Quick Specs
- Author: Henri Gamache
- Format: Paperback, approx. 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches, 96 pages
- Originally published: 1942, Dorene Publishing Co., New York
- Best for: Candle magic practitioners, hoodoo students, anyone building a folk magic reference library
Candle Burning Magic Book: An American Folk Magic Classic Since 1942
The Master Book of Candle Burning is a well-known text in American folk magic candle work. Henri Gamache first published it in 1942 through Dorene Publishing Company in New York, at a moment when mail-order spiritual supply companies were distributing condition oils, ritual candles, and hoodoo products across the United States. The book arrived as a practical companion to those products, collecting candle burning protocols in use among spiritual advisors, mediums, and rootworkers at the time. Its 96 pages are tightly organized, covering candle color symbolism, the selection of psalms to accompany specific intentions, and step-by-step ritual layouts for a wide range of purposes from drawing love and money to overcoming enemies and stopping slander.
What distinguishes Gamache’s approach is the integration of biblical psalm work with candle ritual. Each working in the book specifies a psalm considered best suited to that purpose, reflecting the African American Protestant and Catholic folk traditions in which candle magic developed in the early 20th century United States. This psalm-and-candle framework is a notable feature of American hoodoo candle work, and Gamache’s text is an early codification of that system in print. For practitioners studying the roots of Southern conjure, it can be read as a period document as much as an instruction manual.
Hoodoo Candle Magic: What the Book Teaches
The book covers candle color correspondences in practical detail: green for money and prosperity, red for love and vitality, white for blessing and purification, black for banishing and removing obstacles. It explains how to arrange multiple candles in specific geometric patterns for different intentions, a technique called candle setting that is central to 7-day and 14-day working formats. The modern rituals described are based, as Gamache states, on practices relayed by mediums, spiritual advisors, and evangelists active in his time, giving the text an ethnographic quality alongside its instructional content.
Practitioners who have worked with this text note that it reads quickly and practically, suited to immediate application rather than extended study. It does not provide deep theological context for the traditions it describes, but it delivers clear, actionable protocols. Pairing it with a more historically contextualized text on hoodoo and rootwork gives a complete picture of the tradition. Browse my candle magic and cleansing books collection for companion titles that expand on the theory behind these practices.
How to Use the Master Book of Candle Burning
How to work with the Master Book of Candle Burning's color, psalm, and placement system.
- Select Your Candle Color and Purpose
Consult the color correspondence section first. Match your candle color to your intention. Green for money, red for love, white for blessing, and black for banishing are the core associations Gamache codifies throughout the text.
- Choose the Corresponding Psalm
Each ritual specifies a psalm suited to that intention. Read it aloud or silently over the dressed and lit candle. This psalm-and-candle integration is the defining feature of the system Gamache describes.
- Follow the Candle Placement Diagram
Gamache provides geometric arrangements for multi-candle workings. Follow the diagram precisely for your chosen working. The relative positions of candles shift based on whether you are drawing something toward you or moving something away.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry this book because it is a well-known text on American folk magic candle work that hoodoo and rootwork students have read for decades. The 1942 publication date is part of the point: it shows how these practices were being written down at the time. At 96 pages it is brief, practical, and immediately usable, which is exactly what practitioners need in a ritual reference rather than an academic monograph. Hoodoo is a living tradition, and I offer this book as an entry point, not a substitute for learning from practitioners and community. If you work with candles alongside books on candle magic, my candles collection has tapers, pillars, 7-day jars, and figure candles suited to the protocols Gamache describes.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a practical hoodoo candle magic guide covering color symbolism, psalm pairings for each working, and geometric placement diagrams. Originally published in 1942, it is an early printed reference for this system.
Henri Gamache authored several early hoodoo and spiritual supply texts in the mid-20th century United States. The Master Book of Candle Burning, originally published in 1942, is his most widely cited and reprinted work.
Gamache integrates biblical psalm work with each candle ritual. This psalm-and-candle framework is characteristic of Southern conjure and African American hoodoo tradition, which differs from most Wiccan or ceremonial magic candle work.
Yes. At 96 pages it is concise and organized for immediate use. It works best alongside a broader hoodoo text for historical context, but as a candle ritual reference it is accessible and immediately applicable.
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