Black candle questions

[Firefly Dancer]

Hi everybody

I have been thinking about a spell to help with some energy to help clear things up. Since this year started, my family and I have been surrounded by situations ( work, money, attacks, health, you name it ) and I think I really need to banish some negativity and clear the air so we can see the light.

I have found some spells but they use a black candle ( I know the meaning of the color is used to banish negativity ) but I guess I am still having some predisposition to a particular color since I find myself reluctant to use black in fear to attract negative energy instead of banishing it. I know, it is just a color....

I also read in a spell that we can use a GRAY candle instead of Black if it made us feel more comfortable. But I need to do something strong because trust me, there are some heavy blockages we need to make go away.

What is your experience with black candles ?  I also read if you light a black one, you need to make sure to have a white one next to it.  As well, I do not use very large candles, but smaller kind of candles like votives, so... in this case... size matters ??  LOL

Thanks for your help as always... if you know a basic banishing spell for obstacles and bad energy, can you also share ? 

[ThunderWolf]

I've never had any problems with black candles. I've even made some black beeswax candles in jars to be used as altar candles. Black candles are effective tools, and I'd honestly be more concerned about your attitude about black candles than the candles being black.

I'm fond of using the tiny mini-tapers for spells because they burn down more quickly. But when dealing with a serious blockage (or as in this case needing to break apart so much negativity) I think I'd opt for something larger. A glass encased 7 day type of candle may be a bit much, but I'd at least go for a full sized taper or even a "jumbo". You know better than any of us how much energy you need to send to the problem though. Just use a proportionately sized candle for that.

BTW, that bit about needing to burn a white candle with a black one is just someone being overly cautious because of their own hang-ups with black candles IMO. You wouldn't feel a need to do that with another color would you? Well...why do it with a black candle? Though it's true that black is more of a lack of color rather than an actual color I'm still unable to see any reasonable purpose being served by wasting a white candle. One could explain that the black is absorbing something so you need to replace it with something else, but that seems like a good way to divide your attention and thereby diminish the effectiveness of your spell. Your purpose isn't to put anything specific in place of the negative energy. So just use the black candle to absorb/dissolve it.

[daecon]

There's nothing inherently wrong about a black candle, but if your attitude about it is bad, it won't work effectively anyway.  I would suggest skip the candle entirely and try a different magical paradigm.  Don't be limited by concentrating exclusively on only one style of magic.

[Atropos]

 I've burned black candles without a problem for, oh, a couple of decades now. Never felt the need to "balance" them out in any way. I rather like them. As Daecon pointed out, if you are uncomfortable with the idea of a black candle, it won't be effective.

 And as ThunderWolf mentioned, some people do find it important to fill any void left from a banishing, but that's for after. One thing at a time. :-)

[Ken Ra]

It really is your associations that matter.  Your spell your mind and your subconscious. You are or should be the best expert on yourself.

[Malikite]

Here is a twist to the idea of banishing the negative energy, instead of banishing all that negative energy away, and using up all that energy it will take to do so, why not instead using a combination of crystals, salt, silver, and sulfur absorb, channel, and transform all that negative energy into positive energy and good luck instead. Just my take on the situation, after all why let all that perfectly useful energy go to waste. (you can even keep some of that negative energy bottled up for future uses IF that is your thing)

[Firefly Dancer]

Thanks for your replies.

I guess I have not lost entirely yet the preconceived ideas about stereotypes related to magic.  To me, black / darkness was always the evil side.  When in fact it is a part of life ( day / night, black / white etc ).  I guess then you learn that there is nothing entirely good or bad. That a "bad" situation can turn into a good one after time. That nobody is entirely good or entirely bad.  I guess if we see this under that light, then black is just a color.

I stick to the candles because that is mostly what I know how to do ( kinda, because I am no expert ! ) but I have read about the salt idea and probably can add some extra elements to the spell.

Thanks for your guidance as always !

[Ken Ra]

Mainstream associations tend to be black and white. There is dark ( hard dangerous difficult ) and Evil. Probably other shades in there too.  Evil does exist but it is extremely rare. Most of the bad in the world is greed and stupidity, and we can grow out of that.

[Hagred]

All good answers!

I use black candles and have found no problem at all concerning attracting negativity.  It is, as other folk mentioned, your attitude toward negativity and the colour black.

You can give a black candle purpose i.e. representing the negativity that is making you miserable.  You do away with the negativity by burning the candle in reverse.  Anoint candle with the purpose, then chop off the candle tip, turn candle upside down, cut away wax to expose wick from the bottom end and burn.

Alternatively, if black candles still give you the heebie jeebies, use a purple candle to transmute the negativity

[averno]

Well said ThunderWolf.  To be the witch you want to be accept the dark with the light.  Do not let other religions negative view of yours determine your path.  Undestand the role that it plays and master it.  You will always be safe as long as you stay in control.  Temorarily use a ying yang symbol on your altar to remind yourself of the role that light and dark play in life.  The dark ideas and temptations of witchcraft tend to draw a lot of people in but it is the balance of nature that brings you out into the reality of what witchcraft really is.

[Firefly Dancer]

Thank you all for your replies and information, very useful.

Well I think I have left behind the fears about black candles and realized it is just a color and what matters is what you think of a color and how to use it. I mean... having a black car means you are evil ??  LOL    wearing black clothes mean you are necessarily going to a funeral ? 

I used the black candle, did what Hagred recommended ( upside down ) and used another 5 white candles to form a pentacle. My idea is having the black in the center calling the negative energy and the white around forming the pentacle absorbing and transforming the energy into positive.  Worked really well. We feel lighter already !!  That night I slept as if I had received a massage or something, very relaxed and calm.

So I guess I have passed the stage where all the marketing against magic made me feel back was evil.

Thanks so much for answering !!

[Hagred]

I'm glad it all worked out well in the end for you mmx