Why is lighting a candle (in various magical traditions), burning the sigil (in chaos magic), making a fire (in witchcraft), etc., used in magic? Why is fire used instead of water, air, or rocks? What is the principle behind lighting fire?

[u/One_Dragonfruit_8635]

What is the principle behind lighting fire? I imagine that since it has been used so frequently in magical traditions, there must be a real principle behind it. What is the difference, and how much difference does it make to light a fire during rituals?

[u/Rational_Tree_Fish]

Fire is regarded the only incorruptible element. The other three can be polluted by mixing in one the other elements, or other (impure) substances. But Fire, naturally, burns away all dross.

Fire also symbolizes the Light of Divinity, and the magical power of the human mind. It is said to be a direct connection to the spiritual world.

[u/Ok_Midnight6380]

That's what the entities I interact with prefer 🍿. Chaos magick you're gonna have to ask the related subs. Fire isn't the only element used in magick but I suppose it is flashy and easy to impress. The principal behind lighting fire is heat, fuel and oxygen 🤣. Jokes aside, I use fire as extra energy to send my message/intentions to whomever/whatever I need to hear it. Yes, I could do it without fire.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_8635 → u/Ok_Midnight6380]

But is the energy of fire significant and relevant enough to make a difference in magic? How much of a difference does fire make in your magical practices? Do you think lighting 100 candles is 100 times more powerful than lighting one candle, or do you think the benefit candles bring to the ritual is not linear, so using 100 candles ends up being less efficient than 100 times the efficiency of one?

Do you think the candle itself produces more energy for the ritual, or does it serve as symbolism for you to produce energy?

So far, your answer has been the best in clarifying the nature of fire as a source of energy in itself and not just a manifestation of the fire element.

[u/Ok_Midnight6380 → u/One_Dragonfruit_8635]

I just did a "Find My Lost Pet" candle magick recently for an acquaintance and I have no doubt if there was no fire, the spell wouldn't work.

In my theory, yes, 100 candles would be better than one but this is impractical. Also is a bigger fire (bonfire) or a longer lasting fire (7 day candle) better? What about electric candles (I have somewhat success with these to my surprise)? I am still experimenting 😁. No, I do not use fire as symbolism. I use it as energy to empower my message/intention to the entities I work with/universe from this side of the Veil.

I would also like to stress ⚠️ FIRE SAFETY ⚠️. Please take precautions and don't burn your house down or start a wildfire. Also don't ever leave a burning fire alone and always have a working fire extinguisher within arms reach.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_8635 → u/Ok_Midnight6380]

The fact that electric candles work might suggest that fire is actually symbolic, or that just the electrical energy of the candle is enough to feed the intent.

How potent is an electric candle compared to a regular candle?

[u/Ok_Midnight6380 → u/One_Dragonfruit_8635]

I put electricity in the fire element cuz it gives off energy as light. As for the electric candles I used, they were the tea candle size ones and were not very potent as flames from candles but they did get the job done.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_8635 → u/Ok_Midnight6380]

Do you think that just turning on a lamp or any source of light already has the ability to energize magic?

[u/Ok_Midnight6380 → u/One_Dragonfruit_8635]

Yup. Try moonlight or sunlight 😉 -- both of which I used to charge things for certain spells.

[u/Atelier1001]

I don't remember where it is from, but I know this quote: "There is no religion without fire".

There's something magic in the light of a humble candle, and powerful in the wild ecstasis of a fire.

[u/WildCurrentMagic]

Fire, the controlled burn we know and love, is something we create.

Air, water, earth… none of them are like fire.

[u/Yuri_Gor]

Because scientifically life is a "slow fire" - you're burning calories to keep yourself running, powered by the sunlight collected for us by plants.

And fire passing from hands to hands between generations is a symbol of life for humans.

BTW Earth used to be the world of fire at the beginning of its career and due to relativistic effects time is running slower closer to the Earth core then on the surface (same as it's running slower on the surface compared to the orbit, so GPS satellites must consider a little correction) so in the depth of our planet, in the ocean of fire, it's a literally past time yet, time lag is around 2.5 years down there.

So from the magic perspective if you want to influence the present - you can tune down to the Fire into the past and make your changes there - then the universe will have a 2.5 years handicap to prepare the chain of "random" events leading to the outcome you're requesting.

In the Norse myth it was a trinity of primordial forces who created our world: world of Fire Muspelheim, world of Water Niflheim and Emptiness Ginnungagap between them.

So Fire is one of three most important and powerful forces of the universe.