Making Your Own Incense & Oils

A lot of people avoiding making their own oils and incense because they don't have the time, or they don't want the expense of buying all the seperate components. There's nothing wrong with that. However, making your own oils and incenses can be a rewarding experience, you can create an incense that is exactly matches your idea of what an incense to honour the Goddess whould smell like. If you're unsure or just fancy having a go yourself this article may help.

NB The information in this article is taken from the information leaflets written for my ritual oil making and incense, oils & brews kits shown in the photos below and available from the Moonshadows shop, and is © Moonshadows Realm.

Making Oils Oils have been used since time immemorial, as well as incense, and other sweet smelling perfumes. They have played an important role in religion and magic. From erotic and exotic scents that have lured men and women alike, to more practical uses such as money drawing. Truly magical scents will work both on the conscious and subconscious mind to elicit a predetermined response. Certain aromas are uplifting to such a degree that a feeling of transcendence can spontaneously happen, whilst certain aromas have also been used to call forth predictable responses, conditioning our consciousness through association. ex: patchouli makes me think of the hippie generation and lavender makes me think of my Nanna. Some aromas cause us to react emotionally or physically, some soothe the nerves, some stimulate our sexual centres, some activate psychic centres and still others have healing properties. Used properly, these scents can stimulate our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual selves in a seemingly magical way. Blending Oils Oils are like musical notes that work together to form a melody. One should not overpower any other, they should work together not against each other. Oils from the same group blend together but oils with different notes make the most interesting blends. Knowing this, and a little bit of magical perspective, you'll not only be able to blend up oils that work well for your chosen purpose, but that smell superb too!!! There are different classifications of essential oils:- 1 - Flowering Plants, Shrubs & Trees: Carnation, cassia, hyacinth, jasmine, jonquil, mimosa, narcissus, neroli, rose, tuberose, violet, ylang-ylang. 2 - Leaf Oils: Bay, cinnamon, cedar, eucalyptus, patchouli, petitgrain, wintergreen. 3 - Wood Oils: Birch, rosewood, juniper tar, camphor, cedar, laurel, sandalwood, sassafras. 4 - Leaves, Needles & Twigs: The pines, cajeput, cedar, cypress. 5 - Bark Oils: Birch, cassia, cascarilla, cinnamon. 6 - Fruit Oils: Almond, bergamot, citron, lime, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin orange and tangerine. 7 - Grass Oils: Citronella, gingergrass, lemongrass, palmarosa. 8 - Seed Oils: Angelica, cardamon, carrot, cumin, dill, mustard, parsley. 9 - Dried Leaf Oils: Cherry laurel, eucalyptus, naiouli, patchouli. 10 - Dried Fruit Oils: Anise, coriander, fennel, juniper, nutmeg. 11 - Dried Buds & Berries: Clove, cubeb, juniper, pimento. 12 - Balsam Oils: Balm of gilead, copaiba, labdanum, peru balsam. 13 - Gums: Elemi, galbanum, mastic, myrrh, olibanum, opoponax, storax. 14 - Roots & Rhizomes: Angelica, calamus, ginger, orris, valerian, vetivert. 15 - Herb Oils: Basil, chamomile, clary, dill, tarragon, fennel, geranium, lavender, lovage, marjoram, oregano, parsley, pennyroyal, peppermint, rosemary, rue, sage, spearmint, tansy, thyme, verbena, wormwood. 16 - Animal Sources: Ambergris, musk, civet - these should be synthetic, in my humble opinion or use something like frankincense oil as a substitute. Using Scent For Meditation And Magic The practical application of magic involves artistic employment of correspondences, the linking of colours, scents, tones, astrological signs magical attributions as well as the qualities of the deities. When you assemble all the components of a given archetypical force in your working area, they exert a combinatorial effect on your psyche. Since scent is so closely linked with memory, formulating scents and using them in your different works will act as a direct link to put you back into that frame of mind. Frankincense, being very solar and used in the temple of solar gods such as Osiris and Apollo, will very easily fit into your memory banks as a scent for solar work. Perfumes and incenses have been used in rites for both their physical and metaphysical effects since man first began creating them. They serve 3 purposes in ritual: 1. They provide a material vehicle of fragrant smoke for the manifesting energy (they create a surface on which to visualise) 2. They are offered as sacrifice 3. Their intoxicant effect penetrates the consciousness Some Oils And Their Magical Properties BAY: Counteract negativity, ward off evil, stimulate vision. BERGAMOT: Protection from harm. CEDAR: