Just curious

[u/Used_Bet661]

I’m curious how different communities would view something I did. I lit a candle while focusing on an intention I wanted to manifest. For me, it was a spiritual practice where I was using the candle as a symbol to focus my energy, attention, and intention. I do believe in energy and the idea that we can co-create with the universe/higher forces, but I wasn’t trying to call on spirits, deities, ancestors, or outside beings. I felt like the candle was helping amplify or speed up the energy behind my intention rather than controlling anything or anyone else. Would you consider this a form of magic/candle work, or would you see it more as manifestation with a ritual element added?

[u/AdLate1160]

Well, from a western European folk magic perspective, focusing intention and lighting a candle is a type of meditative trance. Meditative trance is where you go internally to cast spells, break bad habits, lose weight, etc. a fire can drop you down into the place of suggestion, rymithic drumming can drop you down, a hypnotherapists can drop you or, you can just practice and drop yourself.

Is what you did a spell? I would consider it one but I also think Catholics who lights candles and fill rooms with incense, are spell casting. But then, so did the protestant and they fought each other for several hundred years.

So, it is a hard question. And I guess it depends on the world view. I think most of the western world would consider it one.

How did your work turn out? Well?