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to the endeavour. Pass the elemental tools, incense, candles and water over the
salt and money, thus concentrating the energies. Dissolve and tip the salt away in
a tub of water that has been swirled nine times to get the power flowing as the
climax of the ritual. The difference is one of degree of intensity.
Incense
I have already described in detail the different kinds of incense and how to use
them, starting on page 139.
Incense is placed in the East of the altar to the left of the ritual tools.
Incense is, as well as an elemental substance, an easy but powerful way of marking
the boundaries between the everyday world and the magick. Frankincense, myrrh or
sandalwood is sometimes burned on the altar before a ceremony to purify the area,
especially if the room is used for other purposes, and to raise the vibrations from
the mundane to the more spiritual. If you are using the granular kind you burn on
charcoal, you will need a censer, but a bowl containing sand will serve for incense
sticks or cones.
As the incense is burned, so the energies are released.
Candles
All rituals and spells use a number of candles but they are particularly
significant in formal magick. I will repeat very briefly the basic information you
need for a formal ritual, but you might like to read through again Chapter 5, as
candles are such an important part of magic.
You will need one or two altar candles in white, cream or natural beeswax. From the
altar candle(s), you will light all the other candles used in your rituals. If you
have only one, it will stand in the centre. If two, they are usually placed
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symmetrically to the right and left of the altar, the god candle on the left and
the goddess candle on the right.
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You will also need four elemental candles, to represent Fire, Air, Water and Earth,
in appropriate colours, though if you are carrying out a ceremony in which the
power of one element predominates, you could use four candles of this same element.
If you are working entirely on the altar, these can be small candles, placed in a
line nearer to the perimeter. More usually, however, the candles mark the outer
perimeter of the circle at the four compass points. You can, place these on small
tables or plinths, or have floor-standing candle-holders.
Green is for Earth, midnight, winter and the North. Place the candle at the 12
o'clock position on a clock, aligned with magnetic North (use a compass if
necessary).
Yellow is for Air, dawn, spring and the East. Place the candle at the three o'clock
position.
Red, orange or gold is for Fire, noon, summer and the South. Place the candle in
the six o'clock position.
Blue is for Water, dusk, autumn and the West. Place the candle in the nine o'clock
position.
Light elemental candles after the altar candles if they are within the circle, but
before any wish or astrological candles, and begin in the North. If you wish, you
can light each candle as its Guardian of the Quarter is invoked (see page 200) and
thus called in the ascending flame.
You may also use a candle to represent the petitioner in the ritual. This may be
yourself or the person for whom you are performing a ritual. The candle should be
in the appropriate zodiacal colour according to the petitioner's birth date and one
the colour of the need.
In love rituals, light two candles, one for each lover, and place them slightly in
front of the altar candle(s): the male lover's candle should be placed next to the
goddess candle and the female's by the god candle, if applicable.
If you have a central cauldron, you can stand any candles of need or petitioners'
candles in it.
Empowering Candles
Usually candles are so powerful that they are already full of magical energies,
However, in more formal and elaborate magical ceremonies, you may wish to inscribe
or anoint those candles representing a need or person with either olive oil or a
ready-prepared, fragrant, anointing. In my book, Candle Power (see page 298), I
have written in detail about making your own candle oils and ways of inscribing
candles with magical alphabets.
Inscribing Candles
Carving your wishes and intentions into a candle endows the candle with your
special energies and as you etch each letter or symbol, these energies become
concentrated.
If you anoint a candle, you should engrave it afterwards, although you may feel
that inscribing it is sufficient. Engraving candles is not difficult, but you must
use a very light touch and choose good-quality candles. Beeswax is not so easy to
inscribe, but because it is very malleable, you can push tiny symbols, such as
coins, etc., into the wax or you can buy sheets of beeswax and even if you do not
fashion your own candles, you can add tiny beeswax symbols. You can also buy
beeswax candles - and some ordinary ones - in different shapes, for example
entwined lovers for a love ritual, or a beehive for abundance.
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Anointing Candles With Oil
You can anoint, or dress, candles with scented oil or use candles that have
fragrance already added. When you anoint candles with oils, they become more
flammable, so you need to be extra cautious about sparks. For safety, stand your
candlesticks on a fireproof tray.
Generally, the anointing is performed in silence. You can use virgin olive oil for
dressing candles for any need. Some people add a pinch of salt for purification and
life-giving properties.
Before beginning, pour a small quantity of the oil into a clear glass or ceramic
dish and gently swirl it nine times deosil with a ceramic or glass spoon,
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