Lighting the Wick: An Intuitive Guide to the Ancient Art and Modern Magic of Candles

by Sandra Mariah Wright, Leanne Marrama

Overview

An illustrated guide to improving your life through the simple act of lighting a candle.


Whether you would like to take back control in an uncertain world or turn a dollar-store candle into a means to manifest your desires, Lighting the Wick will help transform your life with candle magic. Learn how to:
 
  •  find, repair, or end a relationship;
  •  guard your boundaries and keep negative energy and toxic people out;
  •  ground and center;
  •  achieve common health goals;
  •  break bad habits, bolster motivation, and increase willpower; and
  •  meditate with the assistance of candles.


Candles represent faith and hope—a light in the darkness, the warmth of love, the heat of passion, and the fire of spirit. Here, Salem-based intuitives Sandra Mariah Wright and Leanne Marrama show you how to put the power of these simple tools to work for you in your daily life, to improve your relationships, achieve success, provide protection, increase health, honor those who have passed, and more. You don’t have to be a witch to find your inner magic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593418345
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	411,487
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Leanne Marrama is a full-time professional psychic. She teaches classes, presents at festivals around the country, and hosts weekly séances in Salem. Among her many media appearances, she has been featured on TLC’s What Not to Wear, Ghost Chronicles, and Beyond Belief with George Noory.

Sandra Mariah Wright owns an events business (Spirit Beacon Psychic Fair & Mystical Marketplace), as well as a jewelry and occult supply company (Gallows Hill Witchery), and manages the largest annual psychic fair in the country (the Salem Psychic Fair & Witches’ Market). She has appeared on the Travel Channel and Showtime, and has been featured on Dish Network’s Magnificent Obsessions.

Read an Excerpt

We are professional psychics based in Salem, Massachusetts, and these and many more questions occupy the minds of our clients. Operating three popular occult shops during a pandemic and widespread civil unrest, we connected every day with people who desperately wanted to help, to do something. The concerns our clients share— and the items visitors to our stores continue to purchase— have given us a window into the ways they are hoping to heal, to protect, to secure steady income, and to find peace and happiness again. This book is our chance to reach even more people and give them resources they can work with. So who are we?

SANDRA MARIAH WRIGHT

I found my way to Witchcraft at a young age; growing up in the Witch city of Salem made it easier. I was raised Catholic, and my favorite religious experience was midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Holding the white taper candle in the hush of the dark church, sing-ing my heart out as the frankincense swirled around me—i t’s no wonder I became a Witch!

I began practicing Witchcraft when I was still in junior high school. Laurie Cabot had a shop on Essex Street in Salem, and I remember purchasing the components for my first spell there. Of course, it had to do with a boy. From that first time placing dried herbs and stones into a brightly colored pouch and lighting a candle inscribed with a heart, I began to believe that not only could I look into the future, I could change it. Unbeknown to me, I would come to counsel hundreds of people about their relationships in the years ahead.

In March 2020, I found myself anointing and lighting candles every single morning and evening: one for loved ones who had fallen ill with COVID- 19, and one to protect people from the virus. One to help people with the financial distress that came along with the virus, and one to help those who were searching for a vaccine. One for those on the front lines: to guard them, support them, and give them the strength to continue to fight the biggest battle of their lives. The folks who knew I was lighting candles for them felt better, and it made me feel better, too. It made me feel a little less powerless against the invisible enemy that was ravaging life as we knew it.During the shutdown, Leanne and I began hosting a Zoom meeting to start the day, open to anyone who wanted to learn more about the Craft of the Wise. Guided meditations, Tarot and oracle card pulls, and information about crystals and herbs filled our mornings. We each dove deeper into our personal practice and our love of Witchcraft, and we were happy to share it with others of like mind. At a time when we were all isolated out of necessity, we were doing what we have always done best: bringing people together and bringing the magic.

