Working Candle
An alter is a very personal thing and some people like to have a fresh candle for every occasion/ritual, while others like to have what is known as a 'working candle'.
These candles can be very plain or very ornate but essentially they are one main candle holder (or, in some cases, an actual candle) which is always on their alter to represent the fire element. They simply replace the candle as it runs down or the ritual requires a specific colour candle and allow the dripping wax to build up over time thus creating a very unique base for their candles. The advantage of this is that they are not only of a very unique and fluid appearance, they have the acumulated energies of all the magical work for which they have been used. They, like any tool for an alter, are not obligatory; no tool is obligatory it's simply a matter of 'if it feels right do it'!
Here is a picture of my working candle.
These candles can be very plain or very ornate but essentially they are one main candle holder (or, in some cases, an actual candle) which is always on their alter to represent the fire element. They simply replace the candle as it runs down or the ritual requires a specific colour candle and allow the dripping wax to build up over time thus creating a very unique base for their candles. The advantage of this is that they are not only of a very unique and fluid appearance, they have the acumulated energies of all the magical work for which they have been used. They, like any tool for an alter, are not obligatory; no tool is obligatory it's simply a matter of 'if it feels right do it'!
Here is a picture of my working candle.