Confidence, protection from misery and misfortune. CINNAMON: Good fortune, energy. CITRONELLA: Attracts friends and customers, protection from insects. CLOVE: Aphrodisiac, energy booster, solar perfumes and incenses. EUCALYPTUS: Promotes healing of any hurt, depression or illness. FRANKINCENSE: Blessing, protection, cleansing, consecration, attracts success and prosperity, purification. HONEYSUCKLE: Aids in understanding non-physical realities, sharpens intuition, brings prosperity. JASMINE: Psychic protection, cleanses the aura, stimulates creativity and originality, attracts spiritual love. LAVENDER: Frees from emotional stress, brings inner calm and peace, gives increased awareness, brings stability and permanence, good for headaches. LEMON: Evokes protective spirits. LEMONGRASS: Opens psychic centres, and aids one in spirit communication. MYRRH: Guards against evil, brings peace, assists in understanding personal sorrow. ORANGE: Brings harmony, raises power. PINE: Cleanses, ends useless recriminations. ROSE: Unconditional love, peace, harmony, tranquillity. ROSEMARY: Protection, calming, healing, remembrance. SANDALWOOD: Stimulates clairvoyance, aids in seeing past lives, healing, clearing, protection, calms the mind. VANILLA: Vitalises energy, brings happy occasions to the premises, draws good fortune. YLANG YLANG: Has a soothing effect, bringer of love and sensuousness. Recipe Preparation There is no magic secret for blending and mixing magical oils. Here is the basic method: Assemble the essential oils (and bouquets) called for in the recipes. In a clean, sterilised container, add 3.5ml of one of the sweet almond oil supplied in the kit or any of the following oils:- Safflower, Coconut, Apricot Kernal, Jojoba, Sweet Almond, Hazelnut, Grapeseed, Peach Kernal or Olive Oil Then using the dropper supplied or the convenient single drop dispensers which are included in virtually every bottle of true essential oils, add the essential oils in the proportions recommended in the recipes that follow later or from the ritual recipe you've created for your ritual or your book source. Swirl the essential oils into the base oil, don't stir. Gently rotate the oil clockwise all the time visualising your desired goal. Finally, store all oils away from heat, light and moisture (not in the bathroom) in airtight, opaque or dark-coloured glass bottles. Label and keep for use. You can use your ritual oils for a lot of different applications. Rub them on your body to bring out the energies within. Rub them on candles to further promote the purpose of your ritual. Use them in your bath to strengthen your powers. Anoint your talismans and charms and amulets with cleansing and protection oils. The only limit is your imagination! Helpful hints: * Be sure you have all necessary ingredients before you begin. 1) Use only Essential Oils or synthetics that are suitable for use on the skin if this is the magical intention for you ritual oil, synthetic oils that aren't suitable for the use on the skin may irritate it. 2) IMPORTANT - If you are allergic to nuts, be sure to perform a patch test if using apricot kernel, almond, hazelnut, or grape seed oils for a reaction before mixing in any essential oils. Many vegetable oils may contain trace amounts of nut oils. It is wise to perform a patch skin test before using any base oil to check for an allergic reaction, some people are allergic to nuts and some base oils may contain traces of nut oils. To perform a patch skin test, rub a small amount of base oil directly onto the sensitive skin of the underside of the wrist or elbow and wait 48 hours. If redness, swelling, or any skin irritation develops around the test site, do not use the base oil! 3) Label, label, label! Be sure to properly label all essential and base oils used for making ritual oils as being "For Ritual Oils Only". If an ingredient has the potential to be harmful, note this on the label. Also, label all instruments used for making oils and keep separate from those used for cooking. 4) Keep all ingredients and finished oils out of the reach of small children and family pets. 5) Store oils in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Make sure to keep all essential oils in dark coloured glass bottles and away from sunlight as their healing and magickal properties can be destroyed by sunlight. 6) Don't be tempted to add more oils than the recipe states, too much essential oil can irritate the skin, if you want to make a larger batch add more base oil. Prosperity Oil 3 Drops Patchouli 2 Drops Cinnamon 3 Drops Vanilla Fast Money Oil 5 Drops Patchouli 3 Drops Cedarwood 1 Drops Ginger Healing Oil 5 Drops Cedarwood 3 Drops Eucalyptus 2 Drops Peppermint Love Oil 5 Drops Ginger 3 Drops Ylang Ylang 1 Drop Orange Protection Oil 5 Drops Black Pepper 3 Drops Rosemary 2 Drops Bay 1 Drop Lemon Psychic Awareness Oil 5 Drops Patchouli 3 Drops Orange 1 Drop Cinnamon

