Making your own incense and tools can be very gratifying as
well as being more powerful for you, looking at it from a majickal standpoint,
as you are putting your own energies into everything you make, marking them
with your own energies and “linking” them with your Self (Spirit). It can also
be very therapeutic, not only by taking pride in that you have created
something in which you enjoy but also as a means to center yourself. Yes,
center yourself by focusing on something you are putting effort into, relaxing
and de-stressing, focusing your all and releasing all around you and grounding
yourself with All, allowing yourself to be a part of Universe as you focus on
the project at hand. I will be sharing with you what works best for me,
after much trial and error, of experimenting with most of the recipes in the
“Incense Recipes” post. With that said, let’s get started.
First of all, let us start with a few basics.
Make sure that you are not allergic to any of the flora or
spices that you intend to use as this could cause reactions just as badly, if
not worse, as it would to be ingested, as you burn them, you inhale and your
body absorbs through every pore, not just in breathing and will leave a residue
in the space where you are burning it, leaving long-lasting reactions. I know
this seems common sense, but it must be taken into account, including if you
intend to give as gifts, consider that persons allergies, as well. I go by the
general rule; if you can’t eat it, don’t inhale it.
Always use a censor (burner), no need to cause a fire,
safety first. If you don’t’ have a censor, a ceramic, pottery or thick metal
(such as brass, nickel) dish will work fine.
No need to go buy expensive ingredients. In most cases, you
can find them in your yard or spice rack. If you like how they smell, chances
are they will work wonderfully in your incense. The same holds true for oils
and potpourri. Do your research if you come across a plant that you like the
smell of but not sure of what it is and make sure it isn’t a toxin.
When drying plants or spices, make sure, If you are picking
your own, that they are at the height of of maturity and you pick them on a dry
day. When you bring them in, hang them upside down in a dry airy place in
between the temps of 70-90f they are completely devoid of moisture or else they
will mold when you store them. They need to be stored in airtight
containers such as jars (canning jars work well), crockery, pottery or metal
containers. As long as they are airtight, they are fine. Keep them in a
cool space and out of the sunlight as this ages them very quickly and weakens
their aroma. If you keep them in a place where there is a lot of sunlight, be
sure to cover the containers with some dark cloth or a towel for a longer shelf
life.
If using oils along with the flora or spices, be sure they
say on them essential oils. Otherwise they are synthetic and you will need to
use (on average) twice as much. Some synthetics are also water based (such as
perfume form) which could cause problems while making your incense.
The raw plant material you use could change dramatically
when it ages and also when burned. Always use a small amount of your recipe
(dry mix) as a testing. Do this in its non-combustible form (before you add the
salt peter, AKA potassium nitrate/KNO3, or gums).
Be sure that all of your dried ingredients are ground to a
fine powder just before you use them. This helps to hold their aromatic scents
within them. Though if buying just before making mixing your recipes, or wish
not to grind them yourself, buying in powder form works too, they are simply
just not as fragrant and you may need to adjust the measurements of that
particular ingredient. To grind to a powder, you may use a blender, coffee
grinder, food processor or a pestle and mortar. It is a good idea, if you use a
pestle and mortar, that you have 2; one for dry ingredients and one for the gum
mixture as the resins tend to stick and stain.
As far as your supplies, no need to go extravagant, it
doesn’t have to be expensive. Use what you can from what you already have on
hand or grow on your own. Traditionally, this is how it’s always been done,
same goes for substitutions. As far as the grinding medium, I suggest to buy
2nd hand and use only for incense. Also, I use a 2nd hand Tupperware pie mat to
lay over my counter and roll it out on in place of pesky wax paper that moves
everywhere and is easier clean up since you can just pick the whole thing up. I
use the same one for making candles and oils too. I have also found that an old
wooden chopping board (about 1’x 2-3’) works well too, if it has a varnish or
wax finish.
Some ingredients may be hard for you to find. That’s ok,
simply substitute. *If you can’t find a flora or spice in dry form, but
can in oil form, use the oil. **If you need a different variation of a
plant/spice, try to find one that is in the same family or you can refer to any
number of books/sites that have the common substitutions. You can find most
spices, herbs and oils at your local pagan shop or an herbal supply shop. Most
of the spices and herbs you will find at the grocery store, in fresh and/or
dried form. The charcoal block (not briquette) can be found in pagan shops and
also many novelty shops carry them in bulk. These are used to burn your non-combustible
(dry) incense, as they smolder your dry incense. Eyedroppers can be found in
the pharmacy section, along with the saltpeter and gum arabic, though you may
have to ask the pharmacist for the latter two. If making stick incense, you can
use long cocktail skewers.
I also suggest that you use (pre-bought ground) orris(iris)
root (1 part) as a preservative and stabilizer, especially in those recipes
that don’t include resins such as frankincense, myrr or amber.
When choosing your ingredients, make sure they correspond
for what you want them to do or go with. I have made a short herbal chart for
this purpose in the “Majickal Guides: Quick Reference” page (tab is just below
the heading picture).
There are two forms of incense; combustible and
non-combustible. Combustible are those in which are formed, such as sticks,
bricks or cones. These are always made with saltpeter (potassium nitrate/KNO3).
