Rituals for Magic and Meaning - Cerridwen Greenleaf

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the popularity of candles has reached an all-time high. Candles are used by folks of all walks of life for relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy. This simple yet profound tool can make powerful magic. Notice how candlelight transforms a dark room and fills the air with the energy of magical light. Suddenly the potential for magic is evident.

      Candles contain all four of the elemental energies:

      Air—Oxygen feeds and fans the candle flame.

      Earth—The solid wax forms the candle.

      Water—Melted wax is the fluid elemental state.

      Fire—The flame sparks and blazes.

      How to Charge a Candle:

      “Charging” a candle means instilling it with magical intent. A Candle that has been charged carries that intention through all four elements and up to the heavens. It fills the very air with your magic. Ritual candles are chosen for their correspondences, carved, and “dressed,” or anointed, with the energy of an essential oil.

      Candle Color Correspondences:

      Black: banishing, absorbing, expulsion of the negative, healing serious disease, attracting money

      Brown: home, animal wisdom, grounding, healing

      Dark Blue: change, flexibility, the unconscious, psychic powers, healing

      Gold: Solar magic, money, attraction, the astral plane

      Gray: neutrality, impasse, cancellation

      Green: money, prosperity, growth, luck, jobs, gardening, youth, beauty, fertility

      Light Blue: patience happiness, triumph over depression, calm understanding

      Orange: attraction, success with legal issues, mutability, stimulation, support, encouragement

      Pink: love, faithfulness, friendships, goodness, affection

      Purple: healing, ambition, business success, stress relief, power

      Red: strength, protection, vitality, sexuality, passion, courage, power, love, good health

      White: purification, peace, protection, truth, binding, sincerity, serenity, chastity, happiness, spirit

      Yellow: mental power and vision, intelligence, clear thinking, study, self-assurance, prosperity, abundance, divination, psychism, powers of persuasion, wisdom, charisma, sound sleep

      Once you clarify your intention, cleanse your candles by passing them through the purifying smoke of sage or incense. Further charge your candle by carving a symbol or sigil into the wax. You can warm the tip of your ritual knife using a lit match and carve your full intention into the candle wax. As you engrave the appropriate magical words onto the candle, you are charging it with energy and intention. Next, you should “dress” your candle with specific oil. Every essential oil is imbued with a power that comes from the plants and flowers of which it is made. The appendix gives correspondences that you can use. You can also use oils to anoint yourself at the crown of the head or at the third eye to increase mental clarity. By using the inherent powers of essential oils, you are increasing the effectiveness of your rite and “doubling” the energies by anointing both your tool—in this case, the candle—and yourself.

      Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flower, herb, root, or resin extract, sometimes diluted into base oil. Try to ensure that you are using authentic essential oils instead of perfume or fragrance oils, which are synthetic versions. Always treat the oils with great care, as some are highly irritating to those with sensitive skin. For this reason, some people choose to wear clean cotton gloves when handling oils. Use droppers to measure the oils carefully, and avoid touching your face and especially eyes when working with them. Never drink your essential oils and use caution when inhaling them, as some of the stronger ones can have a negative effect on your sinuses. Different people have different reactions to various essential oils. My friend Nancy, for example, gets migraine headaches any time amber oil is in use. If possible, find an herbalist who will guide you as you experiment with oils in rituals and workings. I am fortunate in that I may consult with Randy, my trusted oil mixer at San Francisco’s The Sword and the Rose. He is extremely knowledgeable and generous with his wisdom. Research and explore the wide varieties of essential oils now available, and eventually you will discover those that work for you.

      Essential Oil Magical Correspondences:

      Astral Projection: jasmine, benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood

      Courage: geranium, black pepper, frankincense

      Dispelling Negative Spirits: basil, clove, copal, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, pine, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, Solomon’s seal, yarrow, vetiver

      Divination: camphor, orange, clove

      Enchantment: ginger, tangerine

      Healing: bay, cedar wood, cinnamon, coriander, eucalyptus, juniper, lime, rose, sandalwood, spearmint

      Joy: lavender

      Love: apricot, basil, chamomile, clove, copal, coriander, rose, geranium, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lime, neroli, peppermint, rose, rosemary, ylang-ylang, vetiver

      Luck: orange, nutmeg, rose, vetiver

      Peace: lavender

      Prosperity: basil, clove, ginger, cedar, cinnamon, jasmine, nutmeg, orange, oak moss, patchouli, peppermint, pine, wood aloe

      Protection: bay, basil, anise, black pepper, cedar, cinnamon, clove, copal, cypress, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose, geranium, lime, myrrh, juniper, lavender, patchouli, peppermint, pine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver

      Sexuality: cardamom, cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, olive, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary

      Cauldron

      The cauldron represents the Goddess, its round basin symbolizing the womb. The cauldron can hold fire and represent rebirth, the phoenix rising from the ashes of the past. Usually, cauldrons stand on three legs for practicality and mobility. You can place a cauldron on your altar if there is room, or on the floor to the left of the altar. In spring, the cauldron can be used to hold earth or water. In winter, it can represent the rebirth of the sun and should hold fire. The form of the vessel may change. In the spring, the cauldron can be a rain-filled jar or flower-filled fountain. In the summer, it can be a cup, and at harvest, it can be a pumpkin or other hollowed-out gourd. You can play with this “vessel” concept in your own ceremonies. Cauldrons are very useful for mixing your herbs and essential oils, though you must be sure to clean them before and after each use. You can scry with a cauldron full of water to foresee the future by reading images on the surface of the water. You can use this magical tool to burn paper upon which you have written your intentions or spells. In doing this, you can send your wishes to the gods and goddesses through the flames. A cauldron is not the easiest magical tool to find, as they are not nearly as commonplace as one might think. I advise you to wish and wait patiently, and the cauldron of your dreams will arrive in the most enchanted manner.

      Censer

      A censer, or thurible, is an incense burner and represents the elements of air and fire. Place your incense at the center of your altar. Incense can be used to purify your other sacred tools and to cleanse your ritual space. The evocative scent and smoke can also transport you in a sensory way. Always test your incense prior to ritual, however, to discover how much smoke is produced by your incense stick or herbal mixture. The purpose of incense is to release energy into the ritual space, not to create billows of smoke that can cause respiratory problems in the circle. If you or someone else finds incense smoke irritating or worrisome, consider using another symbol of air instead, such as potpourri, fresh flowers, feathers, or a fan.

      There exist an abundance of incense burners nowadays, so use your discretion and choose one that pleases you—perhaps a smoking dragon or a goddess to hold the fiery embers of your incense would add to the energy of your altar.

      Incenses

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