Black candles, good or bad

[Mildly-Inappropriate]

The Unexpected Angel

ok when i go back home from school today my sister's friend's dad told me that black candle ar dangerous, true or not

Its all about what you use the candle to represent. Nothing more, nothing less. Society has put a lable on everything, like how "wicca" or being pagan is bad, you are a witch, its a bad cult, blah blah blah. It's the same thing as sex before marriage is "bad" but everyone is doing it.

Again, whatever you use the candle to represent is your decision. I love to use black candles to represent stress, when i'm taking a bath. As the candle burns away, I imagine the candle holds all my stress and the longer it burns, the less stress I have.

hope this helps- good luck!  

[AnnaWolfP]

Morgandria

Well...what Wicca does with any coloured candle is oathbound

wait what does that mean??  

[Morgandria]

xXAngel Wolf PrincessXx

Morgandria

Well...what Wicca does with any coloured candle is oathbound

wait what does that mean??

Wicca is an oathbound, initiatory Mystery witchcult. You can't practice, or even learn, actual Wicca until you have been made an initiate by a lineaged coven. Initiation requires a person to swear oaths, which include not revealing any information about Wicca, unless it's in a particular manner, in the proper place, and to a person who is properly prepared. Breaking these oaths carry high penalties from both coven and Gods.

So...Wiccans don't reveal oathbound information - which might include the specific uses Wicca has for particular coloured candles, or other materials.  

[AnnaWolfP]

Alright i understand thank you very much and Happy Yule!  

[TheStarlessSkye]

I use it to represent the God. It's currently the centre candle on my Yule altar.  

[Morgandria]

Azareas Aquarinus

I use it to represent the God. It's currently the centre candle on my Yule altar.

I'm curious as to why you choose to use black for the God? It's your call, obviously, since you're not on a specific path...but typically in eclectic neo-pagan witchcraft, black is ascribed to the Goddess as the colour of night, of mystery, the inward principle, the womb of the universe. The God is given a white candle, instead, as the principle of light, that which moves outward, the penetrative force. The Moon only reflects the light of the Sun. It has none of its' own - hense the black candle. Alternately, the Goddess' candle may be silver, and the God's candle gold.

Just curious.

Personally, I seldom use black candles at all, unless I'm using one for a Source candle on my altar, or I am looking to specifically represent the Lunar/Solar associations of my deities. I tend to use coloured candles on my altar that reflect the seasons and nature of my Gods at those particular times of year.  

[XxCrack_OrangexX]

From what I've heard, black candles are supposed to get rid of negative spirits. They're probably viewed as bad because black is often associated with bad things. Here's a site that explains candle colors, but on your path it doesn't have to follow this:

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/bri/cndlcolor.htm  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Morgandria

Azareas Aquarinus

I use it to represent the God. It's currently the centre candle on my Yule altar.

I'm curious as to why you choose to use black for the God? It's your call, obviously, since you're not on a specific path...but typically in eclectic neo-pagan witchcraft, black is ascribed to the Goddess as the colour of night, of mystery, the inward principle, the womb of the universe. The God is given a white candle, instead, as the principle of light, that which moves outward, the penetrative force. The Moon only reflects the light of the Sun. It has none of its' own - hense the black candle. Alternately, the Goddess' candle may be silver, and the God's candle gold.

Possibly black for the Lord of Death? It wouldn't be out of place in my own practise, though I can't speak for anyone else's. Personally I use silver and gold for preference.

Quote:

Personally, I seldom use black candles at all, unless I'm using one for a Source candle on my altar, or I am looking to specifically represent the Lunar/Solar associations of my deities. I tend to use coloured candles on my altar that reflect the seasons and nature of my Gods at those particular times of year.

I've taken to having a centre candle permanently on my altar, gold from the vernal to autumnal equinox and black for the other half of the year.  

[mechanical kitsy]

There is no good or bad, only how you perceive things to be.  

[Esiris]

mechanical kitsy

There is no good or bad, only how you perceive things to be.

I'm not sure that's true- I think there may be a lot of grey area, but there are some things that are good and some things that are bad.  

[TheStarlessSkye]

Morgandria

Azareas Aquarinus

I use it to represent the God. It's currently the centre candle on my Yule altar.