This makes them to burn evenly and well. Non-combustible are those in which are
in the form of loose powder and burned over a smoldering charcoal brick.
* I will post how to make your own oil and many oil recipes.
**I will later add some substitutions or a substitution
guide/chart.
Here is the basic list of what you will need (apart from
what was already mentioned):
Eyedroppers, one each per oil, unless you intend to wash and
try in-between each oil scent.
Base oil, ideally saffron, jojoba or sesame oil, also, to
make your other ingredients stretch farther, you may wish to also use some
talcum powder or sawdust in with the dry ingredients. This is known as your dry
base and is added in as your last dry ingredient.
Baggies, gallon and sandwich sizes, for mixing and
short-term storage
Small spoons, for easily scooping out small samples to burn
during you’re making process, or can just use pinch amounts
Small containers, such as old washed and completely dried
pill bottles or film canisters to keep in extra or loose incense. They’re not
very pretty, but work.
Some would say to also use an Astrological Calendar to align
with the certain energies that are corresponding to what you wish to use the
incense for, your own personal correspondences or of that of the God/ess that
you are making it to honor. I, however, judge this by sensing. Whatever I feel
at the time is right, is the one I use. Though someone not that familiar to the
Arts may wish to use one.
Especially in the beginning, until you are familiar with
each scent and their notes, you will want to have some already tried and true
recipes. I have posted many or you may wish to look into Cunningham’s “The
complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews” or one such as Wylundt’s “Book of
Incense” which uses more kitchen spices. Both are available in free PDF format.
Finally we are ready to begin making your incense. I will
explain how I make them and have had the best success with.
Firstly, make sure your, your work surface and the area you
are working in are clean (physically) and cleansed of all negative energy. Lay
out everything you will need on your work surface and draw a circle. If you do
not already know how to do this, please refer to the “Drawing a Circle” post.
This allows only positive energies to be attracted to your creation. No need to
be formal about it. Just do what feels right for you.
Re-read your base recipe that you wish to use. Be sure you
are familiar with it and understand that a “part” is no certain measurement,
just make sure each “part” that you use are equal in measurement to each other.
Take out your gallon baggie (or bowl) and add each dry
ingredient, one at a time, close baggie and shake till well mixed before adding
the next. Do the same in your bowl, stirring well after each, either with your
hands or a stirring device such as a spoon or stick.
After all dry ingredients are mixed, begin to add the
essential oils. Keep in mind that if you are substituting oils for the dried
form, that the oil is much more potent, so use sparingly until you get the
proper proportions to your liking. Mix in your oils according to notes from
base to top (This is covered in greater detail in the “Oils Guide”), one at a
time, mixing thoroughly each time, making sure to get out all the dark spots.
After you have mixed them all thoroughly, do a burn test and
see if you are pleased. If not, play with it till you reach the proper
adjustments. The way to do this is to use another flora/spice of the same note
to balance it out. Don’t worry, you will become more familiar with them and be
able to tell which you need just by scent after some time. If it seems as if
you can’t smell it, or has no scent, you have balanced it too much and may want
to add a little more of one or two that “speak” to you.
Once you are happy with it, it’s time to add the base. Add
in small amounts till it sticks to your hands a little, you don’t’ want to add
too much and make it wet. I should make mention that if you add the base,
you’ll have to let it set and cure for about a week to a week and half before
you can burn it or else it will, more than likely, smell “off” or like burning
smoke instead of what you with it to smell like. After about a week, go ahead
and do a burn test. If it
‘s still smoking far too much and not smelling right, you
can leave the container open for the next couple of days. If you want to use it
immediately, leave out the base oil, it simply preserves it longer.
Sounding labor intensive so far? Don’t worry, once you
become accustomed to everything and all the ingredients, it will come as second
nature to you and as easy as baking some cookies.
Now for the molded (combustable) incense.
Stick incense or jossticks, are generally formed by dipping
the stick in the base till it’s covered to the size that you wish. Though some like
to form the clay consistency of the incense mix around the stick, rolling it
back and forth on the work surface till it’s the desired size. I find the
former to be less labor intensive. After the incense is finished, you will need
to allow it to dry standing upright. You can do this by sticking the stick
end into a clean pot of soil, clay, or anything where it won’t fall over or
lean.
For block incense, roll out your final mix on your workspace
(on wax paper if you don’t’ have a pie mat) as you would cookie dough, till
about ¼” (6.35 mm) thick, then just cut into 1” (25.4mm) squares and let dry.
To make cone incense, simply roll into cone shapes. It will
be the consistency of clay, so just play with it.
Let these dry, at least, overnight. Store any unused
portions either in the small baggies, or containers, airtight.
Gum Arabic is the glue for all molded incense. To make the
glue, put 1tsp (5ml) into a glass of warm water. One ounce will absorb about a
gallon of water in just a week, so thicken it slowly. A foam will mostly likely
form on the top, just move it ot of the way or skim it off while dipping in your
incense stick. Let the gum absorb the water till it’s a paste consistency. When
making the block or cone incense, be sure that the gum mixture is the last
ingredient you add, just after the saltpeter, one tsp at a time, mixing
thoroughly in between each.
I believe I have covered everything, if not please comment
and bring it to my attention. Now have fun and Blessings!
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