I’m currently reading Richard Webster’s Candle Magic for Beginners. Unfortunately several sudden life changes have kept me from my Wiccan and magical studies recently – so what a better way to get back into the swing of things than getting back to basics with the simple yet effective techniques of candle magic?
Going Through the Book
Webster gets started by giving some history on candles and candle magic, then moves onto talking about different kinds of candles and other tools you may require for your magical workings. For those who are unfamiliar with or rusty on their color correspondences, he dedicates a chapter to this.
From this point, we get into the thick of it, starting off with creating magic using only a single candle. I was particularly interested in his Mandala Candle Healing technique – which I will definitely have to try. This method fuses candle magic, art/creativity and healing into one fun and expressive ritual.
Webster also includes his simple methods for cleansing and consecrating a candle by cleaning it, carving a symbol (optional), and dressing it with oil. He adds another optional step of “winding” which involves wrapping ribbon around the candle. This interested me – I’ve never heard of it – but unfortunately he doesn’t provide much detail, such as what do do with the ribbon after you’ve wound it around an oily candle.
Other basics are covered, such as timing of spellwork and numerology. Later chapters covering healing, divination and rituals. You’ll also get an introduction to candlemaking for yourself at the end of the book.
Overall Thoughts
Recommended for beginners, for sure. Candle magic is a great way to learn the fundamentals and most important aspects of spellwork without having to worry about a bunch of (expensive) props. I’d also recommend Webster as an author – I enjoyed his “Pendulum Magic for Beginners” as well.
For advanced readers – this book reminded me of good basic practices. Even if you’re a bit more seasoned than a beginner, consider going through the book – you may pick up a few pearls of insight for your own practice.
