Inscriptions
Runes are letters of magical alphabets used to spell words containing power mystic meaning. There are many different forms of Runes, including the Druidic Ogam Bethluisnion, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Theban Script, Pictish, Celestial, Malachim, etc, etc. Runes can be inscribed on the candle by heating the tip of a consecrated athame and carving them in. Also you can use a heated steel knitting needle or nail just as effectively.
Other powerful Pagan symbols that can be carved into or painted on candles include the following:
The Pentagram- which represents the five ancient elements of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and the Spirit. It symbolizes human spiritual aspirations.
The Crescent Moon- is a sacred symbol of the Goddess and feminine energy. It is the appropriate symbol to be used on candles crafted especially for Goddess invocations, Sabbaths and women's healing.
The ancient magical symbol called the Seal of Solomon is a hexagram consisting of two interlocking triangles, one facing up and the other one facing down. It is a symbol of the human soul, and is most powerful when used on candles crafted for spells and rituals involving spirit communication, wisdom, purification and the strengthening of psychic powers.
The ankh- is an ancient Egyptian symbol resembling a cross with a loop at the top. It symbolizes life and cosmic knowledge, and every major God and Goddess of the Egyptian mythology is depicted carrying it. Also known as the "crux ansata," it is an appropriate symbol to place on candles for spells and rituals involving health, fertility and divination.
The Eye of Horus- is another ancient Egyptian symbol which is often used in contemporary Witchcraft. It depicts the divine eye of the god Horus, represents both solar and lunar energies, and is carved into candles to symbolize spiritual protection as well as the clairvoyant power of the Third Eye.
The triangle- is a symbol of infinite manifestation in Western magic, and is used in rituals to evoke spirits when the seal or sign of the entity to be summoned is placed in the center of the triangle. Triangles containing veves (intricate symbolic emblems representing certain Voodoo spirit-loas) are extremely powerful when carved into candles. The triangle, equivalent to the number three (a powerful magical number) is also a symbol of the Triple Goddess: Mother, Maiden/Warrior, Crone. Inverted, it represents the male principle.
The Swastika- is an ancient religious symbol formed by a Greek cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction. Before being adopted in 1935 as the infamous official emblem of Nazi Germany, the Swastika was a sacred symbol of good luck in pre-Christian Pagan Europe and in many other cultures around the world including the Orientals, the Egyptians and the Indian tribes of North, Central and South America. (The word Swastika stems from the Sanskrit- Svastika meaning a sign of good luck.)
In addition to the above-mentioned symbols of magic, there are numerous ancient as well as modem mystical symbols that can be used to empower candles with specific magical energies. These symbols include the male and female fertility symbols, crosses, circles, peace signs, astrological and planetary symbols, numbers etc.
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