Hoodoo 7-Day Jar Candles: The Kinds, the Colours and What They Are For
The tall glass candle is the workhorse of modern hoodoo. It burns for days, it can be left on the altar, and every shop carries a shelf of them in every colour and label.
This is what the different kinds are, what each one is for, and how to tell them apart.
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In the Store: Oils · 7-day candles · Figure candles · Roots and curios | Tables: Psalms · Candle colours · Saints · Minerals and curios · Oils, powders and waters · Timing
The kinds you will see
| Kind | Used for | How it is worked |
|---|---|---|
| Plain colour In our store | Any work the colour stands for: white for blessing and cleansing, green for money, red for love, black for removal and harmful work, purple for power and control, blue for peace and healing. | The worker’s own choice of oil, herbs and prayer. See our candle colours table for what each colour was burned for. |
| Black In our store | Removal, banishing, protection, and work against enemies. | Dressed and burned on an enemy’s name, or to take something away. |
| Double action (two colours) | Two jobs at once: take away the bad and draw in the good. Black over white for evil out, blessing in; black over green to break money blocks and draw money; black over red to clear a love trouble and draw love. | The top colour burns first and does its work before the second colour takes over. |
| Reversing In our store | Sending evil back to whoever sent it. | Traditionally a red candle with a black layer over it, often with a mirror placed behind or beneath it. |
| Seven colour / Seven African Powers | Seven blessings or seven conditions in one candle, or the Seven African Powers. | Each band of colour is a separate request, often one per day. |
| Condition label In our store | The work printed on the glass: Money Drawing, Road Opener, Uncrossing, Jinx Removing, Protection and dozens more. | Usually a colour to suit, often with the matching scent or oil and a prayer on the back. |
| Saint and angel candles | Calling on a saint for their speciality: St. Michael for protection, St. Jude for lost causes, St. Expedite for speed, the Just Judge for court, the Helping Hand for every need. | Lit with the saint’s prayer, often with a Psalm. See our saints and spirits table. |
| Orisha and spirit candles | Calling on the orishas and spirits of the Afro-Caribbean traditions that share the shop shelf with hoodoo. | Lit in their colours and on their days, with their offerings. |
| Aromatic and scented In our store | The same work, with scent added to carry it: Rue, Dragon’s Blood, Improve Business and others. | Burned as is or dressed further. |
How they are made
| Type | Used for | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-out | Candles that slide out of the glass. | The candle can be carved with names and signs, dressed with oil and rolled in herbs, then slid back in. The choice of most workers. |
| Poured (fixed in glass) | Wax poured straight into the glass. | Can only be dressed on top: drill a few holes, add oil and a pinch of herbs, then a little glitter or powder. |
| “Fixed” or “dressed” candle | A candle a worker has already prepared and prayed over. | “Fixed” here means worked, not stuck. Shops and workers sell them ready to light. |
| Plain glass vs printed glass | Plain glass leaves room for your own petition and markings; printed glass carries the work in its label. | Many workers write on plain glass in marker or tape a petition or photo to the side. |
Reading the glass
Workers have long read the burn of a glass candle the way others read tea leaves.
- A clean, clear burn is taken as the work going smoothly.
- Heavy black soot on the glass is read as the candle burning through something heavy: opposition, or work laid against you.
- A flame that drowns or goes out is read as blocked work, and usually means relighting or starting again.
- A cracked or shattered glass is read as a strong reaction, and many start the work over with a cleansing first.
- Wax left on one side is read for which side of the work is holding back.
Most burn their 7-day candles straight through, often in a safe place such as a sink or a bowl of water. They take about a week to burn down, though it varies with the wax and the room.
Where to buy
Everything marked “In our store” is stocked at Black Magic Witch, our own supply store. Students get 20% off: ask us for your student code.
Learn the work
Hoodoo Witch Certification Course
Candle work, from dressing a glass to reading the burn, is taught step by step in the course.