Making Incense

[Milfoil]

Have you ever made your own? What kind do you make? Granular, sticks or bundles?

I really like the idea of using what is native to where I live where possible but I've never tried making anything like the typical cones or sticks of incense (like the Nag Champa you can buy).

This site seems to give some good overall advice on making different types:

http://incensemaking.com/making-incense.htm

A few native to me in the north of the UK would be:

Pine resin
Juniper (when it can be found)
Ash
Rosemary
Mugwort
Wild rose
Meadowsweet

Has anyone done any tests or trials with their local fragrant herbs?

 

[ThunderWolf]

All I've attempted is Kyphi (per Incense, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham). The smell was wonderful, but it was a sticky mess to work with! LOL

 

[Carla]

All I do is make a blend which I grind down and then burn on charcoal disks. I've never tried to make sticks or cones. I would love to hear how people do it.

 

[ThunderWolf]

All I do is make a blend which I grind down and then burn on charcoal disks.

I have done that plenty of times. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that it was "making incense"! LOL I've never gone so far as to use just locally grown stuff though. I use whatever herbs and resins are appropriate to the purpose and which are on hand when I want to make the blend.

 

[PathWalker]

Yes, I make my own, loose and self burning stick shapes. I do use some imported ingredients.

I would recommend this book

"Incense, Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents" by Carl F. Neal.

I've used "The Complete Book of Incense, OIls and Brews" by Cunnigham as well, useful in different ways.

Pathwalker

 

[Milfoil]

Thanks Pathwalker, I will look into those books.

 

[Sulis]

I haven't actually made proper incense but I do use frankincense (since it's so cleansing and a very good base) and add my own herbs to it, different herbs depending on what I'm doing. Making incense is something that I'd really like to get into and hopefully if my health continues to improve it's something that I'll do in the future.
I guess adding herbs to a resinny base could be considered to be making incense but I've never really thought of it that way since I burn it there and then and don't store it for future use.

 

[PathWalker]

If you like to burn loose incense on charcoal, and have some pennies to spend sometime, I would really recommend these

http://www.scents-of-earth.com/charcoal.html

As it says, no sulpher or saltpetre, so nasty popping, no black smoke/smell that interferes with your scent. Great stuff.

I'd recommend taking a lok at both these sites

http://www.essenceoftheages.com/

http://www.scents-of-earth.com/index.html

Both based in USA but really good and knowledgeable folks, and the quality makes the shipping cost acceptable.

The only UK based folks I'd deal with again ( and therefore recommend) are Star Child in Glastonbury. They do some dreid herb materials that could be used in blends, and they do mail order from their website.

http://www.starchild.co.uk/

If anyone has other good UK suppliers, I'd love to find a few

Sulis - I think you ARE doing it!

 

[Sulis]

The only UK based folks I'd deal with again ( and therefore recommend) are Star Child in Glastonbury. They do some dreid herb materials that could be used in blends, and they do mail order from their website.

http://www.starchild.co.uk/

If anyone has other good UK suppliers, I'd love to find a few

Sulis - I think you ARE doing it!

I get stuff from Starchild and I'd recommend it too .
And yes, I think I AM doing it - just didn't really think of it that way .

Prinknash Abbey is really good for blended resin incense too that seems to me to be mainly frankincense so good for burning on it's own or for using as a base to add your own herbs too... Not expensive at all and I love the thought of buying from and supporting somewhere where they have done this sort of thing for centuries: http://www.prinknashabbey.org/Incense.htm

 

[PathWalker]

They are just up the road from me Drove past there yesterday on the way home from Glastonbury

So far I've found I like one of theirs and can use it indoors, but didn't like the second so much and have to only use it outdoors. They do come in rather large quantities, it would be handy if they did smaller amounts fro you to trty they out. But yes, nice stuff.

Outdoors one for me is 'Basilica', and indoors I can use 'Sanctuary' - they're the only two I've tried so far.