Candle magic is a primary activity in New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo. The intermingling of Catholic, Spiritualist, and African traditions in New Orleans resulted in an evolving form of candle magic that incorporated the saints, psalms, devotionals and vigils, alongside making gris gris, doing séances, voodoo rituals and laying tricks. The New Orleans style of candle magic eventually spread to other areas of the south
Here is a breakdown of the basic colour symbolism used in New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo rituals
Red represents love, passion, romance, affection, energy, lust, fertility, attention, libido, victory, and sexuality. Red candles are used in love spells and charms, fertility spells, sex magic, and seduction
Purple typically concerned with power, psychic ability, commanding, compelling, controlling, mastery, ambition, prophetic dreams or bending others to one’s will. Spells to do with power, invocation, and controlling will include the colour purple. Purple may also be used for peace, protection, and abundance purposes
Green is associated with money, wealth and prosperity spells, gambling luck, general good luck, fertility, bountiful gardens and business success. When you want to influence anything to do with money and prosperity use the colour green
Black can be used to remove evil or send harm. For example, black is used to repel negativity, for protection, or to banish negative people from your life. Another way of using the color black is in inflicting harm or destruction on another. Binding spells, hexes and jinxes, curses, enemy tricks, coercive magic and summoning dark spirits will often be associated with the color black. Black can also be used in grieving rituals
Yellow is associated with mental agility and clarity, communication, fast action, success, happiness, money (gold), court cases, and excelling at school or academically
Blue for health, peace, harmony and abundance. Blue is associated with Marie Laveaux and St. Joseph in New Orleans and also with séances and love spells on occasion when harmony and peace in a love relationship are desired