Create a Candle Lighting Ceremony

Lighting a candle is one of the simplest ways to reduce stress, help a person focus or to put together a ritual or ceremony to remember someone who has died.  Throughout history light has always had a spiritual significance in different traditions and cultures in lighting candles.  Candles are lit for love, for hope, for peace, for luck and to pray.   Candles are lit for celebrations, for memorials, for commemorations, for rituals and so many other occasions.  Personally, I light candles at around 5 a.m. before starting to work, for inspiration.  The soft light is so much preferred over garish electric lights in the pre-dawn hours for creative ideas.

Candle lighting ceremonies as a cultural ritual, phenomenon, or custom are increasing in our society.  Such a ceremony may be part of bridal or baby shower, linked with new age celebrations of Earth or femininity.  The ceremony can be as elaborate or simple as the person or group wishes, and common themes are healing, hope and blessings.

There is something so calming and relaxing in viewing a flickering flame which is almost hypnotic.  The lit candle produces a reflective, meditative, comforting and soothing effect.  This helps a person or group focus on where healing and prayer are needed, as well as relieves tensions and stresses accompanied by traumatic events.  As mentioned earlier, candles can also be the source of inspiration and meditation.  Creating a candle lighting ceremony for whatever context, occasion, human emotion, or reason is easy enough:

• Choose the scent (or un-scent) of the candle in relation to the appropriateness of the occasion
• Find a favorite quote, poem, song or passage that you would want the group to hear as the candle burns.
• Light the candle(s).
• Focus on the burning flame.
• Read the selected quote, passage or poem or start the song or music
• Meditate and focus on the reason the group is together while breathing deeply with eyes closed.
• .When ready, blow the flame out.
• Take a moment to reflect about the candle lighting, perhaps process the experience with the group.

Thank you for being at and reading our blog at Millennium Candles, please feel free to contact us or call at: (718) 676-5406, if you have any questions or inquiries.