Lance Carson
Incense is used in many religious belief systems, including the Catholic Church, for a variety of spiritual purposes. The church believes that the smoke from incense has spiritual purification properties and that as the smoke rises to heaven, so do the prayers of the faithful. Incense is made from fragrant flowers, plants, and herbs, and you can make your own quite easily. The most common herbs used for homemade incense are sage, cedar, and sweetgrass, but you can also use basil, rosemary, marjoram, hyssop, lavender, rose, juniper, and myrrh. To make your own incense, you'll need to crush your dried herbs into a fine powder, add a binder like makko powder, and distilled water to form a dough, which you can shape into cones.
Characteristics and Values of Church Incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Fragrant flowers, plants, herbs, resins, barks, berries, essential oils, marshmallow root powder, aromatic botanicals, frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, styrax, opoponax, copal, sage, cedar, sweetgrass, basil, rosemary, marjoram, hyssop, lavender, rose, juniper |
| Binding agent | Makko powder, cedarwood powder, sandalwood powder, or powdered charcoal |
| Form | Cones or loose incense |
| Drying time | 12 hours |
| Burning instructions | Place on a charcoal disc or toss into a fire, using a fire-safe container, away from fabric, children, and pets, in a well-ventilated area |
| Safety | Run remnants under cool water before discarding |
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What You'll Learn
- Choosing ingredients: dried herbs, flowers, resins, aromatic plants, essential oils
- Mixing: combine resins and oils first, then add bark, berries, dried ingredients
- Shaping: form 'dough' into cones by hand, or use a piping bag/conical mould
- Drying: leave cones on wax paper for 12 hours, turning halfway through
- Burning: use a heat-resistant bowl, light the tip, blow out, and enjoy the scent
Choosing ingredients: dried herbs, flowers, resins, aromatic plants, essential oils
Incense is any material made from plants that are burned for their fragrance. It is simple and inexpensive to make your own incense, and you can use a wide variety of natural ingredients, including dried herbs, flowers, resins, aromatic plants, and essential oils.
When choosing your ingredients, it is recommended to start with a small number of ingredients—perhaps one wood and two herbs, or one resin, one wood, and one herb. As you get used to the process, you can slowly expand the number of ingredients you use. It is also important to use high-quality, natural ingredients. Visit local herb shops, incense stores, and nurseries to find aromatic treasures. Try to always use at least one resin or wood in your mixture as a base. Popular incense ingredients include resins, woods, spices, wine, honey, dried fruits, and fragrant hydrosols.
If you are using resins or essential oils, combine these first. Use a mortar and pestle to mash them until they get a bit gummy, before adding any bark or berries. Dried herbs, flowers, or powdery items should be added last. You can also add essential oils to water, vegetable glycerine, and aloe vera gel to make a shower gel.
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lavender powder
- 1 teaspoon marshmallow root powder
Stir the powders together until they are completely combined. Slowly add water to the mix, about 5 to 10 drops at a time.
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Mixing: combine resins and oils first, then add bark, berries, dried ingredients
When making your own church incense, it's important to gather your ingredients and tools first. You'll need resins, essential oils, bark, berries, dried herbs, flowers, and other aromatic ingredients. You will also need a mixing bowl, measuring spoons, jars with lids, labels, and a mortar and pestle.
Start by breaking down larger pieces of resin with a mortar and pestle. Be gentle, as the resin can easily turn into powder. Adjust the size of the resin pieces according to your preference. If you plan to use an oil burner, a finer consistency is preferable. Once you're happy with the size of the resin pieces, it's time to start mixing.
Combine the resins and essential oils first. You can add other liquid ingredients, such as honey, at this stage as well. Mix and blend the ingredients together until you achieve a soft and crumbly consistency. Then, add the bark, berries, and other dried ingredients. Mix until everything is well combined.
Finally, shape the incense mixture into cones or sticks. You can form the cones by hand or use a small conical mold. If using a mold, measure out a 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture and press it into the mold. To release the cone easily, insert a pin or twist tie into the tip of the mold. Place the cones on wax paper and let them dry for at least 12 hours, turning them over halfway through to ensure even drying.
