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| Incense |
| In most religions incense is an important element of worship. Incense was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon, Greece, Jewish temples, and Chrisitan churchs. Mostly incense was used in religious context but it has also been used for ages burning in the home to ward of evil spirits, healing, prospertiy, and good luck. It was also used to make the home more pleasent smelling. Buddhists and Hindus use it for daily offerings and those who practice magick use it often. Using so much incense can get expensive and with the right tools you can save money by making your own. Of course, another advantage to making your own incense is that you can specially charge it and and make it for what you want, thus making it more useful and powerful and personal to you. Mortar and pestle sets are wonderful, and good for this purpose, but if you do not own one use a ceramic or wooden bowl and heavy spoon. Begin by getting some arematic wood powder (like cedar, sandalwood, or pine). Next, collet dried herbs (the fresher the better, you want the scent!). Generally I use 1 cup of shavings, 2 to 3 tablespoons of each herb, and the fixative (benzoin is good). Not every herb will smell the same burned as it does not burned, so be careful! Kitchen herbs like fennel, thyme, rosemary, vanilla, rose petals, cinnamon, ginger, orange ring, lemon poweder, and ginger are usually good bets. Feel free to add essentail oils if you can dry the mixture. Large wooden cutting boards kept out of the way are good, and cover it with a cloth to keep out the dust (which never smells very nice when burnt!). When making incense be sure you do not use a herb which anyone in your household is allergic to. Also, take care not to add to many ingredients this can be very bad smelling and overpowering; 3 or 4 herbs is pretty good. Incidently, incense can also simply be dried herbs tossed into open flame or onto hot coles either one. Cleansing Incense Start with a 1/2 cup sandalwood powder base and blend 1 tablespoon each clove, frankincense, and cinnamon for purification. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of patchouli flower or leaf and rosemary for protection. Burn whenever your home needs cleansing or before rituals. God Incense Make this to honour the Sun God. Begin with a base of 1/3 cup sandalwood powder to which 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, chamomile, fennel, and thyme are added. Then blend in 2 teaspoons for myrrh and frankincense and spread the mixture out on a dry surface. Sprinkle in rose water and 2 or 3 drops of Pennyroyal. Let the incense dry and then store in an air-tight container. Goddess Incense I use this for the Divine Feminine and for Moon magick. For a base use ground or powdered cedar (2/3 cup of) and 2 teaspoons dried apple ring and 1 teaspoon each crushed rose petals, dried Jasmine, French lavender, and pine needles. Lay on a wooden board and sprinkle in some lotus oil. Allow to dry then store. Divination Blend 1 Wormwood (Artemesia), Flax, Champhor, Cardamons, Anise, and Chicory Divination Blend 2 Red sandalwood, Fennel, Pomegranate skin, Orris root, and Poppy seed. Divination Blend 3 Wormwood, Saffron, St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and Valerian root. Divination Blend 4 Violet roots and Parsley Divination Blend 5 Cloves (powedered), Mastic, Cinquefoil, and Frankincense Divination Blend 6 Psellium and Anise Divination Blend 7 Poppy seeds, Camphor, and Anise Vassago Conjuration Incense 6 parts Frankincense, 6 parts blam of Gilead, 6 parts grain of Paradise, 1/2 part saffron, a little ambergis (artifical tincture is good too). A good substitute incense is made of Frankincense, Cedarwood oil, and Saffron. Necromancy Incense 3 parts wormwood herb (finely reduced), 2 parts resionous chruch incnese, 2 parts gum mastic, 3 parts dittany of Crete (finely reduced), 1/2 part