THE CANDLE UMBRA WORKING

Introduction:

Candle magic is simple to the extreme. Blowing out candles on our birthday cakes, we employ an essentially magical technique for wish fulfillment. Its props may be purchased and its technique practiced anywhere. Employing few props of magic, one's intent is directed subconsciously, in the same way that a Tibetan prayer wheel works: Initial petition and subsequent subconscious repetition. It relies upon concentration, statement of intent, non-emotional attachment to the goal, and visualization of the end result. I add the factor of talisman charging to a simple, counter-intelligence, formula. This talisman should be assembled beforehand.

Candles may be made by the magician or purchased directly from any grocery store in the area of working. Like many official or sacred items, they should be "virgin," i.e. not used for anything beforehand, to dispel negative or unfocused energy that may be placed upon mundane and utilitarian objects. The following color correspondence represents a commonly accepted "color philosophy" but may be disregarded to the favor of any personal color archetypes.

Black: Banishing illnesses, breaking hexes, exorcisms and the stopping of all forces.

Red: Protection, strength, health, energy, sexual potency/passion, courage, the healing and killing of living cells.

Pink: Love, affection, romance and friendships. Passive emotions.

Orange: Stimulation, energy, ego-strength, security, materialism, ambition, career matters and the law.

Brown: Healing animals, materialism in its most base sense.

Yellow: Intellect(ualism), imagination, memory, creativity,

attraction, study, divination. The nervous system, organization and philosophy in general.

Green: Money, fertility, abundance, good luck, harmony, growth, employment, beauty and spontaneous organic creativity.

Blue: Inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and devotion.

Light Blue: Healing, patience, happiness.

Dark Blue: Change, psychism, theology.

Indigo: Time and space (or Astral) travel, the night sky and weather.

Purple: Power (and material wealth), mind over matter, fleshless ideals and meditation; also the most passionate (violently and physically) of emotions; love, lust, fear, hate and anger.

White: Protection, purification, peace and trust.

Silver: Clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and intuition, sexual charisma.

Gold: Satisfaction, confidence and humor. Ego-centricity and accepted, deserved or legitimate pride.

Rather complex and overlapping in some respects, this correspondence list may be beefed up by use of Crowley's Liber 777 and especially one's own instinct on the matter in question. Another person related to the issue may be represented by a "formed " candle in the shape of hir gender, and/or colored to represent the astrological designation of the target, for example. Candles are easily made, should you have a craft shop nearby, and candles may assume any form, color or scent desirous to the magician.

Candles are "dressed" before being used in a working. The purpose obvious, the candles are impregnated with conscious intent before the climax of the working. It is dressed traditionally with oil in a magnetizing technique, from the lighting tip downward to the center, then upward from the base to the center of the candle. A mantra is repeated during this, of sigilized intent.

The method for verbal sigils is mentioned in Carroll's Liber Null & Psychonaut in detail, so it will not be presented here.

"Ylem" represents those particles existing before the theorized "Big Bang"; full of potential unactualized. Astrological considerations may be noted, as this is a subconscious evocation of desire-force. Petitions on "Sigil-papers" are written out beforehand on paper in any occult method and using any method of correspondence (color, texture, script, etc.) that the magician may choose. In effect, the operator creates three separate magical devices for this rite; a verbal sigil of the desired goal, a talisman for carrying, and a visible sigil of the desired goal to be burned during the rite.

1. Statement of Intent:

By Ylem (eye-lem) is this begun
By Ylem is this Will spun
Into a knot of enchantment and this desire,
I weave and make real this bequest.
Formless force behind all phenomena
I conjure your potential to manifest.
My will is (objective of working)!

2. The Dressing of the Candle:

While repeating the mantra of verbal-sigilized desire upon the candle, oils of consecration and/or special significance are anointed.

3. The Charging of the Talisman:

In a star position (arms and legs outstretched, the head representing the upper-most point of a pentagram), the operator intones deeply an "ooooooooh" (as in focus, i.e. f-oh-cus) sound, corresponding to and directed upon the belly or navel area of hir body.

With arms still outstretched, the operator spinning on hir axis while continuing the vowel mantra. This may be done any number of times, depending on the pre-arranged plans of the operator, the desired level of gnosis achieved by the operator during the mantric process of centering the concentration in this area of hir body, and/or collapse.

The sigilized desire fetish, or talisman, on paper and in a glyph or symbol form, is then placed upon the navel and the vowel mantra (oh...) is delivered with emphasis, in the Othala Stadha: standing with legs apart, the elbows are bent out to the sides and the hands hold the talisman to the navel. This glyph of desire may be an accretion of many aspects of the desire at hand, and will function as a talisman to be held and concentrated upon at desired subsequent events.

For luck in money gathering, a winning lotto ticket may be used as a base for additional corresponding symbols, for example. This talisman is then placed underneath the candle corresponding to its desire.

4. The Use of the Candle(s) and Sigil-papers:

Its color determined and the candle dressed by the correspondences of the desired result of the working, this same result is visualized as actually occurring to the operator, and then the candle is lit.

The petition is either written down at this point or prewritten in coded alphabetical form. It is folded deliberately, slowly, and then burned in the corresponding candle's flame at this point, with full visualization of the working's aim, and the remains deposited at the base of the candle.

5. The Wyrding:

"I light this effigy to perpetuate my desire
Upon the unmanifest symbol of my need-fire."

Allow the candle complete or intentional isolation to burn away. Only those people involved or representative of the goal should be allowed in its environ. The candle may be left alone to burn once it is secured and no fire hazard is apparent. No candle, once used for a magical intent, is re-used.

6 . The Talisman Retrieval and Ending of the Rite Proper:

After the candle has completely burned away, the talisman is retrieved with a hearty "Choyofaque" and stored or carried for use.

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