Candle magic is a wonderful way to get into Wicca because most people have been around candles their whole lives. But it can also be daunting due to all the Wiccan candle meanings from the colors to reading the flames.
This article will present an overview of everything you’ll need to know to get started.
If you don’t want to read the full thing, here’s a quick guide:
| Color | Meaning | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| White | Divinity | Purification |
| Black | Protection | Samhain |
| Red | Passion | Imbolc |
| Orange | Justice | Mabon |
| Yellow | Intelligence | Litha |
| Green | Growth | Beltane |
| Blue | Communication | Winter Solstice |
| Purple | Spirituality | Awakening |
| Pink | Nurturing | Vernal Equinox |
Candle Magic
Candles play a vital role in many Wiccan rites, rituals, celebrations, divination, and spells.
It’s good to understand that their uses aren’t limited to spells. Having a good foundation in all these uses will help you to develop your own magic and intuitions instead of just following others.
Remember, making Wicca your own personal journey is a great, creative, and rewarding experience.
Of course, I don’t mean to be patronizing. You probably already knew how important candles are as a symbol in all cultures and religions throughout human history.
The National Candle Association documents use from the current-day Advent candle in Christianity to ancient Egypt uses in 3,000 B.C.
You’re probably already familiar with some spells, too, if you’ve made it to this site. One beautiful thing you might not be familiar with is how to read the flame. This technique will come later.
Wiccan Candle Color Meanings
The most basic thing to cover first is the Wiccan candle color meanings. This will give you an idea for which colors to use in which situation when developing your own magic.
White Candle Meaning
White almost always symbolizes divinity. It should be used in rituals that commune with the Goddess or to do a deep dive into your own divine nature.
I like to do a simple white candle purification ritual when going into a long meditation.
White also means peace. It is a tool for magic or rites that call for the end to conflict, whether personal or on a grander scale.
Black Candle Meaning
Black is usually associated with negative things, and they can certainly be used for those purposes. I subscribe to a 100% positivity approach to Wicca, so I will not go into those uses.
If you dare, remember, you will get back that negativity threefold. It is never worth it.
Black is actually a great color for reducing negativity. Many spells have you draw the negativity into a black candle, and then, as it burns, the flame eats the negative energy and releases it.
This type of magic is a type of protection.
Red Candle Meaning
Red has the typical meaning of love, passion, and sex. These are age-old uses in Wicca.
Red is also the color of the element of fire, so they are used in fire elemental magic.
An overlooked meaning of red is anything involving strength. This can be physical, but it will often take the form of emotional or psychological strength.
Maybe you want to do magic to develop the courage to confront someone, then red is a great choice.
Orange Candle Meaning
Orange is a fairly unusual color for a candle. It takes the meaning of justice and legal matters.
But don’t take this too literally!
I love to use orange candles for my Mabon rituals. This is because it is the Autumn equinox: the balance of night and day. Justice is about fairness, equality, and balance.
Not to mention, the orange fits right in with the changing of the leaves at this time of year.
Yellow Candle Meaning
Yellow is the color of the element air. Yellow candles are frequently used for air elemental magic.
Just like the element, yellow represents the mind. It is used in rituals and magic that involve memory and intelligence.
It also represents the sun, and so any Sun ritual, including the celebration of Litha, the Summer Solstice, should bring in yellow candles.
Green Candle Meaning
Green is the color of the element Earth, and is used in earth elemental magic. It mostly has the meaning of growth, whether this be personal, plant life, or money.
It also gets used to improve luck. Any celebration that revolves around Mother Earth or nature or herb magic should bring in green candles.
Blue Candle Meaning
Blue is the color representation of the element of water. Water elemental magic, though rarely using candles, can incorporate blue candles sometimes.
Blue is the color of communication. It can be used for magic involving relationships. As the opposite of fire, blue can serve as a balancing to fire magic. It cools down and calms the passion, leading to a more rational and level-headed approach.
Purple Candle Meaning
Purple is the color of the psychic and spiritual. It is most often used in preparation for divination or opening the third eye.
It is a great color for focusing inward and learning more about what’s going on under the surface of things.
Purple candles can also mean royalty. They tend to be used in rituals that involve people in superior positions. For example, if you elect a leader of your coven, the swearing-in would normally be accompanied by purple candles.
Pink Candle Meaning
Pink is the color of caring and nurturing. It is a great color for any ritual that involves putting out goodwill into the world.
