Candle flame meaning is a vital part of the practice of candle magick. It is essential to understand what the candle flames are telling you alongside the candle colors you choose for a specific ritual or spell. In this article, I’m going to show you 5 insights to interpret candle flames in your Witchcraft and Spells practice.
I have already talked about this in a masterclass video on Candle Magick on my YouTube channel. You can watch it and also continue reading this article. Moreover, I came up with a free ebook on Candle Magick covering all the contents in this article, the candle colors meaning one plus exclusive spells I didn’t publish anywhere.
It is available for Free+ on my Ko-fi page. Free+ means it’s free and if you wish, you can also pay what you want for it to support me. You can also purchase a paperback version of it if you prefer. Thanks!
Contents
Candle flame meaning introduction: why do we light candles?
Before we jump straight to candle flame meaning interpretation, let’s understand a bit about the usage of candles in rituals, prayers, etc. The usage of candles for magickal and spiritual ends is deeply tied to our culture. Regardless of religion, faith, or what you practice, candles are universal instruments.
Intriguing, right? Let’s see some examples:
- Christians (in all their branches) light candles to God, to guardian angels, Jesus, Mary, and spirits in general when they pray, for example. They also offer candles in cemeteries to the deceased;
- Buddhists light candles – and incense too – in front of temples. It is said the light of a candle symbolizes Buddha’s enlightenment;
- Muslims light candles and dedicate them to their ancestors and to the deceased. This is mainly done during the Shab-e-Barat night;
- Jewish people light candles in prayers. They notably light 9 blue candles for 8 days in a row during the Hanukkah celebration;
- In Umbanda, candles can be lit to open interdimensional doors. They can also be specifically dedicated to an Orisha according to their colors (you can light virtual candles to Orishas);
In short, we can travel through many other places and cultures and we’ll surely find candles there, serving as a magical or spiritual instrument somehow. They are all used in a similar manner.
But… why do we use candles?
Symbolically, candles represent the fire element. As a consequence, it symbolizes light. When we light a candle, we are actually creating a “focal point”. This focal point acts as a way to easily direct energies. This energy receives many different names and all these names vary according to their culture, practice, and religion.
As the candle flame burns slowly and in a continuous way, it helps us to focus our own energy and thoughts for a long time. It’s not by chance that some candles burn for 7 days helping the person to mentalize and keep focusing on what they want for the whole week.
Knowing this, we come to Witchcraft and how candles are used here as an instrument of power.
Besides creating a focal point, we use candles to enhance our own powers and the powers of spells, to manifest our wishes, communicate with Deities (spirits, Gods, and Goddesses), and also as offerings.
In this field, we also consider other characteristics that will help to enhance our focus and powers. Candle colors and sometimes aromas are examples of this. Knowing how to cover these aspects, we can fully practice candle magick.
How to create a focal point with a candle flame
The simplest way to use a candle in candle magick witchcraft is by creating a focal point to focus our minds and manifest what we truly want.
For example: Let’s say you have a very specific wish right now. You simply get a candle, make your wish, and dedicate this candle to fulfilling this wish. Now you light it up and observe the flame, focusing on your wish.
Simple like that.
It’s important to notice that candle flames and focal points are actually light. Therefore, all kinds of energies that are interested in this light are going to come to try to get a bit of it. Think of a moth, for example. If it sees a light spot or fire, it flies towards it – even if it gets burned to death.
So, whenever you light a candle and create your focal point, it’s interesting to dedicate it to someone or something. You can dedicate it to “fulfilling your wish with all the energies around you”, for instance. It can be dedicated to a Deity, a spirit, the Nature Spirits, the Dragons… anyone! The important thing is to make it clear you’re dedicating this focal point and not simply creating a random spot for anyone (or anything) to compete for it. I say this because, if there’s no “owner” to the flame, anyone will be able to get it.
Engraving on candles – Enhancing the focal point
There’s another way to use candles in candle magick and witchcraft. Besides observing the candle flame meaning later, you set your intentions and enhance the focal point by engraving on candles. You can write the things you want or even draw symbols on your candle. The main idea here is to engrave things related to the spell you’re performing to the thing you wish to manifest.
And how can I engrave it on candles?
If you have an athame, you can use it. The athame is used to direct energies as well as to do and undo the magic circle. With the tip of its blade, you can engrave the things you wish on your candle. If you don’t have an athame, you can use whatever you find suitable for this task: wooden sticks, your fingernails, a knife, etc. Some people also like to paint the things they engrave using different colors.
You’re free to engrave your candle the way it works best for you. There’s just a detail to keep in mind:
To attract things, start writing from the top to the bottom. To ward off things, write from the bottom to the top of the candle.
Aromas, herbs, and oils – a stronger focal point
As a last type of advice before we analyze the candle flame meaning, you can also anoint your candle using essential oils and give them specific aromas. You can even attach herbs to it! Once you know what you want and you know herbs and aromas that may help you to focus this energy, feel free to add them to the candle.
To anoint a candle, you can place some drops of the essential oil you’re going to use on your hands or directly on the candle and spread it throughout it. For herbs, you can directly pierce the candle if it’s possible, place them around the candle by its base, or use vegetal or mineral oil to attach them to the candle.
Now that you know how to properly create a focal point and ways to enhance it, let’s finally learn how to interpret the candle flame meaning during a ritual. If you haven’t read it, please read how to choose the best candle color for your spell.
Candle flame meaning: 5 different interpretations
Every time we use a candle to create a focal point and focus our energy through candle magick, we need to observe the candle flame meaning to have insights into our manifestation or spell. We don’t need to keep observing the candle flame during the whole time it’ll be burning. However, every time we feel it’s necessary, we must take a look at it and interpret its flame.
