Dressing your candles

You will need something with a fine point to scratch the surface of the candle. It can be a pin, a specialist scribing tool, a cocktail stick or anything else your imagination can dream up. Once you have chosen your tool though, dedicate it properly, then tuck it away in your magical tool chest and reserve it for just this purpose.

Inscribing the candle is simply marking words or symbols on the candle that are relevant to the outcome you want. Perhaps if you need fast money you could inscribe the runic symbol for Gifu (Gift). If you are seeking success in business, you could write the word ’success’ along the length. If you are seeking love, draw a heart on the candle - well, you get the idea……

As you are inscribing your candle, visualise the outcome. Make it a small ritual in it’s own right. Once you have inscribed your candle, you may wish to ‘Dress’ it. This is optional, your choice entirely, but it’s easy and again adds to the potency of your spell.

‘Dressing a candle’ is anointing it with an oil that again is relevant to your desire - To attract love, try the ‘Come to me’ oil, for luck try the ‘Black Cat’ oil, for when you feel Lady Luck is working against you, try a banishing spell and use ‘Jinx Removing’ Oil.

The method for anointing your candle is pretty specific. The most general method is to hold the candle in one hand, dip the first two fingers of the other hand in oil and starting at the top (the end with the wick) run your oiled finger down toward the centre of the candle. Stop at the centre, lift your finger off, turn the candle slightly and repeat the process until all the top half of the candle is covered. Then starting at the base of the candles, run the oiled fingers toward the centre. Again stop at the centre, lift the fingers off, turn the candle slightly and repeat the process until the entire bottom of the candle has been coated.

The whole time your are anointing the candle, concentrate on the outcome you wish to achieve with your spell. Experienced spell weavers often anoint the candle in a specific direction depending on the type of spell they are performing. For spells to attract something to the spell weaver, the candle is anointed from top to middle, then from bottom to middle. For banishing or sending something away i.e.. getting rid of bad habits, negative energy, breaking jinxes or hexes, the candle is dressed from the centre out to the top, and then from the centre out to the bottom.

Once the candle is coated in oil, it can be rolled in herbs relevant to the particular spell you are performing. For example, use Agrimony for breaking hexes and returning them to sender, use Chamomile for attracting friendship, Hyssop for purification and cleansing, Patchouli for wealth and so on. Once you have lit your spell candle and performed your spell, allow the candle to burn itself out completely.