Candle Magic For Beginners: Advanced Methods to Practicing Wiccan Candle Magic

By Lisa Martin

Fire has been the key to human survival ever since we've been on this planet. It is what we gather around at the end of the day to feed ourselves and keep us warm. Without the element of fire, life would simply not be possible. This is what makes it such a magical element. We have learned to connect with the universe and its property of heat thr

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa Martin
• Release date: Jul 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088227886

Book preview

Introduction

Fire has been the key to human survival ever since we’ve been on this planet. It is what we gather around at the end of the day to feed ourselves and keep us warm. Without the element of fire, life would simply not be possible. This is what makes it such a magical element. We have learned to connect with the universe and its property of heat through fire.

All of our basic associations like love, home, and protection are centered on the idea of fire. It has not only physically protected us, but all of our mythology over the years has developed around it as well. It is truly the inspiration for most human ideas; even our gods and goddesses have rich associations with fire.

What really interests humans about the fire is its flickering and dancing movements. It is easy to get lost in the fire if you keep staring at it for a long time. Most cultures have used fire to produce altered states of consciousness. People used to dance around the fire and get lost in it. They would have beautiful metaphysical experiences that would transform their view of the world entirely. Many people would converse with gods and goddesses with the help of fire. Shamans would conjure up hallucinations with the help of it.

In this book, you will learn how to do all of this by connecting with one of nature’s most fundamental elements - fire. We will do this with the help of a candle, a small source of light that can contain the mesmerizing and destructive potential of fire. Wiccans have been using fire for hundreds of years to cast spells and conduct rituals. In Wicca, fire is seen as a sacred object that can help us harness the universe’s energy and connect with it. Fire can be used for multiple purposes. It can help you protect yourself from negative energies or even get the universe to grant your wishes.

This book will teach you about the significance of fire, as well as how it has shaped our history and mythology. We will talk about the importance of fire magic and what is so interesting about this element. More importantly, you will learn how to harness the power of fire through the use of candles. A candle is a delicate substance, and casting a spell requires that you learn how to treat it properly. This book will guide you through everything you will need to cast a spell, like what materials to gather, how to treat your supplies, how to build an altar, and the affirmations you must chant to make your spell effective.

Chapter One

Understanding the

Wiccan Element of Fire

Fire is one of the four main elements of Earth, and the deification of fire has been a common element in human culture since the Lower Paleolithic. Fire was revered for its property of providing heat, warmth, and light to the early humans and for its metaphysical function. Early forms of animism saw many deities as being connected to fire and stemming from the fire. Most religions talk about going towards the light or finding the light. This shows the importance of fire in religion and how intricately we are connected to it.

The Connection with Fire

In Indo-European languages, the etymology of fire divides it into two parts - animate and inanimate. The animate part is called Agni (drawn from Sanskrit), and it means the spiritual element that exists within the fire. Fire, being an animate being, gives the world power and allows life to exist. The inanimate part is known as power, and it signifies the element of fire that humans wield to do basic functions.

Early signs of fire worship date back to Indo-Iranian rituals. In Hinduism, fire became a sign of purity; therefore, the bodies of the dead were cremated. The burning of the body was supposed to represent a cleaning so that the soul could leave its earthly trials and tribulations to ascend into heaven. The concept of purity was associated with fire because of how our ancestors wielded fire from the start of the agrarian economy.

Fire was used to change the landscape and clear it out - burning parts of the land to create farmland and also to burn it off once you are done harvesting. This resulted in a symbolic reliance on the idea of fire as a shield against the problems of the world. Even things like food security, which ensures our bodies’ integrity, became associated with fire.

The idea of fire-worship was mainly associated with Zoroastrianism. It represented truth and righteousness because the vapors from a fire keep on ascending upwards and cannot be polluted, but instead, it cleanses pollution. The connection between the physical act of the fire going upwards became associated with its symbolic permanence in the minds of early humans as transcending the earthly realm.

In the Vedas, fire was seen as the representation of the connection between the worshiper and the deity. In any ceremony, Agni (fire) was used to summon the deity, drawing their attention with the fire and then stoking the fire carefully to establish a more elevated connection with the gods. The fire was supposed to carry the worshiper into the spiritual realm so they could convene with different gods. The fire was then slowly smothered out as the worshiper would come down from their sojourn with the gods.

In Greek philosophy and science, fire is considered one of the four main elements that constitute the world. Fire is associated with both heat and dryness. In Greek mythology, fire is associated with things like passion, assertiveness, and energy. It was central to the existence of humans, and particularly, in one myth, Prometheus is shown to steal fire from the Gods to help the humans. The gods punished him for this, and he suffered for ages because of this one crime.

For the pre-Socratic philosophers, fire was one of the archai. The archai, according to them, were the main elements from which the cosmos was created. It was considered the substance behind the creation itself. According to Heraclitus, fire created all the other elements and is the most important one. He hypothesized that fire led to the creation of sea, the earth, and finally air in a series of events known as the turnings of the fire. He also believed that the soul was made of two elements - fire and water.

Fire was the more noble part of the soul, and water was the ignoble part. The basic properties of fire made him believe that the perfect soul turned into pure fire by getting rid of its watery aspect. Fire and its dryness for him were noble aspects. The dry soul was destined for greatness, and those that led water to dominate their soul cared only about worldly pleasures. Trying to seek pleasure in the word makes the soul moist and, therefore, unsuitable for the long term.

In Greek medicine, four humors were considered the cause of most maladies. The excess of these humors in the body was believed to cause different ailments. Fire was associated with an excess of yellow bile. Yellow bile was considered the ailment behind a choleric temperament (aggressiveness and short-temper). Summer was considered the season of fire and yellow bile because the arid temperature made everyone susceptible to irritation and anger.

In Native American mythology, a Cherokee legend talks about Grandmother Spider who helped humans by stealing fire from the sun, hiding it in a clay pot, and teaching people how to harness it to keep themselves warm.

Fire is also associated with gods of trickery and conceit in many legends because fire teaches us that it cannot be controlled. We may think we know what fire is and how to control it, but ultimately it is nothing but a trickster that can cause chaos once it is set loose. In Norse Mythology, fire is connected with Loki, the God of Chaos.

In folklore, fire is often connected with the hearth. The hearth was the central part of the household, the space that kept everyone warm and brought the household together. In the Pacific Islands, many houses have a statue of an old woman next to the hearth that symbolizes the importance of fire as a maternal caring figure.

Fire in Wicca

Wicca is where fire becomes the most important element in ritualistic practice. It is used in various forms in almost every Wiccan ritual to connect with nature. Fire is the most central element, whether it is in bonfires, a cauldron fire pit, using candles, or conducting magic. Fire is not just used in these rituals, but it governs them.

If we consider the spatial organization of all these rituals, everything happens around fire. People know where to stand, what to do, and where to look, all because everyone gathers around the fire. This is what creates a sense of community; it is a shared belief in magic known as Wicca. Fire is central to these practices, especially because it can enhance the transformation of reality.

Candle, Light, Candlelight, Flame, Wick, Candle Wick