Witch 101 - Candles - For Pretty and For Purpose

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Most candles fall into one of two categories: Pretty and Purpose. I will be focusing more of this information on the Purpose. Instructions on making pretty candles are very, very easy to find, just about anywhere, after all. Pretty ones look nice, look nifty but may burn with unfortunate results if lit. Purposeful ones burn fairly well, evenly, controlled, minimal drips. Now, let's have a look at Why the difference is important and Why you need to make good choices for materials and Why you want to be clear with whoever is getting the candle if you are making a gift as to which type you intended. Pretty candles can be made with just about anything as a mould; can be loaded with nifty looking inclusions, colors, scents, type of wax, all of that is at the whim of the maker. Go ahead, have a blast with the shape and size. It's a pretty candle and will, with luck never see a flame at all. It may have to be dusted occasionally, but that's fine. Some pretty candles can also share a purpose, like being a sculpture of significance, but that is a different topic. Candles with a Purpose: spells, prayers, ritual light, scrying guides and their like are the ones the rest of this is going to focus on. These candles need to burn in as predictable a manner as possible. The user neds to be focused on the Intent not on the pooling wax running out from the side of the 6 inch diameter candle with the pretty 'air caverns' all around. Natural inclusions, if not done with prudence can become additional wicks, spreading flame over a large area quickly. Some of the natural inclusions are just not a good thing to do in a live flame candle. Juniper berries, for instance, can if fresh enough hold some of the volatile oils common to the plant. The oils heat up near the flame, the berries burn; the oils can 'jet' out of the berries. Very pretty, very dramatic but not a safe thing. Purpose candles should be just big enough for the purpose, to say burn an inch a day for a timed ritual, or to be used completely in a single ritual if it is for a very specific set of circumstances. Consider the type of wax carefully, some are easier to work with than others but you should test your waxes before committing your work to it. Making candles is, after all, not something that you should do in a pinch, but with some forethought. I'll give you some 'in a pinch' information in another lesson. First, the wax: block paraffin, shaved paraffin, gel, block beeswax, sheet beeswax, tallow. Okay, tallow is not a wax, but remember since some of our ancestors used it, some of us may wish to. I'm not certain why, its very smoky and not the most pleasant scent, but to each their own. Since I am not fond of it this is the only mention I will make of tallow. Get a feel for your 'melt' or 'burn' times with the wax. Test it, time it. Vary it with some hardeners available at craft suppliers. The harder, the longer the burn time. Soft wax burns fast. Look at wick material carefully. For the commercially available wicks you can get pre-waxed which has a nice rigidity for dipping, or wired, which can be shaped for a sculpted dip. Use care with the wired wicks, they sometimes react with oils and can flare. Plain cotton wick is simply twisted cotton string, inexpensive and useful for many purposes. It can even be 'pre-waxed' by the witch with prepared wax and then set aside until needed. Chose your wick and test that as well. How easy does it work with the wax, how easy does it light? Get those answers before the use. Better to 'waste a bit of wax' in a test than to look like a ninny at ritual time. Incorporating other ingredients in the candle - the start of the big issues. You can do this many ways, not all of which are conducive to good health. One of the most popular but most likely to cause candle burn issues is putting organic material directly into the candle wax. Herbs can become auxiliary wicks; oils can soften or break down the wax if used too liberally. Nothing like having the candle burn into a puddle in the middle of the altar in the middle of ritual with a 'zillion' tiny little lavender buds all on fire over the candle surface. Intense as a 'display of fire power' not safe for the participants however. Crystal/stone pieces can heat and shatter or cut a groove down the side of the candle as it falls. If they shatter you then have hot projectiles flying in random directions at yourself or anyone else near the candle. Not good for maintaining a Clear Mind. My suggestion is to make a light oil with herbs or crystals, or both for the purpose you have in mind. Yes, children, crystals can 'infuse' oil with properties. You can't smell the rock either can you? Unless it's something like sulfur and then, really, who would want to smell it?Depending on the type of candle and wick, the application will change just a bit but it is no less potent and useful: @ Dip candles, any wick: Finish the candle Then anoint the exterior before use. The was will stick layer to layer better and grab the wick better if there is no oil on it while you are dipping it. @ Poured tapers, any wick: You can cost the wick prior to pouring the wax. Put a few drops of the oil in the wax before pouring or anoint after the finish. @ Poured pillars, any wick: see poured tapers - however, try to limit the pillar to 3 or less inches in diameter. larger around that that and you will likely have uneven burning and a long hollow wax tube with an unusable wick very soon. Also, learn to Hug Your Candle. If there is still candle left after the burn, 'hug' the soft top wax in toward the center so that on the next lighting it burns off instead of being left to create a deep well. If done correctly pillars can be burned down to a near pancake size disk. @ Rolled tapers or pillars, any wick: (made by rolling sheet wax) Anoint the inside of the sheet before rolling, coat the wicks or anoint the whole at the finish like the others. Simple, dependable and as safe as playing with fire gets for the most part. Also remember candles and big flappy sleeves on robes do not mix well. They are very dramatic, but so is going up in flames during ritual. Practice making the candles. Use plain oil on the practice ones so you don't waste the 'good stuff' but can see how the oil will effect the wax. Work on getting the form neat, the tapers straight. Its not just aesthetics, it will change the way they burn. Loosely wrapped sheet candles burn very fast. Bent tapers tend to bend further as they heat up. Things like what herbs, crystals; even colors are up to you and what purpose you have set. My own preference for color work is that the color is all the way through the candle, but again, that's just me. If you don't mind the white core running down the side of your black candle, then have at it and be happy. This is, again, a very basic lesson on witchy ways of doing things. For more in depth work or for questions leave a message or send an email.