SPIRIT        LODGE   LIBRARY Healing Page 52

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Making Incense
By CinnamonMoon

Paul Beyerl, a local Master Herbalist in my area, wrote a book entitled: "The Master Book of
Herbalism" and it is fantastic. I'm not sure it's still in print, it was published in 1984, ISBN 0-
919345-53-0 but I wanted to share with you some information he presents on making your own
incense. I hope you find it helpful.

"The main ingredients of incense are the aromatic herbs. These may be leaf, flowers, root, resin,
or powdered wood, scented with essential oils, either naturally, or added to the mixture. There
are no herbes which may not be used, but it is wise to first experiment with a piece of burning
charcoal. Drop them on, and assess the smoke with your sense of smell. There are some herbes
which smell wonderful but distasteful if burnt, and others which have little smell at all, but
smolder into a heavenly fragrance."

"There are also incense gums which are essential ingredients for heady, rich-smelling incenses
including benzoin, camphor, galbanum, frankincense, myrrh, mastic, and storax. These,
generally, are resins from coniferous trees, and others such as pine may easily be used. Balsams
and dragon's blood resin may also be used. These are the herbaceous substances which produce a
large amount of fragrant smoke. Not only are they dramatic, but they inevitably have much
history as Religious Herbes."

"The use of incense has a long history with religion and magick. It may have been first used as a
form of sacrifice to appease the spirits of nature, which must have seemed capricious and
whimsical to the first humans. It is likely that this happened as fire was being domesticated, and
among the woods gathered for fuel were aromatic trees such as bay, sandalwood and cedar,
which when burned, produced a rising smoke to the heavens, thick and scented. One may not
partake of the scent without it producing emotional or psychological effects, and early humans
were most likely quick to mark these as different from other fuels; worthy of saving for sacred
occasions."

"Even when sacrifice was no longer needed, the practice of communing with the spiritual side of
nature over aromatic smoke continued. In time, it was learned that certain herbes produced
visions when the smoke was inhaled. As civilization developed, priestly incenses evolved,
usually including frankincense and myrrh. Many magickal recipes come from the grimoires of
Ceremonial Magick, but there are also religious recipes from Christians, Hebrews, and nearly all
religions. Incense is a truly universal means of communicating with the spiritual and divine."
"The simplest recipes for incense involve choosing whichever herbes you wish, grinding them in
your mortar and pestle, and placing a measure upon a burning block of charcoal. Nothing could
be simpler. Herbes are chosen by scent and/or corresponding magickal virtues."

"If you wish to make stick incense, go to a nearby artist supply store and purchase some gum
arabic or acacia gum. This is a very sticky bonding agent which you may mix into the finelyground
mixture and adhere to a broomstraw, making sticks, or work with your fingers into little
cones. Give it time to dry, and then you have wonderful, handmade, incense for use in your own
work, or as a most wonderful gift."

"The making of incense is of a very personal nature, and I am resisting the inclination to include
several recipes, for there is nothing difficult, and I encourage you to follow your own curiosity.
You now have all you need to know, and to this add your imagination."

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