Candle Color Meanings: POTENT Properties and Uses of Colors

Spell Ingredients Witchcraft September 17, 2020

Candle Color Meanings: POTENT Properties and Uses of Colors

Colors are one of the simplest and most powerful forms of magic. Each color fuels and is representative of a magical outcome or intention. When we combine color magic with candle magic, we harness the ability to make real change in our environment and in our lives. Learn the candle color magic meanings and how to weave them into your practice and daily life. Plus view our helpful color guide to crystals and herbs to amplify your intentions in spells and ritual.

First, Why Cast Spells With Candle Color Meanings?

Not only is color effective in magic, it permeates daily life. Certain colors lift our mood, help us relax, energize us. Other colors fuel our fire or can even create a negative atmosphere. For example, if you’re feeling depressed, being in a room of muted blue or gray walls won’t help lift your mood. Instead, you may need an uplifting color like bright yellow or orange. If you’re feeling anxious, avoiding the color red might be best. And so on.

But, as we typically find in magic, it’s not just the color it’s how YOU use it. If you’re a witch, you know how powerful candle spells can be. And now that you know how powerful color magic can be, why not combine the two? Matching your intention with the color of the candle is an easy way to amplify your magick and ignite your desired results. Here we provide candle color meanings for not only the basic colors but shades, as well. Plus we offer our suggestions on how to incorporate color magic into your spiritual practice and daily life.

POWERFUL Candle Color Meanings, Shades and Their Magical Uses

1. Black

Black is a color that polarizes people from different cultures. Some cultures associate black with death and mourning (think what we wear to funerals in America), while still others associate black with evil and the darkness. Yet those who practice magic know the real power of black. It is mystery and wisdom in one. Black reflects negativity and prompts us to go deeper. Its great for warding off illness and evil, diving deep into shadow work, and connects us to life’s mysteries. Interestingly, in some cultures, the color white is actually the color of death and mourning.

2. White

White is another polarizing color. In America, we see white as a symbol of purity which is why most brides wear white to their wedding. Yet in other Eastern cultures, white is associated with death. For example, in Vietnam white is worn to funerals not weddings. How you use white in your practice is up to you! The color white’s magic properties are: purity, protection, connecting with the divine, healing, unity, balance, connection with angels and spirit guides, and enlightenment.

NOTE: A white candle can be used as a substitute for ANY other color of candle needed.

3. Brown

Brown might not be everyone’s favorite color but it is as powerful as the rest. It’s one of my favorites for candle magic because it is the color of Mother Earth. It represents the soil we walk on and where things grow. It symbolizes the bark and branches of the trees. Use brown in your magic when working with the earth element. Brown is also useful for spells and rituals involving: animal magic, chthonic deities, grounding and centering, primality, garden magick, tree magick, the Ogham, traveling the World Tree, the harvest, manifestation and Earth protection.

4. Blue

Nearly everyone in my house loves the color blue. It’s a fan favorite, but why? Blue is the color of the sky, flowers, fruits, and of the water. This color’s magic properties are: healing, peace and harmony, communication (verbal, nonverbal and written), and truth. It’s linked to the throat chakra, which makes it powerful in speaking one’s truth. And also links it to one’s ears and listening skills.

Different Shades of Blue for Candle Color Magic

Neon and Dark Blues: shades of lapis blue, royal blue, sapphire blue, navy blue, etc. Blue is a color with versatility. Each shade may evoke a different emotion in the individual. Dark and bright blues have magical properties that include emotional and physical healing, water magic, communication, and astral projection.

Light Blue: shades of cornflower, periwinkle, baby blue, etc. These shades of blue are used in healing magic and brings peace and tranquility in chaotic situations. Light blue known as “haint blue” has been used in the South for centuries to ward off evil spirits. Some practitioners still paint their porch roofs haint blue to keep evil out.

5. Purple

Purple is the color of modern metaphysics. You might have noticed metaphysical stores using purple in their logo, decor, etc. This isn’t a coincidence – purple is the color of magic. Purple also represents royalty, intuition, beauty and psychic abilities *all the clairs: clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairsalience, clairaudience and clairgustance*. I see it as an extravagant color and therefore think of all things rich, powerful and elegant when I use purple in my candle color magic.

Dark and Neon Purple shades of candles: grape, violet, royal, wine, indigo, eggplant, etc. Dark and bright purple candles represent your higher self, royalty, intuition, spiritual power, magic in general, wisdom, and dreams.

Light Purple: candles in shades of lavender, lilac, orchid, heliotrope and iris. Light and pastel purple candle color meanings include spiritual healing, soothing the nerves, purification, self care and beauty.

