Some people carve words or symbols into their ritual candles before anointing and burning them and sign them with their names, birthdates, and astrological sun signs. If it sharpens your focus, do it. Many practitioners of magical traditions, such as Wicca, believe that you should not extinguish the candle if possible. Let it complete its own process by burning down to nothing in a fire-safe location like a shower stall. If you must extinguish it, do not blow, as it disperses energy, but pinch or snuff the flame and only dispose of the remnant in a natural setting so that it may complete its life cycle.
Incense is a staple in traditional ritual.
Anyone who has ever attended an Orthodox church has experienced the pervasive scent of pure Frankincense smoke billowing from handheld censors. If we are viewing ritual as a means of focusing the mind on transformation, the use of fragrance is completely logical. Smell is our first sense. Its interpretation bypasses the neocortex and goes straight to limbic brain where it directly affects our emotions and our autonomic body functions. Sandalwood, for example, slows our breathing, inducing a meditative state.