Making Incense


There are two common forms of incense used in magickal workings. Combustible incense is molded into squares, cones, or other shapes and contain potassium nitrate (nitre, saltpeter). This form is self-actuating, needing only to be lit to give off its scent. It burns at a generally steady rate and is always ready at a moment's notice, should the need arise. Many Pagans have a problem using this type of incense in rituals or workings because the potassium nitrate is aligned with Mars. They assume it will introduce an unnecessary aggressiveness to their work, possibly even an element that works against their intent. However, most of these people will use non-combustible incense that they then burn on the small charcoal blocks bought from stores. The irony here is that the charcoal blocks utilize the same potassium nitrate that they were trying to avoid. Nitre is what allows the incense (or charcoal) to be self-activating!

I've made compounds of both combustible and non-combustible incense and used both quite successfully in ritual. Further, even when using non-combustible incense, I burn it on the little self-activating charcoals you can buy at ye old magick shoppe. I've never noticed any aggressive or unwanted energies within my Circle, nor have I seen any unexpected results from my workings because of the Mars alignment.

Further, after recently having the house hooked up to an offsite alarm company, the smoke alarm is now so sensitive that burning non-combustible incense has set it off during the last couple of rituals. Talk about a negative, unwanted, unnecessary effect!! So, we've begun burning stick incense when possible until I can find time to make up another batch of empowered self-activating incense.

There is another method of making self-activating incense, though I've personally not tried it and won't, therefore, attest to its efficacy. Instead of using charcoal, it's recommended you use sawdust instead. This type of incense won't retain a shape, but can instead be heaped onto a burner and then lit. If you definitely have an aversion to a possible Mars influence, this would probably be the way to go in your rituals.

Non-combustible incense, however, is the form most Pagans use in ritual. Non-combustible incense is composed of roots, gums, herbs, oil, leaves, barks, woods, resins, and/or semi-precious stones ground fine and burned atop a glowing charcoal block. When a ritual calls for "billowing clouds of smoke," this is the form of incense you need to use to achieve the effect. A word of warning, though; just be aware of smoke alarms, people with asthma, and small animals in particular. You need to strike a balance between the necessity for billowing clouds and having your nearest neighbors call the fire department for you.

Making Non-Combustible Incense

Gather together all the herbs, resins, etc., that you need in your incense. Grind each into a fine powder with an electric grinder or (as I prefer) a mortar or pestle. While the mortar or pestle is a lot more physical work, especially with the resins such as copal and frankincense, I use the extra time by focusing more of my intent into each ingredient I grind and blending that with the energy of the specific ingredient.

When you have all the ingredients finely ground, focus on the intent for which you'll use this incense. When you have it firmly fixed in your mind, put all the resins into a large, natural bowl (like wood, ceramic, stone, etc.). Using your hands, see the energies of the different ingredients mixing and blending together as you energies them with your own personal energy.

After the resins are mixed, add your leaf, bark, flower, or root ingredients and do the same as above. Last, add to the mixture any oils or other liquids you're going to need. If you plan to give the incense any special "booster," such as with gemstones like ground lapis, add these last.

Once you are satisfied that all the ingredients have been blended and energized thoroughly, empower the compound to this specific purpose for which it was created, and store tightly capped and well labeled in a cool, dark place until it is needed.

Making Combustible (Self-Activating) Incense

Materials Needed:

Incense Base

To make your incense base, you'll need to use the following:

  • 6 parts ground Charcoal (not self-igniting)
  • 1 part ground Benzoin
  • 2 parts ground Sandalwood
  • 1 part ground Orris root (to "fix" the scent)
  • 6 drops essential oil (use the oil form of one of the ingredients in the incense)

After creating your base, use the following forumula to create your incense:

  • Incense Base
  • Gum Tragacanth or Gum Arabic)
  • 1 glass of warm water
  • Mixed, ground, and empowered incense

Procedure:

Create your empowered incense compound. Basically, this is either a simple or compound non-combustible incense blend.

Mix one teaspoon of gum tragacanth or gum arabic with the glass of warm water to form the glue. Make sure it is mixed well. Cunningham recommends mixing it with an egg beater. I used a whisk and just let the foam settle. Cover this with a warm, wet cloth and put it aside. It will continue to set while you work on creating your base, but you can always moisten it with a little extra water if it's hardened too much when you come back to it.

Next, you'll want to mix your Incense base, as listed in the "Materials Needed" section above. In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients together until they're well blended. At this point, I usually end up grinding mine with my mortar and pestle for a while longer. Rarely can I get all the ingredients fine enough during the first grinding. When you're satisfied with the texture, mix in your empowered incense compound.

This next part is very important! One of the few "rules" in making incense is to never use more than 10% potassium nitrate. This means you'll need to weight your incense compound and do the math. If you miss, it doesn't mean you're going to blow up the house. However, too little nitre and the incense won't burn; too much, and it'll burn way too fast as well as spark like crazy. Personal experience speaking here!

After you've mixed in the nitre, add our gum glue. You'll want to do this a little at a time, like maybe a teaspoon or so at a time. Don't try to use a spoon; just dig in with your hands and make sure you mix it long enough to get everything wet. If the compound is too dry, it won't stick together. Like I stated in the beginning, this is a messy way of making incense; but it can also be a lot of fun if you're the type who liked to make mudpies as a kid!

If you want to make blocks or cones of incense, the mixture will need to be approximately the consistency of dough. For cone incense, you'll need to shape the cones to look like the ones you can buy in the store. If you don't add the tip, but keep the cone rather "squat" and flat on top, it doesn't burn evenly. For block incense, just make a large square about 1/3" -1/2" thick on tinfoil or waxed paper, and then cut into 1" squares. After you've finished forming all your incense, set them up someplace warm for a day or two so they can dry thoroughly.

Combustible Incense - A Variation

As I said earlier, there is a way to make combustible incense without using potassium nitrate. Simply mix your desired herbs and oils into 3 parts sawdust. This can be anything from plain old sawdust to specific types such as pine, cedar, or sandalwood). Mix it together well and let it set until it dries. After the mixture is completely dry, put it in an airtight container and seal the container. When you're ready to use some of the mixture, mound a small amount onto your burner and light it with a match. As I've stated, I've not tried this method personally, so I can't make any statements about the burn rate.

Rules on Combustible Incense

  • Never use more than 10% salt peter.

  • Always use at least twice as much powdered woods and herbs as resins.

  • Make sure that Frankincense and other resins never constitute more than 1/3 of the final mixture.

  • Add the tragacanth or arabic gum glue a teaspoon at a time until the texture is correct, approximating a stiff dough. Too think, and the form won't hold correctly. It also takes forever to dry. Personal experience talking here!

  • If your incense calls for charcoal, don't add the self-igniting type. Otherwise, you'll throw your proportions way off and the incense won't burn properly or evenly.

Bibliography

  • Cunningham, Scott, The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews, Llewellyn Publications, 1989

  • Personal Experience!