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Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents
Making your own incense with natural ingredients is a powerful way to connect with earth energies-and it's much healthier to burn indoors than the chemical-laden commercial variety. Incense is your complete guide to making your own homemade blends.
Master incense maker Carl F. Neal has created dozens of unique incense recipes-and includes easy conversion tables for different systems of measurement so your recipes will turn out just right every time!
Whether you want to burn incense for meditation, magic, or just to enjoy its luxurious fragrance, Incense has all the information you need to start crafting your own sweet-smelling scents.
Master incense maker Carl F. Neal has created dozens of unique incense recipes-and includes easy conversion tables for different systems of measurement so your recipes will turn out just right every time!
Whether you want to burn incense for meditation, magic, or just to enjoy its luxurious fragrance, Incense has all the information you need to start crafting your own sweet-smelling scents.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
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174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 5, 2020
My copy is an uncorrected proof, provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
This book is about making incense for personal use with all natural ingredients, rather than the commercial 'dipped' incense. It starts out by telling us about how scents can trigger memories and are directly wired to the brain.
The use of incense in meditation and to send messages to the gods is covered, as well as how to use it to cleanse space for magical ritual. The perspective of the book is for practitioners of magic and new age methods, though the practical information is very thorough and would be very useful for anyone who wanted to make their own incense. There is a List of figures, so I expect the finished book will have illustrations.
The author gives us good reasons for why we would want to make our own incense rather than just buying commercial as well as some history of how incense is made and the changes in manufacturing methods over time. He expresses some concerns about commercial incense and the chemicals that are included in it, especially saltpeter, which is used in self-lighting charcoals. Reasons for making your own include total control of what goes into it and making magical connections during the process, plus the issue of ethical concerns that some people might have about some of the ingredients, such as using animal products or allergens.
The book is written very much from a practicing Pagan point of view, but it is primarily a practical book and the author invites readers to challenge or dismiss his philosophies while gaining the benefit of the hands-on practical information.
We are given the difference between whole herb incense vs incense that contains essential oils and also the difference between dry mix and wet mix. The book favors dry mix methods. We are told how to make powder for incense trails, though the book is mostly focused on "formed" incense - sticks and cones. We are given the relative advantages of masala sticks, joss sticks and cones as well as incense disks which you can wear as a necklace, then toss into a bonfire. It's a form I hadn't come across before. We are also told about the process for making Kyphi, which involves cooking ingredients in wine.
The author occasionally diverges into the Pagan aspects, telling us about the feeling of ritual pageantry that goes with tossing loose incense over hot coals etc. Throughout the tone gives me the feeling that he is speaking to me like an ordinary person, almost as if he was giving personal instruction rather than writing a formal instruction book. I rather liked this aspect of his approach.
He goes on to explain the different kinds of aromatics - resins, plants & woods, then forms of binders and fixatives. We learn a little of the Physics of making it burn and how it is affected by shape, about avoiding dangerous material and about getting artistic with shapes as well as how to empower your incense with Magick.
Different types of burners and what shape incense is suitable for them is covered as well as safety precautions in an easy and sometimes entertaining narrative. There is some repetition, but mainly on things it is essential to learn so the extra emphasis is justifiable. My only real complaint is that there are a few too many plugs for the author's other book which begins to reek of salesmanship.
There are sections on growing your own ingredients and considering the needs of the plants when collecting in the wild, proper methods for drying and some advice on buying ingredients as well as proper storage. Tools & workspace as well as ritual tools are very thoroughly covered including consideration of children and pets.
Blending and adding liquid is explained along with troubleshooting and there are several basic recipes included to get the novice incense maker started.
The appendices include an ingredient chart, a section on ingredients that can be obtained through any grocery store, suggested ritual uses and a rather interesting section called "Listening to incense" which is about the Japanese art of Koh-do.
