Mother Mystic's Musings

A specialized form of candle magic involves carving your own sigils, symbols or designs into the candle.  The best type of candle for this work is called a pull-out candle, the type that fits inside the glass vigil jars but any pillar type candle will do.  Some workers with artistic talent are able to use tapers or even chime candles but for those of us with not-so-fine manual dexterity we’ll stick with the pull-outs for the rest of this post.

Your candle should be cleaned.  You want to remove any negative energy it absorbed in the store or via shipping.  Wiping it down with Florida Water or Holy Water will do the trick.  For tools, you can use pins, scissors, screwdrivers or wood carving chisels (available at most craft stores) making sure whatever you choose is easy for you to handle.  You will also need glitter, herbs and your magical oil of choice.

I tend to draw my designs on paper first, not only because I want to be sure of the layout but because this can be used as a petition paper later.  Let’s use Success as a purpose, since most people would welcome success in their life at any time.   I would write the person’s birthname, birthdate and draw their astrological symbol.  Then draw a crown and the word success and underneath that the sigil for success.  If I’m satisfied with the layout, I’ll start carving it into the candle.  I prefer to use wood carving chisels as they make wide troughs for the glitter and herbs.  Once I’m finished carving, I take my magical oil, in this case Crown of Success, and rub it into the design, concentrating deeply on the person I’m fixing the candle for and how success will be attained by them.  Then I take glitter and appropriate herbs and sprinkle into the design.  The oil will hold the glitter and herbs in place.

The finishing touch is putting the pull-out into the jar.  My custom is to light appropriate incense and capture some of the smoke into the base of the vigil jar and wave the candle through the incense before seating it into the jar.  Once the candle is seated, I seal the jar with plastic wrap.  The candle is now ready for the client to take home, remove the plastic wrap and light.

You can be as artistic as you want with this, there are many sigils, veves and other symbols you can utilize to personalize your candle and increase its power.

The use of candles to set the mood is pretty widespread. Go into any department or drug store and you’ll see plenty of scented candles enticing you to change your mood, enhance the atmosphere or take you somewhere else you’d rather be. Sounds like magic doesn’t it?

The magical use of candles usually involves dressing the candle with scented magic oils. However, there is a growing industry in the creation of scented magical candles. No need to fuss with what oil to choose or whether or not you dressed it properly, just check the label for the condition you wish to change or achieve and light the wick! I’m of two minds on this. I do use scented candles in my work and I do sell my own private label scented candle line so obviously I’m not going to tell you it’s a bad thing to use them. It’s certainly not traditional magic but more a matter of convenience than anything. It’s also less scary for those who aren’t really into magic. Just peruse the display and pick out the candle best suited for your needs. Do they work? In my experience, they have the same effect as using regular candles and oils for most short-term goals or for work that doesn’t require heavy lifting. In other words, if your man done gone and left you, lighting one scented Love Me candle isn’t going to get the job done. However if the person you’ve just been talking to for a while needs a little push to get things moving in the LOVE direction, then definitely use that scented candle!

I find they work best when you’re focusing on yourself. If you’re having trouble meditating, then a scented candle will help you. If you’re in need of inner wisdom, healing, independence, abundance or just about any positive change in yourself, these candles work wonders.

Let’s talk quality! Not all scented candles are created equal. The scented candle you pick up at Walmart is not the same as the scented candle you pick up at your local metaphysical supplier. Beeswax candles are the highest quality. Those made with pure essential oils will have a better scent and be more effective than a commercial candle made with chemicals. Many metaphysical candle makers include herbs in their candles making them very close to a custom made dressed candle. Be choosy! Don’t be fooled by creative marketing campaigns. Just because a candle supplier has a great marketing team doesn’t mean their candles are any better than Yankee candle. Go into your local metaphysical store and actually look at the candles and see if the scent is strong. Ask others for feedback. Candlemaking is an art. You should be able to feel the magic in the candle.

