Samhain Candles: Black, Orange & Purple Magic

BY NICOLE LAU

The Sacred Flame at Samhain

Fire has been central to Samhain celebrations since ancient times. The Celts extinguished all hearth fires and relit them from communal sacred bonfires, symbolizing death and rebirth, ending and beginning. Today, candles carry this tradition forward—each flame a miniature sacred fire, each color a specific magical intention, each ritual lighting a connection to thousands of years of practice.

Candle magic is one of the most accessible and powerful forms of spellwork. The flame represents transformation (solid wax becomes liquid, then vapor), the element of fire, and the light that persists even in darkness. At Samhain, when the veil thins and the year dies, candles serve as beacons for ancestors, tools for divination, focal points for meditation, and vessels for releasing what no longer serves.

This guide explores the three primary Samhain candle colors—black, orange, and purple—along with supporting colors and comprehensive candle magic techniques for honoring the season's sacred threshold.

The Power of Color in Candle Magic

Color carries vibration and meaning. Each hue resonates with specific energies, intentions, and magical purposes. When you light a colored candle with clear intention, you're working with both the transformative power of fire and the specific frequency of that color. This combination creates potent magic.

Samhain's traditional colors—black, orange, and purple—weren't chosen randomly. They reflect the season's themes: death and protection (black), harvest and vitality (orange), and spiritual transformation (purple). Understanding each color's properties allows you to choose candles that align with your specific Samhain intentions.

Black Candles: Protection, Banishing & the Void

Magical Properties

• Protection against negative energy and psychic attack
• Banishing unwanted influences, habits, or energies
• Absorbing negativity
• Shadow work and confronting the unknown
• Grounding and stability
• Honoring the dark half of the year
• Representing the void from which all creation emerges
• Breaking hexes or curses
• Releasing and letting go

Samhain Uses for Black Candles

Protection rituals:

• Light black candles at the four corners of your ritual space
• Place by doorways to prevent negative energy from entering
• Burn during spirit communication for protection
• Use in protective spell jars or grids

Banishing work:

• Write what you're releasing on paper and burn in black candle flame
• Carve symbols of what you're banishing into candle, then burn to destroy
• Use in rituals to remove unwanted spiritual presences
• Burn to release old patterns, relationships, or beliefs

Shadow work:

• Meditate by black candle light to explore your shadow self
• Journal by black candle flame about what you've been avoiding
• Use as focal point for confronting fears

Honoring the dark:

• Light to acknowledge winter's approach
• Burn to honor the necessary darkness in life's cycles
• Use to represent the death aspect of death-and-rebirth

Black Candle Ritual: Releasing What No Longer Serves

What you'll need:

• Black candle
• Paper and pen
• Fireproof bowl
• Matches

Process:

1. Light black candle
2. Write what you're releasing: patterns, relationships, beliefs, fears
3. Read aloud: "I release [item] with gratitude for its lessons. It no longer serves my highest good."
4. Burn paper in candle flame, placing in fireproof bowl
5. Watch it burn completely, visualizing the energy transforming
6. Say: "It is done. I am free."
7. Let candle burn for at least one hour
8. Bury ashes in earth

Common Misconceptions About Black Candles

Myth: Black candles are for "dark magic" or evil purposes.

Truth: Black candles are for protection, grounding, and releasing. They absorb negativity and represent the fertile void. There's nothing inherently negative about the color black—it's one of the most protective colors in magic.

Myth: You should never use black candles.

Truth: Black candles are essential tools, especially at Samhain. They help navigate the dark half of the year safely and powerfully.

