Yule Incense

[Lark]

I made up this one the other night.  It makes a generous amount of loose incense and it smells wonderful.  It incorporates many of the woods and resins associated with Yule, including Ash for the Yule log, and other elements to signify that Yule is a fire festival.  It's an easy one to make up, so enjoy!

1 tsp bayberry
2 tsp balsam
1 tsp mistletoe
1 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp ash (the wood)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp frankincense
1 tsp myrrh
1/2 tsp amber oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

-Lark-

[Labrys]

I think I could almost approximate that...or something similar.  I don't have all those things, but can manage about 2/3.  Do you think some balsam oil would work in the mixture?

[Ara]

Okay, so I've always wondered, with making your own incense, how, exactly, is it to be burnt?  Since I'm still a youngin, and finally have a place of my own where I can burn candles and incense (and, I just got me a beautiful oil burner that I'm in love with!), I want to start making my own, but I'm not sure how to go about burning it.

Sorry I'm such a newbie with this stuff.

Always
Ara

[Lark]

Labrys, I think using the balsam oil should work just fine.  I like to use a bit of oil in my loose incense blends since it tends to moisten it a bit and I think that it helps it burn a bit slower.  I learned this trick when I was missing a dry ingredient and substituted an oil.  So go for it!

Ara, generally loose incense such as this is designed to be burned on a charcoal disc.  You can buy them in rolls from most metaphysical stores and if you haven't one near you I suspect Gryphon sells them through Magickware.  The disc does get very hot while burning so be sure to put it in a container that can take the heat.  I have an incense burner that lets the disc sit up on a screen so it gets air all around it to help it burn.  And I always but the burner on a heat-proof trivet to keep it off of the actual altar surface.  Burning up your altar is really tacky! LOL!  Once the disc is burning just put a pinch or two of incense on it and voila!

-Lark-

[Labrys]

I got into things last night and found some of my ingredients I was sure I had were vanished, Lark!

But since you got me in the spirit, I made up a loose incense that mixed herbs and resins anyhow.  It smells so good loose, you almost want to set little dishes of it around unburnt!  I sort of worked from memory and by gosh and by golly....then looked up what I had "done" so to speak.

Man, did I hit the jackpot on sun related herbs!  And just for balance, a couple for air element, one for water and a couple for earth.  I think we will put large parts of this to burn on Dec 20 when we celebrated "Mother Night"....honoring mother goddesses and female ancestresses!
And finish it off in the Yule fire itself perhaps...

[Still Kate]

Hello All, Unfortunately Jon can not stand incense. The scented smoke makes him feel quite ill but if he's out I can get away with lighting a stick as the smoke disipates before he's home BUT we compromise on scented candles. I use the partylite ones, an American company that sell over here. They are fantastic and as long as I burn ones that aren't too sickly sweet its fine.
They also do a pure black scented votive called "Black Cherry" which works very well in rituals.

Happy Yule to you all.
Blessings
Kate.

[Lark]

Kate,

If he can handle the candles it's probably the smoke itself that gets to him.  Have you tried using oil diffusers?  That might give you the option of blending some of your own oils for ritual use.  Many of the ingredients in my Yule incense can be found in oil form.

-Lark-

[Labrys]

I love oil infusers...the scent is so lovely and pure and lingers on and on and on!

[Brijrian]

I have charcoal disks and I have loose herbs...my question is: how much smoke does the charcoal disk put off? and How long does it take to burn? I've been a bit intimidated of trying it for fear of setting off every alarm in the house! (I usually use stick incense instead, which is ok, but not as fun!)

*Brijrian

[Lark]

The charcoal disc itself does not put off much smoke, but the burning herbs can get pretty smokey, especially if you add more than a pinch.  But even so much smokier than a stick of incense.  I generally find that the charcoal discs burn for about 30-45 minutes.  The herbs will burn up fairly quickly and I simply keep adding a pinch more until my ritual is over.

-Lark-