by Carl F. Neal
Continue to focus on the importance and meaning of water until the incense you have selected to represent it has completed burning. Again enjoy your presence in the circular energy until the outer circle of incense ignites the blend you have chosen to represent the element of earth.
Once the earth incense ignites, focus on that element. Earth is life. Our bodies are formed from the materials of earth. Every plant that grows digs its roots in the ground to draw nutrients. Earth provides our footing in both a literal, physical sense but also in a spiritual and magickal sense. When we need to release unused or unwanted energies, we often “ground” those energies by sending them to the earth. Earth is the foundation upon which all of our creations are built. Many wondrous gifts are hidden within the ground and the planet herself is often called “Mother.” The materials of earth flow in our blood and without them we could not live.
If you have included the fifth element in this meditation, the incense you have selected to represent yourself will be ignited when the outer circle of incense reaches its end. Optionally, you could place the fifth element incense where it would be ignited by the earth incense when it reaches its end. This will avoid the possibility that it will begin to burn before the earth incense was finished. Once the incense representing self has ignited, begin to focus on how you personally interact with the four elements. Also consider what those elements mean to you, not only magickally and physically, but in personal and intimate ways. This is an opportunity to focus on your place within the larger scheme of the elements and the universe as a whole.
Once the last of the incense has burned completely, stir the ash to erase all traces of the incense you have used. You are returning your magick circle and all of the elements back into part of the greater whole. Take a moment to center yourself and ground. You can then complete any other magickal workings you had planned and open your circle, if one was cast. End by thanking the elements for their guidance and inspiration.
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Conclusion
The joy of incense can be experienced in so many different ways for so many different purposes. From mundane to magickal, incense can be part of your daily life. It enhances virtually all that we do while bringing us closer to Nature. I don’t expect everyone to run out, buy all the incense materials they can find, and turn into an incense fanatic like me, but I do hope you will allow this very special magick to occupy a new place in your heart and in your home. The magickal uses of incense are virtually unlimited—I hope this book has given you insight into how you can more effectively, and enjoyably, enhance all of the work that you do.
It is unfortunate that I couldn’t include samples of all the many wonderful things I’ve discussed in these pages. For me, this book, although a very long time in the making, was a wonderful trip through familiar realms as seen through fresh eyes. I appreciate you letting me into your life to share this joy with you. I hope that you will do the same for others.
The Tremendous Power of Scent
Scent is the only sense that is connected to our brains in two completely different ways. Science has yet to determine how all of it works, but those who experience incense daily know that scent impacts more than just the smell of the room. Scent impacts our mood, our perceptions, and our connection with the natural world. Incense is one of the best tools we have to control the scents in our lives.
Try burning some incense in a pitch-black room. Shut off all the phones, music, television, and computers to eliminate the sound and light they produce. Sit in the dark in a quiet room where the only light is from the glowing tip of a joss stick. That is the surest way I know to demonstrate the power of scent in all of our lives. With all the other senses muted, scent becomes an almost visual experience. I hope you won’t let foul odors overwhelm you any longer and you will allow you mind, spirit, and body to swim in the oceans of pleasant scents that incense offers us.
The Magick Power of Botanicals
The use of incense in magick and ritual predates written history. It may even predate humans. We have no way to know what our pre-human ancestors did in the incense realm, but there have been moments when I have listened to incense and I could have sworn I heard voices stretching back into the deepest depths of time echoing my experience.
Botanicals—be they herbs, woods, or resins—have incredible power. They are the embodiment of the elements and are in essence (yes, another incense pun) magickal batteries. They store energy, sometimes in enormous quantities, until we release it and put it to use. Roots stretch into the earth, air and water are used for growth, and fire (in the form of sunlight) provides the engine to make it all work.
All cultures have recognized the power of botanicals. Even in our modern lives of speedy computers, Internet, fast food, and instant entertainment, we still haven’t lost sight of this as a culture. Walk into any drug store in the United States and you will find many plant extracts and even some whole herbs and herbal blends waiting on the shelf for eager customers. Those botanicals might be in the form of capsules, liquids, teas, or pills, but they are still evidence that we recognize the power of botanicals.
Industry is aware of this power as well. The pharmaceutical industry still researches the natural world, looking for new compounds that can be concentrated or synthesized into new medications. Although it took the advent of chemistry to unleash the pharmaceutical trade, drug makers still rely on Nature to show them where to go and what to do.
The Honored Place of Incense in History
The incense trade helped to build the Roman Empire. Virtually unassisted, incense built several African empires of the ancient world. Although it is often called the Silk Road, the ancient trade routes that brought different peoples together and built and destroyed empires is more accurately called the Incense Road. In the East and the West, incense was revered throughout much of history.
