Ok then,Having decided to start on the Path of Witchcraft,what do you need to equip yourself with??Apart from the obvious such as a pointed hat,black cat and broomstick there are several things that the real witch needs to have,and needs to know.This is not to say that if you never make a candle you arent a real witch,it is just like a good chef preparing a sauce from scratch and not relying on a premade sauce...no matter how good and reliable his supplier is....one time in a thousand it might not be exactly prepared as before...and anyway...candle making is lots of fun and very rewarding...so give it a go....it is safe,cheap,enjoyable and gives your mind a chance to grow.
A candle has three made parts....the WAX (usually parrafin wax now days,but beeswax is still available),STEARIN (the secret ingredient that makes the candle harder and prevents heavy dripping and makes the candle burn properly) and the WICK.(basically a very thin shop bought candle!)
Add the three together and hey presto...your first candle.For the very unsure I would reccommend a candle making kit...available from candle suppliers and craft shops...but if you are a little adventurous then this isnt really needed...just a mould,some new wax ,the wick and the stearin,all of which can be bought seperately...(and cheaper too).You will also need two pans,one that holds the boiling water and a smaller one that fits in side it....if you have ever melted chocolate you will know what I mean.The only diference is that the saucepan/container that you melt the wax in is good for nothing else afterwards except melting more wax...so dont use the best saucepan set that you got for Christmas!!You will also need some cocktail sticks,a blob of your kids plasticine,old newspapers and a clear firm working surface where you can leave your candle to set.Colour dyes are optional..but lets just make a white candle to start with,that way if it goes wrong you can add coloured dyes next time,reuse the wax and hide the mistake..I wont tell!!....
Important this...Hang a "Do not Disturb" sign on the kitchen door..This is your first attempt and you will want to concentrate,kids,pets and the other half will be distracting.Feed the cat,put the tv on for the kids,and throw the old man a pizza (or the phone,he can ring his own)!!.
Fill the big saucepan about a third full of water and put on to boil,when boiling reduce the heat to a simmer...check that the water level doesnt rise too high when you put the smaller saucepan in it...do this while the water is cold...when satisfied turn to the candle mould.Take your wick and thread it through the hole in the bottom of the mould,tie the loose end to the cocktail stick and pull gently tight,then put a blob of pasticine in the hole to seal it and stop the melted wax coming out.Cut off the extra wick,and center the wick on the cocktail stick.(I say cocktail stick because I am assuming you are making a fairly small candle as your first attempt...obviously if you are making a large candle use a stick/scewer that fits accross the open end of the mould!).See diagram below.You can also use the plasticine to set your mould upright if it isn't free standing.
Now add your wax chips and stearin to the small pan....in a ratio of tens parts wax to one part stearin and melt slowly and gently in the simmering water.Some books will tell you about temperatures of the wax etc,but if its melted and runny I consider it's at the correct temperature to pour into the mould!!When you are satisfied that the wax is fluid enough (dont let it boil...this means the wax is too hot,it can give of some nasty fumes!),pour into the mould,dont be frightened of the molten wax,if you pour hesitently it will run down the side of the pan and drip on the work surface..(hence the newspapers!!),treat it like normal hot water,pur slowly but firmly into the mould.When the mould is full replace the small pan back in the larger pan,you will need to add a bit more wax to the mould as the wax sets...because as it cools it will shrink and form a recess in the base.
About an hour later
This is about the most tricky time.....you will need to fill in the indent in the bottom of the candle,remelt your wax (or,if you left it simmering,keeping an eye on the water level in the big saucepan!) to fill in the sinkwell.I suggest you use an old spoon for this because if you overfill the sinkwell,hot wax will get in between the part shrunken candle and the side of the mould...AND YOU WILL HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING THE CANDLE OUT!!.Once the base is level you can turn off the cooker and go and have a well earned rest.
3 or 4 hours later
Approach your now set candle with a sense of excitement......how will it look out of the mould??...Only one way to find out!!Cut the wick just under the cocktail stick,and remove the plasticine,be careful as you turn the mould over to do this...it may be loose in the mould and might fall out.Give the mould a sharp tap on a solid surface and out the candle should drop.Trim the wick and there you go...your first candle!!It didnt come out of the mould??...No problem...stand it in the fridge overnight and try in the morning,it would have shrunk some more,you over filled the sinkwell didnt you??If this doesnt work try running the mould under a hot tap for a while to remelt the base wax.
But I will assume all went well and you are now proudly holding your first homemade candle.Light it up and think to yourself..."The flame lives...I've created life!!"
Colours.
During the melt stage just add the colour dye to the melted wax,start with the lightest colour first..adding the darker colours in turn,that way you can use the same wax.Alernatively clean the small pan between meltings.Use that old spoon from last time to stir the colour dye in slowly.
Standard candle colours for circle work are Green(North),Yellow(East),Red(South) and Blue (West),Altar candles are white and black and Spirit candle is white.I use a mould about 6 inchs high by 2 inches accross.This gives enough burn time to use in all the sabbats,I use one set all year,remake the candles at Imbolc and on that sabbat we light the new candles from what is left of the old ones....that way each candle lives on in it's partner candle.....
A word on black candles.....black is merely an absence of colour it isnt an evil colour.Now,I understand why you may not be happy with having a black candle in your circle...ok,no problem...use two white candles instead...remember if it doesnt feel right to you then don't do it!!(Just for the record...and to make you feel better I use two white candles on the altar...I don't have any particular aversion to the black candle but some people who join the circle would be uncomfortable with it,so I don't use it!!)
Ok,That's the secret of cast candle making...let me know how you get on...will be adding sections to this part of the site about candle annointing and candle rituals at a later date.Imbolc is fast approaching so will be putting up an Imbolc Ritual using the Kaizen Circle and your home made candles if you would like to start celebrating the Pagan Wheel,now would be a good sabbat to start!! By the way at the beginning I was kidding about the pointed hat and the broomstick...a cat is nice tho!!
Hot wax can catch fire just like boiling fat.IF this happens smother the flames with a saucepan lid or sheet of foil...DO NOT ADD WATER TO BURNING OR LIQUID WAX......EVER!!
Never melt wax over a direct flame...always use the double saucepan methd,and remember not to let the water run out.
Never leave hot/molten wax unattended,and keep out of the reach of children
Dont allow water to splash into your hot wax.
Clean up as soon as possible when you have finished...but allow extra wax to harden in an old tin can or other heatproof container...personally I either leave it to harden in the pan...to be the first to be used next time..or try to have as little left over as possible.
Don't dispose of spare wax down the sink....YOU WILL NEED A PLUMBER!!
Happy Candle Crafting
Blessed Be
Kaizen
Copyright January 17th 2000
If you would like to use this on your site that is ok,just let me know so I can come and see it,and please,leave the name in!!...This took me ages to type!!
