INTENTIONS: USING CANDLES TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR DESTINY

As you may know well, Dear Reader, clarifying and focusing your intention is the ultimate key to success in any spellwork you perform. A clear intention is essential in order for you to channel your power and energy into attracting the outcome you desire. Beginning a ritual with a hazy or vague intent does not offer any direction for your personal power to go, and you may find you are more likely to either fail or be unsatisfied with the end results. Your intentions should be precise and attainable, and once you have mastered setting the perfect intention, your craft will be much more personal and have a more potent effect.

The following blogs will guide you through some strategies for intention setting and give you a framework to customize spells for your specific needs and desires.

Charging Your Jewelry with Magic

Charging a gem or crystal imbues it with your intent. Upon charging your jewelry, you can use it in spell work or anytime you want to surround yourself with the magic you put into the gemstones. While picturing your truest wish and hope, and what you ultimately want to achieve through this process, anoint a candle with an essential oil that most expresses your energy. Perhaps it is rose or, as in my case, amber. Begin by lighting the candle and gazing into the flame. Then, place the piece of jewelry in front of the candle and say aloud, “Into this jewelry, I imbue my essence and the power of this blessed earth. This gem of great hue is charged until my magic is through. So mote it be!”

You can further empower the jewel by scratching your desire into the wax of the candle. Then, each time you burn the candle, place the gem before it and think upon your quest. You can further empower the jewel by scratching your desire into the wax of the candle. Then, each time you burn the candle, place the gem before it and think upon your quest.

To enchant all of your jewelry, you need to create and altar for this express purpose. You can prepare the way for letting crystal and gem magic into your life, and focusing your desires and dreams, with a gem-magic altar. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some of the following elements. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be. Your gem-magic altar can be a low table, the top of a chest, or even a shelf. First, you must purify the space with the smoke of a sage bundle. This is called smudging and is essential in clearing energy to make way for magic. You can use wild sage or purchase it at any herb store or metaphysical five-and-dime.

Once you have smudged the space, cover your altar with your favorite fabric; I recommend the color white. Place a candle in each corner. I prefer candles of many colors to represent the rainbow array of gems. Place gems and crystals of your choice around the candles. Rose quartz is a heart stone, and fluorite is a calming crystal, so these are good choices for grounding yourself, particularly if your altar is in your bedroom, as many are! Add to the altar fresh flowers, an incense you simply love to smell, and any objects that have special meaning to you. Some folks place lovely shells or feathers they have found in their paths or on the beach, and others use imagery that is special—a goddess statue or a star shape. The most important point is that your altar be pleasing to your eye and your sensibilities. You should feel that it represents the deepest aspects of you as a person.

Ideally, you will bless your altar on a new moon. Light the candles and incense, and say aloud:

    “Here burns happiness about me,

    Peace and harmony are in abundance,

    Here my happiness abounds.

    Gems and jewels—these bones of the earth

    Bring love, prosperity, health and mirth.

    Be it ever thus that joy is the light

    That here burns bright.

    Blessed be!”

You have now consecrated your altar. It will ease your spirit anytime and become your power source. Your altar connects you to the earth of which you and all gems and crystals are a part. Your altar will connect you to the crystal magic that has now entered your life. Whenever you want to add a dash of magic or a supernatural sparkle to a stone or piece of jewelry, you can place it on your altar for seven days. On the seventh day, wear the jewelry and bewitch everyone you encounter! Remember that your level of clarity and concentration will be reflected in the jewel’s power.

Now, enjoy your sacred stones.

Set Your Intention to Be a Master Manifestor

I learned the art of intention-setting some years ago and quickly incorporated it into my morning rituals. Upon waking, sometimes even before I open my eyes, I set my intention for the day—it only takes a minute! It can be about work, financial challenges, a problem I am dealing with, relationships, health, hopes and dreams— anything, as long as it is also for the good of all. It has become a morning prayer for me, quick and quiet. I simply state my intention, such as, “I intend that my presentation today at work will go really well and I will feel joy as it is happening and set the stage for success for this product launch, for the good of all. I am grateful for this wonderful day. And so it is.” During the peak of my money woes, I would get very specific and set intentions for the exact amount of money I needed to make the mortgage payments, pay credit card bills, etc. Granular detail is good when manifesting so it is fine to say how much you want when intending with money.

