Candle magic is one of the easiest and most powerful methods to achieve your goals. Whether it’s attracting love, gaining protection, or money-drawing spells, candles give you that extra boost you need to be successful. Prepping or charging your candles can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be. Here is our step-by-step guide on how to dress your candles for your spiritual work.

STEP 1: Set Your Intentions

This is the most overlooked yet the most important step. When setting your intention, it is important to be very clear and specific in what you want. An example of a weak intention is “I want a new job.” An example of a clear and powerful intention is “I will get a job in accounting by year's end and I will make 65k with benefits and a great vacation package.” Setting an intention is like making a contract with your mind and the universe so speak in the future tense. “I married Jeff and am living a life full of love and happiness” is a great example of future-tense intentions.

STEP 2: Pick Your Candle

The candle you choose is just as important as the spell itself. Different colors bring different energies to your rituals. For example, red candles are typically used for love and sex spells, and green candles are used for money-drawing rituals. For a full list, check out our Candle Color Meaning Blogs.

You might find that you connect more with image candles. These candles can help laser focus your intentions while symbolizing your ultimate goal. Male and female candles can be used for love and marriage spells as well as separation rituals. Cat candles are great for luck spells and crucifix candles are good for peace and health goals. For more information about image candles, check out our Using Image Candles for Rituals article.

STEP 3: Cleanse Your Candle

Cleansing a candle before any ritual is a must. A candle, like all objects, absorbs energies it comes in contact with. Cleansing helps remove all energies that the candle has picked up. While you are cleansing the candle, focus on your end goal and ask for guidance.

There are many ways to cleanse a candle. All methods clean effectively so pick the one that works for you. You can:

Wave sage or incense smoke over your candle with a feather or hand.
Bury it in sea salt and wait 24 hours before using it.
Leave it outside at night (any moon phase is fine).
Rub alcohol or holy water on it.

STEP 4: Dress Your Candle

Anointing, or dressing your candle in oil will help your spell align with your ultimate goal. To increase your magic, make sure you clearly state your intentions again while anointing your candle.

If you want to BRING something new into your life, rub oil from top to bottom.
If you want to LET GO of something, rub oil from the bottom to the top.

Using a combination of oils and herbs will only increase the success of your spells. Rosemary oil with rosemary leaves, for example, will help with protection spells. You can also use glitter or rose petals to dress your candle.

STEP 5: Carving Your Candle

This is a fun and creative way to really personalize your candle. There’s no wrong or right way to do this so just trust your instincts and go for it! Think about symbols, mantras, drawings, and/or names that correspond with your ultimate goal. For example, if you are looking to attract a new lover, inscribe what qualities you are looking for onto the candle. If you are doing a money spell, carve a dollar sign, how much you want to earn or even a new employer’s name.

If you don’t feel comfortable carving your candle, you can write all of the above onto parchment paper and place it under the candle.

STEP 6: Sprinkle Your Candle

Sachet powders are fragrant powders commonly used in rituals. There are two ways to incorporate powders into your candle magic. You can sprinkle the powder directly onto the candle or create a protection circle around your candle with powders like cascarilla. Pick a powder that matches your ultimate goal and watch your dreams become a reality!