Simple Magick: Birthday Cake Candles

Birthday cake candles! One of the best magickal tools around (imho).

They are:

Small

Perfect for spells, they’re quick to burn down. This means you’re not waiting around for ages to see your spell through to completion. Great for magick in a hurry/emergency.

Cheap

Much cheaper than dedicated spell candles. Some say they haven’t been made with magick in mind, but I disagree - what else is a birthday wish?! Can you truly say those mass-produced spell candles are?

Accessible

Find them at the supermarket. Easy and convenient. Say no more!

Colourful

You can find every colour online. Black, metallics, and even brown if you look hard enough.

Under the Radar

Kept in the kitchen drawer, the witch still firmly in the broom cupboard will remain there.

Versatile

The perfect tool for numerology spells (use as many as you need), to create a sigil, and in spells associated with to happiness and innocence, to name but a few.

Do you use birthday cake candles? I’d love to hear!

NEXT - Simple Magick: Candle Replacements
NEXT - Simple Magick: Birthday Rituals
NEXT - Simple Magick: Kitchen Candle Magick

Simple Magick: Candle Replacements

Many people are not able to use candles in magick. They might be in rented, elderly or student accommodation; or there may be a health reason as to why using candles is not suitable. Candles don’t need to be used at all in magick, but when you DO want to use them - and can’t - what are the alternatives?

COLOURED ROCKS 

In terms of decorating your altar, coloured rocks can be used in place of candles. You can state aloud your intention to use them as a replacement during spells and rituals as part of the ritual itself. They can be used to represent the Goddess and God; they can be painted with colours, flames, or other designs that appeal to you - there are so many possibilities! Pebbles are perfect for mini-altar sets.

CRYSTALS

In the same way that you can use coloured rocks, crystals can be used in place of candles, too. Choose crystals that have associations connected to light, solar energy, or fire.

ELECTRIC TEA LIGHTS AND CANDLES

These are the obvious choice. You may be able to wrap them in washi tape if there is a particular colour that you need, however it is possible to use a white candle (most electric or LED candles seem to be white) in place of any colour.

CANDLE BURNING APP

This is not something I’ve personally tried, but apparently there is a candle burning app where you can view footage of a candle burning. The idea is you use the energy that is produced by the device and mentally push it out into the universe using your magickal will at the appropriate time.

FLYING WISH PAPER

Available outside the U.K. (and does involve a little bit of fire) Flying Wish Paper is a great substitute for candle magick. You write your intention on the paper, roll it up into a tube, and light it. It floats up into the air, and extinguishes after a few seconds. Whilst not marketed specifically as a witchcraft item, I think these are a great idea.

Have you tried any of these suggestions? Are you restricted when it comes to burning incense and candles? Do you have any ideas?

NEXT - Simple Magick: Magickal Practice
NEXT - Simple Magick: Birthday Rituals
NEXT - Review: The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita
NEXT - Simple Magick: Kitchen Candle Magick
NEXT - Witchy Quotes: Rae Beth - Hedgewitch

Review: The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita

Today I thought I’d share one of my favourite books - The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita.

Madame Pamita is an expert on all things candle; including how to make them. Not only does she teach the reader how to make their own candles, but how to load them with magick intent. You can learn how to plan an amazing spell, how to customise candles, candle numerology, and candle spell layouts. There is so much to work through and ingest, but the concise layout and clear headers make it a fantastic reference book to dip in and out of.

I read this book back at the beginning of the year and it has been a constant companion since then. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing with purple pages and illustrations, but it is packed full of helpful and interesting information.

It comes highly recommended from me.

NEXT - Review: Witchy Birthday Cake by Shannon Holdsworth

Spell: Personal Spell For a Difficult Situation

I did this spell - or at least a spell related to this image -  to help me with a really difficult situation that I’m facing right now. I didn’t anticipate this situation coming up quite so soon, and I would have perhaps preferred a different Moon phase to work with, but the Waning Moon energy is helping to take away my fears.

I used snow to represent anxiety over the situation melting away.

A light blue candle with the word “calm” inscribed on it.

Herbs arranged in a horseshoe for luck:

Rose petals for self worth, and for protection. 

Malva flowers for their soothing energy. 

Tansy to ward off evil.

Basil to attract and bring in money.

Turquoise for positive thinking, and balancing and aligning energy in relation to this matter. Six quartz points for amplifying energy and thought - six being a number of abundance.

I also did something secret to keep the spell spinning.

I’m anticipating that this situation will start to be resolved around the Full Moon. I feel so much better about it. Even if the only outcome is feeling more settled, empowered and confident, then it was well worth my time.

