Make
a Sand CandleSAND CANDLES
aka Cauldron Candles
Make a sand candle / Gods and Goddesses of the Sea
Fill a bucket with clean, damp (not wet) sand. Hollow out any shape you like with your hands, but many witches like the cauldron shape, making the name "cauldron candle" a popular name for this sand candle. Whatever you hollow out will be the shape of the completed candle. You can push a round cereal bowl into the sand, adding three legs to make a cauldron shape. Or you can push your own cauldron into the sand. If you use the cereal bowl, make sure the leg holes are carefully defined and as even as possible.
You can use commercial candle wax purchased at a crafts shop or you can use 1 ounce of paraffin wax mixed with 1 ounce of stearin. A colored wax crayon will provide the color or you can purchase candle dye. Black is traditional for cauldron candles.
Melt the wax carefully. Be certain that your pan is perfectly dry (water will cause the wax to explode as it heats). Cut a piece of string or wick and prepare it by placing it in the melted wax with a spoon or tweezers. Straighten it by pulling it out tight and setting it aside to harden.
Carefully pour the wax into the sand mold. The sand should be damp, but not too wet or it won't stick to the wax. As the wax begins to cool, the sand will drop, forming a hollow in the wax. Keep refilling the hollow with hot wax. If you want a thick crust, you need to use hotter wax. The hotter the wax the thicker the crust. But be careful: hot wax can cause severe burns.
Let the candle set for two or three hours in a cool place. Use a candle needle or a piece of thick wire to make a hole for the wick. Cut the wire as long as the candle is deep. Leave it in the mold overnight until the wax hardens.
Dig the candle out of the sand the next day. Carefully brush any loose sand from the candle. Remove the wire and insert the prepared wick. You may have to melt a little more wax and pour it around the wick to help the wick stand in place. If your cauldron legs are uneven, set the candle briefly in a hot skillet to even them out.
You can decorate the outside sand crust by gluing on sea shells, or you can carve a design in the sand with a sharp instrument. A pentacle maybe?
Some Gods and Goddesses of the Sea
Aphrodite: Greek Goddess of love and beauty whose name means "foam-born." Swans and dolphins are sacred to her, as are sea shells, myrtle, apple, rose, and poppy. She grants the gifts of beauty and charm.
Neptune: Roman God of the Seas, who presides over all creatures in the sea. His symbol is the trident and dolphins. Black and white bulls and horses are also sacred to him. Ask him for protection when traveling by sea or from drowning.
Manannan mac Lir: Irish god of the sea and fertility, who forecasts the weather. He is considered one of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Fand: Celtic faery queen and minor sea goddess. Wife of Manannan mac Lir. Also known as the Pearl of Beauty.
Poseidon: Greek God of the Seas. He is the god of earthquakes and horses. His symbols are dolphins and tridents. He is often invoked before sea voyages.
Kane: Hawaiian God of procreation and the sea, the ancestor of all human beings. He is called Kane-Hekili "Thunderer", "Lightning Breaking the Sky".
Tangaroa: Polynesian sea-god.
Doris/Oceanus/Tethys/Nereus: Roman sea-god/goddesses.
Ashiakle: The Ghanaian goddess of wealth, and of the sea.
Asherat: A fertility goddess and goddess of the sea of ancient Syria and Palestine.
Amathaunta: The Egyptian goddess of the sea.
Aegir: Norse god of the sea. His wife is the sea goddess Ran.
Mama Cocha: The Inca goddess of the sea, and provider of all the fish from the sea.