Overall, from a practical point of view it is a wonderful book. I expect that I will try some of the recipes and may take enough interest to expand into concocting my own incense blends, knowing that everything I need to know is here. The more philosophical aspects of the book are subjective and will appeal to some people more than others, but it does add an interesting angle to the information to see how incense is used in both modern Western Pagan practices as well as the Japanese Koh-do tradition.
This book is about making incense for personal use with all natural ingredients, rather than the commercial 'dipped' incense. It starts out by telling us about how scents can trigger memories and are directly wired to the brain.
The use of incense in meditation and to send messages to the gods is covered, as well as how to use it to cleanse space for magical ritual. The perspective of the book is for practitioners of magic and new age methods, though the practical information is very thorough and would be very useful for anyone who wanted to make their own incense. There is a List of figures, so I expect the finished book will have illustrations.
The author gives us good reasons for why we would want to make our own incense rather than just buying commercial as well as some history of how incense is made and the changes in manufacturing methods over time. He expresses some concerns about commercial incense and the chemicals that are included in it, especially saltpeter, which is used in self-lighting charcoals. Reasons for making your own include total control of what goes into it and making magical connections during the process, plus the issue of ethical concerns that some people might have about some of the ingredients, such as using animal products or allergens.
The book is written very much from a practicing Pagan point of view, but it is primarily a practical book and the author invites readers to challenge or dismiss his philosophies while gaining the benefit of the hands-on practical information.
We are given the difference between whole herb incense vs incense that contains essential oils and also the difference between dry mix and wet mix. The book favors dry mix methods. We are told how to make powder for incense trails, though the book is mostly focused on "formed" incense - sticks and cones. We are given the relative advantages of masala sticks, joss sticks and cones as well as incense disks which you can wear as a necklace, then toss into a bonfire. It's a form I hadn't come across before. We are also told about the process for making Kyphi, which involves cooking ingredients in wine.
The author occasionally diverges into the Pagan aspects, telling us about the feeling of ritual pageantry that goes with tossing loose incense over hot coals etc. Throughout the tone gives me the feeling that he is speaking to me like an ordinary person, almost as if he was giving personal instruction rather than writing a formal instruction book. I rather liked this aspect of his approach.
He goes on to explain the different kinds of aromatics - resins, plants & woods, then forms of binders and fixatives. We learn a little of the Physics of making it burn and how it is affected by shape, about avoiding dangerous material and about getting artistic with shapes as well as how to empower your incense with Magick.
Different types of burners and what shape incense is suitable for them is covered as well as safety precautions in an easy and sometimes entertaining narrative. There is some repetition, but mainly on things it is essential to learn so the extra emphasis is justifiable. My only real complaint is that there are a few too many plugs for the author's other book which begins to reek of salesmanship.
There are sections on growing your own ingredients and considering the needs of the plants when collecting in the wild, proper methods for drying and some advice on buying ingredients as well as proper storage. Tools & workspace as well as ritual tools are very thoroughly covered including consideration of children and pets.
Blending and adding liquid is explained along with troubleshooting and there are several basic recipes included to get the novice incense maker started.
The appendices include an ingredient chart, a section on ingredients that can be obtained through any grocery store, suggested ritual uses and a rather interesting section called "Listening to incense" which is about the Japanese art of Koh-do.
Overall, from a practical point of view it is a wonderful book. I expect that I will try some of the recipes and may take enough interest to expand into concocting my own incense blends, knowing that everything I need to know is here. The more philosophical aspects of the book are subjective and will appeal to some people more than others, but it does add an interesting angle to the information to see how incense is used in both modern Western Pagan practices as well as the Japanese Koh-do tradition.
March 29, 2018
A staple go to for anyone starting to make incense. The recipes work well and are self-burning with no saltpetre. Furthermore, they are simple with easy to obtain ingredients and even smell good.
March 22, 2013
Short answer: the focus of this book is incense but not really *you* making incense.