pure oil oil, 1/2 part wine, 1/2 part honey, and a few drops of the operator's blood. Blend all ingredients together and let stand overnight. You should have a fairly soild, crumbily mixture in the morning. If your incense is to liquid in the morning then add more dittany and wormwood until you have reached a dryish texture. Love Incense I use this incense whenever working a love spell, or love realated spell. Traditional ingredients are musk, lignum, aloes, red coral powder (pricey!), tincture of ambergris, and rose petals. Then add pigeon's blood and brain of a sparrow, thought those two ingreidents are often subsituted for the white of an egg and works wonderfully as a binding agent. Flowery scents also make good love incense blends such as myrtle, jasmine, violet, rosemary, sandalwood, or verbena. Sometimes even the practiconer's favourite perfume is put in. Amatory Necromancy Incense 1 part Vervain herb (Verbena; finely reduced), 1 part Wormwood herb (finely reduced), 1 part powdered sandalwood, lignum, aloes, or rose petals, 1 part dittany of Crete (finely reduced), 1 part gum Benjamin (benzoin). Next add a few drops of each: Pure olive oil, Red wine, Honey, and the operator's blood. Plus a dash of the essential flower oil of your choice, though the decdeased's favourite is a good choice. On a Friday when the moon is waxing, blend all the ingredients together and leave to steep overnight. In the morning add extra herbs if necessary to reach a dry consistancy. Cernunnos Incense I use this blend for Cernunnos invocations, and spells designed to inspire lust. A few drops patchouli essence or patchouli leaves finely powdered, 1 part fine grain church incense, 1 part bay leaves finely reduced, 1 part cyprus wood or pine needles finely reduced, 1 part wormwood herb, 1 part vervain herb. Then moisten with a few drops of oil of cloves, gum turpentine (pine oil), olive oil, red wine, honey, and the operator's blood. A drop of civet or musk essence is a good addition too. Let it steep overnight and add more solids if it's still to liquid in the morning. It should be prepared on a Thursday night with a waxing moon. Use VERY sparingly, this stuff is strong!!! Tellurian Incense I use this for Earth spells among other things. Dried powdered juniper wood is excellent. For a blend you could use 2 parts Cypress raspings or leaves or Gum myrrh or tincuture of myrrh, 1/2 part orris root, 1 part powdered patchouli leaves, and 1 part powdered sage. You can add 1/4 part saltpeter and enough patchouli or myrrh oil to make a paste of that also. Traditional Martial Incense Also known as Incense of Wrath and Chastisement. Gum ammoniac, euphorbium, bdellium, black and white Hellebore roots, powdered lodestone or magnetised iron filings ans sulphur, mingled with a few dropos of blood of a man, a black cat, and the brain of a hart. Many of these ingredients are poisonous, I do NOT endourse the making of this, or any Martila Incense. Modern Martial Incense 4 parts powdered dragon's blood resin, 4 parts dried powdered rue, 1 part dried ground peppercorns, 1 part dried ground ginger, 1 pinch sulphur, and 1 pinch magnetized iron filings or powdered lodestone. Sulphur and iron are very horriable, thus if you are for some reason going to use this mixture I highly recomend you omit the last two items... and a pinch means a pinch!!!! Summer Sabbat Incense I use this for the more "summer" sabbats Beltane, Midsummer, Lammas, Litha, Mabon. Thyme, Fennel, Rue, Chervil seed, Geranium, Pennyroyal, and Chruch incense. Winter Sabbat Incense I use this in the winter Sabbats, Samhain, Yule, Candlemas, Ostara... Vervain, Wormwood, Bay laurel, Ivy leaves, Fir branches, Chruch incense, and Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) Love Divination Incense This is best used for any love divination. 