Post by Allan on Aug 6, 2007 22:12:52 GMT -5
HERBS II:
BURNING HERBS AND RESINS AS INCENSE
>
> I'd just like to ask a quick question about what type of incenses
> people are using. I've been doing research trying to find out where I
> can get Qabalistic incenses. So far I have found the following...
>
> RESIN/GUM:
> Myrrh
> Frankincense
> Galbanum
> Rose (Moroccan)
> Siamese Benzoin
> Faux Ambergris (looking for a good natural substitute)
> Dragon's Blood
I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the taxonomic
names of the species of the plants you are using (their
"Latin names") so that you can talk the same language as
your suppliers.
> My first question is....
> Frankincense vs. Olibanum; is here any point to seek out Olibanum if
> you have Frankincense? They seem almost identical and Olibanum is much
> harder to come by.
Frankincense is the same as Olibanum. Boswellia thurifera /
Boswellia carteri. "Thurifera" means "bearing incense -- a
clue to its use.
> Now some of the other Incenses Listed in 777 [by Aleister Crowley] I
> cannot find in Resins or Gums, leading me to believe that simply
> burning the dried Herb would be what was intended. I don't like
> using any sticks or cones, only loose with charcoal.
Burning the herbs or dried flowers is correct. Also, in some
cases, there are essential oils of those plants which can be
added to the dried herbs to strengthen their aroma.
> Jasmine - Do most use just dried Jasmine Flowers ?
Yes, this is okay, but you may wish to add a small amount of
true Jasmine essential oil -- very expensive -- or a good
artificial Jasmine fragrance or essential/fragrance blend to
the dried flowers to increase their aroma.
> How does this smell when burnt?
Not bad -- just bland. There is very little essential oil in
Jasmine flowers, hence the high price of Jasmine oil. That's
why folks like to dose the dried flowers with the essential
oil or fragrance/essential oil blend.
> Do certain herbs like Jasmine flowers smell really bad
> when using them as incense ?
Peoples' reactions to scents differ. What smells good to one
person smells neutral or bad to another. For instance, some
people love the smell of burning camphor -- i hate it. I
love the smell of Lemon Grass, but my husband hates it. Each
of us has our own preferences.
I know of no flowers that smell unpleasant to me when
burned, but some roots do -- Vandal Root for one. Also
Asafoetida (Ferula spp., cf Galbanum and Sumbul Root)
smells bad to me when burned (note the "foetid" in the name
-- a clue).
> If so, how come stick incense doesn't smell bad ?
The question is meaningless. Stick incense is not made with
flowers, for the most part. It is made with essential oils,
powdered wood, and natural gum resins as binders.
> Cedar - Again I cannot find a good resin of this, but I can find cedar
> wood powder and essential oil. When working in the Jupiter/Chesed do
> most magicians simply burn the wood powder ?
Yes, or the wood chips. You can dose the chips with
essential oil of Cedar Wood for a stronger scent.
> Dittany - Dried Herb best ?
That's your only choice, as far as i know. I am sure that
one could make an essential oil of Dittany of Crete -- it is
in the Mint family, and is a close relative to Oregano and
Marjoram, and a more distant relative to Thyme, Rosemary,
Sage, and Mint -- all of which produce good essential oils
-- but it is not an easy plant to grow or get in bulk, and
demand is so low that i know of no supplier distilling the
essential oil of Dittany of Crete at this time.
> Wormwood - Wormwood Herb dried ?
Yes, burning the dried herb is fine. Be aware that some
people are highly allergic to burning any member of the
Artemisia genus, including Wormwood, Southernwood, and
Mugwort. I am one such person. The allergic reaction --
which takes the form of asthma-like spasms in the lungs --
is triggered by chemicals called thujones in these plants.
Thujones also appear in Yew (Thuja spp.) and Sage (Salvia
spp.) but it is specifically Wormwood and Mugwort that sets
most people off, and the others can be burned safely. In our
curio shop, where we grow, harvest, dry, and pack herbs all
day long, only one person can harvest the Mugwort or pack it
-- the other four of us are all allergic to one degree or
other.
> Aloes Wood - I can find the wood chips at an herbalist store around
> here. When these wood chips are burnt do they produce a nice smell ?
Here you are treading on troublesome ground. The Aloes Wood
tree (not to be confused with Bitter Aloes, the herb) is an
endangered species. There are CITES agreements in place to
protect the remaining stands of the species. In order to make
the perfumed aroma, the wood must be gathered from trees
infected with a fungus that is eventually lethal to the
trees. Regular Aloeswood chips are not highly scented. In
areas where the trees grow, it is the custom of Aloeswood
gatherers to go into the forest and locate mature trees --
60 years old or more -- and severely wound them, then rub
the wound with the fungus from dying trees. As the newly
infected trees begin to die, the fungus-infested portions
are cut off and sold for incense. As each tree dies -- it
is not replanted. Rather, the gatherer moves on into the
forest, looking for more trees to infect. Over-harvesting,
especially for the Japanese market, where Aloeswood is
highly prized as a base for incense and where environmental
piracy is endemic, has caused the over-infection and
over-harvesting of the trees. I have personally refused to
carry Aloeswood in my curio shop until i can find a supplier
who promises sustainable harvesting and replanting of the
trees. I urge people to seriously consider the damage their
insistence on having this tree's wood has done to the
species. Try to obtain sustainably harvested Aloeswood or
do without it if you can. Do a google search on (Aloes Wood
Lignum Aloes Aquilaria agallocha) and see what you learn.