Keep these other tips in mind:

    * Avoid using words with any negative charge to them, such as “can’t,” “but,” and “won’t,” and amplify     your intention with a statement of gratitude immediately after.

    * Always state your intention as if it is happening now and not in the future. Be specific and intend             without limit.

    * Your intentions do not always have to be personal to you and intending for the greater good of all             contributes to a positive global shift.

    * By setting intentions every day, you will soon become a master manifestor. I intend that for you!

Energy Management—You and Your Crystals

The first thing you need to do with a crystal is charge it, which means syncing it up with your personal frequency and vibrations. You’re placing your desires and wishes into the vessel of the crystal. The crystal’s inherent energies will come into play with your personal power, and your intentions can be manifested, or made real, through the crystal.

The very first step in this process, however, is the dedication of the crystal toward the greater good of all beings. An essential part of this process is the cleansing of the crystal in order to purify its energy. Although this is a straight-forward task, it is of supreme importance for your use of the crystal down the road. If a gem or stone is not as effective as you had hoped, the problem could stem from the initial dedication. Think of this primary step as the honing and direction of the intention. Here is how: simply hold the crystal in the palm of your right hand, and in your mind picture a glow of light surrounding the stone.

When the rock is completely enveloped by light in your mind’s eye, state out loud, “This crystal is only for exacting good of the highest order. In this stone of the earth, there is only love and light.” I like to leave the crystal out in the light of the natural rays of the sun and the moon for a twenty-four-hour period for the maximum dedication of light and love from the universe and the heavens above as part of the purification process. But, if time is of the essence, you can move right on to step number two, charging the crystal itself.

All stones possess natural energies of their very own. You want to merge your energies with those of your crystals so that the crystals will be in sync with your vibratory channel. Remain mindful of the great power your stones have and you will be in a good position to work with it. Consider carefully what kind of energy you want to place into your crystal. Take a stone that has been cleansed by sitting in a bowl of sea salt overnight and in the light of the sun for a day. Sit in a comfortable position and hold the crystal in your right hand. Focus on the energy you desire your crystal to hold and project it into the stone. Bear in mind, the use of crystal magic should not be used solely for your purposes, but also for the greater good. Please make sure you’re projecting positive energy and not anger or hatred. You should ask aloud for your crystal to work together with you for the highest good. You are doing creative visualization here, so keep concentrating until you can see and feel the energy flowing into the stone. You will feel when the charging, or programming, is complete; your intuition will tell you.

While it is not the best-case scenario, you can charge a stone for someone else. For example, if you have a friend who is very ill and halfway around the world, you could charge the crystal with positive, healing energy and send it to your friend to help them. Ask the crystal to work for the highest good of this person and then release that crystal to them.

Setting Daily Intentions for Health and Wellness

To embark upon lifelong well-being, you will need to bring this awareness to every day of your life. Regular health rituals will go a long way toward this becoming a daily intention. Adorn your altar with fresh flowers and candles in colors that represent healing: yellow, red, and green. Every morning for seven days, light the candles and contemplate your future self in an optimal state of health, speaking this spell:

    Today I arise on this glorious day

    Under this rising sun, hear me say:

    I will walk in wellness in every way

    For body, mind, and soul, I pray.

    Blessed be, and may it be so.

Create Your Own Lucky Talisman

If you are presenting your paintings to a curator or pitching your book to a publisher, you can wear a talisman of your own making to ensure a positive outcome. Many performers, athletes, and musicians have lucky pieces of clothing or some token that gives them the courage to put themselves forth in the best possible manner. I have lucky scarves that I have woven with golden thread and scented with my personally auspicious aroma of amber.