I’ve loved candles all my life.  Big candles, small candles, church candles.  One of the few things I liked about going to church as a child was lighting candles.  Either we would stay after mass or, in special circumstances, go on a daily basis and light a candle in front of a particular saint to ask for our petition to be granted.  Back in those days, all the candles were made of beeswax and smelled great!  Now, on the few times I’ve been to church, I no longer see beeswax candles used for devotional purposes.  Some churches have coin operated gas candles – drop in a quarter (the price has probably gone up!) and voila!  a flame appears in a glass enclosed tube the size of a votive.  Recently on a trip to New Orleans, I went into St. Louis Cathedral and found to light a candle, you must go in the gift shop and purchase a tea light candle to place in the stand.  What a gyp!

I regularly burn candles at home and at my shop.  Although I have a large collection of candlesticks, I tend to stay away from tapers (too easily tipped over) and stick with either chime, pillars, glass encased vigils or tea-lights, depending on the purpose.  If I am doing multi-purpose work for a client (draw away evil, protect them) I will use chime candles because I can use a variety of colors.  I especially like using a colored candle coordinated with the client’s astral sign.  If I am doing long-term work, like a novena, then I like to use glass encased vigil candles because I can leave them burning.  Candle safety is of primary importance and here’s how I keep my work area safe.  At my shop, I have a metal tub of the type used for decoration in your yard or garden.  The sides are almost as high as the glass candle.  The bottom is filled with fine sand and small rocks that I picked up at the local craft store.  This keeps the tub from tipping if someone or something happens to bump it and the sand steadies the vigil candle.  I also burn pillar and figural candles in this tub.  The sand is great for securing them and the wax can melt over the sand without creating a fire.  At home, I use an oversized baking sheet and fine sand for the same purpose.

Tea lights are great for use atop honey jars.  I work with honey jars a lot and trying to get the chime candle to stand up without using a holder is a pain.  If you use a glass holder for a chime candle, it will break if you let it burn all the way.  The metal star holders are ok, but unless you are in need of a particular color or need to use more than one candle, I generally go with the tea light.  It burns faster and hotter, giving your work an extra oomph! to get going.

Figural candles are sometimes difficult to work with if you don’t have a candle made from quality wax.  You should be able to “load” the candle with personal concerns, herbs and curios and many of these candles are so rock hard they break if you try to stick even a pin in them.  Running them under warm water may help but the quality of the wax is so poor, it’s worth it to pay a bit more for a better made candle.  A well made figural candle should be soft enough for you to put a pin in it without breaking the candle or big bunches of wax chipping off.

Next up, scented candles.  Will your magic work better if you anoint it with oil yourself or will scented candles do the trick?

It’s the beginning of a New Year and today is the first New Moon.  Take advantage of this splendid opportunity to conjure some new things into your life!  Was last year unlucky or stagnant for you?  Take a nice cleansing bath and toss some of the bathwater out into a crossroads or towards the setting sun.  After you’re properly refreshed, brush yourself from feet to head with protective powders, then dab on lucky, success or love oils – depending on what you want to draw in.  Settle yourself into a quiet place with a paper and pen and write the date, your full name and what you wish to conjure this year – the reality you wish to conjure for yourself!  This can be a paragraph, a full page, 10 pages, however long you want it to be as long as you’re being realistic.

You won’t go from weighing 240 pounds to 120 pounds by bikini season unless you become seriously (and probably fatally) ill so be sensible.  Reality = healthy weight loss.  We all want to win a huge lottery jackpot but the reality is, most jackpots only have one or two winners out of millions of tickets sold.  So structure your request for money in a more sensible fashion such as writing: I want my income to exceed my expenses, allow me to save money and still have enough for all the things I enjoy.  Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and many of us want to conjure a new love in time for that.  Make that into an affirmation – “I am an attractive person and a healthy relationship is right around the corner.”

Once you have written down all that you wish to conjure for this year, sprinkle some Success powder on the paper, fold it toward you and place it under a gold candle that you have carved your name into and anointed with Success oil.  Let the candle burn down onto the paper so the wax melts over it.  When it’s cool, place it in a small white cloth and carry it with you.  Be confident that you will be conjuring your heart’s desires this year!

