Candle Colors and They're Meanings

Candle Colors and They’re Meanings

The colors of candles have deep meanings for some people. There are those who know what they mean and stand behind these beliefs. These people will use certain color candles to help them focus and meditate on problems in their life as well as the lives of others. Candles are not just used for problem but they are also used to bring piece, comfort, and balance to our lives and are used in ceremonies in many religions. Candle colors are also used for healing. Certain color candles are burned to help heal certain illnesses. In years gone by we would call this witchcraft, today it is referred to as alternative medicine or aromatherapy (practiced by The Father of Modern Medicine Hippocrates himself.) Aromatherapy is the belief that certain smells will help us relieve or even cure certain illnesses and their symptoms. Lets discuss some of theses colors and their meaning.

Color Definitions;

Green stands for; Abundance, growth, money, success, wealth, physical healing, health, marriage, fertility, employment, balance, stimulates growth, healing, good luck, good harvest, appreciation for nature, and love.

Yellow stand for; Intellect, wisdom, honor, action, inspiration, creativity, studying, concentration, memory, logic, learning, attraction, confidence, mental powers, energy, cheerfulness, changes, endurance stability, and security. Yellow strengthens the imagination and concentration in a ritual. It is used in rituals in which the trust of a person is gained or in which one wants to convince someone.

Red stands for; Energy, vitality, strength, health, passion, sex, love, protection, fire, fertility, fast action, potency, lust, blood, physical love and passion, courage, warmth, attraction, magnetism, desire, physical strength, power, and willpower. Red strengthens magnetism in a ritual, creates Ram and Scorpio energies.

White is the balance of all colors. It stands for; Spiritual enlightenment, cleansing, clairvoyance, healing, truth-seeking, purity, innocence, clarity and unity, dawn, purification, peace, truth, protection, spirituality, general work, repels negativity, used to bring peace, spiritual strength. White candles can be used in place of any other candle color and is suitable for any ritual.

Pink stands for; Decoration, love, tenderness and faith, friendship, romance, humor, spiritual healing, caring, affection, forming partnership, peace, emotional healing, Universal love, purest form of love, love that is unconditional, spiritual love with out sex connotation, raises vibrations, sensitivity, healing. Pink is designed to attract attention and achieve a purpose in a rituals. It is the color of femininity, Honor, Pleasantness- enhances joyful and lively conversation.

Gold stands for; Enlightenment, protection, success, wealth, money, masculinity, playfulness, luck, divination, victory.

Gold enhances communication and attracts the power of cosmic influences. It is useful in rituals which are designed to gain fortune or money.

Lavender stands for; Mother consciousness, manifestations and selflessness, spirituality, compassion, understanding, inspiration, make contact with higher-self, attract spiritual assistance, very calming.

Blue stands for; Communication, truth, peace, calm, losing weight, wisdom, understanding, protection, harmony, inspiration, patience, health and happiness, luck, loyalty, cooling, contentment, healing, idealism, devotion, and mediation.

Orange stands for; Cleanses negative attitudes, situations and places, happiness, business deals, attraction good things, success, career, goals, stimulation, power, luck, sudden changes, warmth, energy building, enthusiasm, attracts success and prosperity, emotional healing, attracts friends, courage and ambition.

Brown stands for; Earth, a balanced color. Rituals for material gain, eliminates indecisiveness, furthers powers of concentration, learning, telepathy, expands financial success, finds lost items, home, friendships, balance, animal magic, earth magic, wealth, intuition, psychic powers and ESP.

Purple is used with white candles to neutralize effects of karma and ego. Ancient wisdom, the third eye, psychic powers, mediation, spirituality, success, confidence, hidden knowledge, protection, divination, all forms of expansion, healing, recognition, and to contact the spirit world.

Rose stands for; Compassion for self and others, higher mystical power, humor, love, romance, opening the heart, forgiveness healing, joy, creativity, endurance, strength, stability and security.

Peach stands for; Restoration and rejuvenation.

Violet stands for; Strength, success, idealism, psychic revelation. Ideal for rituals which are designed to secure ambition, independence and financial success or to establish contact with the other spiritual world. It enhances Neptune energy.