> Storax - What is the best form of Storax to burn ?
Storax raises another environmental issue. There are only
two species, Liquidamber orientalis, from Greece and Turkey,
and Liquidamber styraciflua, from North America, also known
as Sweet Gum. Centuries of cutting down the once-common
Storax trees of Turkey and Greece for use of the bark and
resin in incense has resulted in only a tiny stand of Storax
surviving, and these are mostly protected now in a nature
preserve in Turkey. Many European mages accept Styrax --
Sumatran, Chinese, and Siamese Benzoin (Styrax benzoin,
Styrax officinalis) -- as a substitute, but it does not
smell the same as Storax and it comes from a bush, not a
tall tree, and hence has different symbolism. What you want
is the bark and resin of the North American Sweet Gum, which
has long been used by Native Americans as an incense and which
smells very much like Turkish Storax. The tree is native to
the hardwood deciduous woodlands of the USA and is planted widely
in parks and along streets for its beauty. There has never
been a market for it as incense, and so it is not an
endangered species at this time.
> Musk- This one is giving me MAJOR problems. Since it comes from a
> deer, it is not readily available. I am looking for any herb to burn a
> musk substitute on charcoal.
Again we have the issue of environmental responsibility.
Many people use synthetic musk fragrance. You can drizzle it
on any of your herbs and burn it that way.
> The reason for wanting loose incense, is during evocations is much
> more convenient and effective to use loose incense.
Yes, this is the case in African-American folk magic too --
loose incenses and herbs are preferred.
> I was also thinking of adding essential oils to herbs, such as Jasmine
> Oil to dried, fine chopped jasmine flowers. If anyone has any tips on
> this I would appreciate it.
I covered this above. It is sound practice.
May i suggest that you might find more information along
these lines that will be of use to you in a book i wrote
called "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of
African-American Conjure." It lists the magical uses of 500
plants, with about 750 sample spells and formulas for
incense, oils, and washes, plus 50 black and white
illustrations. It is available through amazon.com -- but
before you buy it, you can read some sample entries from it
at
www.luckymojo.com/hoodooherbmagic.html
> Thank you in Advance
> Christopher
© 2003 cat yronwode
BURNING HERBS AND RESINS AS INCENSE
>
> I'd just like to ask a quick question about what type of incenses
> people are using. I've been doing research trying to find out where I
> can get Qabalistic incenses. So far I have found the following...
>
> RESIN/GUM:
> Myrrh
> Frankincense
> Galbanum
> Rose (Moroccan)
> Siamese Benzoin
> Faux Ambergris (looking for a good natural substitute)
> Dragon's Blood
I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the taxonomic
names of the species of the plants you are using (their
"Latin names") so that you can talk the same language as
your suppliers.
> My first question is....
> Frankincense vs. Olibanum; is here any point to seek out Olibanum if
> you have Frankincense? They seem almost identical and Olibanum is much
> harder to come by.
Frankincense is the same as Olibanum. Boswellia thurifera /
Boswellia carteri. "Thurifera" means "bearing incense -- a
clue to its use.
> Now some of the other Incenses Listed in 777 [by Aleister Crowley] I
> cannot find in Resins or Gums, leading me to believe that simply
> burning the dried Herb would be what was intended. I don't like
> using any sticks or cones, only loose with charcoal.
Burning the herbs or dried flowers is correct. Also, in some
cases, there are essential oils of those plants which can be
added to the dried herbs to strengthen their aroma.
> Jasmine - Do most use just dried Jasmine Flowers ?
Yes, this is okay, but you may wish to add a small amount of
true Jasmine essential oil -- very expensive -- or a good
artificial Jasmine fragrance or essential/fragrance blend to
the dried flowers to increase their aroma.
> How does this smell when burnt?
Not bad -- just bland. There is very little essential oil in
Jasmine flowers, hence the high price of Jasmine oil. That's
why folks like to dose the dried flowers with the essential
oil or fragrance/essential oil blend.
> Do certain herbs like Jasmine flowers smell really bad
> when using them as incense ?
Peoples' reactions to scents differ. What smells good to one
person smells neutral or bad to another. For instance, some
people love the smell of burning camphor -- i hate it. I
love the smell of Lemon Grass, but my husband hates it. Each
of us has our own preferences.
I know of no flowers that smell unpleasant to me when
burned, but some roots do -- Vandal Root for one. Also
Asafoetida (Ferula spp., cf Galbanum and Sumbul Root)
smells bad to me when burned (note the "foetid" in the name
-- a clue).
> If so, how come stick incense doesn't smell bad ?
The question is meaningless. Stick incense is not made with
flowers, for the most part. It is made with essential oils,
powdered wood, and natural gum resins as binders.