To maximize the power of the talisman, consider the following suggestions, which I have used to great success. Keep in mind that this will work even better if you place the item on your altar to imbue it with the right energy. On a new moon night, or at least seven days before you perform or present your work, place your lucky scarf, glove, sock, or kerchief on your altar. Now, here is where a bit of candle magic comes in. Light a green, red, or blue candle, depending on your intention. Green is for abundance, red is for fame, and blue is for creative vision. Burn the candle for one hour every evening. When the big day comes, you will be ready. 

For a speech, presentation, performance, or show, wear a red scarf. If you are preparing for a potentially lucrative deal, you must wear green. If you are trying to empower someone to see and share in your creative vision, blue is the right hue for you.

Dream Job Incantation

Here is another spell that will attract new employment opportunities to you, and one that does not have the prerequisite of a particular moon phase. Light a gold candle and place it in a special place beside a chunk of shiny gold pyrite. Repeat this incantation eight times while holding the stone in your right hand. In your mind’s eye, form an image of the job you most desire as you speak:

    To see what the future holds,

    I must be bold.

    I see the perfect job for me;

    I see a place of plenty.

    Upon my heart’s desire I am set;

    my new boss will never regret.

    This job will come to me now;

    harm to none, I vow.

    With harm to none, so mote it be.

Thor's-Day Thursday Prosperity Potion

This spell is truly marvelous for getting a new or better-paying job. You will get the best results on a new moon or full moon Thursday night, but any “Thor’s Day” will do. Thursdays are named for Jupiter or Jove, originally Thor of Norse mythology, who represents joviality, expansion, and all things abundant.

To prepare yourself, begin by pouring a few drops of green apple or verbena essential oil into a vessel of hot water. Breathe in the steam deeply ten times, inhaling and exhaling deeply for cleansing. Light a single green candle. As you close your eyes, meditate on your true desires. What does personal prosperity mean to you? What do you really need? What do you most desire?

When you are clear about your answers, focus on the candle flame while intoning:

    Here and now, my intention is set.

    New luck will be mine and all needs will be met.

    With harm to none and plenty for all, blessed be.

After your cleansing breath meditation, perform this tried-and-true prosperity ritual to seal deals and bring new gainful employment and fiscal abundance your way.

Light a yellow or metallic gold candle and light cinnamon incense to go along with the candle. Place a piece of amethyst crystal by the candle and incense, and repeat this incantation eight times while envisioning yourself with perfect abundance at the perfect job:

    I see the perfect place for me; I see a place of plenty.

    Upon my heart’s desire, I am set.

    Prosperity comes to me now.

Place the vessel of water on your altar and let it cool. At midnight, pour the prosperity potion on the roots of a nearby tree.

Pagan New Year: A Solo Ritual for Samhain

Samhain, also known as the Celtic New Year, is the most profound, important, and best known of all pagan sabbats. Samhain is perhaps the favorite Celtic high holiday of all. After all, it is the witches’ New Year celebration and the time to honor and commune with your elders and family members who have passed on to the other side, as well as the time to celebrate the passing year and set intentions for new blessings in the new year to come. 

Supplies:

• Altar space
• 8 candles
• Powdered incense
• Bread
• Salt
• Wine

1. Prepare for this most holy night and rite by setting up an altar. Place three candles on a stone altar to represent the Triple Goddess and five to represent the points of the pentagram. The star of the pentagram should be drawn with powdered incense of the self-lighting variety to be lit later. Gather together bread, salt, and wine for the sacrament.
   
   
2. After you have made your preparations for the altar, ready yourself by bathing and meditating. Anoint your body before dressing in a robe or gown befitting this night when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. As you ready your body, mind, and spirit, consider what has taken place in the preceding year. Cleanse your mind and heart of old sorrows and most especially of angers and petty resentments. Bring only your best into this night. After all, this is New Year’s Eve for witches, and you want to truly connect with those who have gone on to the other side.
   
   
3. Walk alone to the place of the ceremony and kneel before the altar. Before lighting the candles on the altar, say aloud:
   
   This candle I light for the Maiden’s brightest glory.
   
   Light the candle and bow to the Maiden.
   
   This candle I light for the power and passion of the Lady, the Queen.
   
