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People everywhere are hungry for clear, practical, scientifically-validated information about how to make safe and simple use of herbs in their day to day lives. I too was once hungry for this kind of information. I discovered that working (and playing) with herbs did not need to be complex and confusing. It could be sheer pleasure. For me it was like walking down a path where a wonderful surprise is revealed at every turn. |
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In Japanese legends incense is believed to attract goblins jiki-ko-ti and negative spirits such as the souls of men who during their lives had not honored truth and beauty. As a result they were doomed to be attracted to incense smoke and wafted away on it. Religious rituals all over the world use fragrant burning plants to cleanse space, to sanctify, and communicate with their deities.
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NATURAL INCENSE To make your own incense you will need some charcoal to make it burn and maybe a bit of saltpeter to keep it burning, some fragrant herbs and essential oils, and something to bind them together like gum arabic or gum tragacanth.
Charcoal Use pure powdered charcoal, the kind they use in churches all over the world. It burns with virtually no smell and produces a glow that allows essential oils to volatise and the herbs to smolder. You can get pure charcoal from a chemist, or anywhere that sells church supplies. Don’t try to use the stuff you burn on your barbecue as this has an unpleasant, acrid smell.
Fragrant herbs to choose from Angelica seeds Bay leaves Cinnamon Cloves Juniper Leaves Lavender flowers Marjoram Orris root Rosemary leaves Sandalwood Star anise Thyme leaves You can also add some of these resins to your herbs, but go gently as they can overwhelm the smell of everything else. Angelica resin Balsam of Peru Benzoin Camphor Frankincense Myrrh Terebinth Use any essential oils that you feel might go well with your chosen herbs and resins. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Binding Agents Gum tragacanth:
Gum Arabic:
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Making Incense Your charcoal, saltpeter, herbs and resins need to be ground to a fine powder. You can do this in a pestle and mortar. Use a ratio of roughly 14 parts of powdered charcoal to 6 parts of the other ingredients – in other words, to 14 teaspoons of powdered charcoal, add ½ teaspoon of saltpeter, 3 teaspoons of dried, powdered herbs, 1 teaspoon of powdered resin and 1 ½ teaspoons of essential oil. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add your essential oils and mix again. Add a little of your binding agent at a time until you have made a thick paste. Knead on a piece of oiled, greaseproof paper, and form into 1 inch high cones or little round, flat pastilles. Dry them in a dark, airy place. (They will go moldy if you put them in a box or don’t allow the air to circulate around them freely.) When they are completely dry store them in a cool, dry place for when you need them.
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Rosemary Incense
Spicy Welsh Incense
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The classic definition of a herb is a non-woody plant which dies down to its roots each winter. This definition is far too limiting. It was probably made up by 19th Century European botanists who had never seen the rainforest in which, of course there is no winter to die back in. Neither had they ever heard of woody trees and shrubs such as hawthorn and ginko and elder which are some of the best selling herbs on the market these days. I define a herb as a medicinal plant. It can come from any climate and be a leaf, a bark, a flower or a root. It can be home-grown or wild, a weed, a spice, a plant which is used for its healing or culinary or beautifying properties. Once you discover the power of herbs it is easy to become so enthusiastic about them you go overboard trying to use them for everything. It is not wise to take lots of different plants all at the same time. Or you might start to think that since a small amount of something is good for you, taking twice or three times that amount will be even better. It isn’t. If you want safe and sane herbal help here are a few guidelines to follow:
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