That May, we released our first book, Reading the Leaves: An Intuitive Guide to the Ancient Art and Modern Magic of Tea Leaf Divination. Launching it during such a stressful and strange time was bittersweet, and we wondered how it would be received. Our hearts were touched by the response: people were looking for—and finding— guidance and answers in the bottom of their cups. They were discovering, as we have time and time again, the comfort that can be found in a simple cup of tea. And they were asking us what we were going to write next.

Throughout my life, the Craft of the Wise has provided the support I have needed to overcome obstacles, and I’ve had the honor of providing many others with the guidance they needed to live their best lives. It is my most sincere wish that this book teaches you a time- honored and effective way to face even the darkest times, with the light of hope and the power of magic.

LEANNE MARRAMA

Candles have illuminated my spiritual and magical life ever since I was a child. Wax adorns the floors of my home as if to say, “Magic lives here.” For many of us, candles mark every major occasion. Birthday candles burn brightly, celebrating a new year of life. Christmas and Yule candles promise the birth of the sun/Son. Halloween candles glow within the heart of a pumpkin, reminding us of ancestors who have passed over. On Valentine’s Day, dinner is served with pink candles illuminating the romantic scene, radiating love over a shared meal.

Candles are the one tool all religions use. They are my favorite way to work magic, create atmosphere, and pray. The smell of a burning wick brings me back to my childhood and the peaceful feeling of kneeling in church next to my mother. It reminds me that I am not alone, and seeing the smoke rise always lets me know that the heavens are receiving my hopes and prayers.

Like Sandra, I have also used candles to send prayers to help people I love. During the darkest days of COVID-19, my 25- year- old daughter had a grand mal seizure. Watching my child lose control of her body was one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve had as a mother. Even worse was the fact that I could not travel with her to the hospital for testing and treatment. After dozens of frantic phone calls to friends, a chain of candles and prayers grew, lighting up energy and hope for my family. A warm hug of spiritual light surrounded us, and that love and strength got us through.

When I was first experimenting with Witchcraft at age 18, candle spells were the simplest form of magic I explored. The fire helped me focus my intent and release my energy into the world. Now, so many years later, they are still my go-to tool for harnessing the potential within me, and I have counseled hundreds of clients to do the same. Candle magic empowered me. Read on to find out how it can do the same for you.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 The Gift of Light: A Brief History of Candles 1

Chapter 2 The Spark: What Makes a Candle Magical? 9

Chapter 3 Candles Radiate Warmth: Friendship, Love, Passion, and Cooperation 25

Chapter 4 Fiery Wall of Protection: Banish the Bad Stuff 47

Chapter 5 Keeping the Lights on: Career Concerns and Money Mojo 65

Chapter 6 Your Glow Up: Ignite Health and Well-Being 83

Chapter 7 Lighting the Way Back: Breaking Bad Habits and Addictions 99

Chapter 8 In Memoriam: Mediumship and Vigil Candles 121

Chapter 9 Let It Shine: Brilliant House Blessing 137

Chapter 10 The Future Looks Bright: Ignite Good Luck, and Burn Away the Bad 161

Chapter 11 Illumination: Psychic Power and Divination 183

Chapter 12 Light Pours in: Simple Methods to Create Custom Spell Candles 197

Afterword 209

Acknowledgments 213

Appendix: Resources: Buying Guide 217

Appendix: Table of Correspondences 220

Bibliography 239

About the Authors 241

Editorial Reviews

"As Witches, we understand that the light of the Universe itself resides in the candle’s flame, and every candle contains the magic of the five sacred elements and the power to make things happen. In Lighting the Wick, Sandra and Leanne are able to convey the complexities of candle magic and divination in a relatable, accessible way without watering down the information, because they are sharing not just research, but a lifetime of personal experiences and sage advice on the path of Witchcraft. I believe this book will lead those who are drawn to the Craft deeper into their practice as they explore one of the most potent tools of the Witch.”—Laurie Cabot, author of The Power of the Witch, Love Magic, and The Witch in Every Woman

From the Publisher