Overwhelmed by the commercials and the ads promoting the holiday season as the “most wonderful” time of the year and depressed by scenes of fake happy couples and families while you’re stuck at home watching tv with the cat?  You are not alone.  Believe it or not, most people are not happy this time of year.  Even those in relationships and with family around are emotionally stressed by the pressure to conform to media/societal ideas of what makes a successful holiday.

Let’s start with the gifting. Does one need to go into debt to make those around them happy and feel loved?  I think not.  I’d sooner receive a homemade and heartfelt gift from someone that took the time to find out what I’m interested in than some “must have” that was “on sale”.  Or if you’re not crafty, something simple and from the heart will do.  A small crystal, a scented candle, something that will benefit the recipient and bring needed blessings into their life will be much more meaningful.  Heck, come and clean my house!  I’ll be forever grateful and always remember that gift!

What about being alone?  I’ve heard time and again from clients and friends alike, “I don’t want to be alone for the holidays.”  Being alone when it’s not your choice is never a happy thing at any time, never mind when you’re being bombarded with songs and images of happy couples and families as happens from the day after Halloween all through Valentine’s Day.  The thing is, you don’t have to wallow in it.  Yes, you’re alone and it sucks.  I’ve been there and I think most people have at least once in their lives.  It can be heartbreaking, particularly if you’re dealing with grief or just missing family members that have long been out of touch.  Long forgotten happy memories seem to bubble to the surface from nowhere.  Sadness gets displaced by anger.  Life is unfair.  YES!  It’s true.  Accept that and see what you can make of it.

What about others who are alone?  Can you find it within yourself to reach out and make a friend?  Maybe spending time with a disabled person or shut-in or homeless person isn’t the romantic loving holiday you envisioned but guess what?  Your next romantic partner might be a fellow volunteer or even the volunteer coordinator! Opportunities for volunteering are endless, pick a cause – children in state custody, families in crisis, women in domestic violence shelters, elderly shut-ins, hospice, homeless people – the list goes on and on.  Not only will you be helping someone in need, you’ll be meeting new people.  Every volunteer agency has an orientation – you get to make new friends!  You’ll get to know the folks at whatever agency you’ll be supporting.

Lastly, be good to yourself.  Extra good.  You’re alone, you’re doing good deeds for others, you deserve something special.  Find a way to be kind to yourself. Take yourself out to dinner.  If the pocket gremlins have replaced your spending money with lint, the least you can do for yourself is take a nice, long, luxurious bath.  Put some calming music on that doesn’t evoke memories of the past, sink into a hot tub and relax.  If you have some scented candles, light them.  If you can afford some herbs and essential oils to make yourself a nice detox and refresh bath all the better.  If you can’t, throw a little baking soda in the water. Relax and take a mental vacation.   When you get out, anoint yourself with some nice lotion or oil.  Things will get better.

I’ve gotten through some pretty harsh holidays, not just those spent being alone but also those when I was unable to provide for my children.  We survived, we persevered and I’m still standing.  I kept myself going by repeating over and over, “Somewhere, someone else has it much worse.  I can get through this.”  Looking back, I wish I had been nicer to myself.  You too can get through this.

I attended and presented at the recent Traditional Folk Magic Festival held in Treme, New Orleans.  From the feedback I heard, it was a fantastic experience for all.  I presented two workshops of my own (Knotwork and Working with Ancestors) and sat in on 3 other workshops.  Getting to meet people you’ve only known online or by reputation is an invaluable experience and having the Festival in a setting where people can relax, mingle and be surrounded by Folk Magic history is a treat all by itself.

The location was ideal, held at a crossroads formed partially by Armstrong Park which includes Congo Square where Marie Laveau and other spiritual workers danced and conjured in days of old.  Treme, the oldest African American neighborhood in America, provided a perfect backdrop for the real magic that took place during the two days of this event.  Black cats at the crossroads, 2nd line parades, local folks who dropped in and strange orbs of light that formed a crown in the sky over the event made it truly remarkable.  People came from all walks of life, all depths of experience with no sense of competition, no display of ego or entitlement.  I was blessed to meet some well known workers such as Starr Casas of Old Style Conjure, Orion Foxwoods of Two Hoodoos, Susan Diamond of Serpent’s Kiss, Dara Anzlowar of Hoodoo Roots, Sindy Todo of Todo Mojo, Patty Shaw and Jacki Smith of Coventry Creations, Dorothy Morrison plus many more wonderful people.

