Athames
& Bolines
& Bolines
What is Incense?
INCENSE has been used in religious and magickal ceremonies since the dawn of time. Practically all the major world religions value its spiritual significance -yet it is still surrounded in mystery. A working definition is that an incense is a natural substance which has to be heated to a high temperature in order to release its perfume. An incense can be simply a pure resin, or an aromatic gum or can be a mixture of resins, gums and other scented materials.
Most incense ingredients are of plant material but on occasions a limited range of animal products and scents (ie ambergris, musk, onycha etc) are also used. Modern commercial incenses and perfumes usually use artificial substitutes for these substances. Some of the old magickal “recipes” include blood and similar substances which are generally distasteful to the modern incense maker, and are now generally considered unnecessary.
Many people associate incense with church rituals -and of course that has always been one of its major uses. However, until relatively recently incenses were also used for medicinal purposes. the old apothecaries remedies and the "leech books" all prescribe "suffumigation" with incense as a cure for the many diseases caused by "bad air" Such as "mal aria".
Many people associate incense with church rituals -
UK SMOKING BAN.
In a statement to the House of Lords made on 20th April 2006 (Hansard GC575) the Health