I must admit, I was expecting a book of recipes. Maybe that's an unfair assumption, but it's how I went into it. What I got, however, was only 21 pages out of a total 140 that included recipes, some of which were painfully simple. The 68 pages leading up to this were five chapters of every detail about the handful of incense shapes, what ingredients are used for in a recipe, how to burn incense (an idea which was shocking to me. If I didn't know how to use incense, what made me interested in making it enough to buy the book?), how and where I can possibly buy ingredients, tools I'd need and the kind of space it requires in my home (very little, if you're curious), and even a bit on why people burn incense and who has done it traditionally. All this made for one overwhelmed reader, and I had only barely gotten to the good stuff! In fact, after all this preamble, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to make incense anymore--and I've been doing it for over 10 years! With the warnings and delicate specifics, it was as though he didn't really want you to bother.
To be fair, the author is talking specifically about combustible incense, the kind that you light, blow out, and let do its thing. All my experience comes from non-combustible incense, that which is smouldered on charcoal. I think that both of them have their benefits and I was looking forward to extending my knowledge on incense, which I love. For rituals, house cleansing, and some spellwork, non-combustible is perfect, in my opinion. But I was interested in learning to make incense that would work better for smaller workings. Instead of describing non-combustible incense use as simply another option, I was sad to see the author put it down (and anything to do with saltpeter, in fact) again and again labeling it as messy, wasteful, and dangerous. I have no problem with a person giving opinions, but they should not be stated as fact. The author does say, though, that nothing in his book should be taken as the final word on the subject.
As a fellow incense maker, though of the author's non-preferred variety, I would like to clear up a few things that I feel were big enough to go beyond mere opinion. First, saltpeter is *not* the dangerous chemical he purports. Treat it with care and store it like you would store matches or gunpowder (both normal things containing saltpeter) and you'll be fine. I buy mine through the mail without problem. I store it safely in a glass spice jar like the rest of my herbs. There's little danger to be found with using it, either, whether in a recipe or when using a self-lighting charcoal. You need no more than the usual amount of ventilation, recipes only ever call for a pinch or so, and in the case of charcoals, the scent is gone before you add your incense.
Connecting to the saltpeter issue, I don't agree with the author that every additive used for making the incense light will interfere with the magic unless it agrees in planetary/elemental rulerships. He says this as another reason to avoid saltpeter, but if it were really the case, his use of cloves as an additive would qualify as interfering with every spell not linked to Jupiter or Fire.
I've never heard joss sticks called "spaghetti sticks" before this book. Maybe that's me, but it sounded weird every time I came across it. Oddly enough, for all the times he uses the term, the index has no entry for it.
Non-combustible incense isn't outrageously smoky on its own. If you put a little on, a little will burn. If you put on a lot, you'll get smoked out. That's no reason to discount it.
If you're going to give recipes for magical purposes, even obvious ones, a little blurb of explanation always helps. I know it's trite to read about a love formula that--duh--draws love, but what about "Mist" or "Lair of the Dragon?" What do I use these for?
Okay, so enough of the cons--here's some pros: A great resource if you're *really* into incense. Lots of history and culture. This book was long and involved--just what an incense connoisseur would adore! Me, I was able to learn lots of new things and try out combustibles for myself. Just what I wanted. The author mentions creative uses for incense that I hadn't thought of before, and repeatedly inspires the reader to experiment and take incense to a higher level. That I loved.
I must admit, I was expecting a book of recipes. Maybe that's an unfair assumption, but it's how I went into it. What I got, however, was only 21 pages out of a total 140 that included recipes, some of which were painfully simple. The 68 pages leading up to this were five chapters of every detail about the handful of incense shapes, what ingredients are used for in a recipe, how to burn incense (an idea which was shocking to me. If I didn't know how to use incense, what made me interested in making it enough to buy the book?), how and where I can possibly buy ingredients, tools I'd need and the kind of space it requires in my home (very little, if you're curious), and even a bit on why people burn incense and who has done it traditionally. All this made for one overwhelmed reader, and I had only barely gotten to the good stuff! In fact, after all this preamble, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to make incense anymore--and I've been doing it for over 10 years! With the warnings and delicate specifics, it was as though he didn't really want you to bother.
