Bayberry candles - American Folklore/Folkmagic
I went down a crazy rabbit-hole researching the American folklore/folk magick traditions of burning bayberry candles during Yule/Christmas/New Yearās celebrations and really wanted to share.Ā I feel so often modern witchcraft is very Eurocentric which doesnāt make a whole lot of sense to me since Iām an American and would much rather use the items which are native to the area where I live.
Enter the super cool Bayberry.Ā Also called Candleberry or Wax Myrtle, Bayberry is an evergreen plant that grows in sandy swamp areas all up and down the East Coast of the United States.Ā Though the bayberry plant is edible (in small quantities it can be used similar to Bay Laurel) and has some medicinal properties, I personally want to focus on the use of Bayberry as a form of wax.
Bayberry wax was a staple in colonial America (and earlier - it was used by a number of First Nation tribes) - the waxy berries can be boiled to make an olive green fragrant wax that smells lovely and burns for quite some time.Ā Ā It takes a lot of bayberries to make a small amount of wax, though, so it bayberry candles were burned as a special occasion item. Traditionally, one would burn a bayberry candle at the end of the year (either on Christmas or New Yearās Eve) to bless your house and family for the coming year.Ā Hence the phraseĀ āA bayberry candle burned to the socket brings joy to the heart and gold to the pocket.ā
Bayberry is also used in rootwork traditions as a money-draw herb.
It is associated with the planet Jupiter, the element of Earth, and is a feminine herb.
Common magical uses are for house blessings, good fortune, wishes, luck, and money drawing. Finding a candle made out of bayberry wax can be challenging (I found one at my local crystal store) but many of the larger New England candle companies sell candles scented with Bayberry essential oils.Ā Ā I have spoken to many people from this area whose family still burn bayberry candles every year on Christmas Eve.
Count me in.Ā I burned my first the other day.Ā I personally chose to burn my candle on the New Moon in Capricorn because the Sun and Moon were conjunct Jupiter because Jupiter is heavily associated with bayberry and Iām a planetary witch but you do you.Ā Ā Like my work?Ā Please consider Buying me a Ko-Fi
