The Language of Candles: a rant.

Well, candles make Christmas interesting, don't they? Warm, seasonal, migraine-inducing, and capable of lighting up your whole Christmas if placed too near a curtain or the Christmas tree. 


photo by Edukeralam, Navaneeth Krishnan S

Still, candles are full of meaning. People all over the world light candles to give extra strength to a prayer; and then there's licnomancia. 

Licnomancia is the art of using candles to tell fortunes. (That link will take you to a fairly complete course in how to do it. No, of course it doesn't work!) 

By coincidence, I came across a different example of another sort of candle-language in the classic book Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery. 

This system is 100% guaranteed to work.

You will need a lighted candle and a piece of cardboard.

You stand at a window and use the cardboard repeatedly to mask the candle so that from outside the candle appears to emit flashes of light. 

You also need a clued-up friend who can see your window.

In the book, Anne's code goes like this: 

Two flashes for are you there?

Three flashes mean yes.

And four flashes?

That means no.

Well, it made me laugh.

Five flashes, by the way, mean come over as soon as possible, because I have something important to reveal.

Irresistible, isn't it?

I wish there was a phone ring-tone that said that!

Word To Use Today: licnomancia. This is Spanish. -mancia comes from the Greek manteia, soothsaying. The licno- bit comes from the Greek lukhnos, which means lamp or light.