Pink candles can also be used for healing and caring magic. Since the color represents affection, they can be used, contrary to some customs, for farewell or burial ceremonies.
Language of the Candle’s Flame
The language of the candle’s flame is an art to interpret. But it’s important to learn to do this because the flame meaning is how the candle and fire element communicates with you.
A candle will have many characteristics while burning, and the communication will let you know how well the spell is working.
It can also be used during divination to read the future or during a ritual. Reading and understanding a candle’s flame comes up in all sorts of Wiccan candle magic.
What to Look For
First, you should let the candle communicate. Don’t force it. This is similar to how many practices in Wicca go. You should clear your mind and let things flow naturally.
Watch the flame for the following:
- Is it dancing, jumping, strong, or weak?
- Is it consistently pointing in a certain direction?
- Is the smoke straight, swirling, blowing in a direction?
- Is the smoke white or black?
- Are there hints of other colors in the flame?
- Is the wax melting in certain way?
These are just some of the types of things to watch for. Now let’s go through what they mean.
What do different flames mean?
A strong flame is characterized by being tall and slender without dancing or flickering. A tall still flame means that everything is going according to plan.
A weak flame means that the magic is compromised somehow. Maybe you lost focus or didn’t use a good amount of energy. In any event, the more you fear the flame will just go out, the more you should consider starting over to ensure good magic.
A dancing flame is one that seems strong at times and weak at others—one direction one moment and another the next. Dancing flames mean strong magic, but it can be a bit unpredictable. It’s possible that part of your intentions has gone awry.
A flickering flame usually doesn’t last long. It either gains in strength or becomes consistently weak. A sudden flickering without that happening usually means another presence has appeared. This could be rogue energy, a spirit or faerie, or unfocused energy of your own.
If you see hints of color in the flame, check the meanings above for what the color means. The magic will still work, but it may be leaning toward a slightly different interpretation from the original intent.
| Flame | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Strong | Going to plan |
| Weak | Compromised magic |
| Dancing | Strong magic |
| Flickering | New presence appeared |
Directions
If the flame or smoke is consistently moving in one direction, you should take note.
The cardinal directions each have an element and attribute associated. These will give you your interpretation:
- North represents a physical change.
- East represents a mental change.
- South represents an intensity change.
- West represents an emotional change.
Now, what exactly this change is depends on what else the language of the flame is indicating. For instance, a weak flame to the west means the emotional charge of the magic is weakening, and so on.
If the smoke turns dark, this is a bad sign. It means negativity is creeping into the magic of the type given by its direction.
Reading the Wax
The last bit of the candle’s language to pay attention to is the wax.
If there is very little dripping of the wax, this is the best sign. Everything is balanced and working properly. If the wax only drips on one side, see the above directions for what is out of balance.
If the candle melts everywhere (sometimes called a “quick burn”), it is a sign of a lot of passion in the magic. The spell should work, but it might not have the lasting effect you’d like.
If the candle burns down into the wax, leaving walls on all sides, it means there is a blockage. The magic has either been prevented by someone (or something) else or you didn’t put enough energy into it to succeed.
How Long Does Candle Magic Take to Work?
As with everything in Wicca, this will depend greatly. Wicca is a way of life, not a quick fix to something. The more impatient you are, the less likely it is to work.
That being said, any type of magic involving fire tends to work quickly in comparison. Think to other types of magic that have succeeded for you and then cut that time down.
The more involved the magic, the longer it will probably take. A simple purification spell will work immediately, but a love spell that must change someone’s heart could take months.
A luck spell could work within the week.
Favorite Candle Magic Books
If you want to learn more about Wiccan candle meanings here are some of my favorite books on the subject.
Lisa Chamberlain is always a delight. Her book Wicca Candle Magic covers much of the same ground in more depth:
If you’re looking for an excellent book that covers much different ground, check out Practical Candleburning Rituals by Raymond Buckland:
This book has in-depth guides great for beginners and experienced practitioners. Moreover, these rituals can easily be adapted to fit whatever your custom needs will be. I’ve referenced this book for years.
Closing Thoughts
Always remember, all of these rules about meanings and readings are merely starting points as passed down over the centuries.
Always trust in your own intuitions when they conflict. Your energy is going into the spell or magic, so if you have a strong connection of black to love, go with that for the time.
Wicca is personal, and trying to follow other people’s guidelines too strictly, especially when it isn’t what you feel, is a recipe for disaster.