Ivory(beige) stands for; Neutrality, balance and harmlessness

Black stands for; Burning with any other color dissolves negative energies! Protection, hex-breaking, reversing, banishing, destroying evil or negativity, binding and repelling. It is also used for healing very powerful illness.

Silver(light grey) stands for; Victory, stability, mediation, developing psychic ability, removal of negative power, repelling destruction, cancellation, neutrality, stalemate.

Silver is primarily associated with female deities.

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Aromatherapy

Some credit the ancient Egyptians with first discovering the secrets of aromatherapy; some swear it was first used by the Chinese. I subscribe to the later theory because the Chinese culture is steeped in natural healing even to this day, the Chinese still http: burn incense to promote harmony and balance. The Greeks’ should be recognized as well especially Hippocrates “The father of modern medicine “who practiced fumigation for medicinal purposes. I think it would be safe to say that most cultures had some part in developing aromatherapy as we know it today; Native Americans used sage smoke to chase away evil.

Today the market is flooded with scented oils and scented candles. Hardly anyone remembers how the scents help us do a myriad of things such as, to relax us, help us deal with depression or aid us in falling asleep, just to name a few of their benefits that comes from aromatherapy. So I thought it would be interesting to list some of their benefits on my blog.

Let’s start out with a more popular scent Lavender; Lavender was and is used to promote relaxation and relieve depression. Warm some lavender oil before bed time to help you sleep. Lavender is also mixed with foundation oil and rubbed on muscle pains, and headaches. “a French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé became interested in the use of essential oils for their medicinal use. Previously, he focused on the aromatic use of essential oils, but his interest in their medicinal use grew after an accident heightened his curiosity. While working, he burned his arm rather badly. By reflex, he plunged his burned arm into the closest liquid which happened to be a large container of lavender essential oil. The burn he suffered healed quickly and left no scar. Gattefossé is credited with coining the term aromatherapy in 1928.” pulled from http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/history.asp july 25 2009

Chamomile; this scent also has relaxation properties, and some claim it is a cure for insomnia, anxiety and premenstrual syndrome.

Cinnamon; is used for constipation, exhaustion, flatulence “yes Flatulence” low blood pressure, and rheumatism.

Eucalyptus; is used to aid in getting rid of that nasty cold this is still used in many modern day medications designed to relieve nasal and chest congestion. Again this oil can be used with a base oil and applied directly to the chest.

Geranium; Comes with a warning for pregnant women because of its antispasmodic properties. It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic qualities. It has been documented that when applied to burns it helps promote healing, and when mixed with witch hazel it can be used to treat acne.

Lemon; The lemon scent is used to stimulate memory, and some claim it boosts the immune system, and helps with sinus problems. Warning, do not use lemon oil on your skin if you plan to spend time in the sun as the acidic properties in the lemon oil combined with the sun’s rays could burn your skin! But this would be a great morning pick me up if you used it first thing in the morning in an oil warmer to help stimulate the old think pan.

Peppermint; is used to help with stomach ailments like menstrual cramping. It is also used to help relieve anxiety, help boost mental alertness, and relieve tension.

Rose; can be used for Eczema,” an inflammation of the skin characterized by reddening and itching and the formation of scaly or crusty patches that may leak fluid”, emotionally it is used to relieve Anger, anxiety, , frigidity, depression grief, menopause, happiness and peace, loneliness, panic and panic attacks and stress.

Sandalwood; can be used for Bronchitis relief, chapped and dry skin, laryngitis, oily skin strep throat, urinary tract infections, Anxiety, depression, exhaustion and burnout, fear, grief, irritability and stress.

Well that’s just a few of the benefits from using aromatherapy when ever self medicating its advised to talk with your doctor first as you can see some products have commonly known side affect others side affect are not as well known.

