Arwen Nightstar's How To Make Incense: A complete guide to making powdered incense including a few recipes

One of my hobbies and loves is incense making. Here is what you will require to make your own incense and a few of my own recipes.

Things You Will Need

Mortar and pestle
Notebook
Knife or Bolline
Ingredients
Thurible (incense burner)
Charcoal tablets

The mortar and pestle is a basic for me. I also have an electric coffee bean grinder to help with those really tough stems and resins. Since I am making incense for magical purposes, I cleanse and charge my tools in my Tradition's way.

The notebook is to keep notes in. Trust me! You will want this. I scribble like mad in mine and then eventually "one of these days" I will transfer it to that pristine Book of Shadows. {raise your hand if you have this dream too!}

The Knife is for chopping stubborn bits of stem and root into manageable bits. Bolline is the name for the white handled knife some Wiccans and Witches use.

Ingredients are self-explanatory right? Right??? {sigh} I am not getting a good feeling, gang! giggle! Ok, ingredients are what ever herbs or oils you choose. I highly recommend Wylundt's Book of Incense by Stephen R. Smith. He suggests burning a bit of each herb to get an idea of the smell. A burning rose smells different from the blossom in your hand.

Thurible is that oh-so-witchy word for incense burner. A heavy clay pot is my favorite. Some people use a clam shell, but make sure it is very very thick and that you have sand in the shell for the charcoal tablet to sit on.

Charcoal tablets are easily obtainable at your local Catholic store. Honest! I got myself a case from the Abyss in New York City and it has lasted years! There are several brands out there. I use Three Kings which seems to burn well, but lights hard. I have heard of another brand that lights more easily.

These are recipes that I have developed myself. Any coincidence to published recipes is just that....coincidence. Often I don't put in the amounts because I play with the scents. I tend to burn a bit at each addition to see what else I need.

Dark Lady's Dreams

Cinnamon	{half a palm}	Sw. Dittany of Crete	{1/2 palm}
Allspice	{3 whole}	Cedar	{pinch}
Fennel	{1 pinch}	Hyacinth Oil	{6 drops}
Rosemary	{2 pinches}	Cinnamon Oil	{6 drops}
Mullein	{1.5 pinches}	Benzoin	{2 pinches}
Witch Hazel	{1 palm}	Saltpeter	{2-4 pinches}

I first made this July 11, 1990. I was trying to make something for Hecate and the Dark Moon. This has a deep, rich smell and burns very well.

***New Moon***
Frankincense	1 pinch		Cinnamon	1"female
Myrrh	1 pinch		Lavender	Handful
Heather	Two Handfuls		Lemon Verbena Oil	3 drops
Patchouli	1 good pinch	Saltpeter (2-4)	Witch Hazel	1.5 handfuls

This was first prepared on July 21, 1990 and there is a note here. "A lesson -- do not anoint with lemon verbena!" This is why you really should keep a notebook!

Saltpeter is the ingredient which makes the incense sizzle and flair. Depending on how much flash you want, I recommend 2-4 pinches of saltpeter.

Cinnamon is indeed male and female. The outer bark is male and the inner bark is female. I chose female for the New Moon because the New Moon is the Maiden moon.