What are and How to use Double Action Candles (aka Dual Action Candles)

How to use DOUBLE ACTION CANDLES~~~

Hello Everyone,

This post may not sound very interesting but I have been getting questions about this.   I’ve been asked by several people that on my “Revised Candle Colors and their meaning” Page, since I’ve revised it I’ve now  included Double Action Candles.

And the question is “What are they used for? How do you use it?”

Well it seems to me from what I was taught that they assist through the use of one long burn to help reverse a negative situation and then bring in a good energy to replace the negative.  

As I understand it before these candles were developed, it was not unusual to do a reversing ritual or spell, and I’ve seen my Granny and her Ladies do it, but they use to have two candles one black and the other a different color, now this was when colored candles had been developed, most of the time the color was just an outer dipping and the rest of the interior color was white, eventually they made it less expensive to have the same color going through the entire candle.  

I remember that black candles if they were offered especially around Halloween, Granny and her ladies would load up on them.   But once they became more plentiful it became easier to find, but still somewhat seasonal.

But in doing a “same time action” (aka dual or double action) on something they would have used two taper candles one black and one the other color, each dressed for what they were going to do.   First the black taper candle would be burned to banish the negative energy and then when it burned out the color one would be burned to draw the positive energy in.   You can still do that today if you don’t have a chance to buy a double action candle.

But the principal is still the same, the use of double action on the same situation, Why?  Well in a way it’s based on the principal that “nature abhors a vacuum”.  

This is a concept in physics called horror vacui, or plenism, and is commonly stated as "Nature abhors a vacuum." It is a postulate attributed to Aristotle, who articulated a belief,” that nature contains no vacuums because the denser surrounding material continuum would immediately fill the rarity of an incipient void.”  Even for me that’s a mouthful.  

What it means is if you have a physical empty space it would immediately be filled by something.   Aristotle based his conclusion on the observation that nature requires every space to be filled with something, even if that something is colorless, odorless air.

Trust me in my house once I get my desk cleared off of papers and bills (all neatly filed away) the next thing I discover on my empty desk is more papers and bills and where they come from even with my understanding of magic I’m not sure.  So it’s the same principle.

Well this principal has been argued by philosophers and scientists for millennia but it’s obvious like  when you see that there’s an empty lot someone eventually builds a hideous parking garage on it,  Now haven’t we’ve seen that?   

O.K. I’m not going to get into physics, but on the spiritual aspect it basically means when you get rid of the bad it’s important to fill it in with the good, Negative out, Positive in.   It’s the natural dual action of spiritual energies.   But in our lives we do have to work at it or we’d be nothing more than empty shells looking for a purpose.

But that is the spiritual meaning and practice of “dual or double action” spell work.

Now some spiritual supplies manufacturer got smart and to expand his product line and created double action candles.  These candles come in 3 dual colors,  black and white, black and red and black and green.  

I’m not sure how far back the manufacturing of these candles go, but most of the time I’ve seen them offered or manufactured by Indio Products or Wisdom products.   But they seem to make them in reverse with the color candle on top and the black part on the bottom.  Which never made sense to me.

Personally I didn’t start seeing my granny or her ladies using these candles until the mid-1960’s so maybe that is when they were being manufactured.   But even Granny and her ladies thought they were made “goofy”  why have the color on top it’s like having all the good leaving you and only having bad left,  it didn’t make sense to them.  And I agree with that.

But upon inquiring (cautiously I might add) they were told that the color part on top was to drawn in what you want and then the black part would then burn and banish what you don’t want that is to reverse it and write on the black part “backwards” what you want reversed. 

So it was to first draw in the good and then 2^nd reverse the bad.   

But to Granny and the ladies it would seem that one is working backwards, that really you want to first banish the bad and then bring in the good to fill in the vacuum left by the banishing,  the other way felt as if things would simply get mixed up.   It would be like having a brand new clean carpet and then throwing dirt on it.  It just didn’t make sense

Well they first tried it the way they were told to try it (this was for one of them for more income) but it just seemed to make things worse.  Bills would get lost, or they’d get double billed for something or get short changed in transactions.  It seemed that more money was going out than coming in.  

They were ready to go back to using two candles again but then they decided to do it differently and it took a little work but with a serrated edged knife they cut off the wick on the color end and flattened it so it would stand up in a bit of sand in a bowl, then they took off the end of the black color part and sort of carved it to a point and had that become the wick end. 

And from what I’ve been seeing on the internet it seems that a lot of other folks got the same idea and passed the idea on to the next generation.   

Now they call that “Butting” the candle,  and the way it’s done makes perfectly good sense.  On Esty you will find hand crafted candles that are designed the correct way with the black end on top and the color end on the bottom, they cost a little more if you don’t want to go through the trouble of butting the candle.    But that’s up to you.