I find it very ironic that the story of the birth of Jesus Christ features the importance of incense in the ancient world, yet it was Christianity that derailed the evolution of incense in the West. The association of incense with the Pagans of the Roman Empire nearly removed the word incense from Western lexicons. In yet another twist of irony, it was the limited use of incense in the Christian church that kept the only surviving Roman incense traditions alive.
Now that the West is rediscovering incense, this fragrant companion is once again regaining its place of honor in our traditions. And you, dear reader, are an important link in that chain. I am thrilled that incense is once again considered valuable enough that publishers are willing to print books like this one to bring traditional and modern approaches to incense use to everyone. The body of work on incense in the West is still minute compared to what exists in the East. Slowly, some of those Eastern documents and traditions are being translated and made available to us. At the same time, incense enthusiasts from around the world are now able to exchange not only information but even actual incense! As the body of incense knowledge continues to grow, so will our appreciation for Mother Earth and what she offers us every day.
The Value of Incense in Your Life
There are so many abstract and philosophical ideas presented in the incense world that it is easy to lose sight of how incense impacts you. After all, what does any of this matter if incense has no relevance for you? How incense enhances your life is really up to you. I spend a lot of time talking to other incense enthusiasts, so it still shocks me when I hear people speak about incense as if it were an obligation or an undesirable part of ritual. I know that there are some people with genuine health issues when it comes to incense, but for the most part everyone can enjoy natural incense. Synthetic incense, in my experience, is much more of a health problem and it saddens me that most people think that synthetic incense is the only kind there is. “I am allergic to incense” is very rarely an accurate statement, but it is one I’ve heard hundreds of times. For those who really can’t enjoy in
cense, I feel true sympathy.
Incense certainly doesn’t have to dominate your life, but it can easily become a part of daily living. From meditation to fumigation to magick to romance and even sleep, incense can make virtually every aspect of our lives more enjoyable. I encourage you to experiment on your own. Use this book as a starting place if incense is not already a part of your life, but make it just that: a starting place. Discover for yourself how incense can improve your life and your magickal work.
For those of you who already understand how amazing incense is and how it can enhance many aspects of life, I thank you and salute you. I hope that you found new excitement about incense in these pages and that you will contribute to our body of knowledge as time marches on. Don’t keep the power of incense to yourself. Incense is an experience to be shared.
Incense is not simply a part of magick. Incense is magick. May all of your lives be filled with magickal scents!
I want to leave you with a bit of an incense mystery. The following is a wonderful poem by my best friend. Hidden within it is an incense puzzle for you to sort out during the coming hours of meditation with your amazing new incense skills. My thanks to her for giving me permission to include it in this book. Even if you never uncover its mystery, I hope it has meaning for your life and incense journey.
Mine Own Eye
By Michelle Hawkins
Do you know me, I a wretched stranger? Alas, I know you.
I have touched thee.
I have caressed thy soul
I have made thee mine
We are never far apart
My beloved, we shall meet again.
How dost thou long for my touch?
Dost thou call to mind, images of our meeting
And smile knowingly
Or dost thou tremble in sweet recollection?
Ah! thy eyes betray thee; thy memory is sound
Those ghostly voices are but memoirs of the past
They entice thee with a story
Listen my beloved, listen to their tale, for they do
not deceive
Listen to their whispers.
Yes, gentle stranger, I have heard the voices of
which ye speak
And I have seen the shadows, for they disturb me
in my reverie
Would’st thou have me believe my visions are
not unfounded?
Be ye sincere, I pray thee
For I find such spirits a comfort in my ails.
They allow me to see, yet without my own eyes,
The exquisite beauty of a soul that surely does not exist
Yet in hushed tones they murmur and quiet me and tell me that I always was
That he too, will always be.
I take comfort in these fanciful visions
Please, I beg of thee, do not take these from me!
Tell me, beloved, what do thy specters say to thee?
Do they speak of your protector, who merely exists
to aid and comfort thee?
Do they speak of a man who has long roamed this
lifetime seeking his lover?
Perhaps they tell you of his longing for your
recognition alone.
Surely thou knowst thy savior?
Come!
Take my hand and I shall lead thee gently among
the honeysuckle
Though the nettle flourishes and may pierce thee
I shall cast it aside and heal thy wounds
I will lead thee true
For thou art secure in this life
And those many lives yet to come.
