Burning a 7-Day Candle?

This past week I learned from kraxyboytx a very cool way to dress your 7 day  novena candles. When you purchase your candles or particular oils, they are not normally prepared for magick.  You can always ask at the store if they are - still it makes sense to add your energy and amplify your intention.

I thought I'd share with you...

Ingredients and tools:

• Knife or a special tool you use for carving your candles
• Mortar and pestle
• Something very long to make 3 holes in your candle - I used a long thick screwdriver which I blessed with Florida Water and a flame (I'll keep this for future use for candles only)
• Sea salt or black sea salt (depending if you're bringing or removing energy)
• Oil for what your intention calls for
• Herbs representing your intention 
• A small piece of foil to cover the candle if not burning the candle immediately

Center yourself for the working by taking deep breathes and releasing.

Cast a circle if you wish - Create Sacred Space

Carve the wax on top by creating a special sigil or simple straight lines.

Stab 3 holes in the candle all the way to the bottom - I ran the length of the screwdriver in a flame of a candle to make this easier.

For the next ingredients a small amount goes a long way:

Add the salt

Add the oil

In mortar and pestle crush and blend the herbs keeping your intention firmly in your mind (blend in a clockwise manner for the future) and add to the candle.

This is what I really love...hand gestures to bless, activate and lock in the energy/intention:

Hands facing each other over candle, with thumb and middle finger of your right hand pressed together imagine pulling a string of energy from the palm of your left hand; take the string and wrap three times clockwise around your candle - moving the motion from top to bottom; take both hands (don't touch the candle) run them down the side of your candle top to bottom - imagine the energy of the ingredients you've just added blending into the candle from top to bottom .  Do this movement three times.

Then cover the top of the candle with foil until you're ready to use.

You can chant your intention or say a prayer through-out the process or at the end during the hand gesture.

If you casted a circle - remember to open the sacred space.

Blessed be.

"If you have any questions to ask—ask them freely—and if it be in my power, I will answer without reserve—without reserve.

I asked a few questions of minor importance—paid her $2 and left—under the decided impression that going to the fortune-teller's was just as good as going to the opera, and cost scarcely a trifle more—ergo, I will disguise myself and go again, one of these days, when other amusements fail."

- Mark Twain ~ Fragment of a letter to his brother Orion Clemens New Orleans, February 6, 1861
[The clairvoyant of this visit was Madame Caprell, famous in her day. Fee was $2; address, 37 Conti Street]

~Artist Unknown
Found on this site...

Totems and Their Messages

A Solar Eclipse was just upon us during the New Moon.  There will not be another solar eclipse of this type for another ten years.  And, I wondered, while reading of these energies from the most educated astrologers and Witches that I admire and trust - how would these two events affect me?  Would I be in the negative or the positive of these powerful energies?  Since I’m still learning to trust my instincts - I just never know.

The Dark Moon has always brought out the dark energies that are a part of my shadow-self. I start to sense them a few days before the New Moon and am pretty proud of myself for now being able to recognize those dark emotions.  I now see myself "apart" from myself - if that makes any sense to you and I simply take note.  Pull back when I need to or stay in the moment of what is occurring.

The arrival of a message...

For the past few days Lion has been trying to get my attention.  On the second sighting I always tell myself "...if there is a third, pay attention."  The third time was in a dream.  Even this morning there have been a few times I’ve seen him.

It was time to study Lion as a totem.

I was surprised to learn that the Lion totem corresponded with Sun's feminine energies telling me to pay attention or trust the energies of creativity, intuition and imagination.  To me, the Sun’s energies have always corresponded to the male.  I’ve also learned that this totem may provide the possibility of an opportunity to awaken to a new sun (or new adventure).  The Lion's "cycle of power" is year-round.

Last night’s dream had me waking up nervous almost scared and my first thought was that something was coming - beware.  In Ted Andrew’s interpretation of the Lion totem, he wrote to not be afraid to roar if feeling threatened or intruded upon.  He also writes, “…If a lion has shown up as a totem, you can expect lessons and issues dealing with community and groups to surface.  (Lion’s live in prides)  There may be a need to examine your own role in the group.” (So must I look at my role in the family and how it's being played?) It avoids confrontations and will leave the scene of danger if possible. (Makes sense, I’m a Libra and truly hate confrontations.) It kills by strangulation.

During my research, my attention was drawn to an old familiar - Panther. 

It’s all connected. 

The Lion and Panther both hunt primarily by stealth.  Both kill by strangulation, though a Panther strikes from behind.

The cycle of power for the Panther is the Dark Moon, New Moon and winter. 

Symbols are ferocity and valor without the solar significance - meaning the attention is on it's female energies. 

They are fiercer than Lions. 

They are loners.

Panther also implies that an "old issue may finally begin to resolve or even that longstanding wounds begin to heal, and the healing will come reclaiming of power that was lost at the time of the wounding." During this time of year, I recall an old wound and am always questioning how to heal it.

Now, once again, I am reminded of the power of my totem, which is so familiar to me that I tend to take her for granted.  She is female, it was confirmed in an Akashic reading by Jacki Smith creatrix of Coventry Creations.

The path of the Craft is ever-learning, which sometimes means going back to books collecting dust on a shelf or leading us to new writings by trusted authors. 

So what about the Lion?  Was he just a reminder of the Panther totem?  I’m not sure.  I do “know” that this is a “work in progress” and now after a bit of research and understanding this totem's energies…meditating on the Lion is in order.

Blessed be, Witches!