Orange Candles: Vitality, Harvest & the Threshold

Magical Properties

• Vitality and life force
• Harvest abundance and gratitude
• Success and achievement
• Attraction and drawing energy
• Courage and confidence
• Creativity and inspiration
• Joy and celebration
• The boundary between worlds
• Adaptability and change

Samhain Uses for Orange Candles

Harvest gratitude:

• Light to give thanks for the year's abundance
• Burn while listing everything you're grateful for
• Use in prosperity rituals for continued abundance

Threshold work:

• Orange represents the liminal space between light and dark
• Burn when working at the veil's edge
• Use to honor the transition from light half to dark half of year

Courage for shadow work:

• Light when you need strength to face difficult truths
• Burn for confidence during spiritual work
• Use to maintain vitality during intense rituals

Celebration:

• Light to honor life even as we acknowledge death
• Burn during Samhain feasts
• Use to bring joy to ancestor remembrance

Orange Candle Ritual: Gratitude for the Harvest

What you'll need:

• Orange candle
• Journal and pen
• Seasonal items (apple, pumpkin, autumn leaves)

Process:

1. Arrange seasonal items around orange candle
2. Light candle
3. In journal, list everything you're grateful for from the past year
4. Read list aloud as an offering of thanks
5. Say: "I give thanks for this abundant harvest. I honor all that has grown. I celebrate all that has been."
6. Sit in gratitude for 10-15 minutes
7. Let candle burn completely if safe

Orange Candle Correspondences

• Element: Fire
• Direction: South
• Time: Noon, sunset (threshold times)
• Deities: Brigid, Lugh, solar deities
• Crystals: Carnelian, orange calcite, sunstone
• Herbs: Cinnamon, orange peel, marigold

Purple Candles: Spirituality, Divination & Transformation

Magical Properties

• Spiritual development and elevation
• Psychic abilities and intuition
• Divination and scrying
• Connection to higher realms
• Wisdom and knowledge
• Transformation and alchemy
• Power and sovereignty
• Third eye activation
• Meditation and contemplation

Samhain Uses for Purple Candles

Divination work:

• Light before tarot readings, scrying, or other divination
• Burn to enhance psychic receptivity
• Use to open third eye during spiritual work

Ancestor communication:

• Light to facilitate connection with the dead
• Burn during meditation to receive ancestral messages
• Use in rituals calling on spiritual guides

Spiritual transformation:

• Burn to honor Samhain as the Witch's New Year
• Light during rituals marking personal transformation
• Use to elevate consciousness during meditation

Wisdom seeking:

• Light when seeking guidance for the year ahead
• Burn during study of spiritual texts or practices
• Use to access deep inner knowing

Purple Candle Ritual: Opening Psychic Channels

What you'll need:

• Purple candle
• Amethyst or labradorite crystal
• Mugwort incense
• Divination tool (tarot, pendulum, scrying mirror)

Process:

1. Light mugwort incense
2. Hold crystal to third eye (between eyebrows)
3. Visualize third eye opening like a flower
4. Light purple candle
5. Say: "I open my inner sight. I receive messages clearly. I trust my intuition."
6. Place crystal near candle
7. Proceed with divination work
8. When finished, thank your guides and close third eye intentionally

Purple Candle Correspondences

• Element: Spirit/Ether
• Chakra: Third eye, crown
• Deities: Hecate, The Morrigan, Persephone
• Crystals: Amethyst, purple fluorite, lepidolite
• Herbs: Mugwort, lavender, star anise
• Moon phase: Full moon, dark moon

Supporting Samhain Candle Colors

White Candles: Purity & Spirit Communication

Properties: Purity, clarity, spirit communication, peace, protection, all-purpose

Samhain uses:

• Light for ancestor communication (white represents spirit)
• Use when you don't have the specific color needed (white substitutes for any color)
• Burn for clarity during divination
• Light to honor deceased loved ones
• Use in purification rituals

Silver/Gray Candles: Moon Magic & Neutrality

Properties: Lunar energy, neutrality, balance, removing negativity, secrets revealed

Samhain uses:

• Burn during full moon Samhain for amplified power
• Use for balance between light and dark
• Light to reveal hidden truths
• Burn for goddess work, especially Hecate

Red Candles: Strength & Passion

Properties: Strength, courage, passion, vitality, protection, survival

Samhain uses:

• Burn for courage during intense shadow work
• Light for strength to face difficult truths
• Use in protection spells
• Burn to honor life force even as we acknowledge death

Gold Candles: Divine Connection & Success

Properties: Divine masculine, success, wealth, confidence, solar energy

Samhain uses:

• Light to honor the dying sun
• Burn for success in the year ahead
• Use in prosperity rituals
• Light for connection to solar deities

Candle Preparation and Dressing

Cleansing Candles

Always cleanse candles before use to remove any energy from manufacturing or handling.

