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willowgothika

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:01 pm


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:05 pm


Choosing and Using Incense
by Rob Schneider


Estimates vary, but it is said that incense has been used for between 4 to 6 thousand years. It is known that incense was used in ancient Egypt and according to the nativity story, frankincense and myrrh were offered as gifts by the three wise men to the baby Jesus. Incense is a traditional part of Buddhist and Hindu religions, with different scents being identified with different rituals. Although the term aromatherapy was not coined until the 20th century, the art and science of using scents for therapeutical purposes goes back at least as far as that of incense and probably further.

Choosing Incense
The first consideration when choosing incense is the type of incense to use:

Incense powder is the oldest form of incense. Originally, powdered leaves, flowers and other scented parts of plants were simply thrown onto a fire. Today, it is sprinkled on to burning charcoal.

Resin incense is burned on a charcoal base. Although a relatively difficult way to burn incense, adherents believe it to be worth the extra effort and produces a superior aroma and more pronounced psychological affects.

Incense cones are placed in special containers. Cones are very long lasting, but some same they are best used outdoors or in well ventilated areas because they produce more smoke as they burn down to the wider base of the cone.

Incense sticks are by far the most popular type of incense. There are two types of incense sticks: those with bamboo cores and those that are composed entirely of incense.

When choosing incense, quality counts as much as the scent you choose. Some cheaper brands use artificial scents and cutting agents. Incense "purists" recommend avoiding scents with names like "Pina Colada" or other fragrances that are not associated with natural scents.

Using Incense
What are you using incense for? Scents have a profound psychological affect, so your choice of incense should be based at least as much on the mood you wish to create as on its pleasant fragrance. Some possible choices include:

Sandalwood is one of the most popular scents. It is used for meditation because of its calming affect, but is also great for producing a tranquil atmosphere in the home.

Aloeswood is recommended for meditation only. It is said that the inhalation of aloeswood is the equivalent of a half hour meditation session. An expensive and relatively hard to find incense, it can also be found in some aloeswood/sandalwood blends.

Patchouli is a very popular incense. Used extensively in the perfume industry (especially in fragrances for men), patchouli is said to have aphrodisiac properties. Patchouli incense is recommended for lifting your mood and relieving anxiety or tension. An added bonus to patchouli is that it has historically also been used as a mosquito repellant.

Lavender incense has a noticeably calming effect. Aromatherapists use lavender oils and essences to help relieve tension headaches and other stress related disorders.

Rose is a romantic, soothing fragrance that really needs no introduction. Caution should be used when choosing rose incense, though. Many cheap imitation rose incense sticks are available that are made from synthetic ingredients. Purists and aromatherapists always recommend only pure, natural ingredients for best results.

Orange, lemon and other citrus scents are great energy lifters. As with rose and other fragrances, try to find incense that uses essential, not synthetic ingredients.

With the possible exception of aloeswood, any of these incenses can be used at any time. While sandalwood, for example, is associated with meditation, many cultures also associate it with joyous family gatherings and other celebrations because they so often occur at religiously significant times of the year when sandalwood incense is burned at home altars.

If you have an adverse or allergic reaction to incense, it may be because you chose a brand that contains artificial ingredients. Try choosing a brand sold by a reputable incense and candle dealer.

willowgothika


willowgothika

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:31 pm


Magickal Properties of Incense
by Raven and Crone


The spiritual meanings of fragrances and magickal properties of incense will help focus your mind on achieving specific goals. Burning incense has a symbolic meaning that helps pagans focus their attention on the purpose of a ritual or magickal working.