To be fair, the author is talking specifically about combustible incense, the kind that you light, blow out, and let do its thing. All my experience comes from non-combustible incense, that which is smouldered on charcoal. I think that both of them have their benefits and I was looking forward to extending my knowledge on incense, which I love. For rituals, house cleansing, and some spellwork, non-combustible is perfect, in my opinion. But I was interested in learning to make incense that would work better for smaller workings. Instead of describing non-combustible incense use as simply another option, I was sad to see the author put it down (and anything to do with saltpeter, in fact) again and again labeling it as messy, wasteful, and dangerous. I have no problem with a person giving opinions, but they should not be stated as fact. The author does say, though, that nothing in his book should be taken as the final word on the subject.
As a fellow incense maker, though of the author's non-preferred variety, I would like to clear up a few things that I feel were big enough to go beyond mere opinion. First, saltpeter is *not* the dangerous chemical he purports. Treat it with care and store it like you would store matches or gunpowder (both normal things containing saltpeter) and you'll be fine. I buy mine through the mail without problem. I store it safely in a glass spice jar like the rest of my herbs. There's little danger to be found with using it, either, whether in a recipe or when using a self-lighting charcoal. You need no more than the usual amount of ventilation, recipes only ever call for a pinch or so, and in the case of charcoals, the scent is gone before you add your incense.
Connecting to the saltpeter issue, I don't agree with the author that every additive used for making the incense light will interfere with the magic unless it agrees in planetary/elemental rulerships. He says this as another reason to avoid saltpeter, but if it were really the case, his use of cloves as an additive would qualify as interfering with every spell not linked to Jupiter or Fire.
I've never heard joss sticks called "spaghetti sticks" before this book. Maybe that's me, but it sounded weird every time I came across it. Oddly enough, for all the times he uses the term, the index has no entry for it.
Non-combustible incense isn't outrageously smoky on its own. If you put a little on, a little will burn. If you put on a lot, you'll get smoked out. That's no reason to discount it.
If you're going to give recipes for magical purposes, even obvious ones, a little blurb of explanation always helps. I know it's trite to read about a love formula that--duh--draws love, but what about "Mist" or "Lair of the Dragon?" What do I use these for?
Okay, so enough of the cons--here's some pros: A great resource if you're *really* into incense. Lots of history and culture. This book was long and involved--just what an incense connoisseur would adore! Me, I was able to learn lots of new things and try out combustibles for myself. Just what I wanted. The author mentions creative uses for incense that I hadn't thought of before, and repeatedly inspires the reader to experiment and take incense to a higher level. That I loved.
October 31, 2014
(I received a free copy to review from NetGalley)
This book is a brief introduction to creating your own incense, whether it be for rituals, magick, or just because you enjoy the smell of incense and want to try to make your own. I have no experience with the crafting of incense, but it is something I’ve been interested in for quite some time. I think this book is great for those new to incense making (like myself).
Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents covers a broad range of topics related to incense, but none are covered extensively. This is a beginner’s book, so I’m not sure an experienced incense maker would benefit from it as much as a newbie. The book is laid out in a way that made me feel prepared by the time I got to the actual recipes. I felt that I had a decent understanding of different forms of incense, base materials, binders, aromatics, safety, etc. All the things necessary before creating your first batch of incense.
My copy isn’t perfect (because it’s an uncorrected proof), so I’m not sure how it will look in versions that have been edited more. I had no pictures, which was a little sad, but understandable. This book had quite a few images and diagrams (according to my copy, there are 23), tables for troubleshooting, and an ingredient chart. I think in the finished copy, those will prove to be quite useful. (The troubleshooting and ingredients are in my copy, but they’re not formatted very well. They are still useful, however.)
I found several really cool and helpful tips for incense making. One of my favorites (which I plan to use very soon for my first batch of incense) is looking for binders and other materials at your grocery store. I had no idea you could use things like guar gum or xanathan gum as binders. I also really liked the idea of using a plastic straw for a mold for joss sticks.
