Burning a candle has something magical; our unconsciousness recognizes the connection between earth and infinite creative heaven symbolized by the burning candle. No electric lamp can ever beat a simple candle when it comes to bringing a warm and cosy atmosphere in which we feel at home. Burning a candle for a beloved one in a church with a wish is a simple form of magick. Blowing out the candles on a birthday cake while making a wish in fact is candle magick. You may want to put a white candle at the positions north, east, south and west in the magickal circle. Or you may wish to position five candles in the form of a pentagram.

Candle magick works like this:

• Choose one or more candles in the color(s) appropriate to your magickal goal. ( See Color magick )
  
  
• Your candles have to be virgin, what means not used before. This is important, because used candles carry the energies of former use with them, what may disturb or diminish the effectiveness of your present ritual. Always use new candles for a ritual, even if you do two rituals of the same kind after one another, for instance a healing for person A and for person B. But if your ritual needs to be repeated several days then of course you can use the same candles for the same type ritual for the same person during successive days.
  
  
• Now you have to charge the candle for your purpose. By charging it you bring your own energies and magickal desires into the candle. By charging it you also mentally start the process of focusing on your goal and physically make contact with the representation of your aim. You make a psychic link with the candle. You charge the candle(s) by:
  1.Carving the name of the person or your goal in it with a small knife. Do this concentrated.
  2. You anoint it, what means that you rub it in with oil while visualizing your spell. This is also called 'dressing' the candle. You can dress the candle with pure olive oil or a suitable essential oil. In any magick that is 'calling' (attracting things, like money, health, love) you rub the oil from the top of the candle to the base. In 'banishing' magick (getting rid of things, like negative influences, addictions) you rub the oil from the base of the candle to the top.
  
  
• Put the candle in the holder and light it. Visualize your goal for as long as you can, or recite affirmations (one world or a sentence) for a time. Then put the candle out. Repeat this for several days, at least three, until you get results. Then let the candle burn all the way out.
  
  
• Another way of working is this: don't carve your message in the candle, but write it on a piece of paper while visualizing your goal, and burn it completely in the candle flame. Be careful: put the candlestick into a larger plate or chalice for this goal, for I know this will most of the time become a mess. While burning it concentrate completely on your goal. Then let the candle burn all the way out. (You don't need to stay around, but be careful: it is fire!)
  
  
• Always burn a white candle too, as purification and protection against negativity. This is your altar candle, which can be used any ritual until it is burned away. So in candle magick there will always be at least two candles: one altar candle and one anointed ritual candle.