A blog reader writes in asking, "I live in a traditional dorm on campus. The rules are that there can be no candles or burning of anything that would produce smoke... I still want to hold a circle in my room, but I've been having trouble trying to figure out how to create the same focus without the candles. I have ADD tendencies, so I have to have an object of some sort to focus on or I cannot focus. Do you have any ideas as to how I could adjust things without the use of candles? Unlit candles are also prohibited."
One of the most valuable skills you can ever learn as a witch or Pagan is that of improvising and making do with what you have. If you're not allowed to use candles, but you feel like you need something tangible to focus on, you'll need to figure out what else can hold your attention. One option might be to use a bowl of water, or perhaps a stone held in your hand. I have a friend who has a lovely labyrinth plaque that she traces with her finger as a way to focus herself prior to a working. There are any number of things you can try -- and they may not all work for you. Particularly if you have ADD, you probably know that what works for other people might not work for you, so experiment a bit to figure out what's best for you personally.
A dorm situation is a unique set of issues, anyway. Especially if you're living with a non-Pagan roommate, it can be a challenge to find ways to practice magical living in a dorm room. Even if you're in an apartment, if you're stuck in a smaller living space, there are always potential issues at play. Here are some tips on practicing magic in a smaller space: Celebrate Rituals with Limited Space.
Readers, do you have any suggestions or tips for our college-age practitioners?
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One of the most valuable skills you can ever learn as a witch or Pagan is that of improvising and making do with what you have. If you're not allowed to use candles, but you feel like you need something tangible to focus on, you'll need to figure out what else can hold your attention. One option might be to use a bowl of water, or perhaps a stone held in your hand. I have a friend who has a lovely labyrinth plaque that she traces with her finger as a way to focus herself prior to a working. There are any number of things you can try -- and they may not all work for you. Particularly if you have ADD, you probably know that what works for other people might not work for you, so experiment a bit to figure out what's best for you personally.
A dorm situation is a unique set of issues, anyway. Especially if you're living with a non-Pagan roommate, it can be a challenge to find ways to practice magical living in a dorm room. Even if you're in an apartment, if you're stuck in a smaller living space, there are always potential issues at play. Here are some tips on practicing magic in a smaller space: Celebrate Rituals with Limited Space.
Readers, do you have any suggestions or tips for our college-age practitioners?
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook!
The artificial candles that take batteries have improved a good deal..they even flicker! So they would make a perfectly acceptable flame-free substitute.
Thank you for this! This helps me a great deal =D
You can even decorate those for a specific purpose or colour. I put ribbon and beads on mine to make them different colours for what I am trying to focus on. I live in a dorm too so I know how hard it is.
This may sound stupid i’m not sure, but I would try it. What about a set of x-mas tree lights? They represent light and fire without the lught and fire, just becareful to not step on them:)
I agree with the battery powered tea lights. they make a nice substitute for actual candle and you can paint the plastic part to represent spell colors.
There are many kinds of electric (battery or plug in) options from “candles” and lights of many sorts to fountains, pictures with sound effects, or even one of those scrolling photo frames with shots that are meaningful to you. A bowl of water on a mirror placed to catch some light from an outdoor or even other room source would be an inexpensive way to go. Depending on your specific weather, vantage, and flora you could even view the moon (or other light source) through tree branches to get the flickering light. A translucent cloth draped over the computer monitor set to screen saver could also work.
Personally, I like the Febreeze Flameless Luminary. They flicker like a candle and give off a scent like candles. Especially if you get the seasonal scents.
I haven’t had this problem yet, but I had no idea Febreeze made luminaries! Thank you! *Looking now for some to buy* ^.^
I’m a big music person, so I’d load up my iPod with music that gets me in the mood for a working and listen to that for a while before beginning. This focuses and grounds me, and it also has the added benefit of not disturbing anyone you’re living with. It just looks like you’re trying to relax with your music.
Having something to hold onto helps me, along with music like suggested by J. McNett. Headphones on and the physical focus piece, I’m good to go.
Yep, I was going to suggest the flameless candles. Good luck!
I love the idea of the battery operated candle – I just bought 30 yesterday because I’m hosting the Soltice Celebration at my home this year and they are effective and carefree. Also love the rope light idea too.
Back in the dorm room days, my lava lamp served as my center of attention. Today, they also have the lamps made from salt that glow richly and they are not expensive. Stones or crystals can be placed in a circle to help with centering.
Personally, I’m a huge gemstone freak (excess of $300 in stones ^^ heh) so not only do I have a set of elemental candles for the quarters, but a set of smaller stones for each as well.
Another suggestion would be if you can find statues that TO YOU represent each quarter. Mayhap a phoenix or dragon for fire, a mermaid or fish for water, etc.
As Patti said, this is about what works for you. If you don’t have one oil/herb/whatever use what you do have that is of similar focus/properties.
Thank you so much for addressing this! I lived in a dorm for my first few months as a pagan, crammed in a room with my roommate (who, thankfully, was also Pagan, but it was still a tight, annoying squeeze) and was unable to do anything at all. I only thought about replacements for certain things after I moved out of the dorm and into an apartment, where I was able to create my own altar.
There are flameless candles that might work really well available at most Wal-Marts.
As for being ADD – I’m ADHD, and one piece of advice I can give out is, when you DO start using real taper candles, especially for candle magic, BUY THE SHORT ONES. I do not have the attention span to concentrate on a taper of the traditional length. It works much better when I use smaller candles. I’ve even used tea lights before.