I liked that environmental concerns were brought up. I honestly don’t know a lot about what plants are rare, near extinction, etc. because I don’t work with any that aren’t readily available (and reasonably cheap). I did know about a few that seem to be common for things like incense are endangered (such as Indian Sandalwood, and at least one type of sage). I’m really glad the author brought that up, because I think it’s important for us to remember that wecan over-harvest plants.
I disagreed (personally) with a few things, but I won’t go into that because it isn’t really important. All I will say is that the parts about ritual, magick, etc. had a very Neo-Wiccan feel to them. That was really my biggest complaint about this book, and it isn’t that big of an issue.
So, overall, I liked this book. It was laid out well to introduce people to types of incense and prepare readers for making their first batch of incense, there were quite a few good tips and ideas for troubleshooting, and there were some pretty good magickal, ritual, and philosophic topics discussed.
This book is a brief introduction to creating your own incense, whether it be for rituals, magick, or just because you enjoy the smell of incense and want to try to make your own. I have no experience with the crafting of incense, but it is something I’ve been interested in for quite some time. I think this book is great for those new to incense making (like myself).
Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents covers a broad range of topics related to incense, but none are covered extensively. This is a beginner’s book, so I’m not sure an experienced incense maker would benefit from it as much as a newbie. The book is laid out in a way that made me feel prepared by the time I got to the actual recipes. I felt that I had a decent understanding of different forms of incense, base materials, binders, aromatics, safety, etc. All the things necessary before creating your first batch of incense.
My copy isn’t perfect (because it’s an uncorrected proof), so I’m not sure how it will look in versions that have been edited more. I had no pictures, which was a little sad, but understandable. This book had quite a few images and diagrams (according to my copy, there are 23), tables for troubleshooting, and an ingredient chart. I think in the finished copy, those will prove to be quite useful. (The troubleshooting and ingredients are in my copy, but they’re not formatted very well. They are still useful, however.)
I found several really cool and helpful tips for incense making. One of my favorites (which I plan to use very soon for my first batch of incense) is looking for binders and other materials at your grocery store. I had no idea you could use things like guar gum or xanathan gum as binders. I also really liked the idea of using a plastic straw for a mold for joss sticks.
I liked that environmental concerns were brought up. I honestly don’t know a lot about what plants are rare, near extinction, etc. because I don’t work with any that aren’t readily available (and reasonably cheap). I did know about a few that seem to be common for things like incense are endangered (such as Indian Sandalwood, and at least one type of sage). I’m really glad the author brought that up, because I think it’s important for us to remember that wecan over-harvest plants.
I disagreed (personally) with a few things, but I won’t go into that because it isn’t really important. All I will say is that the parts about ritual, magick, etc. had a very Neo-Wiccan feel to them. That was really my biggest complaint about this book, and it isn’t that big of an issue.
So, overall, I liked this book. It was laid out well to introduce people to types of incense and prepare readers for making their first batch of incense, there were quite a few good tips and ideas for troubleshooting, and there were some pretty good magickal, ritual, and philosophic topics discussed.
February 23, 2015
For the begginer incense maker this book is a gem. It's simple, straight to the point, gives accurate analysis of the majority of materials that you will use (many of them common household items) and offers simple but enough to keep you busy recipies. On top of it all it compliments itself quite well offering advise on how to create your own molds and growing your own herbs. It also features a troubleshooting appendix that your first couple of batches will probably need some refering to.
If you use it as a "hands on" guide, you will learn how to make spaghetti, cone, coils and stick incense without having to add saltpeter to your mix or getting makko (which is quite expensive and in some countries nearly impossible to find) which to me was quite a plus.
The book is also an easy read and every chapter, even the ones that seemed to space fillers had tidbits of advice that over a year of practicing with it proved quite usefull. Another plus in this book is that you can get started with just a little reading on fundamental chapters.
