Incense Magick (4 page)

This is a great point of contention among some incense makers, but both my personal and professional experiences have shown me many shortcomings of extenders. Although I have gotten a few nasty letters from several readers disputing my sentiments on this issue, I stand by my belief that this chemical is dangerous when used in combustible materials. The MSDS (material safety data sheet) for DPG states that it releases poisonous gas when burned! If that doesn't clearly demonstrate its possible hazards, I don't know what would. Some incense makers are so addicted to the extra few cents of profit they get from using these extenders that they resent my mentioning this to customers. I have gotten hate letters demanding that I prove the dangers of DPG in a full-blown university study. My response to this is that the manufacturers themselves do not endorse the use of DPG in incense and the MSDS warns not to burn the material. Therefore a university study would have to be done in order to prove that it does
not
represent any harm. Personally, I can often identify incense with DPG in it because it gives me a headache. If you believe that you are allergic to incense, it could easily be a reaction to the synthetic ingredients in the incense you've tried. In any case follow your doctor's advice on the subject.

Incense labeled “dipped” is generally made with synthetic oils, although there are a few exceptions. “Dipped” means that the incense was formed and dried as an unscented stick or cone. This “blank” incense is then soaked in fragrance oils. Some incense makers use fireworks punks (the long, smoldering sticks used to light the fireworks safely) as their “blank” incense. Aside from the drawbacks of synthetic incense I mentioned earlier, the composition of those blanks is often a cause for concern. Although I imagine there are natural blank producers out there somewhere, most blanks are of unknown composition because the manufacturers aren't required to disclose their materials; to my knowledge, none of them voluntarily provide that information. These blanks can be made from any type of wood, so the base scent is unpredictable. It is of even greater concern that some blanks are made with waste materials from the production of plywood. That type of wood powder can contain many different chemicals including all sorts of glues. The scent is unpredictable but so is the impact of the materials on those who inhale its smoke. Again, I want to make it clear that I'm not making a blanket condemnation of the incense dipping process, but one of the biggest problems with this style of incense is the lack of consumer knowledge about its content.

I know that all of this information seems to make synthetic incense appear to be a worthless product. That isn't true. There is synthetic incense that uses high-quality wood powder and only pure scented oils. It's true that the incense is not natural, but if no extenders are used, if the synthetic oils are pure and appropriate for burning, and if quality wood (or charcoal) powder is used, the incense should be perfectly safe to use. If your desire is to use this incense to cover a bad odor in your house (those of us with cats are very familiar with that problem) or car or other space, I feel it is perfectly fine to use good-quality synthetic incense.

Still, the problem is that synthetic incense is virtually never clearly labeled. I have never seen any synthetic incense that listed the purity of the oils or type of woods used, so it's very difficult for a consumer to know if the quality is high or low. There are some synthetic brands that advertise that they are free of extenders. If you can locate those, they might be your best choice for synthetics. If the incense is made in a local store or by a small company, it's unlikely you'll have access to that type of information. You may want to ask the incense maker directly before purchasing. There are several internationally known brands of synthetic incense that are certainly made of quality materials, but incense from many makers is very difficult to confirm.

Natural Incense

When it comes to the use of incense in magick or ritual, I am a very strong proponent of using natural incense only. The way I see it is that, unless you are trying to invoke the powers of synthetic chemistry, synthetic incense has no place in ritual or on any altar. Understand that the incense used in many religious ceremonies worldwide is cheap synthetic incense because of the lowered cost. It isn't that people intentionally use low-quality incense; it's merely that they haven't been educated about the differences.

My ritual spaces are scented only with natural incense. From a magickal perspective, synthetic incense contains virtually no power. Natural incense contains the energy of months or even years of sunshine, rain, and growth in the earth. Synthetic incense is made from petroleum by-products that are mass produced in giant chemical factories. It is, of course, a matter of personal choice; if a synthetic provides the results that you desire, then you should use it.

If you decide to pursue the path of natural incense, you will have to search a bit harder. There are a handful of natural incense brands distributed internationally. Companies like Shoyeido and Juniper Ridge (to name just a few) are proud of their all-natural incense lines. With a little searching you'll find other national brands and perhaps some regional or local brands as well. There are many budding makers of natural incense around the world. If you can locate one, you might get some truly original, yet natural, incense. You could even make your own incense! If you live in an area that doesn't have shops with a wide selection of incense, you can always turn to the Internet. A great deal of amazing natural incense can be found with just the click of a mouse.

One nice thing about buying natural incense is judging its quality. With synthetic incense, your nose might never be able to detect extenders or the quality of the wood. When you smell natural incense burning, your nose will be better able to determine the quality of the ingredients. The more complex the scent, the more experience is needed to judge the quality by scent alone. Nevertheless, even the most novice incense user can recognize many differences between high- and low-quality incense. Another indicator is price, which I'll discuss in detail later.

If you've never experienced natural incense before, there are some basic recommendations I can offer. Never judge natural incense by its scent in the package. Natural incense can only be judged while it is burning. Unlike scented oils, the oils in natural incense are primarily locked inside the resins, woods, and powders rolled into the stick or cone. Only burning can release those amazing scents. Smelling the package might give you a clue to the incense's aroma but doing so rarely conveys the actual scent.

When purchasing natural incense for the first time, you will find that you have to adjust from the powerful scents of synthetics. Natural incense is usually subtle, although there certainly are exceptions to this general rule. To experience these wonderfully subtle scents, you will need to spend time with them. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy natural incense at any time, but to really appreciate its beauty requires a bit of concentration.

