Incense Alchemy

 

Long ago, shamans and witches discovered that perfumed resins from herbs and tree branches could be thrown into the fire to release their properties. Ever since then, incense has been an essential tool in magical rites, recognized for its ability to restore universal equilibrium.

Making incense requires a mortar and pestle and a collection of 4-ounce (115ml) lidded jars. The incense is burned on small charcoal cakes, available at all metaphysical stores. Safe burning requires either a censor or use of a fireproof glass or clay dish.

Simple Incense Recipes

    * For peace of mind: Crush sandalwood, bay leaves, and amber resin together. Burn a small amount on     a charcoal cake in your fireproof glass or clay dish on your altar and meditate. The plant damania can be     added to increase concentration.

    * For mastery of mind: Crush together equal parts cinnamon and resinous benzoin. You will achieve         your goals by burning this combination.

    * To enhance meditation: Mix equal parts white sandalwood and frankincense, and add one-fourth part     white orrisroot. Add a drop of oil from one of the following plants: angelica, agrimony, or aloe. Use this     during the day of a full moon or during any lunar ceremony.

Pyrolusite

This stone has an attractive and dramatic name, from the Greek words pyr (fire) and lousis (washing). The ancients must have thought pyrolusite looked as if it had been washed by fire. Pyrolusite is the thin, fan-shaped black-and-white oxide of manganese usually found at the bottom of a bog or on the ocean floor. It can also grow in the cracks between rocks, in which case it forms lovely, fern-like dendrite crusts.

Pyrolusite is amazing for transformation. It helps get rid of buried emotions and anything that might be interfering with spiritual growth. Pyrolusite will get to the root of a problem and dislodge it. This rock defends the etheric body, or aura, from negative energy and bad energy. Pyrolusite is also good for the metabolism and is helpful for treating bronchitis. Pyrolusite is a stabilizing stone that is excellent for relationships and stimulates the sensual side of life. It is a stone favored by shamans.

Obsidian

This black volcanic glass is found the world over. Obsidian was an important tool for prehistoric peoples, who used it for knives, mirrors, bowls, and jewelry. Obsidian is most often thought of as a pure, glassy black, but it can also have milky white stripes or flecks. Rainbow obsidian, a spiritual love crystal, is especially beautiful, with peacock-colored gradations. And dark red mahogany obsidian is a true gift, as it puts you in touch with your life’s very purpose. Native Americans valued obsidian immensely for its eagle-eye vision power, which they believed was good for the eyes as well as for seeing within. Shamans still hold obsidian in the highest regard, and it has come to be an invaluable aid in prophesying.

Obsidian is a protector and absorbs and keeps away negativity. It is also a rock with very direct energies and will help with great immediacy. Very sensitive people should keep obsidian around their homes and offices. This is a letting-go stone and will get rid of old patterns, old thoughts, a lingering torch for an old flame, or whatever you need to be over and done with. It gives you the get-up- and-go to get on with your life—to travel and explore and grow. Don’t wear or keep obsidian around all the time, though, as you will wear yourself and the stone out!

Iron Pyrite—Fool’s Gold

Iron pyrite was supreme in early Mexico, where it was polished into mirrors for shamanic scrying, a method of looking into the future and the past. These people also carved sacred symbols into these vessels of inter- dimensional viewing. 

Full Moon: Calling Forth Your Personal Power

When the moon is full, that means Mother Moon is at her zenith, parading in all her glory across the night sky. Rituals that transform and call forth your personal power and psychic awareness are called for at this time. The full moon is powerful and promotes strength and supremacy. Her luminous glow surrounds us, and now is the time to clean our ritual tools, scrying mirrors, tarot decks and crystals. Take time to honor the moon goddess during this phase. Wiccans have a tradition of “drawing down the moon,” which is a way of invoking the moon’s power into your body, thereby embodying the lunar goddess.

Although many cultures around the world have had ceremonies to celebrate the full moon, only a few are still practiced today. The Balinese have received wide interest for their full moon ritual, and Bali has become a popular destination for people on a pilgrimage who want to be in touch with the sacred. A growing number of nature-worshiping people gather in magical circles to do the same in North America and Europe.

In Peru there is a sacred site, the Quenko-Labyrinth of the Serpent, where full moon ceremonies are held. It is believed that on this site you can experience your true connection with the earth, the feminine and life, for this sacred site embodies the Goddess. Rites of passage and sacred ritual offerings have been performed here for centuries. Shamans teach this as an important way for humankind to connect with and balance nature and community.