I love the city of New Orleans and feel quite at home there.  The Festival had a very down-home feeling to it and we tried to make everyone feel like family.  There was a vending area with lovely art and handcrafted items, magic and conjure supplies and it was hard to resist the urge to buy one of everything.  It’s one thing to see something on a website but when you see a beautifully handcrafted apple head doll in person, there is just no way you can’t give in to temptation and not buy it!  There were also special tours by one of New Orleans most famous tour guides, Bloody Mary all weekend and Orion Foxwoods took many folks on a shopping tour the day after the festival.  Unfortunately, I had to miss that as my flight home left early Monday morning.

For a first time Festival, it was a success and most of the attendees are wanting to sign up for next year.  That is always welcome news!  For me it was an honor and a pleasure and I look forward to participating again, learning at the feet of some of my most respected colleagues and socializing with great folks from near and far.

I see much discussion these days about occult/magic teachers and who is best/cheapest/easiest.  Unfortunately, most of the discussion is focused on internet teachers – those who own forums, offer online course, video courses, telecourses…rarely do I see anyone ever recommend a particular person whose workshop is not to be missed or a teacher who must be sought out in person.  Finding a person to teach you magic in person in this day and age shouldn’t be this hard folks.

Actually, it isn’t that hard, not if you have a decent occult supply shop in your state or you’re willing to travel to one.  Most good occult shops host guest teachers so you can at least take a workshop with the person and get the opportunity to ask if you might find a way to study with them.  Face to face communication is critical; the written word has its limitations. Those with true desire will find a way to access the true teachers, the keepers of the flame, the elders of the craft of magic. These are the teachers who share their knowledge because they find pleasure in teaching.

With the internet teacher, you truly have no idea who you are interacting with.  You never get to know the person behind the computer screen.  For the most part, the reason they have turned to internet teaching is not because they enjoy teaching, it’s because they get paid very well to do it!  That’s the real magic and they’re working it on their students!

Think you’re getting a bargain with a seemingly reasonably priced “certified” class?  Look at how many participants there are….and who is doing the certifying.  Who certified the teacher?  Or at the other end of the scale, do you think you will become a more powerful rootworker/magician/conjurer/witch because you have paid thousands of dollars to the Wizard of Oz? Look carefully at the person behind the curtain because they are handing out certificates just like he did!  The “true secrets” that they offer to reveal are worthless, full of snares and traps put there only to fulfill their own ego.  These people thrive on seeing themselves quoted everywhere.

In contrast, a true teacher of magic may swear his/her student to secrecy.  They may give generalized information out during workshops but the real knowledge must be taught teacher to student, only when the teacher is sure the student is ready to advance.  There is no “here, work your way through these lessons and get back to me if you have a problem.”

Where are these true teachers to be found you ask?  Our rapidly disappearing brick and mortar occult stores are the best place to start.  These are your community centers, this is where networking takes place. Back in the harsh 1960′s and 1970′s it took extreme bravery to open such a store…and to walk into one and seek knowledge.  Go even farther back.  One of my ex in-laws owned the only store in her small West Virginia town in the 40′s up to the early 60′s.  She learned a lot of magical folklore just by listening to the conversations of her clientele while they stood on the porch of here store.

Occult stores are disappearing from the landscape with the rise of the internet teacher.  Oft-times the internet teacher sells their own supplies, reaping themselves even more income.  Meanwhile, the so-called “up and comers” of the magical world, the future keepers of the flame,  have largely become a lazy lot.  Content to sit behind their keyboard and be spoon-fed handpicked knowledge, they ignore their dying elders and  unfortunately, the true magical arts may in fact become lost.