Methods:

• Pass through incense smoke (rosemary, sage, frankincense)
• Hold under running water (if candle won't be damaged)
• Visualize white light filling the candle
• Leave in moonlight overnight
• Sprinkle with salt water

Anointing/Dressing Candles

Dressing candles with oil programs them with your intention.

Basic technique:

1. Choose appropriate oil (olive oil works if you don't have magical oils)
2. Hold candle in non-dominant hand
3. Apply oil with dominant hand
4. For drawing energy TO you: stroke from top to middle, then bottom to middle
5. For sending energy AWAY: stroke from middle to top, then middle to bottom
6. As you dress, focus on your intention
7. Speak your intention aloud

Samhain oil blends:

Protection oil:

• Carrier oil (olive, jojoba, or sweet almond)
• 3 drops rosemary essential oil
• 3 drops frankincense essential oil
• 2 drops myrrh essential oil

Divination oil:

• Carrier oil
• 3 drops mugwort-infused oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops star anise essential oil

Ancestor oil:

• Carrier oil
• 3 drops rosemary essential oil
• 2 drops myrrh essential oil
• 1 drop cinnamon essential oil

Carving Candles

Carving symbols, words, or sigils into candles adds another layer of intention.

Tools: Nail, pin, athame, or dedicated carving tool

What to carve:

• Your intention in words
• Names of ancestors you're honoring
• Magical symbols (pentacle, spiral, runes)
• Sigils you've created
• Astrological symbols
• What you're releasing (for banishing candles)

Technique:

1. Carve from top to bottom for banishing
2. Carve from bottom to top for drawing in
3. Focus on intention while carving
4. Keep carvings simple and clear

Rolling Candles in Herbs

After anointing, roll candles in dried herbs to add their properties.

Samhain herb blends:

• Protection: Rosemary, sage, salt
• Divination: Mugwort, lavender, star anise
• Ancestor work: Rosemary, marigold petals, cinnamon
• Banishing: Wormwood, black pepper, salt

Technique:

1. Dress candle with oil first
2. Spread herbs on plate or paper
3. Roll oiled candle in herbs
4. Herbs will stick to oil
5. Gently press herbs into wax

Candle Magic Techniques for Samhain

The Three-Candle Samhain Ritual

Purpose: Honor past, present, and future at the year's turning

Candles needed:

• Black candle (past/what's ending)
• Orange candle (present/threshold)
• Purple candle (future/transformation)

Process:

1. Arrange candles in a line: black (left), orange (center), purple (right)
2. Light black candle: "I honor what has been. I release what no longer serves. The old year dies."
3. Light orange candle: "I stand at the threshold. I am present in this sacred moment. I honor the turning."
4. Light purple candle: "I welcome transformation. I open to the new year. I trust what is becoming."
5. Meditate on all three flames
6. Journal about past, present, and future
7. Let candles burn for at least one hour

Candle Divination

Reading candle flames, wax, and smoke provides messages.

Flame reading:

• Tall, strong flame: Powerful energy, success, strong spirits present
• Weak, low flame: Obstacles, low energy, resistance
• Flickering: Spirits present, change, uncertainty
• Crackling/popping: Communication from spirits, energy release
• Flame leans left: Past influences, feminine energy, receptive
• Flame leans right: Future influences, masculine energy, active
• Flame goes out: Negative answer, blocked energy, try again later
• Two flames from one wick: Duality, choice, partnership

Wax reading:

• Let candle burn completely in fireproof dish
• Examine remaining wax patterns
• Look for shapes, symbols, or images
• Trust first impressions
• Common symbols: hearts (love), circles (completion), spirals (transformation)