6. Pink Candle Color Meanings + Shades of PINK

When I was young, I hated the color pink. Now that I’m an adult, it’s one of my favorite colors for one particular reason – to me it represents femininity. As a young person I avoided being in tune with my feminine self – including self-love, sexual empowerment and honoring my emotions. But pink represents more than just this. It also represents friendship, soft, romantic love, and empathy. It’s linked to female sexuality because of the color of female genitalia.

Neon and Dark Pink Candles: they may come in shades of hot pink, fuchsia, punch, shocking pink and magenta. Neon and dark shades of pink represent female empowerment, radical self-love, and healing of childhood and emotional wounds. Some consider pink candle color meanings equal to that of platonic love and friendship.

Light Pink: light pink candle color shades of pastel pink including bubblegum pink, flamingo, blush, baby pink, etc. Light pink candles are used in spells for femininity, friendship, compassion, gentility, healing of feminine bodily parts (think breast cancer awareness) and protection of children and home.

7. Red

Red invokes strong emotional reactions from nearly everyone on the planet. It’s another polarizing color. It’s an energizing color, igniting one’s passions. OR in a state of anxiety or anger, it might push those emotions out of control. Use red wisely and how you prefer. Red’s magical properties include: Active protection, passion, anger, Blood, ancestor work, love, lust, and motivation.

8. Orange

Orange is a magical color linked to the sacral chakra and therefore a powerful color for creativity of all kinds. I don’t use orange a lot, but when I do…it gets the job done. It helps with energy and vitality. It’s also useful to boost your inspiration and drive for long term projects and new opportunities. Orange color magic properties also include attraction, vitality, fertility and adaptability.

9. Yellow

Yellow candle color meanings link to the Sun and also to our solar plexus. It brings energy, confidence and self esteem. Yellow candle color meanings are: wisdom, intellect, imagination, inspiration, confidence, self esteem, immortality, growth, joy, communication and career success. It can be helpful when breaking through old negative thought patterns of oneself. It is also linked to the air element.

Neon and Dark Yellow Candle Color Meanings: a.k.a. sunshine yellow, dandelion yellow, bumblebee yellow. What do you think of when you see these bright colors? The sun, bumblebee stripes, yellow tulips, dandelion heads…all things cheery and bright! Shades of bright yellow lend their energy to magic that brings joy and energy. Moreover, it can also be used to align and balance your solar plexus. Neon yellow can also be a warning sign to predators (when on small insects) or on actual road signs to warn us of potential danger.

Light Yellow Candles in shades of egg yellow, custard yellow, banana yellow, etc. When yellow is a pastel shade, it represents the same magic as bright yellow but with a calmer tone. Don’t need a BURST of energy but just a slight amount? Use pastel yellows instead. Also use for gentle communication, new friendship, new opportunity, success and mental clarity.

10. Green

What witch or pagan doesn’t love the color green? It’s the color of the earth: plants, trees, herbs, etc. It’s also the color of the heart chakra (that’s right, the heart chakra is green not red). Therefore green magic properties include: unconditional love, Mother Earth, abundance, growth, resurrection, youth, good luck, health, connection to fae and the old gods, and balance.

Dark and Neon Green Candles: hunter green, moss green, juniper, clover, basil green, etc. When we think of green, we think of the Earth in all its glory. Trees, grass, plants, and the earth element! Dark and bright greens are used in money magic, growth, abundance, gardening, healing, love, and more. ALL greens are perfect for Spring color magic!

Light Green Candles in shades of pear, chartreuse, mint, kelly green, teal, seafoam, etc. Light greens are great for rebirth, resurrection, new opportunities, children, fertility, and earth magic

How to Cast SIMPLE Candle and Color Magic

There are so many ways to use color in your magical practice. Let’s talk about the fact that color is in literally everything we do. It’s all around us. It’s a part of us. So what not think about the colors you use in your spells and rituals? Here’s some ways to incorporate color magic into your practice:

Match your candle colors to your spell or ritual intentions (obviously)
Wear certain colors to match your intentions for that day (red for drive, green for money, yellow for growth, white for spirituality, etc.)
Decorate your altar in the colors of the season, sabbat, or to honor your gods’ and ancestors’ favorite colors
Paint the rooms of your house to match whatever mood you’d like to set (red in the kitchen for hunger and ancestor work, blue in the bedroom for peace/rest, etc.)
Flowers, herbs, and other spell materials – be mindful of the colors you use (for instance for money spells, try to use gold and green materials)
Consider the chakra colors when you need to work on yourself and in healing magick
When disposing or keeping spell remnants, choose a specific colored bag or sachet for storage
Choose a grimoire of a certain color to match your intention: green for green witchery, red for hearth-craft, purple for dreaming, etc.

Crystals and Herbs By Color for Candle Magic:

If you’d like to correspond spell ingredients like herbs and crystals with your candle color magic, here’s a few suggestions broken down again by color: