Incense

From: Rowan Fairgrove
About ten years ago I was very interested in botanical incenses and
spent alot of time studying and teaching the use of same. After a
hiatus I am getting back into this and would like some feedback on
what has been happening out there.

I will type herein parts of a booklet I published called "A Handbook
of Botantical Incenses" to give you some idea of where my thinking was
at that time. I had generated the schema as something useful to my
own work, it is not something widely used. I would love to hear other
schema such as astrological, deity correspondences, seasonal, etc. I
may append some of those sorts of categories to this if I have the
time.

My meaning come mostly from "traditional" sources but in my actual
teaching and working I place more emphasis on what an individual scent
does to the worker. In my beginning classes I simply passed around a
collection of incenses and had each member tell what it meant to them
and then we talked about the "traditional" meaning. If, for example,
the traditional meaning for cinnamon is concentration and you smell it
and think of grandma's pumpkin pie and all you can think about is
food, it is not going to be appropriate to burn to help you study!

A HANDBOOK OF BOTANICAL INCENSES
Introduction: 
...Botanical and other incense are a tool which can be tailored to the
user's desire. At their simplest they may be used to stimulate the
sense of smell and bring enjoyment to those nearby, alternatively,
they can be a subtle compilation designed to create a specific ambiance
for a ritual or magical operation.

The following guide contains some botanical (and a few other
substances) and their uses when burned. The attributes have been
derived from a great many sources, both published and personal
communication, and like most magical properties they are most
effective when tailored to the individual or group using them. So sit
down and burn some and see if they work for you. Try combinations. I
have included some recipes which have worked for myself and others in
the hopes that you will find them useful. Happy Censing!

A Scheme of Things:

The botanicals which I will discuss fall into several broad
categories:
1) EVOCATIVE - used to get the attention of divinities or 
to summon spirits 
2) DIVINATORY - used to foretell the future or to see hidden 
secrets 
3) PURIFICATORY - used to purify the purpose of a rite or the
action of a given object 
4) ENHANCING - used to intensify the purpose of a rite or the
action of a given object 
5) PROTECTIVE - used to shield the user or area from harm 
6) BANISHING - used to drive out unwanted influences or 
spirits 
7) HEALING - used to promote wholeness in mind, body or 
spirit 
8) SPELL CASTING - used to promote a purpose, e.g., love, 
fertility, money, luck, fortune, concentration, etc. 

Many botanicals fall into several categories, for example: Wormword
(Artemesia) can be used

1) to evoke Artemis and call the dead
2) to promote divination 
6) when consecrated to Mars in banishing
6) & 7) it was used to banish the Black Plague fleas
8) when consecrated to Mars, in works of anger. 

Some Examples: 
1) Evocative 
Almond Lotus 
Ash Mandrake 
Basil Myrrh 
Bay Olive 
Blessed Thistle Patchouli 
Damiana Rowan 
Dittany of Crete Rue 
Elm Thyme 
Frankincense Verbena 
Henbane Vervain, Blue 
Life Everlasting Flowers Wormwood 
Yarrow 

2) Divinatory: 
Ash Linseed 
Bay Mugwort 
Cinquefoil Rowan 
Clove Thyme 
Elm Wormwood 
Frankincense Yarrow 

3) Purificatory: 
Angelica Mastic gum 
Bayberry Myrrh 
Burnet Olive 
Cinnamon 

4) Healing 
Balm of Gilead Myrrh 
Lavendar Rosemary 
Life Everlasting Wormwood 

4) Enhancing: 
Anise seed Lotus 
Angelica Mandrake 
Celery seed Mastic gum 
Cinnamon Mugwort 
Cinquefoil Orris root 
Cloves Peppermint 
Damiana Sandalwood 
Dragon's Blood Styrax 
Frankincense Uva Ursi 
Henbane 

5) Protective: 
Alfalfa Juniper wood 
Basil Life Everlasting flowers 
Blessed Thistle Mastic gum 
Bay Mistletoe 
Camphor Mugwort 
Cinquefoil Orris root 
Elder Rosemary 
Five Finger Grass Rowan 
Frankincense St. John's Wort 
Garlic Vervain, Blue 

6) Banishing: 
Agrimony Lavendar 
Ash Pine 
Camphor Rowan 
Dragon's Blood Vervain, Blue 
Juniper wood Wormwood 

8) Spell Casting: 
Basil Patchouli 
Bayberry Peppermint 
Bezoin gum Rosemary 
Camphor Rowan 
Cinnamon Rue 
Damiana Sandalwood 
Dragon's Blood Tormantil 
Frankincense Uva Ursi 
Lavendar Vervain, Blue 
Lemon peel St. John's Wort 
Life Everlasting flowers Wormwood 
Mandrake Yarrow 
Mistletoe Ylang Ylang 
Orris Root