In order to do this, we’ll observe the movements the flame does, its size, and a few other things. The insights we can obtain through candle flame interpretation will tell lots of information about ourselves, the manifestation we’re doing, and the energies around us.
These are the 5 types of candle flame meaning interpretation:
- A high flame or strong flame;
- A small flame or weak flame;
- A dancing flame or flickering flame;
- A double flame or broken wick;
- No flame or impossible to light a candle.
Why is my candle flame so high?
If you observe the candle flame and it is high (or strong), the meaning is that good and positive energies are around you and helping you to achieve your goals. So, good news!
It means your spiritual power is elevated too. You’ve been working your own magickal power towards your goals and you’re growing spiritually. If you have asked for a specific objective or manifestation, it means you’re on the right path. No obstacles, no difficulties. All you have to do is to keep going and wait for it to manifest.
If your intention is to clean the energies of your house, for example, it means that the cleaning is being done correctly!
In short, a high candle flame means only good things!
Why is my candle flame too small?
If you observe the candle flame and it is too small (or weak), the meaning is that you need to make some adjustments to your own energy or your intentions. For example, if you’re feeling a bit lost or covered in doubts, these feelings will be shown as a weak or small candle flame.
The solution is simple though. All you need is to develop your own power more. You need to balance yourself better. I gave some suggestions about this in the article on how to use a Pendulum in Witchcraft. It’s the same principle. If you’re not well-balanced inside, your spells and rituals won’t be balanced either.
Some other insights you can get from this small candle flame are about the interference of others in your energy field. A psychic vampire, for example, may disturb your energy field and this will be shown as a small candle flame too. If you’re certain about yourself and your intentions, do check the possibilities of these interferences.
In short, the small candle flame meaning is not that bad. It’s more like a warning. A good suggestion is to get away from possible people who may be interfering in your energy field (I mean, stop thinking about them! They may not be there by your side, but they’re into your mind!) and try again another day to see how the candle flame will behave.
Why is my candle flame dancing or flickering?
If you observe your candle flame dancing or flickering it means that there are lots of intense energies favoring you! This is actually the best candle flame meaning you can find! Your wishes, objectives, intentions… they are very close to manifestation!
It also means that there are spirits, nature spirits, and Deities around you and helping you!
In short, a dancing or flickering flame offers the best insight when interpreting candle flame meanings!
By the way, have you seen my life-changing spell with Dragons? I recorded the one I performed in 2020 and the candle flames were flickering. It was great!
Why Do I have a double flame or a broken wick?
If you observe your candle and you notice it has a double flame or the wick is broken (probably causing the double flame) it means you must beware. It may seem interesting or even beautiful, but this candle flame interpretation requires some precautions.
In this case, the meaning is that you need to purify yourself or the environment you’re in. Yes, the problem is IN you and WITH you. Different from the small candle flame meaning showing you needed to be clearer about your intentions or get away from some bad energies around you, here the candle flame means that there are negative energies stuck in you or in the environment for a long time. And you can’t simply get away from them. You need to banish them through a banishing spell or a full purification ritual.
Why is my candle without flame? (impossible to light or no flame at all)
The last insight we can obtain in candle flame meaning is the occasion in which we have no flame at all. If you’re trying to light the candle and it simply doesn’t start burning, first check if there is a visible problem with the candle. Is it damaged? Is it wet? is it dusty? If the answer was “NO” to these questions, then we have a problem here.
The same thing applies when you light the candle but it suddenly puts out. No wind. No one messed with the candle. Again, we have the same problem as above.
A candle without flame means that there is an excess of negative energies around you and related to the thing you’re trying to manifest. This is more severe than the last example with the double flame!
In this case, the best thing to do is to perform a full purification ritual for you, the environment, and everyone that lives in the same place. And don’t keep trying to light this candle. Throw it away! Some people suggest breaking the candle into several pieces before throwing away. Feel free to do it if it suits you. Other people suggest offering this broken candle to a spirit or a Deity you work with. Don’t simply offer the broken candle though. Do a ritual, offer something extra, and ask for help to deal with the cause of the broken candle.
Conclusion
So this is my full guide to interpreting candle flame meaning. Knowing how to observe the candle flame and having these 5 examples in mind will assure you have a successful ritual every time you work with candle magick.
Besides this, I’d like to remind you I’ve also written a guide on candle colors meaning. It’s important to know color correspondences too!
And to end this guide, I came up with a Free+ ebook on Candle Magick. It covers this article, the colors, and also some exclusive spells. You will be able to download it for free and also pay what you want for it to support my work on my Ko-fi page soon. I’ll update this article and send notifications on Telegram and via push.
Questions? Other insights? Leave a comment below! I do my best to reply to all of them!
See you around.
My candle had two flames and exploded. This was my first time using candle magic. Do you know if it’s possible to have open myself up to something? Things are happening in my life that seem dark. I hear growls in my ear now. See shadows and feel like there is always something behind me like as if we’re on my back. I’m sorry to ask this I just need to know more about this and can’t seem to find anything else online. Please any knowledge or resources for knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, Cici. I was never notified about your comment and and found it now under the spam content.
Yes, it seems you’ve got some low level energies around you. I suggest you banish them all. We are in the Full Moon now, so you can make some powerful banishing spell soon during the Waning Moon.
Check these videos I made some time ago, they’ll help you:
Waning Moon banishing spell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wTH6apK4hw
Banish Evil Spell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_LUpCD4lI