Candle Magick Superstitions

Rumors, superstitions, and omens about candles date back hundreds of years. Some of these have passed into history, while others, such as the blowing out of birthday candles, are still very much a part of modern society. Candles and their behavior have been said to predict everything from luck, to marriage, to death, and everything in between.

Candle Omens of Bad Luck

The prediction of bad luck using candles has survived through the ages, sometimes with a practical purpose in mind. For example, it is considered bad luck to fall asleep with a candle burning. Vague, true, but this warning has a more mundane purpose as well, since an unattended candle could potentially burn a house down.

Other omens are just as vague. The traditional saying, “If a candle falls and breaks in two, double trouble will come to you,” isn’t very specific. It could be anything. And the popular superstition that says that allowing a candle to burn itself out will bring misfortune is certainly subject to interpretation.

Other superstitions regarding bad luck and candles are not so vague. A drip down the side of a candle during a séance (but at no other time) is said to predict bad luck or even death (which would be very bad luck) to the person nearest that side of the candle.

Candle Superstitions of Good Luck

There are certainly as many omens of good luck, blessings, and protection as there are bad, when it comes to candle magick. Lighting a brown candle on Imbolc Eve is a popular practice said to attract good luck while keep evil spirits at bay; killing a moth flying about a candle flame is said to have the same effect.

Many people, regardless of belief, light a pure white candle in a new home in the hope of bringing good luck and happiness. Bayberry-scented candles are frequently burned down to bring good luck and money. This practice of burning down the candle contradicts the previous idea of it bring bad luck to burn down a candle, as often happens when dealing with superstitions.

Omens Regarding Dreams and Candles

Dreams are a powerful source of omens. To dream of a candle usually has a meaning that is dependent upon the color of the candle. For example:

• Black – death or illness
• White – true love
• Red – passion and sexual desire

In addition to this, there are other meanings of candles appearing in dreams. It is said that if a young woman dreams of two white candles, she will soon receive a proposal of marriage. Dreaming of five candles is said to mean love and marriage for anyone, young woman or no.

A candle alone, with no indication of color, is often said to be an indication of intelligence, or of spiritual understanding. A candle in a holder means happiness and prosperity, while a holder with no candle indicates sorrow and great misfortune, maybe even death.

Using Candles to Predict Love

The methods and means by which to use candle magick to either predict or draw love are many and varied. Some are as simple as burning a candle on a specific day, others are a chance happening that predicts the unexpected.

Burning a pink candle on Valentine’s Day is said to bring true love, while a white candle at a wedding is supposed to ensure a long and happy marriage. Bringing a lover is a little more complicated, and involves sticking two pins through the middle of a red candle at midnight (the day is not important here), and when the candle burns down to the pins, the lover is said to arrive.

Some events occur by accident. For example, accidentally knocking a candle out is a lucky sign that there might be a wedding in the near future. A candle that suddenly goes out during a wedding, though, indicates that the marriage will end in sorrow.

These are hardly the only omens and superstitions relating to candles and candle magick. There are thousands more, predicting everything from death and banishing evil to money and the weather. While these superstitions are hardly substantiated, there are many firm believers in the magickal powers of candles.