When to Light a Candle: Magickal Days and the Moon
We are a bit liberal with our guidelines. If you have guidelines with which you are more comfortable, please continue to use them. Our intention is to open the seeker to knowledge without burdening him or her with rules. Frameworks and rules should be discovered and formed by the seeker. Spiritual practice varies greatly with individual beliefs. We encourage you to explore and see what works for you.
TIMING
Time is a controversial issue with magicians. Many feel it is of utmost importance that a magical working be performed during advantageous astrological configurations, as well as during the appropriate magical day and hour. This, certainly, will intensify your ritual, but not all of us can or want to plan our lives according to planetary movements. For example, the hour of Venus might be during your lunch hour. So you run home, light your candle, and run back to work. Your focus and concentration at that time would be limited. We believe that the most important aspect of timing is having time to spend with your candle.
In addition, there does not have to be a flame for your candle to be working.
Many people are rigid about magical work and the phases of the moon. If something needs to be done, you may not be able to wait for the appropriate moon phase. We will discuss how to change your mediation so magical work can be performed at any phase.
Scheduling around planetary days, hours, and aspects is an important, but ultimately fine point, of magical work. Each of the following magical recipes in Candle Therapy® gives suggestions about timing for your candle. For example, some people like to light a Venus (attraction) candle on the day (Friday) and/or at the hour of Venus. To stabilize a love relationship or increase communication, you might want to light a candle on the day of Venus in the hour of Mercury. If you want to expand your business, you can light a candle on the day of Jupiter (expansion), in the hour of Venus (money) on a waxing moon in Mercury (customers will hear about you). You might even light it on a day of Saturn for finalizing negotiations.
Below are charts outlining the planets' meanings and their corresponding days and hours.
MAGICAL DAYS
The days have been named for the ruling planet. For example, Sunday is the day of the Sun:
Day of the Week Planet Names For
Monday Moon (silver, white) Moon day
Tuesday Mars (red) Tiw's day
Wednesday Mercury (orange/yellow/gray) Woden's day
Thursday Jupiter (purple/blue) Thor's day
Friday Venus (pink/green) Freya or Frigg's day
Saturday Saturn (black/brown) Saturn or Seterne's day
Sunday Sun (yellow/orange) Sun day
If you are going to try to adhere to any of the fine points of timing, we would encourage you to choose a magical day upon which to work, according to your purpose. What phase the moon is in also has an effect upon your candle - or at least upon your meditation. The following section briefly describes the significance of the moon.
THE MOON
The moon is an age-old symbol that has represented everything from protection to danger. The phases are essential cycles which human events and earthly rhythms follow. For example, often a woman's menstrual cycle follows the moon cycle. A woman often ovulates or menstruates on the new or full moons. From moon to moon was a "period". That's why a woman's bleeding time is called a "period". In addition, the old calendar was thirteen months, following the number of moon cycles (and thus menstrual cycles). Why do you think the number thirteen got such a bad rep as the world shifted from a matriarchal to patriarchal society? The word month came from the Latin word “mensis”. Its plural is menses. “Mens” in latin refers to moon, mind, and spiritual power. The Roman goddess Mensa, like moon goddess Minerva, measured time.
TIMING
Time is a controversial issue with magicians. Many feel it is of utmost importance that a magical working be performed during advantageous astrological configurations, as well as during the appropriate magical day and hour. This, certainly, will intensify your ritual, but not all of us can or want to plan our lives according to planetary movements. For example, the hour of Venus might be during your lunch hour. So you run home, light your candle, and run back to work. Your focus and concentration at that time would be limited. We believe that the most important aspect of timing is having time to spend with your candle.
In addition, there does not have to be a flame for your candle to be working.
Many people are rigid about magical work and the phases of the moon. If something needs to be done, you may not be able to wait for the appropriate moon phase. We will discuss how to change your mediation so magical work can be performed at any phase.
- If you would like to use the planetary influences, first consider the days of the week and the moon phase. You can light it at any moon phase, but your meditation may change accordingly.
- Consider astrological aspects, what astrological sign the moon is in, and the ideal planetary hour of the day. Unfortunately, this is too extensive an area to address here and can be found in the book, Candle Therapy®.
Scheduling around planetary days, hours, and aspects is an important, but ultimately fine point, of magical work. Each of the following magical recipes in Candle Therapy® gives suggestions about timing for your candle. For example, some people like to light a Venus (attraction) candle on the day (Friday) and/or at the hour of Venus. To stabilize a love relationship or increase communication, you might want to light a candle on the day of Venus in the hour of Mercury. If you want to expand your business, you can light a candle on the day of Jupiter (expansion), in the hour of Venus (money) on a waxing moon in Mercury (customers will hear about you). You might even light it on a day of Saturn for finalizing negotiations.
Below are charts outlining the planets' meanings and their corresponding days and hours.
MAGICAL DAYS
The days have been named for the ruling planet. For example, Sunday is the day of the Sun:
Day of the Week Planet Names For
Monday Moon (silver, white) Moon day
Tuesday Mars (red) Tiw's day
Wednesday Mercury (orange/yellow/gray) Woden's day
Thursday Jupiter (purple/blue) Thor's day
Friday Venus (pink/green) Freya or Frigg's day
Saturday Saturn (black/brown) Saturn or Seterne's day
Sunday Sun (yellow/orange) Sun day
If you are going to try to adhere to any of the fine points of timing, we would encourage you to choose a magical day upon which to work, according to your purpose. What phase the moon is in also has an effect upon your candle - or at least upon your meditation. The following section briefly describes the significance of the moon.
THE MOON
The moon is an age-old symbol that has represented everything from protection to danger. The phases are essential cycles which human events and earthly rhythms follow. For example, often a woman's menstrual cycle follows the moon cycle. A woman often ovulates or menstruates on the new or full moons. From moon to moon was a "period". That's why a woman's bleeding time is called a "period". In addition, the old calendar was thirteen months, following the number of moon cycles (and thus menstrual cycles). Why do you think the number thirteen got such a bad rep as the world shifted from a matriarchal to patriarchal society? The word month came from the Latin word “mensis”. Its plural is menses. “Mens” in latin refers to moon, mind, and spiritual power. The Roman goddess Mensa, like moon goddess Minerva, measured time.