basic and candle divinations

Divinatory Spell
Scott Cunningham's recipes have been used many times. You may find his version in Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic p. 89.

Items Needed
Azurite Stone
2 Purple Candles
Cinnamon—either an essential oil or as an incense

Perform this spell either at the Full or Dark Moon.

Before performing this ritual light the incense. If you have chosen to use
the essential oil, either prepare and start burning your aroma lamp, or
place one drop of the oil on each wrist.

Ground and center yourself. Light the candles. Place the azurite between
the candles. Look at the flames and the stones for a moment and empty your
mind of all thoughts. Take the azurite into your hand until it is warm.
Close your eyes and concentrate on a question you have. Open your eyes and
gaze at the stone until you have received a message.

Notes on the items used in the spell:
Azurite stones has psychic powers and can be used in all divinatory rituals.
The color purple enhances psychic skills and can also be used in all
divinatory rituals. Cinnamon is a scent that promotes psychic work.

About the Moon Phase: During the Full Moon our psychic powers are at its
highest. The Dark Moon is a time of mystery and hidden secrets, another
good time to perform divination work.

Other Notes: If you like, add a purple altar cloth to cover your working
area. If you use candle holders, silver is an excellent metal for psychic
work.

******

CANDLES

Divining candle flames
This comes from Tammy Sullivan's book "Elemental Witches.

Anytime you light a candle for a magical purpose, you can divine the wax,
flame, and smoke patterns to interpret your answers. One simple but
effective method is to assign the candle right and left sides that
correspond to yes and no. If the candle drips first to the left and you
assigned that side to no, then the answer is no.

Other methods call for watching the flame dance or the smoke spiral in a
given direction. If it dances to the west you must watch your emotions.
If it dances to the east, you must use your mental processes. Likewise,
if it dances to the north, you will face a physical task, and if it
dances to the south, you will have an intense experience of success.

If the flame burns high and strongly, the magic is working, quickly and
will be successful. If it is burns low and almost smotherng itself out,
you need to cleanse the entire area, including yourself, and rework the
spell. If the flame is crackling, it means you are connected to the
divine. If it is sparking, it means to expect company.

If the soot around the candle turns the glass very black (like in a
novena), it is thought to mean that someone has been thinking ill of you.
A cleansing of the area should be performed. If the black soot is only
arough the top edge of the novena, it means that the magic encountered
opposition and may take a while to take effect.

If the smoke spirals toward you, the spell will work quickly. If it
drifts away from you, you will have to persevere in order for your wish
to be granted.

Some schools of thought teach to never blow out a candle flame, because
it is rude to the elemental spirits of the fire. Others teach never to
pinch them out. Likewise, some teach to never use matches and other say
to use only matches. These are things you should decide for yourself.
Also, when employing candles for magic, always allow them to burn
themselves out, if possible.
)O( Lilith Storm


******

To perform divination with candles, you will need a small bowl filled with cool water, a variety of colored candles, matches or a lighter, and an open mind. Put a white candle by each side of the bowl on an altar or table where it can easily be reached by each person present.

Have each person present select a colored candle. Have the participants choose the question they want answered by the divination beforehand, so the question can be matched with the appropriate candle color.

Red is used for love and relationships.

Green is used for love prosperity, career, or jobs.

Yellow is used for school, study, creativity, and mental pursuits.

Light blue is used for health and recovery from illness.

Violet is used for spiritual growth.

Pink for friendships, children and pets.

Orange for changes and possible moves.

White is used for general life patterns.


Before the participants light their candles for divination, have each of them call upon an ancestor whom they liked for aid.

To begin, have one person at a time light a candle of his or her choice. Gently stir the water in the bowl in a clockwise direction, then have the person with the candle let the wax slowly drip into the water while thinking of the question to be answered. Patterns in the wax are scanned for symbols that will answer the question. If any of the wax symbols break apart or are indistinct, the meaning is modified. A list of possible symbols are interpretations follows. After each reading, take out the used wax.

Airplane or boat, whole: travel; movement.

Airplane or boat, broken: danger of an accident.

Birds: good news, message from afar.

Butterfly: fickle friends; unreliable person.

Cats: good friends, contentment.

Chain: person or circumstances halts movement.

Circle: success, completion of a cycle.

Dagger: danger, treachery, recklessness.

Dish, unbroken: contentment and plenty.

Dish, broken: problems at home.

Dogs: false friends.

Egg: positive influences, possibly a child.

Forked line: a decision to be made.

Gate: future success.

Hand, open: new friendships.

Hand, closed: opportunity lost, arguments.

Heart: love, happy relationship.

House: security, a home of your own.

Knife: broken friendship or relationship.

Ladder: promotion, opportunity to move higher.

Lines, straight: no barriers in getting ahead.

Lines, broken: obstacles.

Lines, wavy: uncertain path.

Question mark: need for caution.

Ring, whole: marriage.

Ring, broken: divorce.

Scales: legal matters.

Snake: a hidden enemy.

Star: health, happiness, success, spiritual growth.

Tent: move to a new home.

Wings: messages.

If the symbols are contradictory, the person is undecided about the question. The larger the image in the wax, the more powerful and influential the meaning will be. If a finger pointing to a symbol is seen, this symbol should receive special consideration in the reading. Any symbols that are attached will influence each other; these also should be given special consideration.

******

Divinging Candle Flames
From "Elemental Witches" by Tammy Sullivan

Anytime you light a candle for a magical purpose, you can divine the
wax,
flame, and smoke patterns to interpret your answers. One simple but
effective method is to assign the candle right and left sides that
correspond to yes and no. If the candle drips first to the left and you
assigned that side to no, then the answer is no.

Other methods call for watching the flame dance or the smoke spiral in a
given direction. If it dances to the west you must watch your emotions.
If it dances to the east, you must use your mental processes. Likewise,
if it dances to the north, you will face a physical task, and if it
dances to the south, you will have an intense experience of success.

If the flame burns high and strongly, the magic is working, quickly and
will be successful. If it is burns low and almost smotherng itself out,
you need to cleanse the entire area, including yourself, and rework the
spell. If the flame is crackling, it means you are connected to the
divine. If it is sparking, it means to expect company.

If the soot around the candle turns the glass very black (like in a
novena), it is thought to mean that someone has been thinking ill of
you.
A cleansing of the area should be performed. If the black soot is only
arough the top edge of the novena, it means that the magic encountered
opposition and may take a while to take effect.

If the smoke spirals toward you, the spell will work quickly. If it
drifts away from you, you will have to persevere in order for your wish
to be granted.

Some schools of thought teach to never blow out a candle flame, because
it is rude to the elemental spirits of the fire. Others teach never to
pinch them out. Likewise, some teach to never use matches and other say
to use only matches. These are things you should decide for yourself.
Also, when employing candles for magic, always allow them to burn
themselves out, if possible.

****

Candles are an important part of the holiday season. They add warmth and beauty to any holiday décor, they symbolize divinity, and magical tradition tells us that a candle flame can “speak” to us and answer our questions. Take a break from the holiday rush and work this spell. You’ll need a new white, red, or green taper. Sit quietly and think of your question, then light the candle. Carefully watch the flame. If the flame burns steady, the answer to your question is yes. If the flame cracks and sputters, but then burns with a steady flame, you’ll face an obstacle; then your wish will come to you. If the flame sputters out completely, your wish won’t come to you at this time. Wait about a week and try again. by..... James Kambos ...from Spell-a-Day, 2008 Almanacs