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Altar Lantern

This tutorial deals with oils and the humble element of 🔥. Don't fuck with it. Be smart, be cautious. Enjoy :)

Glass encased candles aren't cheap. And it's a massive pain in the ass to make sure I have enough candles always stocked up for the 10 or so altars I have going. Not to mention needing to have candles in stock for any work I might need to do. And candles freak me out. They can explode, they can crack, the list goes on. It's been a few years of this process and I'm growing sort of bored of it. It's expensive, unpractical for my situation and the amount of waste it creates is crazy! So in the past couple weeks out of necessity, I decided to look for other alternatives. Below is a picture of the result.
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I will say from the beginning, that this lamp is a work in progress. I also still need to confirm that it's cheaper than candles. I've experimented with the bare minimums of it, but there's a lot more to be played with. I'll gladly take any input and modify this tutorial as a living document until it seems right.


So back in the days of studying the Golden Dawn and all that good stuff, I had read about their use of oil lamps for their altars. Mind you, oil lamps have been used in magical works for thousands of years. I'm not inventing anything new. I'm sure lots of other organizations and groups use(d) them too, but up till recently it hadn't really crossed my mind to use them myself. So I set out to find the cheapest, safest way to do this. After some experimentation, I present my findings, along with any links for the exact items I used. And it adds the potential for something really interesting you'll see towards the end.

Things you'll need:
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  • Mason jar (I used pint sized)
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    (I used paraffin; odorless, smokeless)
  • Washer (hole should be big enough to fit wick holder)
  • Measuring tool (ruler, calipers, etc)
  • Gloves (lots of little pieces of metal)
  • 2 Drill bits - 1 large (size of wick holder, in this case 5/16"), 1 small (3/32"-1/8")
  • Drill
  • If you don't have have access to a drill bits and drill:
    • nail and hammer, maybe shears too to make the two holes. Won't be fun though
  • Optional if you have them
    • Pliers (to pull off the excess shredded metal)
    • Center Punch (screwdriver and hammer is a good alternative)

How to build:
1. Get the diameter of the mason jars lid. If its the standard "Ball" brand jars, the lid should be 84.2ish mm, or 3.47"
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2. Divide by 2 to get the sorta radius.
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3. Measure from different sides and mark the center.
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4. Optional - Use center punch or Phillips screwdriver to punch into the metal. This makes this easier to drill into.
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5. Put the lid somewhere secure. You don't want the drill catch into it and the sharp edged lids spin in your hands. I have a vice but a clamp, the pliers, or your hands with gloves would work worst case. Be careful! You're using these tools at your own risk.
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6. Drill a large hole in the center where you marked, and one off to the side of the lid before the lip. This small hole is important as it allows the warmed gases to escape. Carefully clean up the edges of the holes and get rid of the metal sticking.
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7. Place the washer over the hole. My theory is that the washer helps insulate the lid against the direct heat coming from the wick holder, which hopefully cools down the glass some. The washers could have been smaller, actually the same size as the holder would be perfect. These are just ones I had on hand.
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8. The wick holder then goes over that.
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Side note:
Now here is where things get real nice. Because the lamp is oil based, it gives us the opportunity to charge the lamp up with a shit ton of ingredients that would otherwise be a pain with a candle. Either you have to roll the candle in oils and herbs, or sprinkle herbs and oils on top of the glass ones. I'll pass if I can.

I will say though, there's a particular synergy that occurs between herb and oils in an 8" glass candle, where the heat directly interacts with these materials. It moves them, charges them. I get that. Maybe this lamp doesn't do that. But it does allow me to really saturate the paraffin oil in a combination of stuff i just couldn't with a candle. I can add a good amount of a variety of oils, enough to really soak into the paraffin to give off a scent. I can add minerals, objects, ashes from paper. The list is infinite. I can paint the jar in either translucent glass paint or acrylics. There's a particular utility that I'm excited to experiment more with. Back on to the tut!

9. Grab your additives. This is totally up to your needs. But I will say that just about any recipe you see for an oil or candle dressing out there will work. Just be cautious of what materials you're using and any toxicities, etc. Do yo' research! Here I'm making a money grabbing blend for my money pot.
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10. Pour in your lamp oil. Don't fill it to the very top.
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11. Pull the wick down so only a teeny bit is exposed. You'll be surprised at the size of flame you get with it.
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12. Light and enjoy!
xkFrWQb.jpeg
 

Scottish_Pride

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Hell, this sounds like a great idea! Probably a good investment down the road compared to candles, since I'm assuming these are reusable and you just have to replace the oil/wicks?

Either way, reminds me of the Victorian oil lamps that my dad used to be obsessed with finding antiques of. Those ones often had adjustable wicks, because people relied on them as a light source, and some did surprisingly well at lighting rooms. I've also see "modern" oil lamps sold for camping lanterns.
 

ryen

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Hell, this sounds like a great idea! Probably a good investment down the road compared to candles, since I'm assuming these are reusable and you just have to replace the oil/wicks?

Either way, reminds me of the Victorian oil lamps that my dad used to be obsessed with finding antiques of. Those ones often had adjustable wicks, because people relied on them as a light source, and some did surprisingly well at lighting rooms. I've also see "modern" oil lamps sold for camping lanterns.
Yup everything is reusable minus oil and wicks. The oil was only $25 which is almost what i spend on candles for my altars for only 4 days. The true test till be once altar has a lamp.

Those antique lamps were a big inspiration too. And on YouTube I've found some neat ideas. Like adding a glass protector around the flame


I'll post updates on the oil consumption and modifications regularly.
 

SkullTraill

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Nice, valuable info. These types of lanterns are extremely versatile.
 
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