Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

In previous posts, I have made reference to inscribing or anointing candles. I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you all the benefits of this practice, and the proper way to perform these tasks. Inscribing and/or anointing candles for use in your spells and rituals can be a wonderful way to add power to your magick, and is a very simple thing to do.

Any candle that you plan on using in a ritual should of course be properly cleansed and charged before use. It is not a very wise idea to just remove the candle right from it’s package and immediately place it on your altar to use. Any negative energy from those that previously handled the candle during manufacture or packaging can be left behind, and it is best to get rid of those energies before you use them in a spell.

A simple and easy way to cleanse your newly bought candles that will not cause them any damage is to just immerse them for a few moments in a strong saltwater bath. Wipe the candles dry thoroughly before lighting them. This is usually the safest way to cleanse the candles without any worry of them melting or becoming damaged.

You will usually want to inscribe your candle before it is anointed, as anointing with oil will of course make the candle a little slippery and more difficult to inscribe. The symbols that you use for your inscription are completely up to you, but should be symbols that are representative of the type of spell that you are performing. You may chose to use your preferred type of ritual writing using a certain dialect or symbol. Or you can simply use regular English. For instance, if you are performing some type of love spell, you may prefer to use symbols that are representative of love, or you can use initials or names. (Of course, this is just an example as you should never really perform a love spell that is focused on one particular person.)

To inscribe your candle you will need something with a sharp point that will easily be able to scratch through the surface of the candle. I have a very small ritual knife that fits easily in my hand that I use, but you can use anything that will work. Even a pin or the tip of a paperclip will work well, just make sure it is an item that you can hold firmly and easily control.

Once you have inscribed your candles, you will be able to anoint them for use in your spell or ritual. As with the symbols that you use, you will want to use an anointing oil that represents the outcome you desire for the spell that you will be performing. Following the love example for the symbols, you would use an oil that is known for love and attraction such as rose essential oil for the anointing.

Place the oil into a small shallow dish. You will not need a lot, and there is no need to waste oil. Just a few drops will do. Holding the candle in one hand, dip one or two fingers into the oil. Starting at the base of the candle, run your finger up towards the wick in once swipe to coat that section of the candle with oil. Turn the candle a degree, and repeat. Continue doing this until the entire candle is coated with the anointing oil. While you are anointing the candle, focus on the outcome which you desire, which will help to make the candle more potent for your intentions and make the spell much more powerful.

And that’s all there is to it. Inscribing and anointing a candle is very easy to do and will add an enormous amount of potency to your ritual. You can perform this on any candles that you will be using, regardless of the spell you are performing.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne,
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”