Post by Mysti on Jul 7, 2007 10:14:41 GMT -5
Hello and Welcome to our candles section. This will be instruction on making, consecrating and the use of candles. Please not as in any magickal practice or making of tools, dont use shortcuts as it will only short cut the Magick... With that said, lets begin.
Candle Don'ts
1. Don't use second hand wax
2. Don't use ordinary cord in place of proper wicking
3. Don't melt wax in a pot over open flame
4. Don't over heat wax.
The first two don'ts point to weak candles and candles that will not burn properly. The second two don'ts are health hazards.. Wax melted in a pot over open flame can catch fire and cause injury. Over heating not only breaks down the chemical compounds of the wax causing it to not burn properly but also puts off a fume that can be deadly.
Candle Making
Candle Width Wicking Size
1-3inches diameter 15ply wicking
4 inches 24 ply wicking
over 4 inches 30ply wicking
Most candles are a blend of paraffin and stearine, or stearic acid. Church candles are made of 48% paraffin and 52% beeswax. Ordinary candles are made of 70% paraffin, 20% stearic acid and 10% beeswax or 90% paraffin and 10% stearic acid. If you can get the formula for the church candles they are the best for magickal purposes.
Wax Melting Points.
Most waxes melt between 110* F and 200* F . Bees Wax melts at 144*F to 147* F. It is best to acquire a meat or candy thermometer to keep track of your wax temperature.
Coloring the Wax.
Don'ts.
1. Dont use food coloring or crayons or things rit dye. They do not color well.
Dos..
Check w/ hobby shop for candle coloring agents these are the best places to get colors for your candles if you don't plan on using natural dyes. Remember that the color of the wax will lighten as the wax hardens so you will experiment on how much to use.
Natural Dyes..
For coloring candles w/ plants Jo Lohmolder suggests these proportions per pound of wax.
Fresh leaves or blossoms: 2 cups pressed down
Fresh black walnut or butternut hulls 1/2 cup
Lichens: 1/4 cup
Osage orange root: 1/2 cup of the papery outter covering
Color
Plant
Part Used
Beige Silver Queen Armetisia All parts
Rosey Beige Bloodroot
Prickly Ash
Root
Unripe berries
Blue Indigo Powder*
Deep Brown Butternut Green husks
Gold Oxeye Daisy
Lichens
Catfoot Everlastin
Blossoms
All
Leaves and blossoms
Brassy Gold Black Walnut Green husks
Old Gold Black-eyed Susan Blossoms
Grey Lichen All
Green Tansy Leaves
Grey Green Ambrosia
Bayberry
Blossoms
Berries
Olive-Green Garden Sage
Rosemary
Blossoms
Leaves
Orange Osage Orange Papery root covering
Golden Orange Myrrh All
Pink Cochineal Powder*
Rose Cochineal Powder*
Yellow Lichen All
Golden Yellow African Marigold Blossoms
* place powder in muslin sacks and immerse in wax to color.
Scenting..
The best way to scent candles is w/ either store bought scenting products made especially for candles or w/ essential oils that you make yourself.. see oil preparation pages.
Donts..
Dont use perfumes or water based scents as they will not mix well and can be a fire hazard.
Candle Don'ts
1. Don't use second hand wax
2. Don't use ordinary cord in place of proper wicking
3. Don't melt wax in a pot over open flame
4. Don't over heat wax.
The first two don'ts point to weak candles and candles that will not burn properly. The second two don'ts are health hazards.. Wax melted in a pot over open flame can catch fire and cause injury. Over heating not only breaks down the chemical compounds of the wax causing it to not burn properly but also puts off a fume that can be deadly.
Candle Making
Candle Width Wicking Size
1-3inches diameter 15ply wicking
4 inches 24 ply wicking
over 4 inches 30ply wicking
Most candles are a blend of paraffin and stearine, or stearic acid. Church candles are made of 48% paraffin and 52% beeswax. Ordinary candles are made of 70% paraffin, 20% stearic acid and 10% beeswax or 90% paraffin and 10% stearic acid. If you can get the formula for the church candles they are the best for magickal purposes.
Wax Melting Points.
Most waxes melt between 110* F and 200* F . Bees Wax melts at 144*F to 147* F. It is best to acquire a meat or candy thermometer to keep track of your wax temperature.
Coloring the Wax.
Don'ts.
1. Dont use food coloring or crayons or things rit dye. They do not color well.
Dos..
Check w/ hobby shop for candle coloring agents these are the best places to get colors for your candles if you don't plan on using natural dyes. Remember that the color of the wax will lighten as the wax hardens so you will experiment on how much to use.
Natural Dyes..
For coloring candles w/ plants Jo Lohmolder suggests these proportions per pound of wax.
Fresh leaves or blossoms: 2 cups pressed down
Fresh black walnut or butternut hulls 1/2 cup
Lichens: 1/4 cup
Osage orange root: 1/2 cup of the papery outter covering
Color
Plant
Part Used
Beige Silver Queen Armetisia All parts
Rosey Beige Bloodroot
Prickly Ash
Root
Unripe berries
Blue Indigo Powder*
Deep Brown Butternut Green husks
Gold Oxeye Daisy
Lichens
Catfoot Everlastin
Blossoms
All
Leaves and blossoms
Brassy Gold Black Walnut Green husks
Old Gold Black-eyed Susan Blossoms
Grey Lichen All
Green Tansy Leaves
Grey Green Ambrosia
Bayberry
Blossoms
Berries
Olive-Green Garden Sage
Rosemary
Blossoms
Leaves
Orange Osage Orange Papery root covering
Golden Orange Myrrh All
Pink Cochineal Powder*
Rose Cochineal Powder*
Yellow Lichen All
Golden Yellow African Marigold Blossoms
* place powder in muslin sacks and immerse in wax to color.
Scenting..
The best way to scent candles is w/ either store bought scenting products made especially for candles or w/ essential oils that you make yourself.. see oil preparation pages.
Donts..
Dont use perfumes or water based scents as they will not mix well and can be a fire hazard.