Smoke reading:

• Smoke rises straight: Clear path, positive energy
• Smoke swirls: Complexity, multiple influences
• Smoke moves toward you: Energy coming to you
• Smoke moves away: Energy leaving, banishing working
• Heavy smoke: Dense energy, cleansing needed

Candle Spell for Ancestor Communication

What you'll need:

• White candle
• Photo of ancestor
• Offering (bread, wine, flowers)
• Rosemary

Process:

1. Place photo behind white candle
2. Arrange offering in front
3. Sprinkle rosemary around setup
4. Light candle
5. Say: "[Ancestor's name], I call to you with love. The veil is thin. I invite you to this space. Speak to me, guide me, let me feel your presence."
6. Sit quietly for 15-20 minutes
7. Stay open to messages, memories, feelings
8. Thank ancestor before extinguishing candle
9. Leave offering for 24 hours

Seven-Day Samhain Candle Ritual

Purpose: Deep transformation work throughout Samhain season

What you'll need:

• Seven candles (any combination of black, orange, purple)
• Or one seven-day candle

Process:

1. Begin October 31st
2. Light candle each evening at sunset
3. Spend 15-30 minutes in meditation, journaling, or ritual
4. Focus on transformation, release, and intention-setting
5. Let candle burn for set time (30 minutes to 1 hour)
6. Extinguish mindfully
7. Repeat for seven days
8. On final day, let candle burn completely

Candle Safety

Essential Safety Rules

• Never leave burning candles unattended
• Keep away from flammable materials (curtains, papers, dried herbs)
• Use stable, heat-resistant candle holders
• Trim wicks to 1/4 inch before lighting
• Keep out of reach of children and pets
• Burn in well-ventilated areas
• Place on level, stable surfaces
• Keep away from drafts
• Don't burn candles all the way down—leave 1/2 inch of wax
• Have water or fire extinguisher nearby

Safe Alternatives

If you can't burn candles safely:

• Battery-operated LED candles (surprisingly effective for intention-setting)
• Candle warmers (melt wax without flame)
• Visualize candle flames during meditation
• Use colored lights instead

Disposing of Candle Remains

After Ritual Work

Wax remnants:

• Bury in earth (returns energy to source)
• Throw in running water (releases energy)
• Keep if patterns are meaningful
• Dispose in trash if ritual is complete and you're releasing

Candle holders:

• Cleanse thoroughly before reuse
• Freeze to remove stuck wax
• Wash with hot soapy water
• Smoke cleanse or leave in moonlight

Choosing Quality Candles

What to Look For

• Natural wax: Beeswax, soy, or palm (sustainable) burn cleaner than paraffin
• Cotton wicks: Avoid metal-core wicks
• Solid color throughout: Not just surface-dyed
• Unscented for ritual: Unless scent is intentional
• Appropriate size: Tapers for quick work, pillars for longer rituals

Candle Types

• Taper candles: Classic, elegant, burn 1-2 hours
• Pillar candles: Sturdy, long-burning, can be carved
• Tea lights: Small, portable, good for grids
• Votives: Medium size, versatile
• Seven-day candles: Glass-encased, burn continuously
• Chime candles: Small, quick-burning (20 minutes)

Final Thoughts: Tending the Sacred Flame

Every candle you light at Samhain connects you to an ancient practice. The Celts lit bonfires on hilltops; you light candles on your altar. The flame is the same—transformation, illumination, the light that persists even in darkness.

Black candles absorb what must be released. Orange candles celebrate the harvest and mark the threshold. Purple candles open spiritual channels and facilitate transformation. Together, they create a complete magical toolkit for navigating Samhain's profound mysteries.

Tend your flames with intention. Watch them flicker and dance. Let them illuminate what needs to be seen and burn away what needs to be released. The fire knows what to do—your job is simply to light it and stay present to its wisdom.

The veil is thin. The candles are lit. The ancestors are watching. Let the sacred flames guide you through the threshold. 🕯️✨🔥