Now these double action candles are a bit wider than your usual candles so you’ll have to have special candle holders for these, especially since you “butt” the one end.  Now I have used those candle holders that have a small spike in the center to hold pillar candles so they don’t get knocked over, and they seem to work for me.  But some people prefer to find a holder that will work for them.

So before doing any ritual work you have to take time to prepare the candle before you start the ritual work,  much like assembling one’s pots, pans, bowls and ingredients before baking a cake.

Once your candle is prepared then you can start your ritual.

So O.K. you know that the black end is to banish but why only 3 color ends, white, green and red?  

Those colors basically cover most conditions that people are concerned about.

Red (in combination with black) is used for Love and Relationship problems or situations such as marriage problems, clearing away a divorce, getting over a broken heart or relationship(this is healing), removing bad or damaging personal habits for starting a new relationship or even a job, working on family matters, anything dealing with relationships and family.

Green (in combination with black) is for financial situations, money or job/employment types of workings, this can include changing bad or irresponsible financial handlings, worry about money, getting yourself back together after doing a bankruptcy, trying to survive without alimony, lawsuits dealing with money including getting alimony or child support,  worries or concerns about the job you’re in, hunting for a job, unemployment, re-financing a loan, almost anything dealing with finance and/or business.

White (in combination with black) is pretty much all purpose for everything else from healing, banishing negativity in thought, word or deed, banishing an annoying person, a lot of more non-specific things, the miscellaneous etc.

Remember I said that butting the candle (ie flattening the pointed end) is like putting your pots and pans for cooking together or lined up, this is all before you start the ritual, no one ever said that doing the work was glamorous witchy stuff with green and purple lighting flowing from your finger tips (but you can envision that if you want), no it’s hard work.

So after you butt the candle, then you start the work, writing on the black half (ie carving) what you want or remove out of your life, it can be a short sentence, a list of things to banish, names and you can write (carve) it around and around the black part.

Now some folks say you need to write it backwards, I have no idea if that’s true, I know Granny and her ladies always said “If you know what you want or don’t want, then say so and write it plainly”. 

Next on the color part carve in the good things you want to invite into your life it can be simple such as good health, or improve finances,  getting a job etc.

On the Black part of the candle anointed with a removing evil or banishing oil, there are many types to choose from, use downward motion or strokes while you say your banishing or removal petition out loud,  just be care to not get any of that oil on the white or color side.

Then wash your hands because you don’t want to mix the oils up, you want your hands clean when you apply the positive oil on the color or white half of the candle this can be a blessing or healing oil or one of them for bringing love, or wealth or even fast luck, say what it is you want as you anoint the color or white half and apply the oil in an upward motion

Now there will be wax drippings from the black part of the candle and I’ve found that many people will remove the black wax drippings and any remnants or puddles once the black half of the candle is burnt down,  just be careful to not accidentally tip over the candle or burn yourself.  

Now I’ve been told that with this type of candle it’s traditional to remove the black drippings etc. because the black candle represents what you’re getting rid of and you don’t want any trace of it.  

If you don’t remove it then the black wax will mix in with the white or color wax of the candle muddying up the spell work, so you don’t want that, you want the white or color wax to be clean and pristine.

So what do you do with the black wax, there are several ways of getting rid of it one way is to bury it far away from your property or at a crossroads,  or throw it into dumpster that is Not your own,  so do not put it into your own trash or recycling bins or containers.   Some folks will re-use this black wax in other removing spells, but I really don’t like that, I’ve always felt that once it’s banished it’s banished you don’t want it hanging around.

With the white or color wax remains there are several ways you can use it, put it into a mojo bag or a special bag amulet, keep it on your altar but the one I like best is to bury it by your front door to continue to draw the positive energy in.

Now if you do not use a double action candle but instead two candles then you don’t have to worry about picking off the black wax, just let it melt down (safely) and get rid of it by the methods suggested and you can do the same with the color or white wax putting it into mojo bag, etc.

Now here is another way of doing it but frankly I don’t recommend it unless you have a very safe place to burn it.  

I have seen like a large nail spike driven through a flat plank board and the candle has its color end butted, and it is prepared as I wrote above but then right at the area where the two colors meet the candle is pushed onto this tall nail so you can burn both ends of the candle at the same time, sort of as it is banishing the bad energy at the same time it is drawing in the good energy.  Now this can be done but it is dangerous as when the two flames meet in the middle there could be a big conflagration aka fire hazard or what could also happen is one end burns faster than the other burning past the middle and then the candle still lit will fall off and cause a fire.   

I’ve seen it done but the person who did it had a back yard fire pit where it could burn safely.   The other thing is you have to keep monitoring it for safety sake.  

So if you’re thinking of burning the candle at both ends---don’t---it is far too dangerous, just do it the normal way.

I hope this has been of some help.

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q