   Light the candle and bow to the Queen.
   
   This candle I light for the unsurpassable wisdom of the Crone.
   
   Light the candle and bow to the Crone.
   
   
4. Light the incense, and then gazing at the candles on the altar, say:
   
   These do I light in honor of the Triple Goddess
   on this sacred night of Samhain.
   I create this holy temple
   in honor of the Goddess and the God
   and all the ancient ones.
   From time before time,
   I pay my tribute and my devotion
   In love and greeting to those beyond the veil.
   
   
5. Now light the candles that represent the power of the five-pointed pentagram. Rap three times on the altar with your hands or with your wand. Then say:
   
   This is a time outside of time
   in a place outside of any place
   on a day that is not a day
   between the worlds and afar.
   
   
6. Pause and listen to your heart for thirteen beats, then hold your hands in benediction over the bread, salt, and wine. Now say:
   
   For this bread, salt, and wine,
   I do ask the blessings
   of our Maiden, our Queen, and our Crone
   and of the God who guards the Gates of the World.
   
   
7. Take the bread and sprinkle a bit of salt over it, saying:
   
   I ask that I and all whom I love
   have health and abundance and blessings.
   
   Eat the bread, and hold up the goblet of wine, saying:
   
   To a spirit that remains strong and true!
   
   Drink the wine and declare:
   
   By the Triple Goddess and her godly consort, so mote it be!
   
   
8. At this point, a danse macabre to any dark folk or Gothic music of your choosing can end the ritual—I suggest any music by the band Dead Can Dance. You should also spend time meditating or allowing yourself to ease into a trance state to communicate with your beloved dead. Hear the messages they have for you and let them know you.
   
   
9. When you feel the ritual has ended, quench the candles, and then say:
   
   Though these flames
   of the material world
   be darkened,
   they shall ever burn
   in the world beyond.
   This rite is ended.

Charging Your Candles

“Charging” a candle means instilling it with magical intent. A candle that has been charged fills your personal space with the intention of all four elements.

Once you clarify your intention, cleanse your candles by passing them through the purifying smoke of a cedar bundle or some incense. This stage is especially important if you have purchased new candles for your rituals from a store or metaphysical shop. Cleansing will rid the candles of any odd energies they may have absorbed from other places or people.

You can further charge your candle by carving a symbol into the wax. Warm the tip of your ritual knife using a lit match and carve your full intention into the candle wax. I like to use the thorn of a rose for this. You can use your ritual knife to write words, although many witches use symbols—a heart, a dollar sign, or a number, for example. As you engrave the appropriate magical words onto the candle, you are charging it with energy and your hope and purpose for this spell. Some highly successful examples of this I have used and witnessed in circle gatherings are: “Healing for my friend who is in the hospital; she will recover for renewed and increased health.” “I get the raise I am asking for, and more!” “New true love enters my life in the coming season, blessed be.”

Next, you should dress your candle with a specific oil. Every essential oil is imbued with a power that comes from the plants and flowers of which it is made. 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 and doubling the energies by anointing both your tool—in this case, the candle— and yourself.

Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flowers, herbs, roots, or resins, sometimes diluted in a neutral base oil. Try to ensure you are using natural oils instead of manufactured, chemical-filled perfume oils; the synthetics lack any real energy. Also, approach oils with caution, and don’t get them in your eyes. Clean cotton gloves are a good idea to keep in your kitchen for handling sensitive materials. You can avoid any mess and protect your magical tools by using oil droppers. While you are learning and studying, find a trusted herbalist or the wise sage at your local metaphysical shop; usually their years of experience offer much in the way of useful knowledge that will be to your advantage as you work with candles.

Center Yourself with the Help of a Little Candle Magic

The best way to prepare for personal ritual is to center yourself. I call this “doing a readjustment,” and I believe this is especially important in our overscheduled and busy world. Doing a readjustment helps pull you back into yourself and gets your priorities back on track. Only when you are truly centered can you do the true inner work of self-development that is at the core of ritual. Centering takes many forms. Experiment on your own to find out what works best for you. One excellent way to center is to light a candle and meditate on it. By focusing on the flame, you bring your being and awareness into focus. You can take this a step further with this spell for new insight into your life.

