BY DALLAS ATHENT
Many people in meditation and other practices focus on their chakras. Your chakras are points all over your subtle body that serve different purposes, but the most widely used are the three main ones along the spine.
If you want to know more about the history of chakras and the chakra system, there are some really great books you can buy online.
Today we’ll focus on making your very own chakra candles. These candles will help you in meditation when focusing on your chakras. I first got the idea to make them when I saw them for sale on one of my favorite Etsy stores, Scentual Goddess. Once you make the chakra candles, you can light them in their order and do a lie down mediation alongside them, focusing on your chakras from top to bottom. They also look pretty and the process of making them is very therapeutic.
What you need:
- 7 candles
- Something to paint with, even nail polish is fine
- Anointing oil
Step 1: Buy 7 candles in the following colors: Pink, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red. You can buy the tall glass ones which are unscented from the dollar store or grocery store. We’re going to cleanse them and paint on the glass, so these candles are perfect.
Step 2: You’ll want to refer to images of chakras. Wikipedia has a great list in order, that shows the colors, names, use and order of each chakra. Grab your paint or even nail polish, anything you can use to make images on glass. Paint each chakra’s flower on the the candles with their corresponding color. For instance, the crown chakra should be painted on the pink candle.
The images you paint can be sloppy and don’t need to be an exact representation. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a good artist! This is you and your expression and your time putting energy into the candle. It’s part of the process and should feel easy and therapeutic.
Step 3: Let them dry! Once they’re dry, anoint the candle with an oil. It’s best to use an all purpose oil, although there’s really cool ones out there. I love the Astrology oils you can purchase according to your star sign at Catland Books in Brooklyn. I also make a Clarity Oil sold in my Magick Hamster Etsy Shop that would be good for this. Anoint the candle by rubbing the oil along with wick and wax, and say a little blessing.
Step 4: Now leave them out under the new moon so they’re cleansed with new beginnings and ready for use.
You’re done! After the new moon, you can light them one by one when you’re focusing on specific chakras, or all together when mediating on all of your chakras. Line them up along your body in a lie-down meditation. Focus on the feelings in your body from head to toe. How do they correspond with chakras? How can you make them stronger?
Stay there and clear your mind and your home. Enjoy your homemade chakra candles!
Dallas Athent is a writer and an artist. Her work has been profiled in The L Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, Bedford+Bowery & more. She is represented by The Rights Factory who is helping her publish her forthcoming novel, “The Queen of Pentacles & The Grail.” She lives in The Bronx with her adopted pets.