1 part wormwood, 2 parts coltsfoot, and three parts lavender. Grind together and toss over incense coal. To Draw a New Love 1 3 parts rosemary, 2 parts yarrow, and 1 part orris root. To Draw Love 2 2 parts rue, 2 parts dill, 1 part vervain. To Draw Love 3 1 part nutmeg, 1 part thyme, 1 part myrtle. To Cause Lust 1 part galangal, 1 part allspice, 1 part parsley To End Lust 1 part meadowsweet and 3 parts vervain. To Break Someone's Resistance Against a Love Spell 1 part pine needles, 1 part oak bark, and 1 part angelica To Break a Love Spell Against You 1 part agrimony and 1 part vervain To Cause Someone to Fall Out of Love with You 1/2 part garlic, 1 part willow bark, 2 parts amaranth, and 1 part tumeric Abramelin Incense 2 parts myrrh, 1 part wood aloe, a few drops cinnamon oil. Burn to contact spirits during rituals or as a consecration inscense to sanctify magickal tools or altar. Air Incense 4 parts bezoin, 2 parts gum mastic, 1 part lavender, 1 pinch wormwood, 1 pinch mistletoe. Burn to invoke the powers of the Air, increase intellectual powers, obtain travel, communication, study and concentration, or to end drug addictions. Is also good for divinations. Aphrodite Incense 1 part cinnamon, 1 part cedar, a few drops cypress oil. Good to honour the goddess Aphrodite and in love spells. Apparition Incense 3 parts wood aloe, 2 parts coriander, 1 part camphor, 1 part mugwort, 1 part flax, 1 part anise, 1 part cardamom, 1 part chicory, and 1 part hemp. Burn to cause apparitions to appear; be careful this stuff is powerful and you may not want to see this! Spirit World Incense 1/4 tsp ground sandalwood or 1/2 tsp sandalwood chips, 1/4 tsp balm of gilead, 1/8 tsp sage. For workings with spirits. Babylonian Ritual Incense 3 parts cedar, 2 parts juniper, 1 part cypress, and 1 part tamarisk. Ideal for Sumerian and Babylonian rituals or when working with deities like Marduk, Enlil, Tiamat, Inanna, and I use it for working with Lillith. Bat's Blood Incense Dragon's blood, myrrh, cinnamon. Burn to cast evil spirits and for cursing and hexing. Only invokes baneful spirits. Earth Incense 2 parts pine resin or needles, 1 part patchouly, 1 pinch finely powdered salt, and a few drops cypress oil. For invoking the powers of Earth, money, stability, etc. Fire Incense 3 parts frankincense, 2 parts dragon's blood, 1 part red sandalwood, 1 pinch saffron, and a few drops musk oil. For summoning spirits of Fire, success, strength, protection, health, passion, etc. Orange peel may be substituted for saffron. Rain Incense 4 parts heather, 1 part fern, 1/2 par henbane. Burn out of doors on a desereted hill to attract rain. Do NOT inhale the fumes; henbane is VERY dangerously poisionous. Venus Incense 2 parts wood aloe, 1 part red rose petals, few drops olive oil, few drops must oil, and few drops ambergrist oil. Mix well and burn for Venusian influences like healing, partnerships, love, and rituals involving women. Vision Incense 3 parts cinquefoil, 3 parts chicory root, 1 part clove. Burn small amounts before psychic workings Water Incense 2 parts benzoin, 1 part myrrh, 1 part sandalwood, a few drops lotus bouquet, and a few drops ambergris oil. Burn to attract the influences of Water, develop psychism, promote love, beauty, fertility, etc. Witches Sight Incense 1 part gum mastic, 1 part juniper, 1 part patchouli, 1 part sandalwood, 1 part cinnamon, few drops musk oil, and a few drops ambergris oil. Good for crystal ball readins, meditation, and tarot readings. Universal Incense 3 parts frankincense, 2 parts bezoin, 1 part myrrh, 1 part sandalwood, and 1 part rosemary. Burn for positive magick; will cancel out spells and rituals with negative goals if burned during use. Spirit Portal Incense 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp lavender, and a pinch of wormwood. Psychic Incense 1 part frankincense, 1 part sandalwood, 1 part cinnamon, 1 part nutmeg, few drops orange oil, and a few drops clove oil. Protection Incense 2 parts frankincense, 1 part dragon's blood, and 1/2 part betony. Burn for psychic protection. |