Making Loose Herbal Incense Kathleen Harrington

Why Incense? Religious practices Many traditions Evoke or enhance a mood Air freshener Relaxation Stimulant Can make the ordinary seem special

Types of Incense Loose incense Sticks Cones

Basic Loose Incense Loose Incense — Simplest: Burnable base, e.g., charcoal or wood Aromatic botanicals Resins, woods, spices, flowers, etc. Essential or fragrance oils (optional)

Base — Two Types Contributes no scent of its own Charcoal disc made for incense Adds its own scent to the mixture Fragrant woods ground to powder

Resins, Saps, and Gums Frankincense Myrrh Copal Benzoin Dragon’s blood Aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia Myrrh Natural gum or resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora Copal Resin from the copal tree Protium copal Benzoin Balsamic resin from the bark of trees in the genus Styrax Dragon’s blood Bright red resin from various plants, e.g., Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus

Other Aromatics Woods, bark Leaves, needles Roots Blossoms Cedarwood dust, sandalwood powder Leaves, needles Piñon pine, cypress, mint, sage, lemongrass, etc. Roots Ginger, turmeric Blossoms Rose, lavender, jasmine, chamomile Fruit, seeds Juniper berries, lemon peel,

Essential Oils (optional) Patchouli Tea tree Lavender Orange Vanilla Etc.

Mechanics of Making Incense Grind all ingredients to a powder Experiment freely! Mix well Test as you go Record your results Caveats: Make sure to use non-toxic materials! Some people are highly allergic Practice fire safety

Grinding Ingredients Mortar and pestle Should be heavy, e.g. granite Molcajete Spice or coffee grinder Clean by grinding white rice as needed

Burning Loose Incense on a Charcoal Disk

Enjoy!