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Incense and Magick

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:59 pm
by the_spiral
Hi friends, still in my tunnel of work but wanted to share my thoughts on a magickal tool that doesn't get enough love nowadays [smile] Incense is an extremely potent element of ritual and I think it's valuable for any magician whether ceremonialist, Hermeticist, witch, conjurer etc to learn its capabilities and how to work it. Most people are familiar with its use in smudging and cleansing spaces during ritual, but it can also be used as a scrying tool, as an offering for pacts, to evoke and communicate with spirits (as many can "speak through the smoke"), to cleanse and seal the aura, to construct invisibility or cloaking spells and much more. Also on mundane levels, research has shown it may have beneficial psychoactive effects: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 110415.htm

Incense comes in different forms including sticks and cones, which I use in a pinch (or just to raise the vibrations in my home) but for magick it's best to make your own since you can fill it with your energetic intention and create unique blends for different purposes. A brass or abalone shell burner looks beautiful on an altar but a bowl of sand works just as well. I use bamboo charcoal tablets which are safer than the charcoal disks, but I've seen people use both. Heat up the charcoal, put any resins on first since they release the most smoke, then layer your roots and herbs on top. Once you have a good smoke built up you can start working with it. Treat the smoke itself as a magical tool or ally and experiment to learn what it can do for you. It has its own unique spiritual energy but it also works as a "conductor" of other energies.

Some good incense resins for magicians:
- Frankincense: nothing cleanses and purifies ritual space quicker IMO, not even sage. Many "higher" spirits love this as an offering. Also good for strength and protection in astral work.
- Copal: another one that purifies and is loved by many spirits. Also helps with inducing trance, gnosis and divination.
- Myrhh: excellent for healing, relaxation and banishing. It has a sharp smell so it's good to mix with frankincense or dragon's blood.
- Dragon's blood: my personal favorite. It melts down into a beautiful blood red color and releases a spicy fragrance that empowers spells for love, luck and prosperity. It is very protective and empowering as an astral shield. I've found a lot of Typhonian/draconian/serpentine spirits also love this as an offering.
- Benzoin: will confess I haven't tried this yet, but I've heard brings peace and relaxation and is good for cleansing your home after "heavy' work.

Good roots/herbs to work with:
- Sandalwood: very holy and powerful herb from India, looks like wood chips, excellent for exorcisms, conjuring, evocation and protection during astral work.
- Wormwood: raises psychic power, good for conjuring. Spirits of the dead are very attracted to the smoke. I use a mix of frankincense, wormwood, sandalwood and mugwort for most conjuring work.
- Tobacco: one of the best all-purpose offerings for spirits. I've rarely encountered an entity who didn't appreciate it.
- Damiana: psychic visions, scrying, astral travel, aphrodisiac and lust work.
- Hibiscus: excellent for love and lust work. It also makes a nice tea :-)
- Patchouli: versatile! You can use this for pretty much anything. Good for love and money drawing in spells and summoning spirits.
- Sulphur: offerings to demons, hexing and jinxing only. You do not want to burn this inside, it's very toxic.
- Kitchen herbs like basil, bay, rosemary, pepper, sage, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla pods and cumin seeds all have their own spiritual properties and can be added to incense blends as needed.

Anyway I don't know why I felt compelled to write all that, but hopefully it's helpful to someone out there. And feel free to share your uses/ritual work with incense or favorite blends too!

Re: Incense and Magick

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:27 pm
by WillowDarkWytch
Motumbá Àse, The Spiral!

I LOVE this thread! Love to work with herbs, roots, plants, in incense, powder, bags, medicine and healing, etc etc etc!

We should create a thread on herbalism and recipes/methods, maybe in the witchcraft topic?? Where could it go?

Saravá,
Idansinají