Quick Specs
- Type: Reversible pillar candle, black exterior over red core
- Size: 9 inches x 1.5 inches
- Wick: Pure cotton
- Best for: Reversing hexes, return-to-sender spells, revealing hidden truths, uncrossing
The Classic Reversible Candle in Hoodoo and Rootwork
The reversible candle is one of the most recognizable formats in American hoodoo, and for good reason. Its construction, black wax on the outside encasing a red core, with the red visible only at the very tip of the wick, creates a burn sequence that practitioners interpret as positive energy consuming and overcoming the negative. This is a fundamentally different mechanism from a half-and-half pillar. The red does not simply follow the black; it emerges from within it, which is precisely the point. Browse my full pillar candle selection to compare formats.
The tradition of reversing work in African American rootwork draws on West African spiritual concepts of cosmic balance and justice, blended with folk Catholic practice and European folk magic. By the mid-twentieth century, Hyatt’s folklore surveys document specific candle formats, oils, and powders used specifically for sending crossed conditions back to the sender. The reversible candle, in its black-over-red construction, appears consistently in this literature as the preferred tool when a practitioner wants the return to be active and complete rather than merely deflective.
Revealing Hidden Truths and Uncrossing Work
Beyond strict reversal work, many practitioners use the reversible candle when they suspect concealment: a partner hiding something, a business associate operating in bad faith, or a situation in which the full picture has not come to light. The symbolism of the black exterior burning away to reveal the red interior maps naturally onto the idea of hidden things coming forward. This secondary use is part of what makes the reversible candle one of the most versatile dual-energy tools in the rootwork kit.
Pairing this candle with a reversing oil, crab shell powder, or black salt is standard practice for intensifying the return-to-sender aspect. Some workers also carve names or commands into the black wax in reverse (mirror) script before dressing the candle, ensuring the energy targets the correct source. The cotton wick on this nine-inch pillar supports multi-day burns without tunneling, which is important for sustained workings that align with lunar timing.
How to Use a Reversible Pillar Candle
How to work with a reversible candle for return-to-sender and uncrossing rituals.
- Carve Your Petition
Prepare the candle by carving your petition into the black outer layer in mirror writing if you know your adversary, or write your own name and a simple return command in the red tip at the very top of the candle where it is exposed.
- Dress and Position the Candle
Dress the entire candle with reversing oil, stroking from wick downward to push harmful energy away. Place it on a mirror or over a petition paper folded away from you, symbolizing the return of crossed conditions to their source.
- Burn and Dispose Properly
Burn in stages if needed, snuffing rather than blowing out. Watch how the wax burns: red consuming black signals the dominant reversal phase. Continue until the candle is finished, then dispose of remains at a crossroads or running water.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock the reversible candle because it is one of the most frequently searched items by customers doing serious reversal work, and most listings online describe it inaccurately, confusing it with a simple split red/black pillar. This is the correct reversible format: black exterior, red core, red visible at the tip. It arrives undressed and without added fragrance, ready for you to dress according to your tradition. Pair it with a rootwork oil or sachet powder from my hoodoo and rootwork collection for a complete working.
Frequently Asked Questions
A reversible candle has black wax on the outside encasing a red core, with the red visible at the very tip. As it burns, the red consumes the black, symbolizing positive force overcoming and sending back the harmful layer of energy.
It is the classic tool for returning jinxes, hexes, and crossed conditions to their sender. Some workers also use it to reveal hidden truths, since the burning away of the outer black layer symbolizes exposing what has been concealed.
Many rootworkers burn reversible candles over several consecutive sessions, aligning with the waning moon cycle. Burning it all at once is also acceptable for urgent situations. Always snuff the flame rather than blowing it out between sessions.
Yes. The original product description cites revealing hidden truths as a secondary use alongside reversal work. The burn sequence, outer darkness giving way to the red core, is interpreted as exposing what has been deliberately obscured.
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