My only qualm with the book is that the recipies arent explained in detail. I understand that for a begginer less is more, after all, we are still getting acquainted with the materials and how they behave and precisely for this reason, and since there aren't a whole lot of recipies, i would have liked to see some explanation as to how those ratios were chosen and how those aromatics/binders behave if a little tinkering was done. He does mention substitutions and experimentation but having a little discussion about the recipies themselves would be a welcomed thing.
December 7, 2014
Hugely informative, this book explains all parts of incense crafting in a way that is easy to read and understand. From the in depth history—and the many disparate uses of—to the differences between commercial and home made, this book touches on everything you’ve ever wanted to know about incense.
The author spends a lot of time explaining every step of the process, as well as all of the whys regarding how things are done. The book also quite versatile in that it lists many choices and substitutions in ingredients, tools, and execution. No part of the crafting is neglected or skimmed over.
One thing that I particularly enjoyed was the chapter that talks about shaping. It covers all of the basics of sticks and cones, but then it goes on to detail discs, free forms, and a multitude of shapes that I hadn’t even imagined. I mean, the idea of using cake decorating tools to make incense leaves??? Yes, please!
It is clear from the tone throughout that this is a subject which the author truly enjoys and feels very passionate about. The book is packed with helpful knowledge and written in such a way as to foster encouragement and creativity. Whether your interest is in ritual use, simple incense crafting, or both, this book is an invaluable resource.
[ARC received courtesy of Netgalley]
The author spends a lot of time explaining every step of the process, as well as all of the whys regarding how things are done. The book also quite versatile in that it lists many choices and substitutions in ingredients, tools, and execution. No part of the crafting is neglected or skimmed over.
One thing that I particularly enjoyed was the chapter that talks about shaping. It covers all of the basics of sticks and cones, but then it goes on to detail discs, free forms, and a multitude of shapes that I hadn’t even imagined. I mean, the idea of using cake decorating tools to make incense leaves??? Yes, please!
It is clear from the tone throughout that this is a subject which the author truly enjoys and feels very passionate about. The book is packed with helpful knowledge and written in such a way as to foster encouragement and creativity. Whether your interest is in ritual use, simple incense crafting, or both, this book is an invaluable resource.
[ARC received courtesy of Netgalley]
May 6, 2013
For those interested in making their own incenses, it's a good book. Although not perfect, it gives some useful tips for making cones or sticks - something that is very rarely found in the Internet - at least, as a recipe for incenses without saltpeter.
I like the troubleshooting section that helps analyze what have we done wrong with our own recipes - with few experiments and this book, everyone can create their own incense, I'm sure of it.
I like the troubleshooting section that helps analyze what have we done wrong with our own recipes - with few experiments and this book, everyone can create their own incense, I'm sure of it.
August 5, 2018
Another book on incense. Not as good as Cunningham's book, but it still works. I was expecting 80% to be recipes, but it's mostly the author explaining what incense is. It's not a hard concept to grasp. That said it was still interesting to read.
May 2, 2016
It turns out that it's easy to make incense. (You make incense dough, shape it, and let it dry.) You don't need this book to figure it out, but it's a nice book that gets the mechanics of it across.
Read
December 29, 2020Useful inspiring guide for anyone trying to bridge into incense making. A lot of great tips and advice.
May 31, 2024
Open-hearted, enthusiastic, and practical, this guide to making incense is sure to light my way to many hours of exploring this fascinating craft. Though it is very obviously from a pagan perspective, anyone interested in hand-making incense would be well served by this book. I love how Neal is very considerate of cost and sustainability of ingredients and supplies. While I splurged and bought some fancy resins to experiment with m, I also intend to try his "grocery store incense" blends as well as creations made from my own landscape and garden. With this and Neal's YouTube tutorials, I feel like I have a helpful, generous uncle at my elbow, giving me lots of encouragement and advice.
August 14, 2021
I bought this at a KCMO bookstore where I met Carl. He was teaching a workshop on making magical incense. I bought the book which he autographed for me. I've thoroughly enjoyed re-creating his recipes.. and learned the basics enough to create my own unique scents.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews