Magical Charms Herbs and Candles

Magical Charms, Herbs and Candles
Using Charms
To me one of the uses of charms is as physical object representative of my commitment to something. For example I might make myself a small charm of some sort and focus energy into it to help me break an old habit. I'll then place the charm somewhere where it will remind me of my decision to break the habit. If I reach a goal I might decide to destroy the charm as a way of releasing the energy.
Another use for charms is as a keepsake of a ritual or holiday. My friend and I have included the making of charms in some of our Sabbat celebrations, and the charm retains some of the magic of the celebration.
Different things can work as charms. A charm could be a small cloth ball filled with herbs and other magic items. Or it could be a plaster-of-paris circle with symbols and designs painted on it. Or it could be made of thread, tied or knotted with different beads or stones. Or it could be made of paper, with different symbols and patterns. Homemade dreamcatchers can also work as charms and can be easily made with yarn and a metal ring - both of which are available at most craft stores, I think. The magic is put in when you make it or when you "charge" it.
You can charge charms different ways. For me it's sort of an intuitive thing. If I'm charging the charm after it's made, I might do something like this: I close my eyes while holding the charm. I picture it being surrounded by light, and then I picture what I want the charm to represent. I might sit for a while and meditate on what the charm or object means to me.
The first real "charging" of any object that I can remember was that of the knife I used as a ritual athame. I sat on the lawn outside by my favorite tree, and thought about what a knife is and what it means. A knife is a pretty powerful object - it can be used to help or to cause harm. In that way it represents choice to me. It also represents mind, because I relate the job of cutting good ideas from bad to the mind. And it can represent energy, since it is a practical tool with which one can get things done. I thought about these things, and then I closed my eyes and basically prayed. I imagined the knife being surrounded with light and I probably washed it in salt water or held it up into the air for the wind to blow over. That was my first time charging something, and it was charging a tool, not exactly a charm. But the idea is pretty simular. Sit and think, prayer or invoke whatever deities, and then do something to acknowledge the objects new purpose.
Herbs
* cinnamon for purification
* sage for wisdom, intuition, divination, and the spiritworld
* rosemary for protection, purification and love
* thyme for youth, renewal, courage, and getting rid of bad dreams
* dried corn is representative of Kore (Persephone)
* mint for prosperity, abundance and good luck
* nutmeg for goodluck
* basil for prosperity, and protection
* bay for purification, protection and psychic skills.

How to Use Herbs:
There's probably many better sources on traditional uses of herbs, but since you're here I'll throw in my couple of ideas. First, you can sew a small bag with the herbs in the middle, and keep that as a charm. (You could wear it, carry it with you, hide it under your pillow, or leave it on your alter.) You can sprinkle bits of herbs around the ritual space. You can add them to a cup of boiling water so as to get the smell of them floating through the room or some can be made into a tea.
Candles
Candles I like because you can't hold onto them. You focus whatever energy you can into them, light them, and then you have to let them go.... let them burn out and disappear. A candle isn't meant to sit there forever, no more than magic is meant to be held onto.
Large candles can work for prayers for guidance, growth, or other long term goals. Small candles that can be burnt out completely work best for short term goals and wishes. More and more I find myself looking for smaller candles, like birthday candles. My friend showed me how to balance them on rocks, so I keep a couple of small rocks near my alter for balancing candles on.
The color of the candle should make sense to you somehow. Blue candles for peace, green for healing, growth and prosperity. Red candles for passion, energy or purification. Purple candles for intuition and guidance. Black candles for banishing negative energy. Those are simple standards, although you can alter them. If a different color makes sense to you, go with it.
Sometimes when you see a candle it will make sense what to use it for. Once browsing through a candle store I noticed sets of beautiful candles with their wicks joined together. Instantly I knew those would go great for a goodbye that was coming up, because we could each hold one of the candles and burn the wicks apart together. Candles often seem to have "personalities" to them. Use that.
Try carving things into the side of the candle before you burn it. Using an ordinary ballpoint pen you can normally carve words and symbols in. It works.