October through mid-November is the time for honoring the Ancestors and the Beloved Dead.  Anyone who has passed during the last year is also honored during this time and offered help in crossing over.  I know many people have difficulty working with their ancestors either because they don’t know them or because they did not get along with them in life.  Nonetheless, their blood flows through your veins and your body is composed of their DNA.  Their energy is what gave you life.

It may help to think of them not as the humans they once were but as the energy forms they are now.  Or, in the case of a parent you had difficulties with, as the vessel which gave you life.  Reducing your mother to a womb or your father to a sperm cell takes the emotional drama out of honoring the energies that created you.  If you were estranged from your parents and cannot bring yourself to pray for them as Mother and Father, you can still pray for the spirits known as Vivian and Fred (or whatever their names were) from whose union you sprang forth.  Praying for these ancestors not only accelerates their elevation process, it helps to heal the wounds within yourself.

We also honor the Beloved Dead at this time, those who are not directly our ancestors but may be our kin, sisters, brothers, cousins, or friends, neighbors, loved ones.  The veil between the world of the living and the dead is thinnest at this time of year and setting aside a place to honor those we loved in life draws them closer to us, feeds their spirit energy and helps to elevate them.  A simple altar might contain a picture, a candle, a flower and a dish of food you know they enjoyed.  Leave a door or window cracked slightly and sit in front of their picture and talk to them.

For the recently deceased, meaning those who have died within the past year, we can set up the same type of altar.  The difference being, the conversation should be focused on helping them move on.  Many times the recently deceased are “stuck” or unable to fully cross over because of worries about the living, or those living will not let go or because of fear.  Talk gently to them, remind them how much they were loved and although they are missed, that they will always be a part of your life and you look forward to joining them at the proper time.  Encourage them to look for the light, or if you are experienced in such matters, call upon Hecate or Oya to assist them with their transition.

In all cases, the following prayer, taken from the Book of Jewish Common Prayer is appropriate:

We Remember Them

In the rising of the sun and in its going down,
We remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter
We remember them.
In the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring,
We remember them.
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
We remember them.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
We remember them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
We remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength,
We remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart,
We remember them.
When we have joys we yearn to share,
We remember them.
So long as we live, they too shall live,
For they are now a part of us,
As we remember them.

I was taught from an early age to look for signs, symbols, omens, patterns…folk methods of divination handed down by the Breton French Celtic, the Irish/Scot Celtic and the Germanic people who raised me as their own.

Today was an interesting day for sure…a gentleman resembling a D & D wizard came into my Federal Hill shop today and with many bows, offered to help promote us…followed by my neighbor psychic reader who told me she was born in New Orleans where I am to appear next month..and shorthly thereafter came a beautiful Caribbean woman with a beautiful glow.  She told me that as a child in school she had written a book report on Providence and had just moved here from Kentucky to work here as a divinator/healer.

Something big is going to be happening in Providence soon.

I love my native city…it’s almost 400 years old and extremely haunted.  The sidewalks are pretty crowded around here, especially this time of year…not to mention the mills.

Many people work with animals, either using one as a familiar or a spirit guide, but the term animal magnetism isn’t heard very often these days.  A person with animal magnetism is able to attract and to some extent, control most animals.  I was taught that this is a gift one is born with, not something that can be learned.  Although someone may be born with the gift, if it is not developed, a person may be attracting animals and be unsure of what do to with them.

Have you ever met someone, or maybe you are someone, who attracts stray animals?  You don’t have to call to them, they just come to you.  A dog will walk down the street and ignore everyone in a crowd yet seek out the one person with animal magnetism.  If you haven’t learned how to handle this gift, it may frighten you to encounter a strange animal in such a way.  If you have accepted this gift and developed your own animal senses, stray animals will submit to you and stay or greet you and move on. The animal, once greeted and having given you proper submission, will act on your behalf for spiritual/magical purposes.  The animal may be used in dreamwork or for stealthwork, when you want something carried to another place without recognition.

Animals love being spiritual helpers.  Always reward them for their efforts with affection and treats.  Cats and dogs are most commonly used but birds, bears, foxes, squirrels, waterfowl and raccoons are all equally effective.