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"Candle Crafting is an ancient craft that is praciticed by most witches who prefer working with their own home made candles rather than store-bought ones. Candles that are made by hand absorb the witch's own psychic energies and thereby are more magickally powerful than those that are mass-produced in factories.
To make your own candles you will need: equal parts paraffin and pure beeswax (amount depending upon the number you plan to make), a double boiler, wicking and candle molds. These items can be found in most hobby shops and craft stores as well as candle shops. Waxed milk cartons, muffin cups and metal cans make perfect (and inexpensive) candle molds, as do plastic and gless bottles of various sizes and shapes.
Cut the candle wicking to fit the size of the mold, allowing one extra inch of wick above the top of the mold. Attach a nut or screw to the bottom of the wick as a weight and then insert into the center of the mold.
Cut the paraffin into small pieces and place them in the top of the double boiler. (A large tin can placed in a pan of boiling water may be used in place of the double boiler.) Add the pure beeswax to the paraffin and melt over low heat. Do not try to melt the wax directly over the fire. Scent with the oil of cloves, lavender, lemon oil, mint, rose, sage or any other aromatic herb oils. For colored candles, melt a colored wax crayon in the paraffin.
After the paraffin and beeswax have been melted down, slowly pour into the candle molds. As the wax cools, a depression will form in the middle of the candle's top near the wick. Refill the depression with more melted wax until the mold is level.
Remove the candles from their molds only after the wax has dried and hardened thoroughly.
Herbs are an extremely important part of candle crafting for each herb possesses a different magickal property.
When Preparing candles for spells, a small amount of the appropriate powdered herb should be added to the melted wax before pouring it into the candle mold. This provides the candle with the proper magickal energy needed for spellcasting.
The following is a list of common witches' herbs and magickal properties:
ACACIA: divination
ADDER"S TONGUE: divination
ANGELICA: excorcism, healing, and protection against evil influences.
AVENS: soul purification
BASIL: exorcism, love spells and protection against evil influences.
BAY: clairvoyance, healing, good luck and protection against evil influences.
BERGAMOT: prosperity.
CAMPHOR: divination.
CATNIP: love spells.
CARNATION: psychic healing.
CEDAR: healing, prosperity and sanctification.
CHAMOMILE: sleep potions.
CINNAMON: clairvoyance, healing and love spells.
CINQUEFOIL: prosperity.
CLOVES: diviation, exorcism, love and spiritual purification.
CLOVER: anti-sorcery, counterspells and protection against evil influences.
CORIANDER: love spells.
DILL: anti-sorcery and protection against evil influences.
DRAGON'S BLOOD: exorcism and love spells.
ELDER: aphrodisiac, love spells and prosperity.
FENNEL: healing and purification.
FERN: exorcism and spells to attract rain.
FRANKINCENSE: consecration, divination, exorcism, healing, love spells and spiritual purification.
GARDENIA: healing and love spells.
GARLIC: exorcism, protection against evil influences and purification.
GINGER: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
HAWTHORNE FLOWERS: clairvoyance and divination.
HAZEL: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
HONEYSUCKLE: divinaton.
HOPS: healing and sleep potions.
JASMINE: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
JUNIPER: aphrodisiacs, exorcism, healing, love spells and protection against evil influences.
LAVENDER: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
LEMON BALM: healing and love spells.
LEMON GRASS: divination.
LILAC: exorcism.
LOVAGE: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
MACE: divination.
MALLOW: exorcism.
MANDRAKE ROOT: aphrodisiac, cursing enemies, love spells, protection against evil influences and spells to increase psychic powers.
MARJORAM: prophetic dreams and protection against evil influences.
MINT: exorcism and healing.
MUGWORT: astral projecton, clairvoyance, divination, prophetic dreams, protection against evil influences and spells to increase psychic powers.
MYRRH:consecration, exorcism, healing and meditation.
MYRTLE: sleep potions.
NUTMEG: divination and healing.
ORRIS ROOT: clairvoyance and divination.
PASSION FLOWER: sleep potions.
PATCHOULY: invocation of elemental powers.
PEONY ROOT: anti-sorcery and protection against evil influences.
PINE: prosperity.
ROSE: divination, healing and love spells.
ROSEMARY: counterspells, healing, love spells and purification.
RUE: exorcism and hexing of enemies.
SAFFRON: love spells.
SANDALWOOD: consecration, healing and protecting against evil influences.
SASSAFRASS: prosperity.
SERPENTARIA ROOT: aphrodisiacs and love spells.
SOLOMON'S SEAL: exorcism.
THISTLE: exorcism.
THYME: divination and healing.
TONKA: love spells and prosperity.
VERVAIN: anti-sorcery, astral projection and sleep potions.
VIOLET: Healing and love spells.
WILLOW: healing.
WOOD ALOE: prosperity.
WOODRUFF: prosperity.
WORMWOOD: clairvoyance. divination and good luck.
YARROW: divination, exorcism, love spells, prophetic dreams, protection against evil influences and spells to increases psychic powers.
YERBA SANTA: healing.
DANGEROUS PLANTS
Avoid using or experimenting with the plants that are listed on this section. Some of them possess highly potent medical properties and should only be used by experienced professional herbalists. Many of the botanicals included in the following list of dangerous plants are poisonous in part or in whole and cause serious illness or death if not used properly.
Aconite
Hemlock
Mistletoe (seeds)
Bittersweet
Hellebore
Poisetta
Black nightshade
Hemp
Poison dogwood, flag, hemlock,ivy, oak, and sumac
Blue flag
Henbane
Poke root
Burning bush
Holly (seeds)
Rosebay
Calabar bean
Honysuckle (vine and fruits)
Springle tree (seeds)
Calico bush
Horse balm
Spurge
Camphor
Ilex
Swallow wort
Castor oil plant (seeds)
Impatiens pallida
Thorn apple
Celandine
Indian arrowroot
Tobacco
Christmas rose (root)
Indian hemp
Wahoo
Cowbane
Indian tobacco
Wake-robin
Daffodils
Inkberry
Water dropwort
Deadly nightshade
Jack-in-the-pulpit (root)
White hemlock
Dog's mercury
Jerusalem cherry
White bryony
Elkweed
Jimsonweed
Winter rose
Ergot
Laburnum (seeds)
Wolfsbane
Fava bean
Laurel (seeds)
Wood anemone (seeds)
Flag lily
Mandrake
Yellow jasmine
Foxglove
Mayapple (roots, leaves, seeds)
Yew (seeds and berries)
Gelsemium
Monkshood
