Powdered Incense

The Base

The base is made of a mixture of powdered tree barks and powdered gum resin. You can mix large batches of this ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. The formula is:

5 parts tree bark
1 part resin

Choose for yourself a bowl to use especially for this ritual. Use a natural material such as ceramic or wood unless you have a good feeling from more modern materials. Below is a list of the different barks you can use.

Ash: use it for fire energy. However, I find that it makes for rather dry incense.
Birch: use it for water and yin energies.
Cedar: use it for yang energies and also for purifying. This also makes a dry incense.
Oak, Red or White: use it for yang energies.
Pine: use it for yin energies. Makes a very nice texture and usually turns very dark when oils are added.
Sandalwood: the best to use for any incense. Unfortunately, sandalwood is very expensive compared to the other powdered woods.
The yellow is more so than the red, but if you add some of the red to your other bases in varying amounts it makes nice color changes.
Good for meditation.
Slippery Elm: best for yin energies but I find it to be very good for a base for all incense replacing sandalwood.
Wild Cherry: use for your love and passion incenses.
WiIllow, Black or White: use in yin energies.

For the resin mix:

2 parts powdered frankincense gum
1 part powdered benzoin gum

Making the Incense

The Supplies

In your ritual bowl pour a measured amount of base. For larger batches use 3 cups of base to 2 ounces of liquid. For smaller amounts use 1 cup of base to 2 drams of liquid.

In a separate, smaller shallow bowl (choose wood or ceramic, about 1 cup size) pour in:

1 part oil
3 parts isoprophyl alcohol

Mix the oil and alcohol with your finger. Hold the cup over your ritual bowl and pour a handful of base powder into the cup and mix. Keep pouring powder into the cup and mixing until all liquid is absorbed. Do not worry about spillage into the ritual bowl, it will get mixed in. Scrap all the damp powder into your ritual bowl, even using more powder to wipe dry all the oil on the cup and mix with your hands until it is evenly mixed. This is where you put your personal energies into the incense. Rub it between your palms and fingers and stir it until it is all a consistent texture.
Once done it should be very lightly damp but not clumpy.

Now mix in your chosen herbs. Generally about 1/2 cup each herb for larger batches and "to taste" for smaller ones. The variety of herbs can give your incense a wonderful contrasting texture against the powder itself.

All of your herbal ingredients should be in cut form unless otherwise stated. When using rose petals or other such flowers pull off the centers and use only the petals. I use dried herbs, as they are the easiest to obtain. You may put in any herb that is also an oil and visa versa.

When done, place a pinch between your forefinger and thumb and place on any non-burnable surface such as a shell, rock, ceramic, charcoal or wood (CAUTION! - the wood will scorch the surface so make it a designated piece of wood) and light it to honor the energies you are summoning.

The Recipes

Keep in mind that these are the recipes we have used. According to your research, and more importantly, your feelings, substitute whatever you feel is best.

Name	When to Make	Oil(s)	Herb(s)
Aphrodite	wax Friday	Violet	cinnamon powder rose petals
Apollo	wax Sunday	West Indian Bay	chamomile
Aquarius	Wax Wednesday	Wisteria Sandalwood Allspice Berry	Eyebright or Spikenard
Aries	wax Tuesday	Carnation Sweet Orange Texas Cedarwood	cinnamon powder
Astral Dreams	wane Wednesday	Mugwort Dittany of Crete	dittany of crete mugwort poplar leaves
Athena	wax Wednesday	Apple Blossom	sage
Bast	wax Friday	Catnip Lemon	catnip
Beltane	wax Wednesday	Marigold Apple Blossom	meadowsweet cinquefoil
Cancer	wax Monday	Jasmine Opium	blue poppy seeds
Capricorn	wax Saturday	Honeysuckle Patchouli Vetivert	patchouli
Cernunnos	wax Sunday	Oakwood Musk Patchouli	oakmoss
Cerridwen	wax Monday	Sandalwood Honeysuckle	blue vervain
Diana	wax Monday	Sandalwood Apple Blossom	red sandalwood chips
Dreamwork	wane Monday	Mugwort Marigold Lavender	mugwort lavender buds
Earth	wax Saturday	Honeysuckle Patchouli	blue vervain patchouli crushed amber
Freya	wax Friday	Strawberry	red sandalwood chips
Gemini	wax Wednesday	Lily of the Valley Sandalwood
Hecate	wane Monday	Sandalwood Lavender Bitter Almond	lavender buds
Isis	wax Monday	Sandalwood Lotus Blossom Myrrh	myrrh tears (small)
Jupiter	wax Thursday	Honeysuckle	sage
Leo	wax Sunday	Frankincense Cinnamon Bark	cinnamon powder chamomile
Libra	wax Friday	Rose Musk	rose petals
Love	wax Friday	Rose Jasmine Opium Lemon	rose petals
Mars	wax Tuesday	Pine, Fir or Spruce	ginger
Meditation	wax or wane Wednesday	Sandalwood Frankincense	rosemary
Mercury	wax Wednesday	Lavender	lavender buds
Midsummer	wax Sunday	Rose Vervain	rose petals chamomile cinquiefoil
Money	wax Thursday	Honeysuckle Jasmine Patchouli	cinnamon powder patchouli
Moon	wax Monday	Jasmine Opium Gardenia	blue poppy seeds
Neptune	wax Friday	Sweet Orange Lime Lemon	mugwort
Osiris	wax Sunday	Ylang Ylang Geranium Labdanum	orris root powder
Pan	wax Friday or Sunday	Oakwood Musk Jasmine Patchouli Sweet Orange	chamomile patchouli rose petals cinnamon powder
Passion	wax Friday	Rose Jasmine Cinnamon Bark	rose petals cinnamon powder
Pisces	wax Friday	Opium Sweet Orange	mugwort
Pluto	wax Tuesday	Musk	patchouli mint
Protection	wax or wane Saturday	Geranium Clary Sage	rowanwood blue vervain sage
Purification	wax or wane Monday	Rosemary Lemon	cedarwood chips
Sagittarius	wax Thursday	Honeysuckle Oakwood Clove Bud	oakmoss
Samhain	wax Tuesday	Green Apple	dittany of crete cinquefoil
Saturn	wax Saturday	Patchouli	patchouli
Scorpio	wax Tuesday	Patchouli Musk	patchouli
Selena	wax Monday	Sandalwood Jasmine	mugwort
Sun	wax Sunday	Sweet Orange Cinnamon Bark	cinnamon powder chamomile
Taurus	wax Friday	Rose Patchouli	rose petals patchouli
Thor	wax Thursday	Oakwood Black Birch Cinnamon Bark	stinging nettle oakmoss
Uranus	wax Wednesday	Allspice Berry	eyebright
Venus	wax Friday	Rose	rose petals
Virgo	wax Wednesday	Sandalwood Lavender	lavender buds
Yule	wane Saturday	Pine, Fir or Spruce Cinnamon Bark	mistletoe cinquefoil

There are lots of places you can find on the web for your source of materials. However, we have long enjoyed St. John's Botanicals in Bowie, Maryland (301) 262-5302. They offer a good variety of all of these materials and you can order small amounts (by the ounce).