We all live in an extremely busy and hectic world; a world that seems to take over every single aspect of our lives. In a post-pandemic era, where the threat of further lockdown is finally lifting, many of us are realising that, despite the horrors of the Coronavirus pandemic, actually, many of us found a sense of peace and rest during our confinement period. A time to reflect, take stock, take up new hobbies, complete lingering tasks and just re-connect with ourselves. Many of us may have even made promises to ourselves that we would never let life get to be as hectic and busy as it was pre-pandemic, ever again! That this time, life would be different, we would live a slower and more meaningful life… Only, for many… that has not happened. Or is happening, but proving tricky to maintain.
Like a train that has been held to a standstill on a track, the world is shunting back into motion again. Seemingly dragging us along with it.
For many Witches, pagans, druids and other spiritually minded folks, this starting up again and a sense of ‘back to normal’ is leaving some with a lack of time to connect with their spiritual life and their craft. I have noticed quite a few people express sadness and even guilt for their self perceived lack of practice and spiritual time.
For those people, and for anyone else looking for a regular and low maintenance working to re-connect with their magick, I offer you this, the Home Centre Candle.

It is made around the time of the full moon, ideally every month, and once made, all you have to do is light it once a day for an hour or two!
I have found this to not only be an effective working to use as regular piece of home magick, but to reconnect me to my own practice during times I have been busy or lacked energy.

Notes:

Notes on colour magick: When it comes to choosing a colour for your candle working, the choice is entirely up to you;

• You can use a plain white candle, as the colour white within colour magick is a good all purpose colour.
• If you’re looking to bring in romantic love, a nice deep pink or red might be an ideal colour.
• Pale blue is good for healing and peace.
• Yellow and orange shades are good for productivity, energy, and clear communication.
• Black for protection.
• Purple for power.
• Silver for connection to the divine feminine.
• Green for money, finances and luck. etc
  
  This aspect of colour magick could also be extended to you choice of what colour pens to use.
  
  Notes on symbols: In regards to placing symbols and/or sigils upon the candle, the choice is entirely up to you. You can use the ogham, runes, theban, zodiac signs, etc. You could also create your very own sigils and symbols. What matters is that the signs, symbols, or sigils are specifically relevant to the working. It’s no good adding bits in to just make it look ‘Witchy’. The markings on the candle do not have to be aesthetically pleasing either. It’s all about your creative and magickal expression, as well as the symbols relevance to your working.
  
  Do I need to use pens? If you have another way you wish to mark symbols upon the candle, such as engraving with a pin or a knife, or using other paints or pens, that is more than o.k. Please feel free to adapt this working to suit you and your individual needs.
  

Tools Needed:

• 1 Long burn candle – I would suggest around a 30-50 hour burn as this candle is designed to be lit once a day for a month. If you’re UK based, you can find some really beautiful candles at Starchild Glastonbury.
  
• Permanent marker pens in various colours. Or carving/engraving tools such as a pin or knife.
  
• Mugwort or sage herb bundle to sain/smudge with.
  
  
  

Method.

1. In the days leading up to the full moon, try to seek some quiet time alone where you can work. This may be at your altar, a kitchen table, the garden, or even a secret place in nature where you like to go and connect/speak with the spirits of the land and perform magick.
   
2. When you have found an ideal place to work, set out all of your tools before you and take a seat. Get comfortable and allow your mind to clear from the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the day. Close your eyes and allow yourself to ground and centre in whichever way you feel is best; in a way that is most comfortable for you.
   
3. Once you have grounded and centred yourself, keep your eyes closed for a moment or two more. If you have a particular guide or familiar spirit that you like to work with when you are performing a working, now is an ideal time to call to them and ask them to be with you for this creation of magick. Once you have called upon any guides, deities or Ancestors that you may want to connect with, move onto setting your intention for this working. Meditate upon what it is you are wanting to achieve, what it is you want to create, and how you will energetically birth this into creation.
   
4. When ready, say aloud:
   
   “Today, I create the Home Centre Candle.
   I create it for … (Healing, peace, protection? etc).
   I call upon … (Any particular guides or spirits you may want to assist you).
   I will mark upon this candle the symbols of … (The ogham, runes, theban, your own symbols etc).
   This candle will shine it’s light in the centre of my home for all to see and cast out all shadows of fear, ill-will, anger, sickness and distemper.
   It shall bring in the warmth of light and the radiance of peace”.
   
5. Now, taking up your pens, mark upon the candle any symbols you want to put upon it. These can be any symbol or sigil that you like, including ones you have created yourself. Just ensure what you use is relevant to your working. For example, if you are using the ogham and are seeking love, you may want to use apple (quert). Or if you are looking for protection, you may want to use Rowan and blackthorn. etc
   Your candle can have multiple symbols on it and can be as creatively expressive as you want it to be. You may even be drawing in more than one energy. For example love, joy and peace. This is fine, but using more than three can sometimes dilute the potency and accuracy of the working as it can be harder to hold a complex intention fully in your mind while creating the candle. Take your time decorating the candle. The more you connect and let creativity flow, the more energy you place within the candle.
   
6. Once the candle has been fully decorated, hold it in both hands and visualise the wick of the candle growing brighter and brighter (despite not yet being lit). Visualise this energetic light as being so bright that it fills the entire space in which it sits, casting out all shadows, all negativity and everything that does not help you and your family, your pets, your plants, your luck (and so on) thrive. Know that this energetic light is constant, that even when the flame is blown out each day, it’s energetic light burns on. Manifesting your will and watching over the home.
   
7. Now, light your herb bundle and sain (or smudge in some cultures) the candle. Use the herbs the cleanse the candle of all previous energies that may be present; ones that may have been generated during manufacture, or ones inadvertently been passed over by others perhaps handling the candle in a store etc. Then invite in positive energy to fill your candle working. This can be from you, the landscape around you, the earth, your spirit guides or familiar spirits – or perhaps a little from all of them.
   
8. The candle is now ready for use. Light it for the first time on the full moon and then light it once a day thereafter. You may want to light it for an hour or two when you relax in the evening, or maybe even in the morning, if that is when you have some quiet time. One thing I like to do is light the candle in the early evening when we have all sat down to dinner. A time of the day when we all come together as a family. You can keep your candle on an altar, mantlepiece, kitchen table etc. Just place it somewhere that is both safe and an area where you consider to be a central or integral place of your home.
   
9. Once the candle is spent and it is time to prepare a new one, you have some options on how you dispose of the candle. If it is a natural beeswax or soy candle, you may want to compost or bury it. Thus returning the working to the earth. If, however, your candle is not earth friendly, simply thank your candle working for the assistance it has given you and dispose of it appropriately.

I hope you have enjoyed todays blog! Despite being very simple in it’s application, this is probably one of my most cherished and repeated workings, I hope you come to enjoy it too.

From the time, mists, and the distance between us, blessings from me to you.