Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in the Psychic
Realm chatroom about “ceromancy”. That is the fine art of
reading a situation by studying the way a candle burns. Are the
flames leaping high? Is the wax sizzling and crackling and
popping? What does it mean when the flame goes out? Many people
in the Realm over the last year have become avid candle-burners
and realized quite instinctively that the way a candle is
behaving is often a mirror of the situation as it presently
exists and its outcome. It is, after all, one of the world’s
most ancient forms of divination. The leaping and reaching
candle flames are seen to represent the souls of the individuals
involved in the situation being read. For instance, one member,
the other day asked me what it meant when the wax from the
candle she was burning for love melted into the shape of a
heart. Anyone who is used to reading wax drippings knows that is
extremely good news and probably means the other person is
thinking of you. Another phenomenon that I am constantly asked
about is what I call “accelerated magic.” This is when a candle,
that usually lasts about four hours, starts smoking and seems to
burn down very rapidly …like in about fifteen minutes. This is
usually good news and means that your prayer or request will
probably be answered quite rapidly. If the candle was being
burned for protection of some kind, it means that there was more
than likely some kind of invasion or attack that the spirits
decided to take care of as fast as possible. In general, when
you first light the candle, if the candle starts smoking quite
heavily right away that is a very good sign. It means that
negative energy is being removed from the situation. If the
smoke is white, it means your prayers will be answered right
away. If it is black, your prayer will probably be answered, but
it is possible there will be obstacles in a way. You have to use
your gut instinct if the flame doesn’t smoke at all. Sometimes
that can mean there are no obstacles and other times, it means
that the matter is long over. A clear, strong flame that burns
steadily is a good sign that the candle is sending out a great
deal of power and energy to manifest what you want. If it is
small and more ball shaped than teardrop shaped, it is less
likely that your prayer will be answered. A weak or low flame
means you are facing some “heavy” opposition. Staring at a flame
is a great way of telling you if your magic is working. It never
ceases to amaze me how a flame will seem to grow higher or grope
for more air the more you meditate upon it. You can also do some
divination by looking straight into the heart of the flame – the
blue center that is surrounded by the orange halo. A healthy
flame has a bright red core, surrounded by a blue halo and then
a yellow colour. A blazing red center tells you that spirits are
getting to the heart of the matter. A red center that is dim or
just a pinpoint reveals a situation that may not be motivated by
the heart. If the wick of the candle starts building a little
bulb at its tip, chances are that you have opposition or a third
party working against you. If there is a lot of blue in the
flame, I take that as a sign that angels and spirits are
protecting you from a possibly unhappy outcome. Jumping, leaping
and steadily rising flames are an excellent indication that
spirits are fighting the obstacles that are in your way. This
can be quite fascinating to watch, especially if the flame is
really jumping and you are burning a candle that is intended to
fight another’s will. If the flame is really protesting, so is
the person and sometimes this is your cue to put the candle out.
If the candle makes sizzling, hissing or popping sounds, this is
also a sign that some kind of spiritual warfare is taking place.
If it scares you or doesn’t feel right put the candle out.
However if it feels like obstacles are being destroyed or
eliminated then enjoy the show. If you are burning a love candle
and a second flame develops from an ash then I consider that to
be a bad sign. It means you have a rival. If you are burning two
candles that are supposed to represent two different
individuals, it is not a great omen if one of the candles burns
away to the bottom much faster than the other does. That is
often a sign that your timing is off in the relationship or it
is not meant to be. If the candle smoke wafts towards you it
means that your prayer is more than likely to be answered. If it
wafts away from you, then it means that you will need a great
deal of perseverance in order to have your prayer answered.
According to author Reverend Ray T. Marlborough If the smoke
blows to your left “you are getting too emotionally involved
with the situation and are in danger of subconsciously
sabotaging your own prayer so that it will not be answered. If
it blows to the right you will need to use your head rather than
your emotions to pursue the situation.” The way a candle unfolds
or deconstructs as it melts can be very significant. It is
wonderful when the candle seems to collapse outward or unfold
like a flower. I consider that to be a sign that your wish will
be granted. It represents possibilities and paths opening for
you. A candle that is too lopsided in one direction or another,
universally means that you are dealing with a situation that is
way out of balance. If the flame is buried by the wax, to me
that is often a sign that the wish will not be granted. Reading
wax drippings is a totally intuitive matter. It is similar to
reading tea leaves. Some shapes are obvious, like the heart,
which obviously represents love. Wax drippings may form in
shapes that mean something very personal to you – a totem animal
for example. A good general reference book to buy that tells you
the meaning of a lot of shapes, common symbols and animals is
Talismans and Amulets by Felicitas H. Nelson. Perhaps one thing
to remember when you purchase a candle is that you cannot read
the drippings of a candle that is made of paraffin or that is
marketed as “dripless”. Go for a candle made of messy natural
wax or beeswax, as they are the ones that tend to reveal the
most astral information.