Step 1: Place one candle on your altar or “centering station.” Light your favorite meditation incense. For me, nag champa immediately sanctifies any space and creates a sacred aura.

Step 2: Scratch your name into the candle with the tip of your knife. Next, scratch your hope onto the candle, either in words or other symbols. 

Step 3: Light your candle and recite:

    This candle burns for me.

    Here burns my hope for [say what you are hoping for].

    Here burns the flame of insight,

    may I see clearly in this new light.

Sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes and picture yourself enacting your hopes and desires. You are setting your intention. Picture yourself in the company of people who inspire and teach you, those who bring insight and new light into your life. Let the candle burn down completely.

Intention Candle Spell

Essential elements for this ritual are one candle of your favorite color, a candle holder, copal or cinnamon essential oil to represent spirituality, paper and pen, a ritual knife, and any visual aids you may require, such as photos, tarot cards, or a drawing of a deity you have made or found specifically for this ritual. Carefully select a representation of a deity with whom you feel a connection or who you believe will be benevolent toward your intention.

The “body” of the ritual refers to the act itself. It will further your intention if you carve related symbols and power words into your candle with the tip of your knife. Anoint the candle with the essential oil you have chosen. Dressing the candle with the oil from top to bottom adds the influence of attraction to your spell. Conversely, dressing the oil in the opposite direction, from bottom to top, adds banishing power to your spell.

Write your intention on the paper and then speak aloud:

    Thus, I consecrate this candle in the name of [insert the name of the deity here],

    so this flame will burn brightly and light my way.

Place the anointed candle in the candleholder, light it, and say:

    Blessed candle, light of the Goddess,

    I burn this light of [deity’s name].

    Hear my prayer, O [name the deity], hear my need.

    Do so with all your grace

    and with magical speed.

Now read your intention as you wrote it on the paper. Roll the paper into a scroll; then, using a few drops of the warm wax from your intention candle, seal your sacred statement. Place the paper on your altar or in a special place where it can be safe until your intention is realized. 

Allow the candle to burn down completely in order to truly raise and release energy. It can be useful to use small candles or tea lights for spells that require candles to burn out completely, so you’re not left sitting there for several hours. Once you have seen your spell come to a culmination, burn the written intention in a metal dish or in your fireplace in gratitude to the god or goddess who helped you. While other faiths may pray to God for help and favors, this differs in that you are helping yourself: you are taking action and setting your intention, not simply turning over all responsibility to a higher power.

How to Set Intentions for a Ritual of Your Own Design

When creating your own ritual, or performing any spellwork, for that matter, you must approach it with a definite concentration, so try to eliminate any distractions clogging up your sacred space. If a nagging worry is hovering in the back of your mind, you are not properly focused. You may even want to perfect an image of your intention and desire with creative visualization.

Part of your preparation should also include using ritual correspondences—the phase of the moon, the day of the week, the color of the candles you use, and much more. These things add to the depth and meaning of your ritual. Do you need to clear the energy and refresh your altar with some housecleaning? Do so and continue to focus on your intention as you create the foundation for a successful ceremony. While you are clearing energy in your space, you must also clear out the clutter in your mind. If you are in a state of inner chaos, the outcome will simply not measure up to your expectations. Perhaps it will help you relax if you listen to instrumental music or sacred chants. Conscious breathing or stretching will also help you make yourself ready for ritual. Constructing your inner temple is a marvelous process that can aid in your journey deep inside yourself.

