Ember Grant
Samhain, which contains the roots of our modern Halloween, is one of the most significant celebrations of the year. The word means “summer’s end” but it’s much more than that. It is believed that the way to the otherworld is easier to access during this time. This is also the final harvest of the season and a time to set aside stores of food for the winter.
Memorial Candle
While the ancient Celts certainly considered this an important time of year, we can’t be certain if they honored ancestors on this night. Regardless, it has become a custom for many modern Wiccans, Witches, and Pagans to perform rituals at Samhain for ancestors. For this ritual, you will create a candle to honor a departed loved one using a sigil created specifically for that person.
The act of creating a sigil is part of the magic. Burning it, in this case on a candle, releases its energy. There are many ways to create a sigil, and the preparation is a key part of the ritual.
In this case, you’re creating a symbol that expresses something about the person you wish to honor. Of course, you could just write that person’s name on a candle, but where’s the symbolism in that? Go deeper and incorporate things that remind you of that person’s character.
One easy way is to combine the person’s initials with simple symbols of things they loved. For example, I have an aunt whose initials are S. G. W. F. T. (first name, middle initial, maiden name, and two married names). You can use more or fewer letters. Practice on paper first. Find a way to link the letters together. Next, think of things he or she enjoyed. My aunt loved owls. I could draw an outline of an owl into the sigil or just a pair of large owl eyes. She was a singer and loved music, so I could add a music note too. You get the idea. Spend some time creating the sigil and, when you have it perfected, you can begin the spell and carve it into the candle.
You can use a taper or votive candle, but it may be easier to carve on a larger one, such as a pillar size. The choice is yours. White is a good color for this candle, but you can also use brown or black.
You can make several of these—one for each person you wish to honor—and decorate your altar with other mementos such as photos, special items, and flowers. You can honor relatives, friends—anyone you wish, even if it’s not someone you knew personally but admired from afar. As long as you have a way to convey that person’s name and something of their personality to the candle, it works. The goal is to celebrate the life of someone you miss.
Anoint the candle and engrave it with a crystal point or other tool of your choice. The point is to focus your energy while creating the sigil and then allow the candle to burn out.
As you light each one, say these words and insert the name of the person you’re honoring.
Light the way for (person’s name), wherever (he/she/they) may be; their memory lives on, they are part of me.
Follow this by saying whatever other words you desire. Let the candles burn out or relight them each night until they do.
Candle Divination
We often associate Samhain with divination, and that’s because it has deep roots in history. Samhain “was more celebrated for divination than any other night of the year” for the Celtic people (Hutton 1997, loc 8648).
If you haven’t tried the technique of wax divination, experiment with it this year. You’ll need a bowl of cold water and a taper candle. The idea is to drip wax into the bowl and interpret the shape of the wax droplets. This type of divination is called carromancy or ceromancy and it has been practiced for thousands of years. Many practitioners also study the way the candle burns as part of the divination process, studying the flame itself, as well as the shape of the candle and wax pool. Wax that hardens on the side of the candle and in the container can be interpreted as well.
Think of a specific question before you begin. If you wish, choose a candle color that corresponds with your question—green for wealth, pink for love and relationships, orange for success, yellow for communication, blue for health and healing, and red for protection. Of course, you can always use white as an all-purpose color.
Burning is the easy part. What most people find challenging is interpreting the results. As with all forms of divination, people will “see” different things. This is personal, and you should keep in mind that the future is never defined for us. Divination gives us hints and whispers about possibility. It’s a way to explore.
Here are some standard interpretations:
These are not the only interpretations. Study a variety of sources and, most importantly, use your own intuition. Of course, remember that the type of candle you’re using, how it’s made, the type of wick, the size, shape, and type of container, the atmosphere and environment, all play a role in how a candle burns. Nothing is certain, especially in divination. But it’s a fun way to explore the possibilities; keep an open mind.
Reference
Hutton, Ronald. Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press: New York. Kindle edition, 1997.