Incense for Yule

A few months back Kenneth gave us a very interesting talk on the subject of incense. An article on this is coming — at least, that’s what he assures us — but until then here are a couple of recipes for incenses for Yule. The equipment you'll need:

• pestle and mortar
• grater/zester
• a couple of small bowls, preferrably non metallic
• wooden spoon
• heatproof dish (an ashtray would do in a pinch)
• sand or salt
• charcoal dish
• tweezers
• candle

Yule Incense

• 2 tsp frankincense resin
• 1/2 tsp myrrh resin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• dried, ground rind of an unwaxed orange, a hearty pinch. The best way to do this is to grate or zest some of the rind and then leave it to dry in a warm, dry place — a small bowl/teacup on top of a radiator for a day or two should do.

Method

First grind the plant materials in a pestle and mortar. Alternatively you can use powdered cinnamon, but it is better to grind fresh bark if you can, sticks if not. If you tend towards respiratory irritation, asthma, etc., go easy on the cloves as they can be a bit smokey. Put the ground mixture in a bowl.

Gently grind the frankincense and myrrh in a pestle and mortar. Add the plant matter and mix with a wooden spoon.

There you have it, incense.

If you want it to smell more outdoorsy, add a drop or two of pine essential oil. If you want a sweeter smell, add a drop or two of orange essential oil. If you do add oils, be careful not to use too much, mix well again and leave for a couple of hours to let the scent permeate the rest of the ingredients.

Smouldering

Prepare a heatproof dish with about an inch of sand or salt at the bottom (this will act as insulation). Hold the charcoal block in the tweezers and hold in the lit candle flame. Wait till it sparks across and blow on it gently. When the edges are red, the block is ready to put in the dish. Be very careful, this stuff is hot.

Sprinkle a small amount of incense on the block and, voila, lovely smelling smoke…
 

General cleansing incense

• 2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tsp frankincense

Method

Again, grind plant and resin separately and then mix. This is an easy incense but one of my favourites. Perfect for clearing out the mustiness of absence in your home if you have been away over the festive season. Add a pinch of thyme if you really need to clear the spirit or basil to bring harmony and put an end to quarrels, a drop or two of sandlewood oil or a pinch of sandalwood if you have it will add some warmth.

Where to get ingredients

Frankincense and myrrh are generally easy to get, I get mine from Aquarius or Aveva, both on the bottom end of Byres road in the West End of Glasgow. (Other cities will have New Age, Pagan or Herbalist shops which should stock this.) The rest of the stuff you should be able to get from the supermarket, but if you can get good quality organic ingredients from a healthfood shop or herbalist's you will notice the difference: most notably you will probably pay less per ounce and use less packaging. I got a decent marble pestle and mortar in Papyrus cookshop (top end of Byres road, opposite Safeway) for about seven quid, I think Woolworth may do something similar. (Asian shops are also often good places to look.) You can also pay through the nose for them in places like Habitat, but they will be very nice. Avoid wooden pestles and glazed or smooth mortars — it totally defeats the purpose.

Remember, none of this is set in stone. Play with the quantities, add more of one thing if you like its smell or less if you don't (for example, I find myrrh rather bitter so I keep the quantity low). Remember too that things don't always smell like you think they would when you burn them.

Enjoy.