Today's topic is a bit of an odd one. It is a whole post on electric candles and I must admit at first I was very anti these candles, when they first came out. For the most part they look very fake, obviously plastic. I also thought they were very wasteful, just another piece of garbage for the landfill. They are scentless, do not come in that large of a variety of colors and their flickering action is usually a good try at best. But, after a few years and a few improvements to their design I have changed my mind. These “candles,” can provide excellent mood lighting and are excellent altar candles. They are great for outside lunar ritual when you want the light and flicker of candles but you do not want to deal with the fact that even the slightest breeze can extinguish them. They work well in crystal candle holders and will not burn, or stain the crystals. They cast a nice light in lanterns and candle holders with nifty shapes. And of course the best part of all is that they are flame-less, heat-less and smokeless which means they are less dangerous. You can use them outside in dry conditions, in buildings where open flames are prohibited, in labyrinths, or to outline a circle, in areas where pets and small children are present. They are great for floral wreath, St. Lucia crowns etc. You can also leave them unattended without any fear. A lot more of these candles are also becoming battery operated with batteries that you can remove and replace which makes these candles a bit more environmentally friendly than they used to be. These candles aren't the best for spell-craft, they just don't seem to pack he same punch as real candles. They are not as psychologically satisfying to dress, charge, light and watch disappear, sending your energy and intention to the universe, but they can be used in a pinch. They do however make excellent devotional candles for honoring your patron deity and are excellent for tending Brighid's flame.
They also, now come in my different forms, from tea-lights, votives, pillars of various sizes, tapers and special shapes like snowmen. Some candles have glitter, that travels like a snow globe, while others have LED lights in various colors that change. Some even have timers and sensors which will “light,” the “candle,” during the night and turn off automatically during the day. And, now is the perfect time to purchase some. Many stores Sam's Club and Shopko offer 24 packs of the electric tea lights for 15 dollars. Walgreens has beautiful , magickal electric tapers which have glitter for 1.99, dollar stores carry smaller packs of tea lights, and pillars made of real wax as well as some plain white tapers. Joanne's have the biggest selection of all with many kinds and colors and is the only store that I have seen votive electric candles in.
My only wish is that they'd make these look a bit more realistic, with more colors and the ability to place the taper candles in your own candle holders instead of the ugly plastic ones which they always come with.
You can also experiment decorating these candles by painting designs on them. Attaching real or fake flowers, stickers, paper or even adding drippings of wax over the candles to make a grubby look. Here is a link for an easy “Grubby,” candle one of which I must try out. I will keep you informed on how they turn out
http://www.ehow.com/how_6081696_make-electric-grubby-candles.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask
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