Removing Wax From Glass Candle Holder

People burn candles everyday to add a hint of fragrance, for special occasions or just to have them burning. Candles are colorful, aromatic and are a great accent piece to any room. However, they can leave unsightly drippings and chunks of wax on the votive holder and in the bottom.
Not to worry though- they can be removed as easily as they have appeared. The following tip, should make it a snap to remove.
The best way to prevent your candle from sticking inside the votive is to stop it before it happens. You can do this by adding a little water to the bottom of the votive holder, or spraying it with Pam, or vegetable oil spray, before you place the candle inside. This should keep it from sticking.
However, if your glass votive holder already contains wax, you should place the votive in the freezer, to harden the wax. Allow the wax to sit for a few hours, to let the wax freeze up. After it has set for a few hours, remove it from the freezer. Take a dull knife, preferably a butter knife and attempt to remove the wax.

The wax should dislodge easily. Any wax residue, can be washed out with hot, soapy water.

If this method is not feasible you can also try placing it in a baking tin upside down and sticking it in the oven at 120 to 170 degrees until wax drips out. be careful not to burn your fiingers! then wash in hot soapy water.

Chandeliers

Chandelier: a branched cluster of lights hung from the ceiling. The earliest chandeliers were nothing more than two wooden planks formed in the shape of a cross and tied to the ceiling with a rope or chain. It wasn’t till the 15^th century that chandeliers took on the shape that we are now accustomed to. These new and sometimes extravagant designs were based on a crown or ring shape. Wood is still used in chandeliers to give a colonial look to any room and metal or iron chandeliers are great for a more medieval look! The high cost of these luxury items made them a symbol of wealth. Chandeliers were an early form of task lighting used to illuminate a table or desk area, so work could be done after dark. Today a chandelier adds class to any room but in my opinion it looks unbelievable hanging over any dining room table.

Chandeliers are made of many materials including wood, Iron, brass, gold, animal bone and even one ominous looking chandelier that clams to be made out of human bone, that now hangs in Kutna Hora Ossuary, Czech Republic.

The proper height of a chandelier is easy to figure out. For the standard 8ft ceiling a chandelier should hang 30in above the surface of the table. For each additional 1ft you simply add 3 inches. So if you have a 10 ft ceiling you add 6in to your 30in to get 36 inches above the surface of the table.

Hanging a chandelier in the foyer is a simple matter as well. If it a one story foyer meaning no 2^nd floor the chandelier should not hang lower then 7ft from the floor. If it’s a two story foyer then the chandelier should not hang lower then even with the second floor. If you plan to hang it higher than the second floor you may want to consider a larger fixture to compensate for a two story foyer.

Installing a chandelier requires attention to detail. Chandeliers are heavier than most other forms of lighting. Follow the installation instructions that come with your new light fixture to the letter. In the case were you don’t have the instructions follow these steps.

1) Determine the weight of your new chandelier. If it weights close to the weight of the light fixture you are replacing no worries, but if it is much heavier purchase and install a junction box that can support the weight of your new chandelier.

2) If it is an electric chandelier turn off power to the circuit where the chandelier will be located. Use a circuit tester to verify the power is off.

3) Remove the old light fixture. Pay attention to how the old fixture was installed and mark the wires with tape.

4) If you determined that a new junction box was necessary, install it now.

5) Attach the new hardware from the chandelier to the mounting strap. If you don’t have a mounting strap obtain one then install it.

6) Screw the mounting strap to the junction box.

7) Wire the new chandelier (if electric) in the same manner the old fixture was wired. Connect matching colors (e.g., black to black white to white) you must remove a half inch of insulation from each new wire before attaching it to the ceiling wires.

8) Once you have twisted the wires from the new chandelier to the ceiling wires, twist on wire nuts in a clock wise direction.

9) To complete the procedure, follow the manufacturer’s directions chandeliers can slightly vary from model to model so the final steps of the process will differ.

10) And as previously stated make sure you install your new chandelier 30 inches above your table or 7ft from the floor in a foyer.

Well I hope this comes in handy for someone.

When my brother and I were away from home during the first golf war, my mother would put a candle in the window one for each of us. She would tells us that it was so we could find our way home using the flickering light to guide us. I was curious were these traditions started, so I asked her. She told me it was what her mother did for her brother when he was away at war. I followed this tradition back to a poem written during the civil war.
Candle in the Window {From the Civil war Lyrics:

Hurry through the night

Past the shuttered houses

Towards a solitary light

Burning in the window Near a figure in a chair

Always sitting there

Quiet as a prayer

Does he close his eyes?

