Soon I will be graduating from stick incense- well, pretty much, just found a store in my town that has 3 ft dragons blood 3 for a dollar- (now to find it wholsale and in bulk!)
I am excited about using Copal resin- although the several varieties to choose from has me confused.
i am wondering about what other people use with the best results.
In reading some books, i have down differing incense for kings, Princes etc. i am wondering just how much it matters- and if others have used others with better success. When an entity blesses me with their presence- i want them to feel spoiled as if this guy is more than happy to go the extra mile to make an atmosphere they will be happy and powerful in.
You should check out Crowley’s “Liber 777”. It is among other things a “Table of Correspondences”. It details the relationship between numbers, letters, Gods and spirits, animals, colors, magical tools and plants… and a lot of other things.
from the 777 i have noted the relationship between Paralda, The King of Air with, Raphael the archangel. Both of whom share relationship with cedar and peppermint. As such i plan to use peppermint in a evocation of Paralda.
That said, i am moving toward using homemade oils instead of regular stick incense. You can make oils by soaking leaves or woodchips in high proof grain alcohol (Everclear). Then allowing the alcohol to evaporate. What is left over is the oil of the plant used.
If you live in the area for it, try to use tree saps. They are thick and will burn long and slow.
Another question I forgot, was do oyu also have a preferance in charcoal? I have read that regular cheap fast starting charcoal has chemical and ‘saltpeter’ and acrid smell- but that “Bamboo” charcoal costs more and is harder to start, but does not smell as much. Does anyone have any preferance or opinion?
[quote=“Frater Dark Matter, post:1, topic:5017”]Soon I will be graduating from stick incense- well, pretty much, just found a store in my town that has 3 ft dragons blood 3 for a dollar- (now to find it wholsale and in bulk!)
I am excited about using Copal resin- although the several varieties to choose from has me confused.
i am wondering about what other people use with the best results.
In reading some books, i have down differing incense for kings, Princes etc. i am wondering just how much it matters- and if others have used others with better success. When an entity blesses me with their presence- i want them to feel spoiled as if this guy is more than happy to go the extra mile to make an atmosphere they will be happy and powerful in.
I have been wanting to make my own Pine incense for years. when I was a kids, I would sit on my porch and watch this little old greek lady in the greek section of the cemetary; (so close i could hear her whispers- and weeping {:(> ) but when she left i went over and since i loved the scent of her incense saw that it was pine. so making my own is a serious fun sounding thing for me.
[quote=“Thermopylae, post:2, topic:5017”]You should check out Crowley’s “Liber 777”. It is among other things a “Table of Correspondences”. It details the relationship between numbers, letters, Gods and spirits, animals, colors, magical tools and plants… and a lot of other things.
from the 777 i have noted the relationship between Paralda, The King of Air with, Raphael the archangel. Both of whom share relationship with cedar and peppermint. As such i plan to use peppermint in a evocation of Paralda.
That said, i am moving toward using homemade oils instead of regular stick incense. You can make oils by soaking leaves or woodchips in high proof grain alcohol (Everclear). Then allowing the alcohol to evaporate. What is left over is the oil of the plant used.
If you live in the area for it, try to use tree saps. They are thick and will burn long and slow.[/quote]
A lot of people, Eric included use simple hookah coals. they come in wrapped stacked disks. they have an accelerant but i never found the smell to be overpowering. Once you put your incense to it i doubt it will matter anyways. Especially if using a fresh homemade oil or sap.
I like the disks for convenience, and for scent, I like sage (white sage leaf and sage-bush equally) and camphor and frankincense resins, but in reality I don’t use incense much because it makes me snotty.
I only ever use frankincense and white copal for resin, and sandalwood in stick form. Copal is mostly for Santa Muerte, frankincense and frankincense for practically anything else. I don’t use incense too much in ritual, except for certain offerings in weekly sessions and where the spirits specifically tell to (and then, that’s usually me mixing together several types of herbs and burning them with resin).
I do, however, greatly enjoy camphor and dragon’s blood. Myrrh is okay as well. I’m a bit tired and have a headache, so more energizing incense appeals to me right now haha But usually I’d say I love myrrh.
You can get around the Hierarchy by using planetary correspondences which are what the heirarchy is anyway. Kings=Solar, Dukes=Venusian etc.
Alchemy Works has a great correspondence for making your own herbal incense as well as make very nice incense blends on their own
[url=http://www.alchemy-works.com/planetary_corresp.html]http://www.alchemy-works.com/planetary_corresp.html[/url]
I mostly use Copal amd Myrrh when it comes to resins. I do like dragon’s blood for empowering and protective stuff but generally add a few other things to my resins like tobacco.
Personally I did some research a couple of years back and created a loose blend based on several ingredients.
Victorian Funerary Incense
Ground Sandalwood.
Dittany of Crete.
Copal Tears.
Vervain.
Cemetery Molded Earth. (Always wet and in the shadows of crypts)
Ground Human bone dust. (see Ebay for bone or check out theboneroom.com)
I add to the mix the different ingredients here and there until It smells exactly like the alcoholic drink Chartreuse and shows the spirits I went way beyond the extra mile to make a special environment.
I use Hookah coals as well and a propane torch to light three edges and get the ritual started without delay.