NEXT - Spell: Orange Charm for Courage
NEXT - Simple Magick: 65 Colour Correspondences
NEXT - Review: Of Blood & Bones by Kate Freuler

Review: The Spells Bible by Ann-Marie Gallagher

I’ve been sorting through some books this week and stumbled across this book from many moons ago. I always feel like books are old friends so it’s lovely to be reacquainted with this one!

It’s jam-packed full of information and unusual spells, and the opening chapters on spell work and working with magick are fabulous.

I especially like the Garland Spell to Keep Love Evergreen, which creates an anniversary gift for a couple who have been together for some time, and uses the ancient meanings and magickal associations of ivy, yew, and holly - perfect for this time of year.

This is such a lovely book that I highly recommend, even if it’s just for inspiration for creating your own spells.

Witch With Books Yule Tag Challenge: Grimoires & Spellbooks

NEXT - Review: Of Blood & Bones by Kate Freuler 

Simple Magick: Meet the Ancestors

I met my husband seven years ago today. As we head into the darker months I felt compelled to reach out to my ancestors:

Dorothy Kate

Beatrice Winifred

Ethel May

Clarence Alfred

Derek Lyle

Kenneth Stanley

I asked for their love, support, and guidance, and to watch over and protect the union that is my marriage. You can see my hand-fasting cords in front of the picture of my maternal grandparents.

They feel very close to me right now. My thoughts this evening have strayed from them, to the fact that even though I have a wonderful family I always felt like the odd one out. It reminded me of a beautiful passage about ancestors by Bert Hellinger:

“The So-called ‘Black Sheep’ of the family are, in fact, seekers of liberation roads for the family tree. Those members of the tree who do not adapt to the rules or traditions of the family system, those who were constantly seeking to revolutionize beliefs, going in contrast to roads marked by family traditions, those criticized, tried and even rejected, those, by General, they are called to release the tree of repetitive stories that frustrate entire generations.

The ‘Black Sheep’, those who do not adapt, those who scream rebel, repair, detoxify and create a new and blooming branch… countless unfulfilled desires, unfulfilled dreams, frustrated talents of our ancestors manifest themselves in their rebellion looking to take place .

The family tree, by inertia, will want to continue to maintain the castrating and toxic course of its trunk, which makes its task difficult and conflicting… that no one makes you doubt, take care of your ‘rarity’ as the most precious flower of Your Tree.

You are the dream of all your ancestors”

Our ancestors are close, the veil is thinning. Rejoice.

NEXT - Simple Magick: 9 Pink Correspondences For Relationship Magick
NEXT - Samhain: 4 Types of Ancestor

Simple Magick: 9 Pink Correspondences for Relationship Magick

A little bit of relationship magic to bolster us as we head into the darker months.

Pink is the colour of love, it carries a gentler energy than the passion of red, and it is perfect for relationship nurturing, healing, and trust.

Magickal Correspondences for Pink:

Self-love

Friendships

Forgiveness

Relaxation

Compassion 

Sensitivity

Honour

Devotion

Tenderness

Pink candles are associated with the emotional and spiritual aspects of Venus, the goddess of love. They can be used for all family matters and the healing of wounded emotions.

NEXT - Simple Magick: Using Snow in Magick

Witchy Quotes: Scott Cunningham - Earth, Air, Fire, Water

Black: banishing negativity, absorbing negativity. Black is the absence of colour. In magic, it’s also representative of outer space. Despite what you may have heard, black candles are burned for positive purposes, such as casting out baneful energies or to absorb illnesses and nasty habits.

~ Scott Cunningham, Earth, Air, Fire, Water 

NEXT - Witchy Quotes: Mary Oliver - Wild Geese
NEXT - Building Community: The Witch Aesthetic Debate
NEXT - Simple Magick: 45 Colour Correspondences for Crystals

Review: Gaya Candles

I was really lucky to be gifted some candles to try from @gaya.candles. They are a company based in Glasgow who create “hand made candles infused with specific herbs, flowers, scents, and spices, selected for their magical properties for wealth, love, and health.” Look how beautiful they are!

Gaya explained to me that she burns the green Patchouli & Bergamot “Prosperity” candle in dedication to the Goddess Abundia; this candle has been created to bring financial wealth into the home or business. I have to say that this has THE MOST beautiful fragrance, and I’m super impressed that the scent continues to linger, unlike other scented candles I have tried. As an Aromatherapist, I can truly appreciate the craftswoman ship and expertise that has gone into creating this, and I’ll definitely be buying another once this one has burned.

Next up is the Rose Gold “Nirvana” Soy Tin Candle, which is a premium soy wax candle housed in a beautiful metal tin. It carries the gentle scent of Sandalwood, Rose, & Geranium.

