals and magic. Their most common use is to provide a focal point for the energy of the spell to gather and be raised. Candles symbolise the element of fire, but can also be associated with directions, deities, or any other number of things.

In Wicca, candles can represent the god and goddess in simple spells. The goddess candle is usually green or silver, to honour her association with either the earth or the moon. The god candle is either red or gold, to recognise his association with the sun. The goddess candle should be on the left of the altar, and the god candle on the right.

All objects contain some amount of spiritual energy, and it is this energy that you can attune and use to fuel your spells. Candles contain a large amount of this energy that is very easy to use; candles are extremely simple to charge, enchant, and activate, and their energy can be discharged very efficiently when burned. Consequently, candles are ideal providers of energy for spells and rituals.

Candles are also good providers of focal points; quite literally a point to focus on while you are raising energy during spellcasting. The small, gentle flame and dim light candles provide have an inherent mystical quality about them that makes them easy to focus on and plunge you into an altered state of consciousness; both are important components of spellcasting.

So now you know why many spells tell you to, "stare into the candle's flame while you visualise your goal," and, "let the candle burn itself out." You are using the candle as a focal point through which to focus on your intent, and as the candle burns, it is using up its spiritual energy to fuel your goal.

Additionally, candles are used to represent an entity or concept. They are very commonly used to represent deities on an altar. On a typical Wiccan altar, there is one candle placed in the top left corner to represent the Goddess, and another candle in the top right corner to represent the God. But candles can be used to represent almost anything; elements, spirits, people, and even places or ideas. For example, in cord cutting spells, there are usually two candles; one to represent yourself and another to represent the target from which you are cutting psychic links.

Types of Candles: Candles come in all shapes and sizes, and can be made from several different materials. Different types of candles are better suited for different purposes, mostly for practical reasons rather than magickal reasons. Different shapes and sizes will affect the candle's burn time and portability, and the type of wax will affect the size, brightness, and cleanliness of the flame, as well as the colour, smell, texture, and environmental impact of the candle.
> Taper candles - one of the most common types of candles and traditional in appearance. They are long, thin candles that taper at the top.
> Tealight candles - these are extremely common and easily obtainable in most general purpose stores. Originally used under teapots to keep them warm (hence the name), they are now used as convenient, highly portable candles fit for many purposes.
> Pillar candles - Large, cylindrical candles around 3 inches in diameter. They are ideal static candles that have lengthy burn times and do not need to be replaced as often as smaller candles.
> Votive candles - crossed between a tealight and a pillar candle, the difference between a tealight and votive is that tealights are self-contained in a metal container that holds the wax, whereas votives do not and are typically a couple inches taller.
> Rolled candles - comprised of handmade, rolled up sheets of beeswax. Similar in appearance to taper candles. (Refer to the picture above).
> Chime candle - a shorter variant of a taper candle. Originally used to work angel chimes, they are now a popular choice for use in spells and rituals.
> 7 day jar candles - candles in jars that are intended to be burned over a course of 7 days.
> Birthday candles - typically used for birthday cakes, these tiny candles burn fast and come in a large range of colours, ideal for witchcraft on-the-go and they reduce wastage.