The candle. September Pagan Challenge # 15.

Candles must be the most versatile magical thing there is.

We light them for happy occasions — romantic candlelit dinners, birthdays, and so on. The lighting of the menorah candles by the lady of house is the first thing that happens to usher in Shabbos on a Friday night in the Jewish faith.

We light candles for sad occasions — to ease the passing of a loved one. The candle that I light for someone who has died is what I focus on while I chant for them.

We light them for rituals and magic, their soft glow illuminating the space and imbuing it with magic: the ancient magic of fire.

I carry a lit candle around the house before I move, absorbing all the happy memories into the candle and burning away any bad vibes. Then I do the same at the new house, letting all the good vibes and memories out of the candle and burning away any bad vibes left behind by someone else. It works a treat.

According to The Little Book of Hygge, the Danes buy and use more candles than anyone else, because candles create hygge.

For more candle magic, check out the book Candle Magic by my friend Lucya Starza.

---

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my books.