Carving your candle

The first step in preparing a candle is marking it. Marking involves inscribing the candle with real or symbolic instructions of its spiritual intention. You might carve the candle with the name of the target you are working on, or inscribe sacred symbols of Spirits, planets or Elementals to boost its power.

Ideally, you will begin working on your candle at your altar. I recommend you have altar candles lit and a spiritual incense burning. Remember, the energy you put into preparing the candle is just as important, if not more so, than when you are burning it. If you are going to do the job- just do it!

A candle can be carved with something as simple as a toothpick, ice pick or knife. However be creative in your work. I know many who carve love or sex candles with a rose thorn. Many use a rusty nail or broken glass to carve candles for crossing or revenge.

Where you are working on a specific person, you should carve the name of that person into the candle. Just as in the application of spiritual oils to a candle , there are a variety of methods you might choose from. Remember to begin with clean and dried candles.

The rule of thumb is to carve the name in the same manner in which you apply your oils.

So, if you are trying to draw someone, you carve their name from the bottom of the candle to the top.

If you are trying to get rid of someone, carve their name from the top to the bottom.

If you need to control, compel or otherwise manipulate a person, the name is carved in a twisting manner - much like the lines on a barber pole or candy cane. For this type work, the target's name should be carved a number of times which is appropriate

Male and female image candles, skull candles, pullout candles, jumbo candles, offertory candles, the mummy or witch candle, and praying hands candle are designed for work on an individual. So, one person's name should be on each candle.
If you are working multiple persons, each one should have their own candle. The Lovers and Marriage candles are designed to work on a pair of folks. The man's name should be carved into the male image of the candle and the woman on the woman's image. If you are working the number nine, each name is carved nine times - not nine times all together.