Notes on Making Incense

Incense for Meditation

Practically any incense can be used for meditation, so tailor your mixture to what you want to get out of the meditation. Consider the following base ingredients:

Frankincense

When inhaled, this causes a deepening of the breath, ideal for calming the mind and entering a meditative state. It also has protective and healing properties.

Sandalwood

A relaxing, grounding and somewhat sensual scent which is also good for encouraging a calm state of mind while having protective and healing properties.

Lavender flowers

The classic relaxer, need more be said? It will add a floral hint to the mixture.

Sage

Another classic incense or smudge ingredient with an array of healing, cleansing and protective qualities.

You may also wish to add a drop of essential oil to the mix. Lavender or Sandalwood oil could be used as substitutions for the plant material, Bergamot oil has balancing and renewing properties and Clary Sage oil calms troubled minds or emotional upsets.

Use the mixing ‘formula’

• RESIN
• + WOOD
• + HERBS
• + OIL
• = INCENSE

Therefore several meditation incenses suggest themselves immediately:

• 2 tsp frankincense, 1 tsp sandalwood, 2 drops lavender oil
• 2 tsp frankincense, 1 tsp lavender flowers, 2 drops sandalwood oil
• 2 tsp frankincense, 1 tsp sage, 2 drops bergamot oil
• 2 tsp frankincense, 1 tsp sandalwood, 1tsp sage, 2 drops bergamot oil

For a more divinatory meditation, to open up the third eye or simply explore psychic awareness, some other herbs can be considered:

Mugwort

A classic witchcraft herb. Used for sharpening awareness, prophetic dreams and introspection, sharpens visualisations as well as strengthening vitality.

Bay (Laurel)

As used by the Oracles of Delphi for divination and prophecy. Also a healing herb.

It is a good idea to mix these herbs with a good protective base, to ground the wandering mind to the body and keep unwanted influences at bay. Again Frankincense is ideal, as is Myrrh (which blends well with Mugwort) and Copal (used by the Aztecs and Mayans for healing and prophecy).

So a divination/meditation incense may be:

• 2 tsp frankincense
• 1 tsp myrrh
• 2 tsp mugwort
• 3 or 4 bay leaves
• 1 drop bergamot oil

Note that bay leaves are difficult to grind, but easy to crumble into small pieces by hand. Mugwort is quite cottony so is difficult to grind too, in this case grind it with the gritty Myrrh before adding the other ingredients. Frankincense is always best ground separately then stirred into the other ingredients.

Healing

Classic healing herbs for incense making include:

Frankincense

The incense all-rounder.

Rosemary

A cleansing and healing herb that also promotes memory and mental clarity.

Juniper

For healing illness as well as promoting strength and longevity.

Sage

Cleansing and healing on a physical level, as well as having associations with the development of wisdom.

A healing incense of equal quantities of each of the above will make and excellent all-rounder. Or play with proportions and experiment with adding other herbs or a drop or two of an essential oil. For example, Geranium oil is characteristically feminine and associated with feminine energies and the female reproductive system. Thus, an incense for a woman could include this oil.

Healing the Past

This type of healing is often associated with letting go of the past or accepting the past as a necessary part of personal development. Obviously this is deeply personal so any incense for this purpose would do well to be very personal to the user.

In general:

Pine

As well as protective, healing and cleansing properties, pine has associations with the banishment of ghosts.

Thyme

Again, protective, healing and cleansing, but with an association with spiritual “spring-cleaning”.

Willow

Associated with the moon, useful if using the moon's energies in the healing.

Cedarwood

Cleansing and healing, but with connotations of preservation as the tree was believed to be indestructible. This could be the enduring strength of the inner self or just as easily an attachment to the past. Think carefully what properties you want to bring to your mix.

More symbolic ingredients can be used, such as herbs associated with astrological signs, planets or elements. Or the wood from the tree that marks a person’s birth in the Celtic tree calendar. Incorporate herbs or flowers associated with an emotion that needs to be enhanced or overcome, e.g. red roses associated with love and romance, white with friendship.

The list is possibly endless, but remember to keep a strong theme for the incense with clear associations and properties. More often than not, the simpler the better is a useful axiom to keep in mind.

Don’t forget that Kenneth’s article on making Yule incense contains a lot of basic information on how to approach incense making.