Do You Believe in "CANDLE MAGIC?"

As a child and even to this day, my mother would light candles in front of religious figures for the special intentions of others. Whether it was someone gravely ill or someone moving into a new home, she'd light her candles in hopes of that person being able to face their challenge with the strength provided by the saintly figure.

When I was growing up, we had a picture of the Virgin Mary above our mantle at home. My mother purchased it from, of all people, the Fuller Brush Man! LOL! Imagine that. "I'll take the dust mop and oh yes, that picture of the Virgin Mary." What I found amazing about this picture was that when you walked slightly it would change to Sacred Heart of Jesus. So it went from Mary to Jesus. Two for the price of one, if you think about it. A bargain! LOL! Whenever someone was ill or needed something special, my mom would light a small votive candle in front of our magical picture, say a prayer and let the candle stay lit until it burned out. At our home, a lit candle was a symbol of hope for a special intention.

The picture of Mary and Jesus has long been removed from that wall above the mantle. But there's a statue of Mary standing in a brick grotto in my parent's backyard where the tradition of the lit candle lives on at her feet. That statue is the image I used in my art piece at the top of this post. Do you believe in Candle Magic?