> Cedar - Again I cannot find a good resin of this, but I can find cedar
> wood powder and essential oil. When working in the Jupiter/Chesed do
> most magicians simply burn the wood powder ?
Yes, or the wood chips. You can dose the chips with
essential oil of Cedar Wood for a stronger scent.
> Dittany - Dried Herb best ?
That's your only choice, as far as i know. I am sure that
one could make an essential oil of Dittany of Crete -- it is
in the Mint family, and is a close relative to Oregano and
Marjoram, and a more distant relative to Thyme, Rosemary,
Sage, and Mint -- all of which produce good essential oils
-- but it is not an easy plant to grow or get in bulk, and
demand is so low that i know of no supplier distilling the
essential oil of Dittany of Crete at this time.
> Wormwood - Wormwood Herb dried ?
Yes, burning the dried herb is fine. Be aware that some
people are highly allergic to burning any member of the
Artemisia genus, including Wormwood, Southernwood, and
Mugwort. I am one such person. The allergic reaction --
which takes the form of asthma-like spasms in the lungs --
is triggered by chemicals called thujones in these plants.
Thujones also appear in Yew (Thuja spp.) and Sage (Salvia
spp.) but it is specifically Wormwood and Mugwort that sets
most people off, and the others can be burned safely. In our
curio shop, where we grow, harvest, dry, and pack herbs all
day long, only one person can harvest the Mugwort or pack it
-- the other four of us are all allergic to one degree or
other.
> Aloes Wood - I can find the wood chips at an herbalist store around
> here. When these wood chips are burnt do they produce a nice smell ?
Here you are treading on troublesome ground. The Aloes Wood
tree (not to be confused with Bitter Aloes, the herb) is an
endangered species. There are CITES agreements in place to
protect the remaining stands of the species. In order to make
the perfumed aroma, the wood must be gathered from trees
infected with a fungus that is eventually lethal to the
trees. Regular Aloeswood chips are not highly scented. In
areas where the trees grow, it is the custom of Aloeswood
gatherers to go into the forest and locate mature trees --
60 years old or more -- and severely wound them, then rub
the wound with the fungus from dying trees. As the newly
infected trees begin to die, the fungus-infested portions
are cut off and sold for incense. As each tree dies -- it
is not replanted. Rather, the gatherer moves on into the
forest, looking for more trees to infect. Over-harvesting,
especially for the Japanese market, where Aloeswood is
highly prized as a base for incense and where environmental
piracy is endemic, has caused the over-infection and
over-harvesting of the trees. I have personally refused to
carry Aloeswood in my curio shop until i can find a supplier
who promises sustainable harvesting and replanting of the
trees. I urge people to seriously consider the damage their
insistence on having this tree's wood has done to the
species. Try to obtain sustainably harvested Aloeswood or
do without it if you can. Do a google search on (Aloes Wood
Lignum Aloes Aquilaria agallocha) and see what you learn.
> Storax - What is the best form of Storax to burn ?
Storax raises another environmental issue. There are only
two species, Liquidamber orientalis, from Greece and Turkey,
and Liquidamber styraciflua, from North America, also known
as Sweet Gum. Centuries of cutting down the once-common
Storax trees of Turkey and Greece for use of the bark and
resin in incense has resulted in only a tiny stand of Storax
surviving, and these are mostly protected now in a nature
preserve in Turkey. Many European mages accept Styrax --
Sumatran, Chinese, and Siamese Benzoin (Styrax benzoin,
Styrax officinalis) -- as a substitute, but it does not
smell the same as Storax and it comes from a bush, not a
tall tree, and hence has different symbolism. What you want
is the bark and resin of the North American Sweet Gum, which
has long been used by Native Americans as an incense and which
smells very much like Turkish Storax. The tree is native to
the hardwood deciduous woodlands of the USA and is planted widely
in parks and along streets for its beauty. There has never
been a market for it as incense, and so it is not an
endangered species at this time.
> Musk- This one is giving me MAJOR problems. Since it comes from a
> deer, it is not readily available. I am looking for any herb to burn a
> musk substitute on charcoal.
Again we have the issue of environmental responsibility.
Many people use synthetic musk fragrance. You can drizzle it
on any of your herbs and burn it that way.
> The reason for wanting loose incense, is during evocations is much
> more convenient and effective to use loose incense.
Yes, this is the case in African-American folk magic too --
loose incenses and herbs are preferred.
> I was also thinking of adding essential oils to herbs, such as Jasmine
> Oil to dried, fine chopped jasmine flowers. If anyone has any tips on
> this I would appreciate it.
I covered this above. It is sound practice.
May i suggest that you might find more information along
these lines that will be of use to you in a book i wrote
called "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of
African-American Conjure." It lists the magical uses of 500
plants, with about 750 sample spells and formulas for
incense, oils, and washes, plus 50 black and white
illustrations. It is available through amazon.com -- but
before you buy it, you can read some sample entries from it
at
www.luckymojo.com/hoodooherbmagic.html
> Thank you in Advance
> Christopher
© 2003 cat yronwode