Many of these black candle traditions come from color magic. Color magic is a mixture of cultural associations, color theory, and spells that have been passed down over the years. The witches before us intuitively made connections between the “mood” or “feel” of a color and what intention they would use it for. As a modern witch, you also have more flexibility in how you use your black candles. That’s how traditions are created in the first place!

Types Of Black Candles For Spellwork

Birthday Candles & Tea Lights

The candles I use most often are birthday candles and tea lights. They’re inexpensive and available in grocery stores. They do make tea lights with black wax, and they look fantastic on an altar.

The other reason I love these candles is that they take about 10-30 minutes to burn all the way down—a good length for a spell. It gives you a way to measure time without having to set a timer. Plus, you’ll smell the smoke as the candle burns itself out, which is way less jarring that a timer going off.

Pillar Candles

I’m partial to these as well because you can carve sigils, words, incantations, or meaningful images into the side of the candle. You can also make notches in of the candle to mark how much of the candle you’ll burn each day if you are doing multi-day spells.

Black Candle Dream Potion

This spell will send you dreams from your spirit guides (or whatever power you receive your guidance from). Perform this spell about 30-60 minutes before bed and keep a journal on your nightstand while you sleep. Jot down any dreams that occur in the night and see if you can pull any meaning from them in the morning.

This is an excellent spell for the waning and dark moon phases.

What You’ll Need:

• a black tea light
• a cauldron (or other heat-safe container)
• lavender essential oil
• graveyard dirt (if available) You can also use dirt from a place you feel connected to the spirit world, or omit entirely.
• athame (or some kind of tool to stir your potion with)
• water
• matches or a lighter

Fill your cauldron with a half cup of water (No need to measure, just pour until it looks good to you.) Sprinkle dirt into the water as you state your intention. Write one yourself or use this incantation:

“A pinch of dirt to open wide

a world beyond, I peek inside.”

Mix a couple drops of lavender essential oil into the water. (Note: some people experience an allergic reaction to lavender essential oil. Use with caution.)

Light your black candle and place it under your cauldron. The potion will begin to heat and diffuse into the air. Focus on relaxing your muscles and let your thoughts drift.

Sit in front of your cauldron until the tea light burns out, all the water evaporates, or you feel your spell is complete.

Record any dreams that occur while you sleep.

Worry-Banishing Nature Spell

Sometimes worrying can bring positive results because it calls your attention to issues you need to face. It’s an emotional warning system of sorts.

However, worry causes problems when you find yourself feeling it all the time, especially with situations that are out of your control. Perform this spell to banish those unnecessary worries and get on with your life.

What You’ll Need:

• objects you find in nature
• a black candle
• matches or a lighter
• a piece of paper
• a fireproof container
• a mason jar or other nonflammable container with a lid

Go on a walk in a beautiful natural setting that makes you feel relaxed. Take your jar along with you and use it collect a few natural items that catch your eye.

(Make sure you check your local laws before you do this. Some nature preserves don’t allow you to remove anything within the boundaries.)

Stones work well for this spell, but leaves, bark, or anything else you’re drawn to will work just fine. You’ll want between 5 and 10 items. As you’re walking, try to keep your mind on the present moment. If you slip back into a worrying mood, guide your mind back to the relaxing sights, scents, and sounds of nature.

When you get home, create a simple altar. Make sure it’s in a space where you’ll be able to keep it set up for one full lunar cycle (about 28 days).

State your intention, and light your black candle. You can make up your own intention or use this one: “As my black candle burns down, I pour out my worries and send them into the earth, once and for all. I receive the peace that comes from the grounding power of nature.”

As the candle burns, allow yourself to think about your worries. Write them out on your piece of paper and number them. Try to keep it down to ten things. (You can always bundle a few of them together if they’re all around the same subject.)

Wait for your candle to burn down. As the wax drips down and the candle shrinks, visualize your worries moving downward and being absorbed by the earth. Sit in front of your candle until you feel you’ve gotten your most repetitive, nagging worries out of your head and onto the paper.

Once the flame goes out (or you extinguish it), count how many worries you’ve listed on your paper.

Empty your jar of leaves and stones onto your altar. Each item will take the place of one worry. Arrange your items on your altar in a way that pleases you.

Place what’s left of your candle and your list of worries in the jar. (Make sure the wax has had time to cool.) Bury your jar outside in the ground for one full lunar cycle.

Keep your altar up in your home for that entire lunar cycle. Trust the earth is working right along with you to send your worries far, far away.

After the lunar cycle, dig up your jar and look over your list of worries. Notice if you feel more peace when you read it over.

Discard the contents of the jar in the trash outside your home, and your worry-banishing spell is complete.

Dragon’s Blood Protection Spell

Perform this spell when you would like to place a shield of protection around yourself or your home. You can purchase Dragon’s Blood resin online, at a metaphysical store, or even some grocery stores. If you don’t have the incense, just use the black candles and salt.

What You’ll Need:

• Four black tea lights
• Salt
• Dragon’s Blood resin
• charcoal tablet
• incense burner or fireproof container like a small cauldron

Arrange your four candles in a square. Squares symbolize stability and protection. As you do this, visualize your home. In your mind’s eye see the candles positioned at each of the four corners of your home. If you’re doing this spell to protect yourself, create a large square with your candles and sit right in the center of your square.

Make sure you take the proper precautions when working with fire magic.

Sprinkle salt onto each candle. Less is more here. A pinch is all you need to boost the protective energy of each black candle.

Set your incense burner in the center of the four candles. Place the charcoal tablet in your cauldron or incense burner. Pour the Dragon’s Blood resin onto the charcoal tablet, and light it. (Make sure you’ve ventilated your room and you don’t have any children or pets around, they shouldn’t inhale the smoke!)

Speak your intention as you light the four candles going counter-clockwise.

Example intention: “I am safe, protected, and comfortable in my home and as I move through life. The world is a place I can explore with confidence.”

Sit with your candles until they burn down all the way, or until you feel your spell has been communicated to the universe. Extinguish your candles going clockwise, and your spell is complete.

Tarot Lunar Balancing Spell

In this spell, a white and a black candle are used to represent the two energies of the moon—light and darkness. Perform this spell when you feel overwhelmed with your life, and you need to re-balance your energy.

What You’ll Need:

• one white tea light
• one black tea light
• the Two of Pentacles tarot card

Place the Two of Pentacles in the center of your altar. Arrange one candle on either side of the card.

Light the candles. Think about the moon gracefully moving through its cycles of light and darkness. In the same way, you can also flow through your many cycles. In the Rider-Waite, the Two of Pentacles shows a man juggling two large coins. He is successfully keeping both coins lifted. Like the moon and the Two of Pentacles, you also can find balance in movement.

Allow the candles to burn down as you meditate on the energy of finding balance no matter what is going on in your life.

When the tea lights burn down all the way, your spell is complete.

Creating Your Own Black Candle Spells

To explore the different energies of black candles, consider adding them to other spells in surprising ways. For example, in your manifesting spells, let one candle call in your desire while your black candle banishes doubts, fears, and blocks around your desire. In love spells, instead of using a red or pink candle, try a black candle. Visualize the black candle to guiding your ideal partner out of the darkness and into your heart. You have total freedom to create any kind of symbolism around your black candle that you can imagine. Be creative!

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Updated on August 20, 2023 by Avery Hart