Incense is a popular tool amongst followers of several spiritual paths. Just think about temples, the scent of the incense is almost everywhere. It’s a misbelief that incenses came from the East; they are found in almost every culture’s traditions.
We can influence our mood with incense, or consecrate the place. That’s why the incense is so popular in spiritual practices. From an animist’s view, we are separating the herb’s spirit form it’s body with fire during the smudgig. It can be a good sacrifice too.
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We can get several types of incenses:
-incense sticks: they are made of scented powder and a stick. They are not natural, and do not leave their remains outdoor. Do not use them indoors in bigger amount because it can cause illness in respiratory organs.
-cones: same as incense sticks but in conical shape.
-herbal incenses: they are made from dried herbs. We can buy them in rod shape or in powder. The powder can be sprinkled on live coals.
-resins: resins are not burnt, they are vaporized.
Be careful during smudging. Live coals and incenses must be used in fire-resistant bowls. Take care of the ash dropped off, it can contain embers and can cause fire. Use natural materials indoors. Do not leave the fire-resistant remains in the place of the outdoor rituals.
We can make incense for ourselves too. Ask some leaves from an herb. We can tie them into rods and let them dry, or we can dry them and pulverize. Rods can lighten and let them smudge, the powder can be thrown into fire or live coals.
For herbal sacrifice: ask some leaves from an herb and ask it if we could use it as a sacrifice. In this case, burning the herb is the sacrifice itself.
If we smell the rising smoke, we can talk to the herb’s spirit, or the spirit of the place where the herb is from.
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