Allow me for a moment to step away from ideas dealing with the Occult. This month I wanted to speak about negative ions. I'll explain my reasons at the end of this article. Before I get to this I should first explain positive ions and why they can be harmful to you and your environment. The Temple you work your Magick most likely has positive ions especially if you work indoors. This involves particles which are invisible to the naked eye such as dust mites, odors, pollen, mold, animal dander, bacteria, etcetera. If you work your rituals under the open sky then you must deal with what's in the air. Have you ever noticed how clean and fresh the air is after it rains? This is due to the negative ions in the air. If you work inside as I do, then you have the capability of affecting the positive ions. Some people use negative ion emitters to clean the air but this can produce harmful levels of ozone.
Again for those of us who work our rituals indoors the candles we burn create small amounts of toxins into the air which we breathe. Have you ever noticed a black smoke emitting from the candles? It's not always visible but the toxins are there. The wax candles are made of Paraffin which is a hydrocarbon mixture of benzene and methane. This is what we breathe as we attain spiritual enlightenment through forms of ritual. I don't have to explain how harmful this gas are to you.
So what alternative do we have besides wax candles? If something must be burned use beeswax. If you're fortunate enough as I am to live near a honey farm you can buy beeswax and make your own candles. You can always buy everything you need at The Candlemaker. Beeswax will burn negative ions into the air. What this means is that positive ions will become heavy enough that they fall to the ground. All you have to do is vacuum or sweep the floor to pick them up and throw them out. Keep in mind that certain vacuums may toss the positive ions into the air again. You may have to do some of your own research as to how well your vacuum works in collecting unseen particles.
Beeswax is non-toxic when burned. A practical reason to burn beeswax candles is because they don't drip. It's foolish to invoke the Divine God-Head into a sacred space one moment and bitch the next moment about the wax stains on your alter cloth which just won't come off. I'm sure you can move mountains with your faith but those damn drippings can make any grown man or woman cry into submission. Beeswax costs less than wax candles because they burn slower even though they give off much more heat. Here's an interesting fact. The flame of a candle made of beeswax will have an ethereal golden halo. It's such a beautiful sight. This is enough to inspire any Occultist during ritual. Negative ions affect the physical air around you but you will also experience a high spiritual presence because the space around you will truly and honestly be cleansed of all harmful forces. This will improve your breathing and in turn your circulation throughout your body will be that much more agreeable.
Next month I'll be explaining the process of making
candles and for this I'll be using beeswax and the supplies purchased from the Candlemaker. I would never have you try anything which I have not first
tried myself. Don't just wish me luck. Wish that I don't burn down
my house. Until then............keep the flame burning.