Weary with the weight of being

Suddenly so wise

Tired of the demons

He must sit up there and fight Deep into the night

Praying that he's right?

Every evening I can see his shadow on the shade

And I don't feel so alone or so afraid

There's a candle in thewindow

every night Reflecting all our hopes and dreams

Or so it seems to me as I look up to see

That candle in the window every night

Burning like the yearning to be free

Far away and dim

Kept alive by him Does he love his wife?

And does he sometimes wish to God He'd had a different life

Or does he hold her closer when the candle burns away

Or is he left alone?

Always on his own

A thousand miles away

Before I go to bed I fall down

On my knees and pray

That he will keep his candle burning Just a moment more

Till he finds a way

This is what I pray

And I wonder does he see me passing by each night

As I look up to find his patch of light?

There's a candle in thewindow every night

Reflecting all our hopes and dreams

Or so it seems to me as I look up to see

That candle in the window

shining bright Far away and dim

Kept alive by him

Hurry through the night

Hurry through the night

Hurry through the night

Towards the promise of his light

Lyrics: Candle in the Window {From the Civil war, song byLinda Eder }

This tradition can be traced even further back to the French Indian wars. Town’s people were ordered to burn candles in their windows to show their support for British troops fighting in the war. Burning candles in the window is not just a war time tradition it is also used for loved ones who are away from home for a time. Burning candles in the window was also traditionally used to celebrate births as well as to honor High ranking officials visiting.
The tradition has a completely different meaning during the holidays, as I am sure most readers know. The advent candle custom came to Sweden from Germany as late as in the 1920s.

Any holder for four candles will do. You can also improvise with four separate candlesticks. Light one candle on the First of Advent, the first Sunday in December or at times the last Sunday in November. Let it burn down a little and then light it again on the Second Advent together with the second candle and so on. In the Christian religion a candle in the window generally represents the star the three wise men followed to Bethlehem.

How to Remove Candle Wax

Have you ever left a candle burn all night? Or spilled candle wax on the carpet? It may seem impossible, but it can be removed. With a little know-how, patience and the proper cleaning tips, you’ll have it gone in no time.
First, relax have a drink let the wax harden. Then, get the wax as brittle as possible. Place an ice pack on top of the stain for 30 minutes. Once wax is frozen, plug in your iron leaving enough cord to reach the stain. Now take a butter knife or a dull instrument and chip away at the biggest part of the stain. Be careful not to rip up any carpet fibers during this process. Once you have the bigger stuff removed, find a brown paper shopping bag and place it over the candle wax stain. Use your iron in a circular motion over the paper bag were the stain is. The bag will draw the melted wax right out of the carpet. Shift the bag around to an unused Portion until all the Candle wax is removed. Now use a carpet cleaner, like Resolve or Oxy carpet cleaner to get rid of any discoloration. This process can be tedious, but is usually effective in removing wax from your carpet.

The word candle comes from the word candela, which comes from the word candeo which means to burn. The word candle was introduced to the English language as a word belonging to the church. The word was known in ancient Rome and Greece, to denote any type of taper. A taper is a wick, commonly made of a strip of papyrus that was encased in wax or animal fat. Tapers were commonly used in pagan rituals.
The church took them into its services as it did many pagan traditions. “We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments, etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; they were common to almost all cults. They are, in fact, part of the natural language of mystical expression, and such things belong quite as much to Non- religious ceremonial, as they do to religion. The salute of an assigned number of guns, a tribute which is paid by a warship to the flag of a foreign power, is just as much or as little worthy to be described as superstitious as the display of an assigned number of candles upon the altar at high Mass. The carrying of tapers figures among the marks of respect prescribed to be shown to the highest dignitaries of the Roman Empire in the "Notitia Dignitatum Imperii". It is highly probable that the candles which were borne from a very early period before the pope or the bishop when he went in procession to the sanctuary, or which attended the transport of the book of the Gospels to the ambo or pulpit from which the deacon read, were nothing more than an adaptation of this secular practice.” NewAdvent.org, pulled june26th.