Incense Concerns

Although incense is a wonderful and magickal experience, there are some important things that you need to consider before you jump into this amazing world. In my personal experience, the vast majority of people will never have to worry about any of these concerns. But it is best to think about the following things before you begin widespread incense use in your home.

Smoke

Perhaps the most troublesome part of incense use for some people is the smoke that is generated through burning. Some people have breathing problems that can be exacerbated by the presence of smoke. There are many people who feel that they are allergic to incense, but this is very rarely the case (as mentioned in the discussion of synthetic versus natural incense, these people are usually allergic to synthetic ingredients rather than incense itself). Natural incense generally produces less smoke than synthetic forms and is typically milder. If you find that any incense smoke impacts your breathing, first, stop using that type of incense. Second, you will find that many brands of natural incense are available in low-smoke or even smokeless varieties; try one of those next time you purchase incense. Third, if you use the proper techniques, even incense burned on charcoal will produce little or no smoke; try charcoal burning to enjoy scent without smoke.

Incense makers strive to produce incense that creates as little smoke as possible, since smoke is a by-product of incomplete combustion. The better the formulation of the incense, the less smoke is produced during burning. Incense that produces plumes of smoke is forcing a lot of unburned particles into the air, and those particles can irritate eyes, sinuses, and lung tissues.

The keys to low-smoke incense are moisture content, aromatic choices, and heat. All ingredients must be thoroughly dried. Moisture trapped inside your incense ingredients will produce elevated amounts of smoke, just like wet leaves or logs on a campfire. Your choice of incense ingredients will have a major impact on the amount of smoke the incense produces. Resins tend to produce more smoke than woods or green herbs. You can test potential choices on low-heat charcoal to determine how much smoke they are likely to produce. Finally, you want incense to burn at the lowest possible temperature. The best incense is smoldered rather than burned. With loose incense, this is controlled with your charcoal or incense heater. (You will find detailed information about charcoal burning in chapter 5.) In self-burning incense, the temperature is controlled by the selection of base materials and the ratio of base ingredients to aromatics. Mixing incense that produces little smoke is one of the skills that comes only with years of practice and study.

Another concern about smoke is the physical damage it can do. Using large quantities of very smoky incense can, aside from making you feel ill, also lead to marks and streaks on walls, ceilings, and other indoor surfaces. The best way to avoid this is the most obvious: create less smoke. Use the techniques given in this section to reduce smoke volumes. If for some reason you insist on using significant amounts of smoky incense, you might also want to open a window and even add a fan blowing out to draw the smoke outside the room. Another consideration if you burn smoky incense should be smoke detectors. Incense (and candles) can easily set off smoke detectors, which can be very annoying during a ritual.

Mind-Altering Properties

As you may know, many natural incense ingredients are powerful and can have a significant impact on the brain itself. Burning incense is very similar to smoking the same materials. The incense burns, disperses its scent and smoke into the air, and then you inhale that air in order to smell the incense. As any cigarette smoker can tell you, inhaling smoke can have a dramatic impact on your mind and body. This is true of many botanicals (cannabis and frankincense, for example) and is something of which all incense users should be aware.

In general, this is one of the reasons that people use incense. Incense can deepen meditative states, change moods, and create other physiological changes within the user. However, if you are sober or in recovery, you may want to use care about exposing yourself to particularly powerful incense. A list of such ingredients might include (but would not be limited to) aloeswood, cannabis, coltsfoot, damiana, hops, lion's mantle, mistletoe, mugwort, nightshade, tobacco, white willow bark, and wild lettuce. One of the benefits of incense in magical works is this physiological effect; however, if you work to avoid the ingestion of mind-altering substances, then you shouldn't burn incense with any such ingredients. Naturally, you should also avoid any incense that contains any material to which you are allergic.

Animals

Some animals are very sensitive to smoke and scent, so pet owners need to be aware of this. Perhaps no creatures are more sensitive than birds. Even small amounts of smoke can be dangerous to birds, so I suggest that you keep all indoor birds well out of the area where incense is burned. Of course, you may already have experience with a particular pet and see no problem, but in general birds and smoke should be kept apart.

Other household pets sensitive to scent are dogs and cats. I have not encountered cases where dogs were more than mildly interested in incense, but they are aware of it and you should observe them while burning incense to make certain they are not uncomfortable with the odors. Cats, on the other hand, often love incense. Some incense contains catnip, palo santo, or other ingredients that cats will seek out. As a result, a curious cat might rip open packages, roll on incense sticks and cones, or even eat them! It is a good idea to keep any incense with these types of ingredients well out of the reach of pets. There is evidence that burning lavender can pose a health risk to cats, so be aware of that as well.

Incense is best preserved in a sealed container, but a container that seems well sealed to us might still emit an odor to an animal, so keep any potentially problematic incense well out of reach. Remember that children might also find your incense to be tasty or fun to play with, so keep it out of reach of young kids as well.

Fire

Although it seems obvious to write, incense requires combustion to release its scent and therefore presents a fire hazard. Make certain that you only burn incense in a fire-proof container. It should be large enough and sturdy enough to keep the incense and all its ash inside the container. If for sticks, it should hold the stick firmly with no wobbles. For cones, it should have a wide enough mouth that you can easily place the lighted cone into the censer. As you place the cone inside, your fingers should not touch the sides of the censer. For loose or moist incense, use a censer that is not only large enough but that will be able to take the heat from the charcoal. Although ceramic, metal, and stone all work well, I suggest that you avoid the use of glass censers for charcoal or cones. The prolonged heat can cause glass censers to crack. However, glass is generally fine for stick incense.