Herbs...They Make Scents ;-)
With the rise in awareness of the value of aromatherapy, it's only 'Natural' that we look to the world of Herbalism to fully enhance the positive benefits by working with properties of the herbs themselves.
We talked a little about one way to utilize the benefits of scented herbs in " The Wonders of the Herbal Bath", but this week I'd like to talk about another way to use Herbs to delight, de-stress, and stimulate the senses... Herbal Incenses.
Historical Use
For well over 5000 years, people have been drawn to the lingering aroma of Incense. It was used along with fresh herbs to perfume everything from linens to one's own bodily self and clothing. In fact, according to Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, the word perfume comes from the term for "to smoke", indicating a awareness of scent worn or carried in this way.
Throughout many cultures, it was more common than not to find those engaged in the standard practice of scenting the air with burning herbs throughout homes and sacred places. Even today, in modern spiritual practices, we see many ceremonies where incense is still used to cleanse and purify sacred space.
Of course, during some historical periods, incense was used not only to purify spiritually, but purify literally as well. Herbal incenses were believed to be an important part of keeping away disease. Early doctors even recommended patients inhale incense for medicinal purposes. I don't advocate this practice, now, of course... in fact, this is a good place for this:
*Caution* Please, be aware that many herbs and incenses can put out as much smoke - sometimes a bit more - than traditional store-bought incenses. If you have any bronchial difficulties, such as asthma or even allergies, be very careful when using incense, and take care not to inhale the smoke.
Today, most of us are familiar with the basic cone or stick forms of incense. You can find an excellent article with information on creating these on the Botanical.com site, but for our purposes, we'll stick with what are called the "raw" or "granular" incenses, which are loose incenses - best with most herbs and also the easiest to create.
Choosing Your Ingredients
"Incense composition and use is an art form of itself. Basically, an incense is any combination of plant materials...and a base, which are mixed together and burned or smouldered on charcoal,..." says Cunningham in his Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.
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