Flame & Focus: Energy Cleansing with Candle Magic

From Shadow to Light - Cleansing with Candle Magic

In my Reiki & Sound Healing sessions, I often invoke the power of nature’s elements—earth, air, fire, and water—to craft a sound healing journey that supports alignment, self-awareness, connection, and clarity. Another way I like to connect with these elements in my everyday life is through lighting candles for intention setting. Candle magic is a practice that uses the flame and materials around a candle to focus your mind, set intentions, and connect with the natural energies of the world. Each candle can represent the earth’s elements: the wax for earth, the flame for fire, the smoke for air, and oils for the element of water.

This month, my heart, mind, and body have felt heavy and overwhelmed by the collective chaos in the world, so I turned to a simple candle practice to help clear my mind and cleanse my energy.

Here’s a simple mindfulness practice I’ve been using with items I keep in my kitchen.

• Choose supportive music – Select music that evokes calm, peace, and mindfulness. Gentle instrumental tracks, nature sounds, or soft sound healing music can enhance your focus, help you relax, and deepen your connection to the intention you’re setting with the candle.

• Choose a candle – Any color or type of candle works; I used a white chime candle.

• Prepare a holder – Any candleholder will do, but this time I made a holder from a lemon slice for its cleansing energy, with a sprinkle of salt for protection. Place it on a firesafe dish for extra safety.

• Gather cleansing herbs – Sage to purify, rosemary to clear stagnant energy, thyme to lift the spirit, and salt to provide protection and grounding. Mix together about 1/8 teaspoon of each herb in a small bowl then pour the herbs onto a flat plate.

• Anoint your candle – Apply honey, olive oil, your favorite essential oil, or spiritual oil to the entire candle. Anoint from top to bottom to symbolize letting go.

• Roll the candle in the herbs – Cover as much as you can to enhance cleansing, then securely place the candle inside the holder. If you are using a chime candle and regular holder, you may need to drip a few drops of wax on the bottom of the holder to help the candle stick inside.

• Optional – Place crystals in or around the dish for added energy support.

• Light and set your intention – Speak your intention aloud, visualize releasing stagnant energy, and imagine the flame and earth elements bathing and cleansing you as your candle melts and the flame dances.

• Safety note – Never leave a candle unattended, and be mindful of sparks and a powerful flame when using herbs. 

This is the intention I read aloud while lighting my candle. I like to repeat it 3 times.

By flame and breath, I free my soul,

Releasing the heaviness that takes its toll. 

Stuck and stagnant energy, depart from me,

I cleanse my spirit, vibrant and free.

Light flows in where darkness lay,

Worries and doubt are washed away. 

With every spark, I reclaim my might,

And welcome back my inner light.

Michelle Kellogg RMT, M.Ed. - MindfulMystic.com