A very popular method of working magic throughout America is the setting of lights, and especially fixed 7-day candles. Although we call them 7-day candles, most commercial 7-day candles burn for around 5. This can be made even shorter by the addition of herbs and spiritual oils.

The bespoke fixed candles poured and prepared by Kitchen Toad are made of pure Canadian beeswax, and designed to burn as close to 7 days as possible. Our in-house tests have led to most candles burning continuously for 7-8 days, given proper maintenance of the wick. Candles to which a large amount of oils, powders, and herbs, were added burned 6 days on average, with an untrimmed wick. Our House Line candles are poured of paraffin and soy, but offer the same lengthy burn as our bespoke fixed candles.

Although it is traditional to leave candles to burn continuously, we highly recommend practicing astute fire safety and only burning candles when you can keep a close eye on them.

What distinguishes Kitchen Toad Fixed Candles from your run-of-the-mill botanica candle are the layers of enchantment woven throughout. All wax used in-house is blessed and consecrated before it is even melted down. Various spiritual oils are then added to the wax, following the intent for the finished candle. Once poured, various herbs, curios, and oils are used to dress the candle as prayers and energy are poured into each candle to ensure your spells and intentions are as juiced-up as possible.

That said, we do recommend you set your own intentions for the candle before it is lit, either by meditating on your goal, doing visualization work, presenting it to altars, praying over it, or holding it to your head as you think of your end goal.

A few common ways to work fixed candles include:

• Burning your candle on top of a well-made petition paper containing your full name, date of birth, intent, and signature. We recommend Catherine Yronwode's Paper in my Shoe to learn more about petition papers.

• Arranging appropriate materia, charms, or items around the candle as it burns.

• Baptizing the candle in your name or in the name of another by lightly washing it with cologne, whiskey, or water, and naming it after the person for who it will work. This is especially done when a candle is meant to draw love, money, or success, so that its magnetism for the intended condition transfers to the person it is named after.

• Setting the candle in a bowl of water and collecting this water to make into a spiritual bath for the candle's intended purpose.

• Burning the candle in increments over the course of 7 or 9 days to build power over time. The candle is prayed over and blessed every time it is lit.

• Burning the candle while performing a novena, or 9-day set of prayers.

• Carrying the candle as you circle the home or a person, so that its effect will permeate the space or person as it burns down.

• Setting a fixed candle as an altar lamp, lighting it when working the altar or spirit it is associated with.

Let your creativity run wild! Fixed candles can be worked with in a plethora of ways. The important thing is being clear with your intention, and being safe.

If you are especially attentive, you can also use the candle flame as an indicator of the spell's effect:

• A strong, tall flame indicates a strong manifestation; a low, dull flame indicates the opposite.

• A very sooty burn indicates that something is blocking your working, and some form of uncrossing or cleansing should be done after divination is performed.

• A flame that is constantly flickering and responds when you ask it to stop indicates strong spirit activity. However, a constantly wavering flame indicates that more prayer/consecration should be done, and more energy poured into the working.

• A flame that sputters and sparks indicates that there is someone talking about you and the objective of this working. It can also be a spirit coming through and attempting to speak, so lend an ear or break out the divination tools.

• A flame that splits in two is a positive indicator for love magic, but may also indicate a new partner in business, or the presence of a specific spirit helping you with the working.

• A flame licking the sides of the glass and causing it to crack is always an indicator that divination should be performed, as it could indicate an extremely powerful working or a curse that is blocking your success.

• A candle that only burns down halfway, or which tunnels and leaves a portion of its wax unburned, indicates that the spell is incomplete, and more must be done to accomplish your goal.

• A candle going out repeatedly indicates that spirits in your court disagree with your work, or that someone is actively blocking its manifestation.

The direction in which the candle flame leans, flickers, or splits, can be indicative of the reason or the spirit causing it to do so:

• North is the direction of the physical, mundane world. It is also the direction associated with spirits of the Earth, of forests, and of the vegetal kingdom. It can also be the direction of spirits associated with the hunt. A flame leaning in this direction indicates that something mundane is the root of the issue, or that a spirit associated with crossroads, the earth, the vegetal kingdom, or the hunt is coming through. This is a good direction for money and other worldly pursuits.

• East is the direction of the rising Sun, so it is the direction of success and of accomplishment. It is the direction associated with spirits of the Air, including celestial spirits, spirits of inspiration, art, music, and trickery, as well as those which are wholly benefic. This is a direction associated with the mind and with communication. If your flame leans, flickers, or splits in this direction, it may indicate that a spirit associated with it is coming through and engaging with the work, or that there is a layer of the situation that revolves around speech, understanding, communication, thought, and philosophy. This is a good direction for success, for all things spiritual, for public perception, and for matters of the mind, positive or negative.

• South is the direction of the emotional world and of the passions, including love, anger, and envy. The spirits found here are associated with the human condition, matters of the heart, wrath, war, anger, and deceit. Spirits of the Dead who were violent in life may show up here, although most spirits of the Dead belong to the Western direction. This direction is positive for matters of love and lust, for war, for curses, and for all things pertaining to the passions. A flame leaning here might show a deep emotional involvement in the matter, and a situation that will resolve itself through expression and emotion.

• West is the orientation of the Dead, of the past, and of the Underworld. This is the direction to which sorrow, anxiety, doubt, and fear belong. When a flame leans in this direction, it is often the case that the Dead are involved, or that the Ancestors are coming in to help with the matter. It may also indicate that a target's Dead are attempting to interfere. A candle burning in this direction will find its resolution in matters of nostalgia and of the past, and alleviating the burdens that are carried from one's history.

The candle's glass itself can also be read in the manner of reading tea leaves or coffee grounds. Observe it to find any patterns, symbols, or images, and interpret them according to your personal understanding. Remember to consider the directions in which these symbols appear in relation to the candle's position while it was burning. It can be helpful to mark one face of the candle as the "front" if your candle does not have a label.

• A clean candle glass indicates that the work will go according to plan, and that you will find success.

• Black soot indicates that something is blocking the work. If this soot continues to the very bottom of the candle, another candle should be set to burn, or cleansing/uncrossing work done before any further magic is performed. If the soot clears up by the bottom of the candle, it means that obstacles were dissolved to grant you your wish. You can leave things as they are, or do more work to support the candle and its results to ensure the best pay-off.

• White soot is usually an indicator that the working was aided with spirits, and that your are being guided towards the successful manifestation of your goal. The spell is very likely to succeed.

• A cracked glass usually indicates that you are being spiritually attacked, or that you are the target of a curse. However, a crack indicates that the curse or attack was warded off. Burn another candle or do other magical work to support your goal and ensure its successful completion.

• A broken glass should always be divined on, as it can indicate that the work was extremely potent, or that you are under attack and that this will have unwanted consequences.

If you are unsure about how a candle burned, or if you have any questions about interpreting your candle, feel free to book a free 15 minute consultation with us so we can chat about it!

Cheers,

Mahigan