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Appendix of
Correspondences
Personally, I have always felt that correspondence charts written by others have limited usefulness. Although authors can cite traditional associations or their personal associations based on their own studies, I still believe that the best way to understand how and when to use any particular aromatic or blend is to listen to the aromatic yourself. Sit in a quiet space and enjoy the scent. Then open yourself to the aromatic and listen to what it tells you. If you listen, you might find that you need to use an aromatic in a way that directly contradicts what is written here. I encourage you to listen to your aromatics and don’t let any book—even this one—dictate how you choose to use your incense.
That being said, some people are new to the path and need a starting place. It is also useful to hear opinions of others, so I offer my own correspondence charts. Even I have used many aromatics in ways different than what I list here. This is a combination of traditional correspondences and those from my own practices that I hope will be useful to the novice; still, I strongly encourage you to “listen” to aromatics and create your own correspondence chart if you feel you need one.
Elements
Air: acacia, anise, benzoin, gum arabic, horehound, hops, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, mastic, oak moss, palo santo, parsley, pine, sage, sandalwood (red), star anise
Fire: allspice, bay leaf (laurel), cedar, cinnamon, clove, copal, damiana, dragon’s blood, frankincense, galangal, ginger, golden seal, guar gum, hyssop, juniper, pennyroyal, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, turmeric, woodruff
Water: calamus, camphor, cardamom, catnip, chamomile, coltsfoot, costus, eucalyptus, hibiscus, irish moss, myrrh, myrtle, sandalwood (yellow), spikenard, thyme, tonka bean, tragacanth gum, valerian, white willow
Earth: aloeswood, amber, makko (tabu noki), mugwort, patchouli, red cedar, vetiver, wild lettuce, yohimbe
Seasons
Spring: anise, chamomile, damiana, gum arabic, guar gum, hibiscus, hyssop, lemongrass, marjoram, myrtle, palo santo, pennyroyal, rosemary, spikenard, star anise, wild lettuce
Summer: acacia, allspice, bay leaf (laurel), camphor, catnip, cinnamon, clove, copal, dragon’s blood, galangal, ginger, horehound, hops, lavender, makko (tabu noki), patchouli, sage, tragacanth gum, turmeric
Autumn: aloeswood, benzoin, coltsfoot, goldenseal, irish moss, mastic, myrrh, oak moss, red cedar, saffron, sandalwood (yellow), tarragon, thyme, tonka bean, white willow
Winter: amber, calamus, cardamom, cedar, costus, eucalyptus, frankincense, juniper, mugwort, pine, sandalwood (red), valerian, vetiver, woodruff, yohimbe
Specific Purposes
Cleansing: aloeswood, anise, bay leaf (laurel), benzoin, chamomile, copal, frankincense, lavender, palo santo, parsley, rosemary, sage, sandalwood (red), vetiver
Divination: aloeswood, camphor, coltsfoot, damiana, hibiscus, hops, mugwort, sage, sandalwood (red), white willow, wild lettuce
Healing: amber, bay leaf (laurel), calamus, camphor, cedar, cinnamon, eucalyptus, galangal, goldenseal, horehound, juniper, marjoram, mugwort, myrrh, pine, rosemary, sandalwood (yellow), spikenard, thyme, white willow
Love: cardamom, catnip, chamomile, clove, coltsfoot, copal, costus, damiana, dragon’s blood, ginger, hibiscus, lavender, marjoram, myrtle, patchouli, saffron, vetiver, white willow, yohimbe
Luck: calamus, irish moss, oak moss, palo santo, star anise
Protection: acacia, amber, bay leaf (laurel), cedar, cinnamon, clove, dragon’s blood, eucalyptus, frankincense, galangal, gum arabic, horehound, hyssop, juniper, lavender, myrrh, parsley, pine, woodruff
Prosperity: allspice, benzoin, calamus, galangal, goldenseal, irish moss, oak moss, patchouli
Purification: acacia, cedar, hyssop, sage, turmeric
Sleep: chamomile, hops, lavender, rosemary, thyme, valerian
Strength: cinnamon, dragon’s blood, ginger, mugwort, palo santo, pennyroyal, red cedar, saffron, tarragon
Success: cinnamon, ginger
Aromatic Chart
Common Name
Latin Name
Elemental
Season
Purposes
Acacia
Acacia senegal
Air
Summer
protection, purification
Allspice
Eugenia pementa
Fire
Summer
money, prosperity, wisdom
Aloeswood
Lignum aquilariae
Earth
Autumn
cleansing, meditation, divination
Amber
n/a
Earth
Winter
healing, protection
Anise (seed)
Pimpinella anisum
Air
Spring
cleansing, youth
Bay leaf (laurel)
Laurus nobilis
Fire
Summer
protection, healing, cleansing
Benzoin Gum
Styrax benzoin
Air
Autumn
cleansing, prosperity
