How to Dress a Crystal Ritual Candle

Dressing a crystal ritual candle for my altar is one of my favorite ways to create more magic with crystals.

Candle magic has a long history of use in many cultures across the globe (think candles in religious practice, for prayer or healing, and even wish-granting birthday candles atop a cake!). By dressing a candle with oils, herbs, and crystals you turn the candle into a tool for making magic. It becomes more than just a candle...it becomes a vessel for the energy and intention you'd like to bring into your ritual work.

Before you begin the process of creating your dressed candle, you'll need to set an intention for the energy you'd like to call in. I suggest that you focus on just one word for your intention (something like love, abundance, magic, intuition, well-being, etc.).

Gather Your Candle-Dressing Supplies:

* You’ll need a candle of your choice for dressing. Choose a color that corresponds to your intention. When choosing your candle, you’ll also want to consider size. I love working with the small ritual altar candles because they’re really easy to handle while dressing, and the short burn time works well for meditation, healing work, or spellcraft.

* You'll also need a separate t-lite candle to help you with the dressing of your ritual candle.

* To make this a crystal ritual candle, you'll need a very small stone (the little tumbled crystal chips seem to work best for candle dressing). The stone you choose should correspond to the intention you've chosen for your candle.

* You may also choose to include some dried herbs or flowers of your choice. Again, be sure these correspond to the intention or theme that you’ve set for this ritual candle. Only use herbs that are safe to burn; you can always do a bit of research if you’re uncertain about this. You should also avoid using any herbs that you might be allergic to. It's best if the dried herbs are in fairly small pieces (but they don't have to be turned to dust either). If you think of the size of the dried herbs in your kitchen spice rack, this is a good size to aim for.

* You’ll also need a small to medium-sized shallow dish. Glass or ceramic is great. Just be sure to choose something that will fit your chosen candle. When in doubt, a dinner plate usually works great.

* You’ll need a few drops of a carrier oil (like almond oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil). In a pinch, even a little olive oil can work just great (and this is what I end up using most often). Optionally, you may want to add a drop or two of an essential oil of your choosing. If you choose to add essential oil for fragrance, be sure to choose an oil that corresponds to the intention you've set for your candle.

* You might also want to grab a cotton swab or an eyedropper if you have one, but if you don’t have those things, don’t worry. You can just use your finger instead.

* Optionally, you'll need a sharp, thin instrument (like a push pin, bent paper clip, etc.)

* Finally, you’ll need a lighter or some matches for lighting your candle once you're ready to work with it.

How to Dress Your Crystal Ritual Candle:

Start by using your lighter or matches to light the t-lite candle. This will give you a working flame so that you can have both of your hands-free to dress your chosen ritual candle. Very carefully, hold the base of your chosen candle,