Anyone blend their own incense?

And I don't mean with the lighter fluid method - I mean blessing the herbs, then pulverizing the stuffing out of them with a mortar and pestle, and adding a few drops of essential oil to make them kind of cling together when you sprinkle them on the charcoal.

I had a business appointment late this afternoon that I knew would be contentious and would try my professional patience. I made a blend of lavendar, sage and mugwort, added a few drops of lavendar oil and tried it out. I had about 45 minutes worth of herb mix and charcoal and the effect was wonderfully calming and peaceful for me.

Anyone else do this?

Not exactly that way.
I've made Abremelin incense (which is a mix) and Abremelin oil (tantrically concecrated), a few years back ... I still have some.

I like sourcing and using my own.
'Blackboy' (or Spear or Grass Tree ) resin, very strong 'medical' fumigator. (also cures ulcers)

Once I was watching the bees go crazy over some sap oozing out of a Liquid Amber tree. As I know the amber tree is also known as a Storax tree and that storax incense is related to Mercury, I harvested some to use as a Mercurial incense, but why were the bees so interested? The gum had a medical smell, and I remembered sometimes bees make "Medical Honey" maybe this helps them. Also Mercury is related to medicine.

The incence, when burning smelt like a hospital (yuk!), not at all like the Storax I had bought before. A couple of times when there is a flu going around and I feel it coming on, I shut myself up inside and fumigate with this. It seems to work.

I've never added the oil to the dried herbs, they seem to burn on the charcoal fine by themselves. I dont like to burn oils, I think that is the wrong method, i burn the fibers, powders and resins. Oils are best slowly evaporated (I believe), in an oil 'burner' using the correct method, the idea is to release the highest quality of the essential oil using evaporation slowley. Burning releases all the oils at once and, well ... burns them, instead of perfumiong.

Yes, I do - but only since I read Phyllis Currot's Book of Shadows. I love doing it. It's like cooking for the soul (and I love cooking).

I found this absolutely fantastic French book of magical herbs and incenses - with recipes, rituals, etc. And I have discovered the perfect herbalist about 10 minutes drive away.

Lighting charcoal is a bit of a challenge, but I manage

Blending incense

sharpchick said:

... blessing the herbs, then pulverizing the stuffing out of them with a mortar and pestle, and adding a few drops of essential oil to make them kind of cling together when you sprinkle them on the charcoal.
Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

Not yet, but thanks for the idea. I'm going to give it a try.

Blessings

I've done a lot of different incense making forms even made cone incense and attempeted stick many years ago. I've used both home grown and bought herbs and spices and wood chips etc. done a lot of herbal and spice forms some for direct burning with and without oil .I prefer evaporated infusions myself for general incense I make the base with EO sometimesI add herbs and or spice and use it in water over a difuser. I also make and use and smudge sticks /wands. I'm least fond of dropping the powdered incense over charcoal
My blends are chosen for purpose and because I like to make it up at need rather than making large batches to keep on hand they vary. I have used a sandalwood rose combo and did a Sage, Juniper, Heliochrysom from palnts in my garden recently for a healing work I have the Cunningham Book, the Two Elemental encyclopeadia books and volume five of the Kitchen Grimoire (most of theincense recipes in that are directly from the cunningham book) so have most of the common recipes but have only tried a few of those formulas
Incedentaly Cuningham calles Selenetrope an uknknown herb, That is what my Great grandparents called Nicotiana ( ornamental tabbacco) For many of my purposes adapting formulas from Essential oil books works well

I've started experimenting with it, in a very basic way. So far, I've just been combining several herbs and powdering them with a mortar and pestle. It's been working OK, but the problem is, there isn't anywhere that I know of around here to get anything to use as a base to help it burn. I know that many people use makko(sp?) but I haven't been able to locate any. The mix I've been making does burn, but not as completely or reliably as I'd like. I've heard that sandalwood is an option as well, but I can't find it either... Is there any other way to do it? The shop I do have access to is more of a natural cures store, although it's quite a good one. I can get all kinds of different herbs, but I'm not sure what to try. Any ideas?

Razordance said:

I can get all kinds of different herbs, but I'm not sure what to try. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I've been using church incense (pontifical incense, which is very purifying) and small lumps of charcoal. You could try your local catholic diocese - they will know where to source supplies.

Yes, I make mine.

I have several herbal compendiums. The ones I use most often are "Wylundt's Book of Incense", "The complete book of incense, oils and brews" by Scott Cunningham, and a book I find invaluable for more reasons than just incense:"Holland's Grimoire of Magickal Correspondences". That one has virtually EVERYTHING in there. An amazing collection.

I own several marble mortar & pestles, and use different ones depending on what I'm grinding up. (Resins tend to make the mortar very sticky, so I use a separate on for those.) I don't use saltpeter in my blends,(potassium nitrate). Some folks do, but not me. Even when it's in the recipes. I leave it out.
I find it burns well enough without it. Why make fireworks, unless that's what I'm intending to do?

I use the small round charcoals to burn my stuff on, however. I don't make sticks or cones. Therefore, everything I make is specifically geared to this.

Yes, I do make my own incense and I even thought about getting a notice in the ad section but I am not sure to the regulations of shipping incense to USA and Canada (currently I am offering 35 different sorts of incense, all hand ground and blessed from various belief systems).

It is really great to do it.

Yep, same here I reference "The complete book of Incense, Oils and Brews" by Scott Cunningham. Great book! I've recently started dabbling in the section of Herb Baths. As, far as mixing my own herbs I use the standard charcoal to light off my herbs but, I found that placing chips of sandlewood on a lit charcoal before buring my other herbs works nicely and holds my herbs in place. Kind of like a mini campfire 8). Also, I find that the charcoal lasts longer and certain herbs that aren't so pretty in fragrance are masked a bit with sandlewood. Love working with lavender, rosemary and mugwort. Sometimes adding Dragonsblood resin also binds the herbs nicely after all other herbs are lit. I've never used oil to bind my herbs interesting method. But, sounds dangerous I could be wrong, l'll leave my oil to my oil burner.

My next task is to get a mini herb garden growing in my mini apartment. But, I'll save my questions on this for another thread.