Figure or image candles were created to symbolize a person or condition in spiritual workings. Like voodoo dolls or poppets, they use sympathetic magic to aid in spell casting.
Typically dressed with oil and then marked and named for a specific person or purpose, they come in a wide range of colors and shapes, including males and females separate or together, various body parts, or powerful traditional symbols like the skull, the cross, or the black cat. Witches, conjurers, and root workers may find that they connect more strongly with the specific shapes that can help them visualize their intentions to get the most success from their spellwork.