Summer Solstice Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Benzoin
1 part Dragon's Blood
1 part Thyme
1 part Rosemary
pinch Vervain
a few drops Red Wine

From: The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews
by Scott Cunningham: ISBN# 0-87542-128-8



'Dreaming' Incense
1 pinch Marshmallow root
7 Rosehips
1 pinch Bramble leaves
2 pinches Frankincense
7 drops Blackberry fragrance oil
10 drops Vanilla Oil
10 drops Chocolate Orange fragrance oil
This is for sending you into sweet trances.


Night' Incense

1 pinch Marshmallow root
1 pinch Wormwood
1 pinch Coltsfoot
1 pinch Jasmine flowers
2 pinches Copal resin
10 drops Jasmine oil
6 drops Vanilla oil
40 drops Black food colour
Very decadent.
Crush the resins and add the oils. Chop both the root, rosehips and leaves finely before adding (or crush the leaves if dried).


For Self-Improvement
1 tbsp cinquefoil
½ tbsp Rue
½ tbsp thyme
1 tbsp lavender
½ tbsp Jasmine
½ tbsp Frankincense
½ tbsp Dragon’s Blood
½ tbsp wood base
1/8 to 1/4 tsp of salt petre
Mix all ing. together into a fine powder. Burn for self improvement


Full Moon Incense
Frankincense 2 tbsp
Myrrh 1 ½ tbsp
Benzoin 1 tbsp
Sandalwood ½ tbsp
Gardenia petals ½ tbsp
Orris 1/4 tbsp
Thyme 1/4 tbsp
Poppy seed 1/4 tbsp
Rose 1/4 tbsp
wood base 1/4 tbsp
salt petre 1/8 to 1/4 tsp
Mix all ing. together into a fine powder. Burn during the Full Moon


Imbolc Incense
3 tbsp Frankincense
2 tbsp Dragon’s Blood
½ tbsp Sandalwood
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 wood base
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt petre
Mix all ing. together into a fine powder. Burn for Imbolc


Lughnasadh Incense
2 tbsp Frankincense
1tbsp Heather
1 tbsp apple blossoms
1/8 tbsp Blackberry leaves
1/4 tbsp wood base
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt petre
Mix all ing. together into a fine powder.


Midsummer Incense
3 tbsp Sandalwood
1 tbsp Mugwort
1 tbsp Camomile
1 tbsp Gardenia petals
1/4 tbsp Lavender
1/4 tbsp Rose
1/4 tbsp Yarrow
1/4 tbsp wood base
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt petre
Mix all ing. together into a fine powder.



Pebble Incense
Once upon a time, pebble incense was one of the things that nearly every young woman in the English-speaking world knew how to make before she left her parents' home. Like many of the forgotten crafts of our great-grandparents' time, it's well worth reviving.

What You'll Need
A mortar and pestle, a mixing bowl and spoon, and a flat surface covered with wax paper are all the equipment that you'll need. Ingredients consist of the herbs, flowers, and other scented material you intend to use in the incense, the essential oil or oils, and the whites of one or more eggs, depending on the quantity you want to make.

How It's Done
Grind up the solid ingredients thoroughly in the mortar, then pour the powder into the mixing bowl and add the essential oil a drop at a time, stirring between drops to disperse the oil. When the mixture smells right, begin stirring in the egg white a little at a time until the mixture is moistened all the way through, but not yet sloppy. On the wax paper, roll small amounts of the mixture into little balls one-third to one-half inch across. Dry these until hard; if you live in a humid climate, drying them in an oven set on "warm" may be a good idea. Put one or two of the resulting pebbles on hot charcoal to release the scent.


Purification Incense
For works of cleansing, purification, and banishing, take equal parts angelica root and myrrh and burn over charcoal alternatively, grind up the angelica root, mix with powdered myrrh and a few drops of bay laurel essential oil, and make into pebble incense.


Loose Incense
This is simply a collection of herbs and other scented substances that is put on glowing charcoal to burn and give off smoke. It's often a good idea to try any incense blend first as loose incense in small batches, since this allows you to adjust proportions and experiment freely.

What You'll Need
A censer or heatproof bowl; some self-starting charcoal (available wherever bulk incense is sold, or from mail order houses); a mixing bowl; a mortar and pestle for grinding; and airtight jars for the final results are the only pieces of equipment needed. The ingredients are entirely a matter of your preferences and purposes.

How It's Done
Start by testing the ingredients you have in mind to make sure they will work together (or at all!) as incense. The scent of fresh or dried plant material is not necessarily a guide here; mint, for example, smells awful when burnt.
The only effective way is to light your charcoal, put it in the censer or heatproof bowl, wait until it's hot, and drop a small amount of the ingredient you have in mind right on the charcoal. Wait until it has stopped giving off smoke, and then try a pinch of the next ingredient on the list.
Once you've made sure that all of them work well as incenses (or have set aside the ones that don't), try mixing together a pinch of each ingredient into a blend and burning that. Adjust the ingredients, testing each mix, until you've found one that works for you. Then note down the proportions, make a slightly larger batch in the mixing bowl, stir up thoroughly, and try a pinch on the charcoal. (Most self-lighting charcoal will burn for an hour or more, so you can afford to take your time.) When you've finally got the blend right, mix it up. Large pieces of bark, leaf, and so on should be ground up in the mortar and pestle, and if you prefer incense with a relatively smooth, even texture and scent it may be a good idea to grind all of it to powder. Once you've finished, put the incense in an airtight jar and leave it some place where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight or temperature extremes.


Love Incense
For the more erotic kinds of love magic, make stick incense with an essential oil blend of six parts rose and one part each of ginger, jasmine, and patchouli. For the more spiritual kinds, replace the last three ingredients with lily and yarrow.