Candle Color Correspondences
Black: banishing, absorbing, expulsion of the negative,
healing serious disease, attracting money
Brown: home, animal wisdom, grounding, healing
Dark Blue: change, flexibility, the unconscious, psychic powers, healing
Gold: solar magic, money, attraction, the astral plane
Gray: neutrality, impasse, cancellation
Green: money, prosperity, growth, luck, jobs, gardening,
youth, beauty, fertility
Light Blue: patience happiness, triumph over depression,
calm understanding
Orange: attraction, success with legal issues, mutability,
stimulation, support, encouragement
Pink: love, faithfulness, friendships, goodness, affection
Purple: healing, ambition, business success, stress relief, power
Red: strength, protection, vitality, sexuality, passion, courage,
power, love, good health
White: purification, peace, protection, truth, binding,
sincerity, serenity, chastity, happiness, spirit
Yellow: mental power and vision, intelligence, clear thinking,
study, self-assurance, prosperity, abundance, divination,
psychism, powers of persuasion, wisdom, charisma, sound sleep
Once you clarify your intention, cleanse your candles by
passing them through the purifying smoke of sage or incense.
Further charge your candle by carving a symbol or sigil into
the wax. You can warm the tip of your ritual knife using a lit match and carve your full intention into the candle wax. As
you engrave the appropriate magical words onto the candle,
you are charging it with energy and intention. Next, you should
“dress” your candle with specific oil. Every essential oil is
imbued with a power that comes from the plants and flowers
of which it is made. The appendix gives correspondences that you can use. You can also use oils to anoint yourself at the crown of the head or at the third eye to increase mental
clarity. By using the inherent powers of essential oils, you are
increasing the effectiveness of your rite and “doubling” the
energies by anointing both your tool—in this case, the candle—
and yourself.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flower, herb,
root, or resin extract, sometimes diluted into base oil. Try to
ensure that you are using authentic essential oils instead of
perfume or fragrance oils, which are synthetic versions. Always
treat the oils with great care, as some are highly irritating to
those with sensitive skin. For this reason, some people choose
to wear clean cotton gloves when handling oils. Use droppers
to measure the oils carefully, and avoid touching your face and
especially eyes when working with them. Never drink your
essential oils and use caution when inhaling them, as some of
the stronger ones can have a negative effect on your sinuses.
Different people have different reactions to various essential
oils. My friend Nancy, for example, gets migraine headaches
any time amber oil is in use. If possible, find an herbalist who
will guide you as you experiment with oils in rituals and
workings. I am fortunate in that I may consult with Randy, my trusted oil mixer at San Francisco’s The Sword and the
Rose. He is extremely knowledgeable and generous with his
wisdom. Research and explore the wide varieties of essential
oils now available, and eventually you will discover those that
work for you.
Essential Oil Magical Correspondences
Astral Projection: jasmine, benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood
Courage: geranium, black pepper, frankincense
Dispelling Negative Spirits: basil, clove, copal, frankincense,
juniper, myrrh, pine, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood,
Solomon’s seal, yarrow, vetiver
Divination: camphor, orange, clove
Enchantment: ginger, tangerine
Healing: bay, cedar wood, cinnamon, coriander, eucalyptus,
juniper, lime, rose, sandalwood, spearmint
Joy: lavender
Love: apricot, basil, chamomile, clove, copal, coriander, rose,
geranium, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lime, neroli, peppermint,
rose, rosemary, ylang-ylang, vetiver
Luck: orange, nutmeg, rose, vetiver
Peace: lavender
Prosperity: basil, clove, ginger, cedar, cinnamon, jasmine,
nutmeg, orange, oak moss, patchouli, peppermint, pine,
wood aloe
Protection: bay, basil, anise, black pepper, cedar, cinnamon,
clove, copal, cypress, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose,
geranium, lime, myrrh, juniper, lavender, patchouli,
peppermint, pine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver
Sexuality: cardamom, cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, olive,
patchouli, peppermint, rosemary