I love aromatherapy. Let’s just get that out there. Roll on oils, candles, soaps, lip balms... I make all of these organic things but one of my favorite things to make is incense. I love burning it in my cauldron and letting the scent waft on the smoke. It reminds me of bonfires and overnight camping trips. Depending on what herbs I’m using or what I´m casting the smell can be reminiscent of so much more. Scent is a powerful sense. It has the power to transport us to another time, a forgotten memory or even invoke a slew of emotions we weren’t currently feeling. Just like all the five senses, scent has it´s own brand of magick.
As does smoke. Fire magick is fast acting, cleansing and dare I say therapeutic. Fire has the power to destroy but also cleanses and makes way for new life Traditionally smoke has been used in protection, warding and cleansing and even health rituals. Indigenous cultures from all over the world have burned dried herbs and spices, correlating them to different properties whether they be magical or medicinal. Practices that include inhaling the smoke to alter reality or walk between worlds have been used for centuries and are still in practice today. Other traditions call for burning a cauldron of select herbs and plant material for holidays or consecrating a space. Aromatherapy is even making a popular comeback as a holistic approach for certain ailments like anxiety and stress.
In this blog we will be discussing how to make our own blends of incense. This one in particular is for ritual and meditation work. Although its main focus is to be used during full moon work, you can also use it for prosperity spells, protection spells, grounding work and even luck magick.
This particular blend is the first I came up with for my coven a few years back when we were hosting workshops for local witches(in the before times of course). However, the one I use now is a bit more evolved. It really depends on what I have laying around the house and what I’m manifesting. Like most spells, the more you use them and recreate them, the more you play with them.
Some things I´ve added in the past to my full moon incense have been:
Used Coffee Grounds— Coffee is a wonderful element to add to spells to speed them up. Especially in fire magick. It quite literally makes things burn up faster which can be great for candle work. However, for an incense, I recommend only using a little since you want the burn to last.
Egg Shell Powder— Usually used in fertility magick. Yet, fertility can apply to more than just sexual reproduction. When I think of fertility I associate it with growth almost synonymously. Egg shell powder is great for abundance magick and can be used to grow many a thing such as money, luck, prosperity, protection. I like to think outside the box with my materials and egg shell powder is now one of my favorite things to use! It’s the ingredient that keeps on giving, helping your spells to last longer and give it that boost you may be seeking.
You do not have to incorporate either of these into your workings. Your blend is your magick and so it should mirror what you want.
You can use any herbs you like, just make sure that they’re safe to burn first. All herbs must be dried before doing this. You can dry them in the oven or buy them already dried. Your choice.
🌙The Recipe:
🌿 orange peel for self guiding,
🌿sage for cleansing and purifying,
🌿yellow rose for friendship love and healing,
🌿pine needles for banishment,
🌿rosemary for protection,
🌿star anise for consecration and invoking deities,
🌿cinnamon for abundance and drawing luck/good fortune to oneself,
🌿lavender for clarity and psychic ability,
🌿essential oils of rosemary and cinnamon (optional)
🌿How To🌺
🌿In a bowl rip up the rose petals and pine needles, you can cut up the orange peels with kitchen scissors if you’d like.
🌿using a mortar and pestle crush up the cinnamon and the star anise until they are pretty powdery.
🌿Start adding in the rosemary and lavender and grind.
🌿Continue adding the other herbs as well as the shredded ones in the bowl until it’s all combined and resembles a powder. The pine needles may still be small chunks but just get everything as small as you can. It takes a lot of elbow grease and patience so just take your time with it.
🌿tip🌿use your free hand to cover the top of the mortar so that when you crush with the pestle herbs don’t go flying everywhere.
I also recommend using a sturdy table, a circular motion to grind and standing so you have more leverage.
🌿 once you’re done grinding carefully mix in about 3-6 drops of rosemary and 6-10 drops of cinnamon oil. Be light with the rosemary because it is very strong and can overpower the whole thing.
🌿Mix and save in a cute jar or plastic baggy! That’s it! You can use this in candles, burn it, potpourri, baths and oils if the herbs you use are skin safe...
enjoy!
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