The beautiful and simple labels on these candles really appeals to me, and the tissue paper wrapped and wax sealed wrappings of the pillar candles was such a beautiful touch.

The largest candle, a “Goddess Morrigan Candle” is so beautiful. As a colour lover this really impressed me - it is a dreamy metallic and glittery gold which fades and blends down into a dark berry red. Gaya also offers a Goddess Hecate candle and a Goddess Isis candle. I have placed this candle in my Goddess-themed bathroom, where I hope the feel-good energies I’m getting from it will be impressed upon my daughters, two of which are about to enter those awkward teenage years.

These are seriously beautiful candles and I would encourage you to check out Gaya’s page and website. You can tell that her creations have been created from the heart; each piece has been so lovingly thought out. Even just handling these candles and looking at the website has filled me with inspiration, which has given me a push to get my own shop (not candles!) sorted and finished.

If you’re a candle lover (who isn’t a candle lover?!) take a look at this beautiful range.

NEXT - Review: Queering The Tarot by Cassandra Snow 

Simple Magick: Kitchen Candle Magick

For me, ritual and magic extend from the altar and into the kitchen. Recipes are a ritual of sorts; they are a set of tasks or actions performed to a prescribed order.

I have a kitchen journal which is much like my Book of Shadows; it is a collection of recipes, things that I’ve tried, scribbled notes, successes, failures, and all sorts of experiments. It has been with me since I left home, and some of the recipes ~ such as Lammas Loaf and Beltane Oat Cakes ~ appear in both books.

I am a food lover and there is a spiritual and energetic aspect to food; the way it is prepared, how it is shared, what it may represent, its vibration, and the fact that we take it into our bodies.

There are several rituals I like to carry out when I am cooking, cleaning, and even turning the light out at the end of the day. I especially like a candle ritual focusing on the use of a candle as a symbol of spirit, which I light while I am cooking, which can be found in The House Witch (p.232) by Arin Murphy-Hiscock:

Sacred flame,
Burn brightly in my heart,
I light this flame in recognition of your sanctity.
Bless me, sacred flame,
With your light.

NEXT - Simple Magick: Divination & The Clairsenses

Ritual: Ostara Spring Ritual

A blessed Ostara everyone! Spring is here, we’re moving towards longer days, the world is waking up, and hopefully your creativity, intuition, and inspiration, are, too! Just as we are ready to celebrate the arrival of Spring, with its cheery daffodils, lambs, and crocuses; we take this time to celebrate the divine also.

Ostara Ritual
The purple candle represents the divine in our lives. You don’t need to believe in a particular deity; it can represent anything you consider divine - including the divine being that is you.
Perform this ritual outside, early in the morning if you can. It is now time to wake up and reconnect with the energies of the Sun and the Earth, and observe the energetic shift as we move through the wheel.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so.
Light the purple candle.
Steady yourself, breathe the fresh air, observe and acknowledge what is happening around you.

Spring is here, a time for cheer!
We move on swiftly through the year.
The divine makes its presence known,
I observe the changes I am shown.
Flowers, lambs, the growing season,
More intuition, thought, and reason.
Connect again with Mother Earth,
Observe her blossom, and give birth.
Absorb the energy, and the light,
A longer day, a shorter night.
I give thanks for all you give to me;
The Divine, I cherish thee.

Take a moment to meditate on the flame. Think about all that you are grateful for. Think about the divine, and how you fit into this concept. When the time is right end the ritual. 

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Beltane 

NEXT- Blessed Ostara! 

NEXT - Personal Magick: My Beltane Handfasting

Simple Magick: 65 Colour Correspondences

You only have to scroll through my Instagram news feed to see that I LOVE colour! Each colour has its own vibration, which is why it’s so important in magic.

The most obvious way to use colour is in candle magic, but these correspondences can be applied to anything within spellwork; ribbons, paper, clothes, etc.

Magickal Correspondences for Colour

Yellow:
Disputes, happiness, mental clarity, communication, goals


Pink:
Love, self-love, friendship, emotions, healing the heart

Green:
Healing, nature, fertility, abundance, luck, prosperity

Blue:
Protection, calm, spiritual matters, legal issues, integrity

Red:
Passion, sex, lust, health, attraction, vitality, strength, courage, fast action

Orange:
Business, success, justice, opportunity, celebration, positivity

Purple:
Wisdom, consciousness, spiritual development, psychic ability

Brown:
Home, animals, stability, family, material goods, pets

Gold:
Wealth, masculinity, luck, Sun

Silver:
Intuition, home, dreams, femininity, The Moon

Black:
Protection, banishing, obstacles, decisions

White:
Purity, peace, higher self, unity, any type of spell, blessings

NEXT - Simple Magick: Thorns