Hoodoo Candles and Lamps

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AIRR Readers
and Rootworkers
Who Prescribe
Spiritual Supplies
for Clients
A variety of love lights: pillar candle (one to two days), fixed oil lamp (perpetually refillable), glass encased vigil light (five days), 6" offertory light (four to six hours)

Candles and Oil Lamps play a powerful role in the practice of hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork. Not only do candle spells form a distinct type of magical rite on their own, candles and lamps may also be utilized in the fixing and preparation of mojo bag, placed on container or jar spells, and employed on altars or in acts of religious veneration and devotion.

The earliest sacred lights were oil lamps of various types, but since the early 20th century, candles have become more commonly used. Freed from their utilitarian use for lighting, candles and lamps are now often considered a spiritual supply, and most metaphysical shops carry a wide array of them.

Contents

Offertory or Household Candles

A money spell to draw income through a steady job; three offertory candles are burning, and the prepared mojo hand will be sent to the client
Because tea lights are economical, they are often set in groups when creating a community altar or a church service for a number of people
A small altar light or chime candle used in a simple rite to prepare and fix a mojo bag bearing talismans against the evil eye under the watchful eyes of a picture of Moses
Uncrossing and spiritual cleansing work with figural candles and small taper candles. to remove negative energy from a couple and to restore their joy, peace of mind, and natural sexuality
A Catholic spell for the healing of a client with a red-glass vigil light
A kerosene oil lamp set on a plate with a ring of herbs, flanked by a bottle spell and a bottle of perfumed lamp oil
A homemade vegetable oil lamp dedicated to Frederick Douglass; it is composed of a shot glass filled with vegetable oil and a floating wick that has been placed inside a decorative glass with a printed picture

Offertory candles are straight-sided candles in the 6 inch height. Also called "household candles," they are larger than 4 inch Altar Lights or Chime Candles and are intended for use with prayer, when casting a magic spell, or doing hoodoo candle work. Jumbo 9" candles are thicker, burn longer, and come in double-colour combinations as well as in single colours. All of these types of candles can be inscribed, dressed with conjure oils, oiled or waxed and rolled in herbs or incense and used for spiritual practices and magical spells. Taller and thinner than household candles are tapers, which, as their name implies, are not straight-sided, but taper to a rounded tip at the wick end.

Tea Lights

Tea Lights are very small disk-shaped candles poured or fitted into aluminum or plastic cups. Originally designed to be used at the table to keep foods and drinks warm (hence the name "tea light"), they make great refills for glass votive holders, are extremely economical, and are relatively safe to burn. Their small size is also an advantage for busy people who wish to do continuing candle magic on successive days without leaving large candles unattended. While their diameters are fairly standardized, their heights can vary somewhat.

Votive Candles

Votive candles are candles moulded to fit into a glass or ceramic votive holder. They can be burned as free-standing lights (sometimes called "stubbies") rather than placed in holders if you wish to "read" the way their wax melts for the purposes of divination. Most votives are 2 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. When in a holder, they burn for 10 - 15 hours. They will fit in most sizes of glass or ceramic votive candle holders or can be used as free-standing "stubbies", which will make for a shorter burn time.

Chime Candles or Altar Lights

Altar candles are straight-sided candles in the small 4 inch height. Alter Lights are convenient to use as they burn faster than the more commonly found 6" Offertory Candles during prayer, when casting a magic spell, or doing hoodoo candle work. Jumbo 9" candles are thicker, burn longer, and come in double-colour combinations as well as in single colours. All of these types of candles can be inscribed, dressed with oils, and used for spiritual practices and magical spells.

Jumbo Candles

Jumbo candles are 9 inch tall candles that are thicker and burn far longer than the 4" Altar Lights or 6" Offertory size candles. They come in double-colour combinations as well as in single colours. All of these types of candles can be inscribed, dressed with oils, and used for spiritual practices and magical spells. Larger than Jumbo candles are pillars, which come in a variety of heights and diameter, and burn for varying lengths of time.

Figural or Image Candles

Figural candles are made in many forms and are generally used in hoodoo rootwork, folk magic, and spell-craft, where their resemblance to various entities and objects helps the practitioner concentrate on the objective to be achieved. These include human beings, devils, angels, skulls and other figures, in colors magically appropriate to the kind of spell being performed.

Glass-Encased Candles or Vigil Lights

These candles are made in clear or coloured glass tubes and may have colourful paper artwork labels or sil-screened white labels with spells and prayers on the back. They are made of soft wax in white, or in colours appropriate to the conditions for which they are used. The candles will burn continually for at least 120 hours. The fact that stay alight for many days has earned them the names "novena" (nine day) candles, "seven-day candles," "church candles," and "vigil lights," that last name adopted from a long-gone brand-name for glass-encased candles made by the Vigilite company. It is customary to dress vigil candles with anointing oils as they are burned. Many professional psychic readers and rootworkers set such lights for clients, as part of a candle-burning ministry. readers set

Oil Lamps

Oil lamps employ a liquid fuel, held in a reservoir. The flame springs from a wick, either free-floating or clamped in place. The fuel may be any kind of liquid animal fat such as butter or lard; a mineral or petroleum oil such as kerosene or lamp oil; or a vegetable oil such as olive oil, almond oil, or cottonseed shortening. Roots, herbs and curios appropriate to the spell are traditionally placed in the reservoirs of oil lamps.The fuel may be dyed and perfumed, and the reservoir may be enhanced with a label that indicates the lamp's intended use.

Candle Colour Symbolism

The colour symbolism ascribed to altar candle colours is influenced by European magical traditions, admixed with remnants of African religious symbolism:

  • white: spiritual blessings, purity, healing, rest
  • blue: peace, harmony, joy, kindly intentions, healing
  • green: money spells, gambling luck, business, a good job, good crops
  • yellow: devotion, prayer, money (gold), cheerfulness, attraction
  • red: love spells, affection, passion, bodily vigour
  • pink: attraction, romance, clean living
  • purple: mastery, power, ambition, control, command
  • orange: change of plans, opening the way, prophetic dreams
  • brown: court case spells, neutrality
  • black: repulsion, dark thoughts, sorrow, freedom from evil
  • red and black (Double Action): to remove a love-jinxing spell
  • white and black (Double Action): to return evil to the sender
  • green and black (Double Action): to remove money-jinxing

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See Also

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