Dressing A Candle

To be honest, I was never one for dressing candles. It seemed an unnecessary step and I never really gave it a try for fear of doing something wrong. In the past, the most I would do would be to sprinkle some herbs at the top of the candle once some of the wax had melted.


I have recently changed my ways.


It seems like common sense to state that you get out of something what you put into it. The statement is true and I can feel the difference in a candle's energy after adding essential oils and herbs.


I took a white pillar candle and poured some Palo Santo essential oil onto my hands. I smeared that stuff all over the sides of the candle as well as the top. Then, I sprinkled a mixture of Irish Moss and White Sage that I broke down a bit in my mortar and pestle. I placed it in the correct position on my altar and lit it up so that it could start illuminating my space and cleansing my altar.


The purpose of this story of mine is to tell you not to be afraid to try new things. You might just discover that the new way is better than whatever it is that you've been doing. Putting in a little extra effort makes for a better finished product, especially where spirituality is concerned.


Dressing a candle is a witchcraft practice and I see no conflict in using it in my practice of Irish Polytheism. It's easy enough to imagine that the Irish of yesteryear did something similar (I have no proof of this, it's just what I think to be true), but this practice works for me today. Since I'm not a CR, I see no problem in embracing this modern technique that is found in so many belief systems.


Some might balk and say I'm practicing incorrectly. Those folks should feel free to leave me a comment below and tell me the "right" way to do this. Perhaps I'll learn something new again.