How to Burn Hag Torches (Mullein Torch)
Hag Torches are amazing candles. Their distinct materials and style of burn are so unique and powerful! Since the flame of these candles are so large it is important to know how to burn them safely!
What is a Mullein (Hag) Torch
A mullein torch is a dried mullein stalk covered in wax or oil, traditionally beeswax.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a large single stalked medicinal plant native to Europe and Asia. Its uses include treating respiratory ailments and supporting pulmonary health. Mullein is an amazing herb that burns clean, and wicks wax well.
Mullein torches have been used for thousands of years, with with its use going back to ancient Rome, when soldiers would submerge mullein stalks in grease to use as torches. It was a very accessible way to generate a lot of light relatively quickly.
The term hag torch comes from their later and more modern association with witches and their use of these candles for their rituals and rites.
Some other popular names these torches go by are; Witches Candles, Mullein Torch, Kings Candle, Our Lady’s Candle, Quakers Rogue, Candle Wick, Blanket Leaf and my personal favorite the Hedge Torch.
Correspondences for Mullein Torches (Witches Candles)
Mullein has many medicinal applications as well as folk correspondences. For more on the medicinal uses check out this blog post! As far as the folk correspondences go, here are some that come to mind for me!
Mullein
Fire, Saturn, Mercury, feminine, deep breathing, calming and soothing, purification, cleansing, divination and dreamwork, protection, warding
Beeswax
Venus, fire, feminine, purification, abundance, harmony with nature, protection
These associations make mullein torches great for many different rituals!
Source a Mullein Torch
Mullein torches can be made at home or bought online (like these in my shop for example!) When sourcing your torch I advise you keep the following in mind.
How long is the candle?
Candle length helps you determine the duration of burn. I figure you will get somewhere around 10 minutes of burn time per inch of beeswax torch. With this rate you can estimate how large of a torch you need for whatever ritual you plan to do! Mullein torches are great for burning on samhain and winter solstice, full moons too!
How long is the handle?
The handle length will determine whether you will be able to anchor your candle in the ground or not. If the handle of the candle is super tiny there may be more chance for fire danger if you choose to anchor it in the ground. And coming from a dry-land prairie witch, dry grass is suprisingly easy to catch on fire! So if you do want to put your candle in the earth, make sure you have a nice long stalk.
If you plan to hold the candle then any comfortable hand sided handle is sufficient. If you want to put your torch in a taper candle holder you can do that as well! At that point you don’t need to consider the length of the handle.
What wax is the stalk covered in?
There are so many waxes out there! My personal favorite is beeswax. Beeswax is some of the longest burning wax, so you will get a longer burn if the torch is covered in beeswax. It also burns more cleanly which means the candle (if properly watched and managed) can be suitable for burning indoors! A paraffin covered torch will burn for a shorter period of time while also releasing chemicals while being burned. Using your old scrap candles to make a mullein torch yourself is a great idea, but if you do this, make sure you burn it outside so as to avoid any toxic fumes.
Setup Your Burning Space
No matter where you choose to burn your mullein torch ensure you have sufficient water nearby to submerge the torch in if needed. Safety First! If it is winter time and you are burning your torch buried in the snow, perhaps you can skip this step lol. A candle snuffer will also work for this torch if the diameter is close to that of a standard taper candle (3/4in - 1in or so)
Burning Outside
With a long stalk this candle can be easily pushed into the earth. Find a place where the soil is not overly compact so you can poke the stalk into it. Alternatively you can find yourself a pot with some soil in it to anchor the candle. Once you find your spot of soil, remove any tall dry plant matter in the area. Clearing an area 2 feet from your torch should give you some peace of mind. Clear this same area if you want to hold the torch while burning as well.
Burning Inside
If burning inside you can treat the torch much like a standard taper candle. Just be sure to have no flammable materials near the torch and to have it secured in a well fitting candlestick (check out the shop if you need one). Prevent drafts and make sure to have water and a candle snuffer nearby to put out the candle when needed.
The Ritual Burning
Hedge Torches can be used for many different rituals, but since they are made from dried mullein stalks in the autumn, they are perfectly suited to be used to celebrate the harvest at the autumn equinox (Mabon), and the thinning of the veil during Samhain or Halloween. Since they give off so much light they can also be used in the dark depths of the winter solstice to celebrate the return of the sun. When I was doing my product testing for these torches I was able to test them on the Super Full Blue Moon in Pisces. What a lovely test run! So I can tell you first hand they are amazing for full moon rituals and new moon rituals alike!
Now that we have all that safety stuff out of the way we can talk about how we actually burn these torches!
First you must remove the tippy top of the candle to expose the plant matter which will act as our wick! I do this with a knife on a cutting board.
Once the wick is exposed (and we are at our burning space) it is time to light the torch. Since there is so much wax around the wick it takes a bit of time to actually get it going. hold the torch horizontally over a surface you don’t mind dripping wax on (a silicone mat is awesome for this) and wait for your torch to ignite. I suggest using a lighter or another candle for this process so you don need to use a whole bunch of matches. While you are lighting the torch it is a great time to speak your intention for your ritual into the torch. A mantra or affirmation would be perfect here as well.
Once your torch is lit, you can put it where you want it!
If you want to hold the torch, it could be a great time to practicing some fire-gazing, and see what the flames have to tell you. This is especially powerful it times of darkness like the new moon and winter solstice.
If you have placed the torch somewhere in the earth you could dance around it while singing or playing a song fitting the occasion. Since Samhain is one of the fire festivals you could think of this candle as your own personal mini bonfire!
Be creative with it! Magick is so powerful if you just listen to what you want to do and trust that. This ritual is for you! You don’t HAVE TO do anything! If burning the candle at your desk in a candle holder sounds best to you, DO THAT! Life is a game and you can play by whatever rules you want!
All that said you can now have fun with your torch knowing that you took the safety measures you needed to be able to relax. Sometimes a bit of preparation can go a long way in allowing our subconscious minds to relax and stop worrying. Once relaxed we can more easily connect with joy, the present moment and our inner truth!
I hope you have a lovely safe ritual burning your Hag Torch! If you have any other questions please leave a comment below and I can clarify. Happy burning!
And so it is!
With much love,