Making Incense For centuries incense has been created and used by man for rituals and as an offering. It can be used for many purposes including aromatherapy, reduction of stress, easing depression, enhancing meditation or prayer and improving concentration. Incense burns hot and produces ash that can fall off as it burns, so you'll need a container or surface that is fireproof. A heavy ceramic bowl filled with at least an inch of sand, salt or ash works well. Metal or ceramic censers can be purchased that either hang on a light chain or have feet to hold them safely above a table surface. Other options might be shells or concave shaped stones (either natural or drilled for this purpose). Be sure that what ever you use is on a safe surface. If you have a tendency toward allergies, use incense cautiously at first. The oils and resins are potent and concentrated, and inhaling the smoke can sometimes irritate sensitive respiratory systems. Making Incense Discover how to make incense the way it's been made by virtually every civilisation since before the Stone Age; with fine natural incense resins, woods and herbs. Incense making is a meditative and enjoyable way to exercise our creativity. It's simple, inexpensive and awakens us to the pleasures of earth's aromatic treasures and our interconnection with nature. Create recipes that greet the rising sun with a clean and invigorating aroma, entertain guests with exotic fragrances, purify indoor spaces, enhance dream activity, relax with a soft, smooth, calming mixture that eases the troubles of the day, or blend a warm, sweet and seductive mixture to stimulate your sensuality for an evening of mystery and intimacy. Since antiquity incense has been used for creating aromatic, fragrant spaces both indoors and out. Incense has always been deeply intertwined with religious ceremonies as well as the practice of medicine. In fact the first reported healing practices, recorded in ancient Egypt, exposed patients to the smoke of incense for healing. Tips 1) When working with resins such as frankincense and myrrh it works well if you place the resins in the freezer for a short while before beating them. 2) Some people use blenders to grind the resins/ingredients into fine powder, however, this destroys the scent of the resins. It is best to beat all ingredients by hand in the mortar and pestle. It takes longer but the results will be worth the extra effort. 3) Grind or beat each ingredient separately. Blend all dry ingredients first and then add the soft resins such as galbanum, elemi and storax. 4) Use gloves to mix/knead the incense ingredients together. 5) Allow the freshly made incense to cure prior to burning. A Note On Burning Charcoal To start you should have something in which to burn the incense, a heatproof container, and that should ideally have some sand in the bottom. Next, take a charcoal disk and hold it with a pair of pliers or tongs and hold it over the flame of a candle or you can use a flame lighter but don't use a match as when the charcoal 'takes' it will burn your fingers. The charcoal will sputter and spatter all over the place, so make sure you do this on a protective surface. When the main spluttering stops, take a look and part of the charcoal disk should be glowing slightly red in the middle and going ash coloured round the edges of where the flame was. This means the block is now lit. Now repeat this exercise a few times with the same disk, moving it around in the candle flame until a fair bit of it is lit. At this point it is VERY HOT so do not touch it at all, and you will now understand why you have it in pliers or tongs. Now blow on it gently, and then place it hot side UP in the container with the sand. Leave the charcoal block for a few minutes to let it warm up and give it a waft of air every now and then. When it is glowing gently, take a small pinch of your grain incense and pop it on top. It will smoke for you, lots of smoke. Too much incense and you can smother the disk and get a pathetic wisp of smoke. Too little and it burns off too fast. This is a practice thing, which you will learn in time. Add incense according to how much smoke you want. If you get a gooey blob on top of the charcoal disk a bit later, use a metal spoon (teaspoon) to scrape the gooey stuff to the side to give you room to add some more incense. Let the charcoal disk breathe for a second or two before adding more incense. And remember, when you are done, let it cool where it is, or else carefully carry the lot outside and leave it to cool there. Prosperity Incense 2 Parts Frankincense 1 Part Cinnamon 1 Part Patchouli Leaf ½ Part Orange Peel 3 Drops Clove Oil Healing Incense 1 Part Frankincense 2 Parts Juniper Berries 1 Part Rosemary 3 Drops Lavender Oil 2 Drops Eucalyptus Oil All Purpose Ritual Incense 3 Parts Frankincense 1 Part Myrrh 1 Part Sandalwood 1 Part Rosemary 6 Drops Benzoin Oil Purification Incense 2 Parts Sandalwood 2 Parts Bay 1 Part Cinnamon 1 Part Vervain 3 Drop Lemongrass Oil 2 Drops Eucalyptus Oil