Collection: Jar Candles

What Is a Spiritual Jar Candle?

A spiritual jar candle is a candle poured into a glass jar and made for a specific intention, such as love, money, protection, or removing obstacles. The glass shelters the flame, so the candle can burn for hours or days while the working carries on around it. Some jar candles are plain and meant to be dressed with your own oils and herbs; others arrive already scented, colored, and named for their purpose. They grew out of the glass-encased vigil candles of Catholic devotion and came to modern altars by way of the botánica, Hoodoo rootwork, and witchcraft.

What You'll Find Here

7-day and 90-hour candles. These are tall glass vigil candles in nine plain colors, condition candles such as Road Opener, Uncrossing, and Reversing, and scented 90-hour devotional jars for the Goddess, the Horned God, and the craft. Our 7-day candles collection explains how to burn and read them.

Aromatic jar candles from Envision Crystal. These candles are hand-poured in Long Island, New York, scented for their purpose, and made in small batches, so color can vary from candle to candle. Some carry a small crystal in the wax. They cover love and attraction, money and luck, protection and boundaries, dreams and psychic vision, the full and dark moon, and a Yule blessing. Alongside them sits our Samhain Blessing jar candle for the turning of the year.

Botánica aromatic candles. These scented jar candles carry named folk formulas from the Latin American botánica tradition: Abre Camino to open the road, Destrancadera to unblock what is stuck, Suerte Rápida for fast luck, Ruda (rue) for protection, and candles against evil and hexes.

How Do I Choose a Jar Candle?

To choose a jar candle, start with what you want the candle to do, then decide whether you want to dress it yourself. A plain 7-day candle in the color that matches your intention is the most flexible choice, because you add your own oil, herbs, and words. A named or aromatic candle already carries a purpose and a scent, which makes it the simpler choice when you want to light it and begin. If you are working on something over several days, choose a 7-day or 90-hour candle; for a single evening's work, a smaller aromatic jar is enough. Our guide to candle color meanings will help you match the color to the work.

How Do I Burn a Jar Candle Safely?

To burn a jar candle safely, trim the wick to about a quarter inch before each lighting, set the jar on a heat-safe plate or tile, and keep it away from curtains, shelves, children, and pets. If you dress the candle, add no more than a few drops of oil and a small pinch of dried herb, because extra oil and loose herbs can flare and crack the glass. Snuff the candle whenever you leave the room for long or go to sleep, and relight it when you return. Put it out for good when about half an inch of wax is left, since the glass gets very hot near the bottom.

How Do I Get the Wax Out of a Candle Jar?

The easiest way to get leftover wax out of a candle jar is to freeze it. Let the jar cool completely, put it in the freezer for a few hours, then pop the hardened wax out with a butter knife; it shrinks in the cold and usually comes out in one piece. You can also set the jar in a pot of hot tap water until the wax softens and lift it out, but never pour boiling water into a cold glass jar, because the sudden heat can crack it. Peel off the metal wick tab, wash the jar in hot soapy water, and it is ready to reuse. If the candle was burned to remove something, such as a jinx or an uncrossing working, tradition says to throw the wax and jar away outside your home instead.

Explore Related Collections

See the whole candle shelf in spiritual candles, or shop by purpose in love candles, money candles, and protection candles. Dress your candles with ritual oils, and pair a road opener or uncrossing candle with the matching supplies in road opener and uncrossing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Jar Candles the Same as Prayer Candles?
Yes, many jar candles are what people call prayer candles or vigil candles: tall glass candles lit to hold a petition, a blessing, or a devotion over time. Prayer candles in church supply shops are usually printed with saints; ours are plain, condition, and pagan devotional candles for spellwork and altar work.

How Long Does a Jar Candle Burn?
A jar candle burns for as little as a few hours or as long as a week, depending on its size. Our 7-day candles burn for about five to seven days of continuous flame, the 90-hour devotional candles for about four days, and smaller aromatic jars for less.

Why Is My Candle Jar Turning Black?
A candle jar turns black from soot, which comes from a wick that is too long, a draft, or oil and herbs added to the wax. Trim the wick to a quarter inch and move the candle out of the draft. In candle reading, heavy black soot is also traditionally read as a sign that the working met resistance.

Can I Reuse a Jar Candle Jar?
Yes, you can reuse the jar once the wax is out and it has been washed in hot soapy water. Many witches keep empty jars for spell jars, herb storage, or holding a tea light. Jars from removal workings are traditionally thrown away rather than kept.

Can I Blow Out a Jar Candle?
You can blow out a jar candle, but many practitioners prefer to snuff it or cover the jar, as a sign of respect for the working. Either way, putting the candle out when you leave and relighting it later does not undo the work.