OBSERVATIONS, AND ADVICE:
- If you want a candle which will throw off a solid, discernable shape, like the traditional rules of this divination method specify, then you want a nice thick votive or pillar candle, no less than 1.75 in/4.5 cm in diameter, or any candle wide-enough to form a ‘well’ as it burns. Be prepared to have to wait anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes for it to generate enough melted wax to form an identifiable figure. This sort of candle would give you a good space of time in which to focus on your question. Idea: why not have three, four or five of these candles burning? Then, you can alternate between them, once they get going.
- If you don’t like to wait that long for melted candle wax, or frankly don’t have a lot of time, you can use a birthday cake candle, a sealing wax candle, a chime/personal altar candle, or a taper candle. These you can light and start dripping onto the water instantly, but you’re only going to get pellets, not a solid figure. You’ll have to do a lot of dripping to get any kind of identifiable figure, and it won’t be a figure like the thicker candles. Try to keep your mind blank when using these candles. You don’t want conscious thoughts influencing the outcome. Resist thinking, as you move the candle over the water.
- You may want to employ a variety of candles for this divination method. While the more long-burning, juicy candles are burning for solid figures, you could busy yourself with the fast-burning candles which throw off pellets. This would give you an entire tableau to divine, not just one figure.
- You don’t have to place your bowl of water in the refrigerator for a period of time before-hand, but it doesn’t hurt. The colder the water, the more instantly the wax will form.
- The wax will not fall to the bottom of the bowl. Contrary to what was depicted in that Simpsons episode, all my wax drippings floated on the top. This is good, because it makes them easier to skim off the top and the bowl is unharmed.
- Make sure there is a color contrast between the bowl you use and the candles you burn. Just common sense and easing eye-strain.
- Experiment with a variety of candles. I didn’t test any soy-wax, beeswax, paraffin, or any vegetable-oil-based candles, so I can’t tell you how they’d perform in this, but feel free to give them a try. You may find there’s one or two types of candles you solidly prefer to use for candle wax divination, and let the rest go.
- I found it helpful to have a dish for the used candles and one lit candle to light the others from. If you’re using multiple candles for your divining session, a dish to receive the used ones and a burning candle to light the others from, so you’re not striking match after match, or having to bring out a lighter every time, sure helps. You want to stay calm and serene for this whole thing, and an assembly-line set-up can help; grab a candle from one side, light it from one candle, then blow it out and lay on the other side of the bowl when you’re done with it.