ACACIA:
Burned with sandelwood to stimulate the psychic powers.
AFRICAN VIOLET:
Burned for protection and to promote spirituality within the home.
ALLSPICE:
Burned to attract both good luck and money.
ALOES:
Burned to attract good fortune, love, spiritual vibrations, and strength.
ALTHEA:
Burned for protection and to stimulate the psychic powers.
AMBER:
Burned for love, comfort, happiness and healing
AMBERGRIS:
Burn for dreams and aphrodisiac
ANGELICA:
Burn for protection, harmony, integration, insight and understanding, stability and meditation
ANISE SEEDS:
Burned as a meditation and emotional balance incense.
BASIL:
Burned to exorcise and protect against evil entities such as demons and unfriendly ghosts, and to attract fidelity, love, good luck, sympathy, and wealth. This is also an excellent incense to use when preformiong love divinations. Also burn for concentration, assertiveness, decisiveness, trust, integrity, enthusiasm, mental clarity, cheerfulness, confidence and courage
BAY:
Burned to facilitate the psychic powers, and to induce prophectic dream-visions.
BAYBERRY:
Burned mainly to attract money and also burned for protection, happiness and control
BENZOIN:
Burned for purification, astral projection, clears negative energy, emotional balance, eases sadness, depression, weariness, grief, anger, anxiety and to attract prosperity.
BERGAMOT:
Burn for money, prosperity, uplifting of spirits, joy, protection, concentration, alertness, confidence, balance, strength, courage, motivation and assertiveness
BISTORT:
Burned often with frankinsense as a powerful incense to aid divination.
BRACKEN:
Burned in outdoor fires to magickally produce rain.
CARDAMOM:
Burn for mental clarity, concentration, confidence, courage, enthusiasm and motivation
CARNATION:
Burn for protection, strength, healing, love and lust
CEDAR:
Burned for purification, to stimulate or strengthen the psychic powers, attract love, prevent nightmares, and heal various ailments, including head colds.
CEDARWOOD:
Burn for healing, purification, protection, money, balance, grounding, clarity, insight and wisdom
CHAMOMILE:
Burn for harmony, peace, calm, spiritual and inner peace
CINNAMON:
Burned for protection and to attract money, wealth, prosperity, business success, stimulate or strengthen the psychic
powers, and aid in healing. Also burned for stimulation, strength and lust
CITRON:
Bunred in rituals to aid healing and also to stregthen the psychic powers.
CITRONELLA:
Burn for cleansing, warding off, healing and exorcism
CLOVE:
Burned to dispel negativity, purify sacred and magickal spaces, attract money, and stop or prevent the spread of gossip. Also burn for pain relief, intellectual stimulation, business success, wealth, prosperity, divination, exorcism, protection, eases fears, improves memory and focus
COCONUT:
Burned for protection.
COPAL:
Burned for purification, uplifting spirits, protection, exorcism, spirituality and to atract love.
CYPRESS:
Burn for strength, comfort, healing, eases anxiety, stress, self-assurance, confidence, physical vitality, willpower and concentration
DAMIANA:
Burned to facilitate psychic visions.
DITTANY OF CRETE:
Burned to conjure spirits and to aid in divination, astral projection, especially when mixed with equal parts of benzoin, sandelwood, and vanilla.
DRAGONS BLOOD:
Burned to dispel negativity, exorcise evil supernatural entities, courage, purification, attract love, and restore male potency. Many Witches also burn dragon's blood for protection when spell casting and invoking. When added to other incenses, dragon's blood makes their magickal powers all the stronger.
ELECAMPANE:
Burned to strengthen the clairvoyant powers and scrying abilities-divination by gazing.
EUCALYPTUS:
Burn for healing, purification and protection
FERN:
Burned in outdoor fires to magickally produce rain. Also used to exorcise evil supernatural entities.
FRANKINCENSE:
Burned to dispel negativity, spirituality, purify magickal spaces, consecration, protect against evil, exorcism, aid meditation, astral strength, induce psychic visions, courage, protection, attract good luck, and honor Pagan deities.
FUMITORY:
Burned to exorcise demons, poltergeists, and evil supernatural entities.
GALANGAL:
Burned to break the curses cast by sorcerers.
GARDENIA:
Burn for peace, love and healing
GINGER:
Burn for wealth, lust, love and magical power
GINSENG ROOT:
Burned to keep wicked spirits at bay, and for protection against all forms of evil.
GOTU KOLA:
Burned to aid meditation.
HEATHER:
Burned to conjure beneficial spirits, and to magickally produce rain.
HIBISCUS FLOWERS:
Burned to attract love, lust and also for divination.
HONEYSUCKLE:
Burn to attract money, happiness, friendship and healing
HOREHOUND:
Burned as an offertory incense to the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
HYACINTH:
Burn for happiness and protection
JASMINE:
Burned to attract love and money, and also to induce dreams of a prophectic nature, purification, wisdom and astral projection
JUNIPER:
Burned to stimulate or increase the psychic powers, and also to break curses, exorcism and hexes cast by evil sorcerers. It is also burned for calming, protection and healing.
LAVENDER:
Burned to induce rest and sleep, and to attract love-especially of a man. Also burned for cleansing, healing, happiness and relaxation
LEMON:
Burn for healing, love and purification
LEMONGRASS:
Burn for mental clarity
LILAC:
Burned to stimulate or increase the psychic powers, and to attract harmony into ones life.
LOTUS:
Burn to elevate mood, protection, spirituality, healing and meditation
MACE:
Burned to stimulate or increase the psychic powers.
MASTIC:
Burned to conjure beneficial spirits, stimulate or increase the psychic powers, and intensify sexual desires. The magickal powers of other incenses are greatly increased when a bit of mastic is added.
MESQUITE:
The magickal powers of all healing incenses are greatly increased when mesquite is added.
MINT:
Burned to increase sexual desire, exorcise evil supernatural entities, conjure beneficial spirits, and attract money. Mint incense also possesses strong healing vibrationsand protective powers.
MUSK:
Burn for aphrodisiac, prosperity, courage
MYRRH:
Burned (often with frankincense) for purification, consecration, healing, exorcism, and banishing evil. Myrrh is also aids meditation rituals, and was commonly burned on alters in ancient Egypt as an offering to deities Isis and Ra.
NUTMEG:
Burned to aid meditation, stimulate or increase the psychic powers, and to attract prosperity.
OAKMOSS:
Burned for money and attraction
ORANGE:
Burned for divination, love, luck and money
PATCHOULI:
Burned to attract money, love, growth, mastery, sensuality and also to promote fertility.
PEPPERMINT:
Burned for energy, mental stimulant, exorcism and healing
PINE:
Burned for purification, and to banish negativeenergies, exorcise evil supernatural entities, and attract money, as well as to break hexes and return them to their senders. Also burned for grounding, strength, cleansing and healing
POPPY SEEDS:
Burned to promote female fertility, and to attract love, good luck, and money.
ROSE:
Burned to increase courage, induce prophetic dreams, house blessing, fertility, healing and attract love. Rose incense is used in all forms of love enchantment and possesses the strongest love vibration of any magickal incense.
ROSE GERANIUM:
Burned for courage and protection
ROSEMARY:
Burned to purify, aid in healing, prevent nightmares, preserve youthfulness, dispel depression, attract fairyfolk, and promote restful sleep and pleasant dreams.
RUE:
Burned to help restore health.
SAGE:
Burned for protection against all forms of evil. It is also burned to purify sacred spaces and ritual tools. Plus it is great for promoting wisdom, clarity, attract money, and aid in the healing the body, mind, and soul.
SAGEBRUSH:
Burned to aid healing, and to banish negative energies and evil supernatural entities.
SANDALWOOD:
Burned to exorcise demons and evil ghosts, conjure beneficial spirits, and promote spiritual awareness. Sandalwood incense is also used by many Witches for protection, astral projection, healing rituals and in wish-magick.
SOLOMONS SEAL:
Burned mainly as an offertory incense to ancient Pagan deities.
STAR ANISE SEEDS:
Burned to stimulate or increase the psychic powers.
STRAWBERRY:
Burned to attract love and for luck.
SWEETGRASS:
Burned to conjure beneficial spirits prior to spellcasting.
SWEET PEA:
Burned for friendship, love and courage
THYME:
Burned for the purification of magickal spaces prior to rituals, to aid in healing, and to attract good health.
VANILLA:
Burned to attract love, increase sexual desire, and improve the powers of the mind.
VERVAIN:
Burned to exorcise evil supernatural entities.
VETIVERT:
Burned to break curses, exorcism, for protection against black magick and thieves, money, peace and love.
VIOLET:
Burn for wisdom, luck, love, protection and healing
WILLOW:
Burned to avert evil, attract love, and promote healing. It is also used by many Witches as an offertory incense for Pagan lunar deities.
WISTERIA:
Burned for protection against all forms of evil.
WORMWOOD:
Burned to stimulate or increase the psychic powers. When mixed with sandalwood and burned at night in a cemetery, wormwood is said to be able to conjure spirits from their graves.
YARROW:
Burned to arrow courage, exorcism
YLANG-YLANG:
Burned for love, harmony and euphoria
PostPosted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:38 pm


I just bought some sage incense I plan to use it for my next solitary Esbat ritual.
What incense do you guys like to use during ritual? What are some of your favorites?


Musical_Vampire_Socks


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