If one needs to focus on the physical, then how do you attempt the spiritual? Its contradictory. Also if one cant control the physical environ, how does one expect to control the spiritual?
Life in the Spirit!
With the Yule/winter holidays upon us there should be tons of battery operated candles available. Especially the type you put in the window.
i personally like the fake flames. i bought a plug in cauldron at the Halloween store/party store half price after Halloween. It has three small LED lights, a tiny fan and a piece of silk. When plugged in, the fan blows the silk and the LED lights reflect off it. It looks just like a fire, just no snap crackle and pop or smoke. It’s sooo real, the battery-operated one i took to the beach to hold ceremony summoned the cops who were sure i had a real(forbidden) flame on the beach. They were terribly disappointed to find out it wasn’t.
Labrys is on the money with the artifical lights. I do a lot of rituals outside and near the bay where the wind can put a real pain in trying to keep the candles lit. Some of the artificial lights even come with interchangeable shades and I have even made my own to go with the ceremony/holiday. Try this out it may really help your rituals also for scents try a lightbulb ring with some scented oils it helps the mood for ritual without incense or risk of burning and getting in trouble.
Blessings, Ita Keyley
Like the others here, I would suggest the battery operated candles. Have you also considered some of the graphic candles for your computer screen? I have used those and if I can dig it out, I had found one that require clicking on it to light and snuff out. One other thing that I have done is the candle warming devices (the ones that plug in and you set a candle in a glass holder and it warms the candle enough to melt) for when I must have a physical candle but can’t burn them.
Through daily meditation, you can learn to visualize very well and you won’t need anything physical. (A learned Witch can hold a very meaningful ritual with absolutely no ritual tools. A circle can be cast and cut with two extended fingers. I do understand, however, that tools and trinkets are cool and fun to use. Believe me, I have my share of Witchy toys and tools!) If you feel you really would like an object to focus on, it doesn’t have to be anything with flame. When I practice my yoga asanas, I use a large pentacle necklace as my focal point. Whatever puts you in ritual consciousness (light meditative state) will work for you. Happy rituals!
MM! I live in a dorm room and I use a variety of things depending on my mood. You can use colored stones, or even colored flat bottom marbles. Things like salt, a bowl of water, a dragon figure, and a feather can represent the elements without flames.
I actually use candles sometimes, too, though. I don’t usually light the elemental or god and goddess candles, but I still set them out during a ritual and hid them away the rest of the time. And depending on your RA, you could probably get away with burning a chime candle if you absolutely needed to, just cover the smoke detector with a plastic bag and remove it afterwards. This is riskier, though, so if I have to burn something I take it to a nearby creek and set up candles on rock slabs that lay in the water. Once you get more settled in, you’ll figure out what works best for you. Good luck!
What I’m surprised nobody has suggested is..the great outdoors! I’m quite sure there’s plenty of space out there
And then you should be able to light a candle! Use a public park, find a secluded spot under a tree, dress extremely warmly… if being indoors has a special feel to you, besides using battery powered fake flames, try something similar, like turning all the lights off when it’s dark out, and getting a button LED to focus on.
It’s personal preference, but looking at a fake candle doesn’t help me because every 5 seconds I go, “This is sooo not a candle.” But it’s probly just me! I also like the sheet over the computer screen idea, I think I might have to try it!
Anywho, good luck!
I also am a college Pagan. However, I attend an urban campus in the middle of downtown that does not have much green space or nearby parks with private areas. (There is a park nearby but it’s basically just a grassy space with a lot of trees and a picnic shelter.) If this situation applies to you, you can do something as simple as offer prayers to your deities. When I am in a pinch, this is what I do and it is effective.
I was going to suggest a candle warmer, but if you cannot have unlit candles, then this won’t work. Try making your own oils and buying small mist spray bottles to scent the air instead of incense or a candle warmer.
As for focus, try something that is meaningful for you. It could be a favorite pillow or DVD of a movie you enjoy, as well as something more traditional as a pentacle necklace or an image of your deities.
In terms of storage, use a bin that is rather broad and flat and has wheels, which you can roll under the bed. These are often widely available around “back to school time,” when college freshmen often need to buy bins and such for their new experience.
there are battery operated candles that flicker as a burning candle would. i use the in my house for decor and i would have given them to my kids to use if they chose to practice before i felt as though they were ready for real candles. you can buy them any where and you can cet them in all different shapes sizes and colors. i hope this helps.
I personally share living space with family who do not share my pagan beliefs and am unable to do a physical ritual in my home. One thing that works great for me is to meditate in my room and perform a full ritual in my mind with my imagination. The great thing about this is you can use your imagination to put yourself into any sacred space you like. It also exercises your visualization skills which will help when you are doing magical workings.
Unfortunately, I am also in this position. I manage to perform rituals when my family is not home. However, your suggestion of performing ritual using only the imagination is a very good idea and something to consider!! (My parents complain when I shut myself up in my room, though. I’ll figure something out.) Thank you for the idea!
If all you require is a visual focus, the electric candles would suffice, but to add olfactory focus, gently warmed (drops in hot water) essential oils or potpourri would do nicely.
Setup your circle somewhere else once candle and all then make a movie. You can play the movie on your laptop in your dorm. You can also find a you tube video to use.
I have this little battery operated waterfall with pebbles in it that helps me focus or even just calm down. It’s only about a 6 inches by 6 inches, so it doesnt take up too much space, and it reuses the same water and doesn’t splash anywhere or anything. I like it because it has both movement and noise.