I'm curious as to why you choose to use black for the God? It's your call, obviously, since you're not on a specific path...but typically in eclectic neo-pagan witchcraft, black is ascribed to the Goddess as the colour of night, of mystery, the inward principle, the womb of the universe. The God is given a white candle, instead, as the principle of light, that which moves outward, the penetrative force. The Moon only reflects the light of the Sun. It has none of its' own - hense the black candle. Alternately, the Goddess' candle may be silver, and the God's candle gold.

Just curious.

Personally, I seldom use black candles at all, unless I'm using one for a Source candle on my altar, or I am looking to specifically represent the Lunar/Solar associations of my deities. I tend to use coloured candles on my altar that reflect the seasons and nature of my Gods at those particular times of year.

I use it because my goddess candle is white. I'm not a big fan of gold and silver. Black And White reminds me of Yin And Yang - balance. Like the goddess and god. I use yellow and red candles for air and fire symbolism on my main, non-sabbat altar.

I kind of like the idea of gold and silver. I have a silver candle. I should use gold... I don't know. I just don't like combining metallic colours. I prefer silver to gold.

I guess black reminds me of strength and masculinity. And white femininity, and creation.  

[Esiris]

Azareas Aquarinus

Black And White reminds me of Yin And Yang - balance. Like the goddess and god.

One of the things I'm puzzling through is the idea of balance- I think balance isn't the major focus for a lot of stuff- but instead it's a lot more about complementing opposites.
What do you see as "balance"? Which god and goddess do you think have this balance and why is it important?  

[TheStarlessSkye]

Esiris

Azareas Aquarinus

Black And White reminds me of Yin And Yang - balance. Like the goddess and god.

One of the things I'm puzzling through is the idea of balance- I think balance isn't the major focus for a lot of stuff- but instead it's a lot more about complementing opposites.
What do you see as "balance"? Which god and goddess do you think have this balance and why is it important?

I know. But, I like my altars to be balanced, or evened out. It's just my perfectionism. I try to avoid it, but it always overcomes things.  

[Morgandria]

Azareas Aquarinus

Esiris

Azareas Aquarinus

Black And White reminds me of Yin And Yang - balance. Like the goddess and god.

One of the things I'm puzzling through is the idea of balance- I think balance isn't the major focus for a lot of stuff- but instead it's a lot more about complementing opposites.
What do you see as "balance"? Which god and goddess do you think have this balance and why is it important?

I know. But, I like my altars to be balanced, or evened out. It's just my perfectionism. I try to avoid it, but it always overcomes things.

Yin and yang aren't really a balance, though - it's rather two parts of a whole, a dynamic system where things are always in motion. When one force reaches its' peak, it begins to transform to the other immediately. Rarely would such things be in perfect balance. And as forces, yin is the dark coloured force, the feminine energy, associated with night, water, earth, and the moon. Yang is the bright coloured force, masculine, associated with day, fire, air, and the sun.

I understand the use of the black and white candles - it's pretty common. I use them myself, sometimes. I'm really interested, though, as to where you picked up Goddess/White and God/Black.
I'm in no way saying it's wrong - it just is generally the opposite of what most people associate with these colours. Are there particular traits your deities have that make you assign them these colours?  

[TheStarlessSkye]

Morgandria

Azareas Aquarinus

Esiris

Azareas Aquarinus

Black And White reminds me of Yin And Yang - balance. Like the goddess and god.

One of the things I'm puzzling through is the idea of balance- I think balance isn't the major focus for a lot of stuff- but instead it's a lot more about complementing opposites.
What do you see as "balance"? Which god and goddess do you think have this balance and why is it important?

I know. But, I like my altars to be balanced, or evened out. It's just my perfectionism. I try to avoid it, but it always overcomes things.

Yin and yang aren't really a balance, though - it's rather two parts of a whole, a dynamic system where things are always in motion. When one force reaches its' peak, it begins to transform to the other immediately. Rarely would such things be in perfect balance. And as forces, yin is the dark coloured force, the feminine energy, associated with night, water, earth, and the moon. Yang is the bright coloured force, masculine, associated with day, fire, air, and the sun.

I understand the use of the black and white candles - it's pretty common. I use them myself, sometimes. I'm really interested, though, as to where you picked up Goddess/White and God/Black.
I'm in no way saying it's wrong - it just is generally the opposite of what most people associate with these colours. Are there particular traits your deities have that make you assign them these colours?

No. There aren't any traits. It just feels right. I don't know why.