Sit or lie down in a position that is comfortable enough to relax you, but not so comfortable as to allow you to drift off to sleep. As you breathe slowly and rhythmically, imagine a peaceful, beautiful place specific to your desires. It could be a white marble temple in a lovely sculpture garden under a still blue sky. It could be a mirror pool by a sacred grove. It must be pleasing to you, a place you can visit frequently in visualization. It can be any size or shape but should have certain aspects:

• The Center: Your inner temple should have a single center from which you can access all areas of the temple. This center space is a representation of your personal power center.
• Reflective Surface: Here is where you can take a look at yourself spiritually. The reflective surface can be a scrying mirror, a crystal ball, or even a pool of water. You can also use it to look at the past, present, and future.
• Water: Your inner temple can have any number of water sources, such as a waterfall, a well, a stream, or an ocean. Water represents our deepest levels of consciousness. Commune with your deepest self here.
• Earth: Here is where you ground yourself and create manifestation. Take stock of your deepest desires and goals here in a garden, forest, meadow, or wherever your imagination guides you.

Ideally, your inner temple has four doorways or gates, one each for the four directions and elements. Once you have created your ideal inner temple, you can now use it to perform ritual, as you have created permanent sacred space inside and outside this temple through visualization.

Aphrodisiacal Altar: Sacred Space for Love

 

To prepare for new relationships and deepen the expression of feeling and intensity to your lovemaking, create a center from which to renew your erotic spirit. Here you can concentrate your energy, clarify your intentions, and make wishes come true. If you already have an altar, incorporate some special elements, such as red candles or red crystals, or anything associated with Venus, like copper or a seashell to enhance your sex life. Your altar can sit on a low table, a big box, or any flat surface dedicated to magic. One friend of mine has her sex altar at the head or her bed. Begin by purifying the space with a sage smudge stick—a bundle of sage that you burn as your pass it through the space. Then cover your altar with a large red silk or silk-like fabric. Place two red candles at the center of your altar and place a soul mate crystal—two crystals naturally fused together—at the far right corner of the altar. These are available at metaphysical stores. Anoint your candles with jasmine and neroli oil. Also keep the incense you think is sexiest on your altar. Your sex altar is also a place where you can keep sex toys that you want to imbue with magic. Place fresh Casablanca lilies in a vase and change them the minute they begin to fade. Lilies are heralded as exotic and erotic flowers prized for their seductive scent. 

Love Altar Dedication

Light candles and incense and dab the jasmine and essential oils above your heart. Speak aloud:

I light the flame,
I fan the flame,
Each candle I burn is a wish.
My lust will never wane.
I desire and I will be desired.
Harm to none, so mote it be.

Altar Herbs

Refer to this list whenever you are setting up your altar and setting your intention for ritual work. It is a concise guide to the enchanted realm of herbs, essences, plants and plant properties.

• Benzoin can be used for purification, prosperity, work success, mental acuity, and memory.
• Camphor can be used for healing, divining the future, curbing excess, especially romantic obsessions, and a surfeit of sexuality.
• Cinnamon refreshes and directs spirituality. It is also a protection herb and handy for healing, money, love, lust, personal power, and success with work and creative projects.
• Clove is good for bringing money to you, for protection, for your love life, and for helping evade and deter negative energies.
• Copal should be used for love and purification.
• Frankincense is another spiritual essence that purifies and protects.
• Lavender is a plant for happiness, peace, true love, long life, chastity, and is an excellent purifier that aids with sleep.
• Myrrh has been considered since ancient times to be deeply sacred. It aids personal spirituality, heals and protects, and can help ward off negative spirits and energies.
• Nutmeg is a lucky herb that promotes good health and prosperity and encourages fidelity.
• Patchouli stimulates and grounds while engendering both sensuality and fertility. It also supports personal wealth and security.
• Peppermint is an herb of purification, healing, and love. It supports relaxation and sleep as it helps to increase psychic powers.
• Rosemary is good for purification, protection, healing, relaxation, and intelligence. It attracts love and sensuality, helps with memory, and can keep you youthful.
• Sage brings wisdom, purification, protection, health, and a long life. It can help make your wishes come true.
• Sandalwood is a mystical, healing, protecting essence that helps attract the objects of your hopes and desires and dispenses negative energies and spirits.
• Star Anise is a lucky herb that aids divination and psychism.
• Tonka Bean brings courage and draws love and money.
• Vanilla brings love and enriches your mental capacity.
• Wood Aloe is good for dressing or anointing talismans and amulets you want to use for protection.