How to Dress a Candle

Co-authored by Jennifer McVey, Cht and Madeleine Flamiano

Last Updated: June 22, 2024 Fact Checked

When you dress a candle, you'll enchant it and infuse it with your energy. "Dressing" spell candles is a sacred tradition that helps you connect with the Universe to achieve your desires. We'll guide you through the process of dressing candles and performing candle magick. Design your own special ritual here to light up your heart and ignite your soul!

1

Choose a spell candle that calls to you.

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Let your heart guide you to a candle that matches your needs. Browse through a selection of spell candles and make a new purchase based on your intuition. Alternatively, tune into your natural psychic abilities or desires to pick out a candle from your own collection. If it helps, consider the traditional meanings associated with the colors of spell candles:^{[1]
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- White candle magick: Protection, serenity, transitions
- Black candle magick: Calmness, restoration, invisibility
- Gray candle magick: Balance, neutrality, peace
- Purple candle magick: Intuition, wisdom, power
- Orange candle magick: Pride, success, confidence
- Pink candle magick: Care, self-love, glamour
- Red candle magick: Passion, courage, ambition
- Yellow candle magick: Intellect, learning, concentration
- Blue candle magick: Patience, truth, guidance
- Green candle magick: Growth, luck, wealth
- Brown candle magick: Stability, practicality, earthiness
- Gold candle magick: Longevity, radiance, liveliness

2

Choose a spell to banish negativity or manifest positivity.

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Attract what you desire or protect yourself against what holds you back. Traditionally, black candle magick is used for banishing spells—black candles are known to absorb negative energy and protect you from harm. However, any candle you selected can work for your spell, regardless of its color. Reflect on what you wish for right now or what you don't want in your life. Then, plan out the best spell for your needs.^{[2]
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- Traditional spell: Banish toxic friends with a black candle.
- Alternative spell: Create a mysterious allure with a black candle.
- Traditional spell: Find inner peace with a white candle.
- Alternative spell: Dazzle a rival with a white candle.
- Traditional spell: Attract wealth with a green candle.
- Alternative spell: Resist greed with a green candle.
- Traditional spell: Draw in confidence with an orange candle.
- Alternative spell: Block out arrogance with an orange candle.

3

Set an intention to announce your desire.

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Tell your candle what you're seeking so it can serve you. Once you've attached a meaning to the spell candle, say an affirmation that relates to it. When you put your hopes or wishes into clear and concise language, both your candle and the Universe will take your message seriously. To make sure they hear you, declare powerful phrases like these:
- "With this pink candle, I will heal myself with self-love."
- "With this purple candle, I shall develop psychic abilities."
- "With this red candle, I'll infuse my relationship with passion."

4

Dream up a ritual that inspires you and ignites your soul.

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Free your imagination—your ritual can have as many steps as you like. If you're craving simplicity, you might choose to just light your candle and announce your intention. However, you may prefer a more elaborate ritual. For example, you may wait until the Harvest Moon, wear green clothes, and create an altar decorated with gold coins to cast a candle spell that attracts wealth and abundance.^{[3]
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- Match your clothes to your candle to amplify an intention.
- Add framed photos or a vision board to your altar to manifest dreams.
- Track the phases of the Moon to benefit from lunar magick.
- Make a magick circle out of black salt to boost protective spells.

5

Cleanse your space before your ritual.

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Purify the area to remove any potential negative energy. To smudge a space, light a smudge stick and use its smoke to banish any outside forces. Once you've finished your cleansing ritual, your candle can connect with you. Instead of any other influences, only your intention and inner power will impact your spell.^{[4]
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- Choose a smudge stick that complements your candle. For example, a bundle of lavender can amplify the calming qualities of a black candle.
- Say an affirmation to enhance your cleansing ritual. You may declare, "I purify this room so it's a sacred space for my love spell."

6

Bless your candle with sacred symbols.

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Add meaningful words or codes so the candle attunes to you. Carve a short message—like "hope" or "soulmate"—into your candle. If you prefer it, scratch a symbol onto the spell candle instead. For example, mark it with a "sigil"—a magical code you designed—that looks like a cursive 'S' and represents "sincerity." This extra step infuses your spell candle with your energy.^{[5]
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- Write a short intention on a piece of paper and put it far away from the wick.
- Scratch an ancient rune into the candle to invoke a deity.
- Carve the candle with freehand designs to bless it with spontaneity.
- Put your name onto the candle to bind it to you.

7

Dress your candle with a sacred oil.

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Anoint your candle with an oil that will amplify the magick of your spell. Choose a natural oil—like an essential oil—that's aligned with your mystical goal.^{[6]
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Research source} To dress your candle with herbs, lightly dust them on at the base of the candle, away from the wick. ^{[7]
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Research source} To add small crystals, place these stones on the top of the candle—most stones withstand heat and can be close to the wick.^{[8]
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- Rosehip oil, rosemary, and rose quartz: Patience, friendship, and love
- Lemon oil, sweetgrass, and aquamarine: Vitality, optimism, and bliss
- Wild orange oil, vanilla beans, and tiger's eye: Courage, charisma, strength
- Think of a meaningful number to decide how many drops of oil to add. For example, maybe '8' makes you think of the infinity symbol, so you'll use 8 drops of nutmeg oil for eternal love.

8

Light your candle to start your ritual.

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Call in the intense magick of fire to supercharge your spell. Use a decorative matchstick—like an orange-tipped one—or thin taper candle of any color. When you light your candle with one of these beautiful items, you'll add a lovely glamour to your ritual.^{[9]
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- Think of matchsticks or thin taper candles that will give your spell a unique advantage. For example, a yellow-tipped match can help you learn about peace when you light a grey candle.

9

Watch the flame to find a special sign.

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See how your candle's flame looks to detect a unique message. When you search for clues in candle flames, you're practicing "pyromancy"—a way to seek knowledge using fire. Experiment with this fun craft by paying attention to pyromancy signs like these:^{[10]
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- Flickering or jumping flame: Your spell is full of energy.
- High flame: Your wish will come true soon.
- Weak flame: You must overcome obstacles to reach your goal.
- Blue flame: Helpful forces, like angels, are on your side.
- Split flame: A new entity, like an ancestor's soul, has entered the space.
- Crackling flame: A guardian, like a spirit guide, wants to speak now.
- No flame: Try your spell again at another time.
- Curled wick: Your candle spell likely worked exactly as planned.
- Quick burning wick: You'll enjoy a quick but short-lived result.
- Slow burning wick: You'll need to wait for an amazing outcome.

10

Let your candle burn until the ritual is finished.

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Allow the candle to melt down in one night or relight it many times. You might want your candle to last a single evening so all its wax burns down to the very bottom. However, you may prefer to repeat your ritual for 7 days. If that's the case, use a candle snuffer each night so you can replicate your spell. Your ritual will be complete when you feel the moment is right.^{[11]
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- A candle snuffer makes sure you won't blow out the flame, which can disturb your spell.
- If you'd like to use your dressed candle for different spells, store it in a safe place. For example, place it in a decorative storage chest.

11

Thank the Universe for the fire it provided.

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Express gratitude for the way the element of fire empowered you. Fire is a powerful force to be blessed with—it represents guidance, creativity, and renewal. Honor the Universe, Earth, and Mother Nature for granting you the sacred light that made your candle spell possible. When you do, you'll feel connected to the world around you.^{[12]
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- Return to the Earth by going outside, performing a child's pose, and placing your forehead against the ground.
- Praise the Universe with words like, "I am eternally grateful for the sacred fire you blessed me with."