Magical Charms - Herbs and Candles

To me one of the uses of charms is as physical object representative of my commitment to something. For example I might make myself a small charm of some sort and focus energy into it to help me break an old habit. I'll then place the charm somewhere where it will remind me of my decision to break the habit. If I reach a goal I might decide to destroy the charm as a way of releasing the energy.

Another use for charms is as a keepsake of a ritual or holiday. My friend and I have included the making of charms in some of our Sabbat celebrations and the charm retains some of the magic of the celebration.

Different things can work as charms. A charm could be a small cloth ball filled with herbs and other magic items or it could be a plaster-of-paris circle with symbols and designs painted on it. It could be made of thread, tied or knotted with different beads or stones or it could be made of paper, with different symbols and patterns.  Homemade dream catchers can also work as charms and can be easily made with yarn and a metal ring, both of which are available at most craft stores. I think. the magic is put in when you make it or when you "charge" it.

You can charge charms different ways, for me it holds sort of intuitive properties. If I'm charging the charm after it's made, I might do something like this... I close my eyes whilst holding the charm. I picture it being surrounded by light and then I picture what I want the charm to represent. I might sit for a while and meditate on what the charm or object means to me.

The first real "charging" of any object that I can remember was that of the knife I used as a ritual  athame. I sat on the lawn outside by my favourite tree and thought about what a knife is and what it means. A knife is a pretty powerful object, it can be used to help or to cause harm. In that way it represents choice to me. It also represents mind, because I relate the job of cutting good ideas from bad to the mind. It can represent energy, since it is a practical tool with which one can get things done. I thought about these things and then I closed my eyes and I basically prayed. I imagined the knife being surrounded with light and I probably washed it in salt water or held it up into the air for the wind to blow over. That was my first time charging something and it was charging a tool, not exactly a charm. But the idea is pretty similar. Sit and think, say prayer or invoke whatever deity and then do something to acknowledge the objects new purpose.

Herbs

Cinnamon for purification.

Sage for wisdom, intuition, divination and the spirit world.

Rosemary for protection, purification and love.

Thyme for youth, renewal, courage and getting rid of bad dreams.

Dried corn is representative of Kore (Persephone).

Mint for prosperity, abundance and good luck.

Nutmeg for good luck.

Basil for prosperity and protection.

Bay for purification, protection and psychic skills.

How to Use Herbs...

There's probably many better sources on traditional uses of herbs, but since you're here I'll throw in a couple of ideas. First, you can sew a small bag with the herbs in the middle and keep that as a charm. (You could wear it, carry it with you, hide it under your pillow or leave it on your alter.) You can sprinkle bits of herbs around the ritual space. Add them to a cup of boiling water so as to get the aroma floating through the room or some can be made into a tea.  I like Candles because you can't hold onto them. You focus whatever energy you can into them, light them and then you have to let them go.... let them burn out and disappear. A candle isn't meant to sit there forever, no more than magic is meant to be held onto.

Large candles can work for prayers, for guidance, growth or other long term goals. Small candles that can be burnt out completely work best for short term goals and wishes. More and more I find myself looking for smaller candles, like birthday candles. My friend showed me how to balance them on rocks,  I keep a couple of small rocks near my alter for that very purpose.

The colour of the candle should make sense to you somehow. Blue candles for peace, green for healing, growth and prosperity. Red candles for passion, energy or purification. Purple candles for intuition and guidance. Black candles for banishing negative energy. Those are simple standards although you can alter them. If a different colour makes sense to you, go with it.

Sometimes when you see a candle it will make sense what to use it for. Once browsing through a candle store I noticed sets of beautiful candles with their wicks joined together. Instantly I knew those would go great for a goodbye that was coming up, because we could each hold one of the candles and burn the wicks apart together. Candles often seem to have "personalities" to them, use that.

Try carving things into the side of the candle before you burn it. Using an ordinary ballpoint pen you can normally carve words and symbols in, as with most elements, trial and error and it may work for you too.