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Shaping: form 'dough' into cones by hand, or use a piping bag/conical mould
Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can start making your incense. Crush your dried herbs into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, or a clean coffee grinder. Not all herbs are easily crushed, and many will leave rough bits—that's okay. Just remember, the finer the powder, the better your incense will hold together and the cleaner it will burn. The amount of crushed herbs you'll need will depend on the number of cones you wish to make. A good rule of thumb is 2-3 teaspoons of crushed herbs for one incense cone.
Now, you're ready to shape your incense dough into cones. You can do this by hand or use a piping bag or a conical mould. If shaping by hand, use your hands to form the dough into cones approximately 1” tall by ½” wide. If you're having trouble creating a cone shape, a piping bag or conical mould will come in handy.
If using a piping bag, detach the metal tip and press the dough into it. Use a pin or a twisty tie to help release the cone from the mould. Smooth out any imperfections with your fingers. You can also use a toothpick to help release the cone from the mould, as suggested by Hello Nest.
If you don't have a piping bag, check your kitchen for any conical moulds that can be used. Remember to insert a pin or a twisty tie into the tip of the mould to help release the cone. Place your cones on wax paper and let them dry for at least 12 hours, turning them over halfway through to ensure both ends are exposed to the air and have time to dry.
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Drying: leave cones on wax paper for 12 hours, turning halfway through
Once you've crafted your incense cones, it's time to dry them. Place your cones on wax paper and leave them undisturbed for 12 hours. This slow drying process allows the incense mixture to harden and ensures that your cones will hold their shape when burned.
It is important to turn the cones over halfway through the drying process. This ensures even drying on all sides and prevents warping or cracking. By exposing the bottoms of the cones to the air, you avoid moisture buildup and promote uniform shrinkage as the moisture evaporates.
Leaving the cones undisturbed for the full 12 hours is crucial. Disturbing the cones or attempting to rush the drying process by placing them in an oven or dryer can lead to cracking, shrinking, or uneven drying.
After 12 hours, your incense cones should be completely dry and ready for use. You can now proceed to fill a heat-resistant bowl or small cauldron with sand or salt, place the cone on top, and light the tip to enjoy your homemade church incense. Remember always to burn incense in a fire-safe container and in a well-ventilated area, keeping it away from flammable materials, children, and pets.
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Burning: use a heat-resistant bowl, light the tip, blow out, and enjoy the scent
Once you've made your own incense, it's time to burn it! The burning process is relatively simple and safe, but it's important to take the necessary precautions to ensure a pleasant and hazard-free experience.
To start, you'll need a heat-resistant bowl, often called a censer, or a small cauldron. Fill it with sand or salt, and place your incense cone on top. This setup ensures that your incense burns safely and contains any hot ash or embers.
Now, you're ready to light your incense. Using a lighter or match, carefully ignite the tip of the cone. Allow it to burn for a few seconds, and then gently blow it out. The cone will continue to smoulder and release fragrant smoke for about an hour.
As your incense burns, take a moment to enjoy its scent and the atmosphere it creates. Incense has been used for thousands of years in rituals and ceremonies, often to symbolise prayer and purification. Even today, many people burn incense to enhance their spiritual practices, meditation, or simply to create a relaxing ambiance in their homes.
Remember to always exercise caution when burning incense. Keep it away from flammable materials, children, and pets. Ensure that the space is well-ventilated, and avoid placing incense in drafty areas to prevent hot ash from blowing around. Lastly, when disposing of used incense, run it under cool water to fully extinguish any lingering embers before discarding it.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use a blend of herbs, flowers, wood bark, resins, and berries. Common herbs used for incense include sage, sweetgrass, basil, rosemary, marjoram, hyssop, frankincense, lavender, rose, juniper, and myrrh.
Makko powder, also known as incense powder, is made from the bark of the Machillus Tree and works well to bind herbs together. If you can't find makko powder, cedarwood powder, sandalwood powder, or powdered charcoal are good alternatives.
You can form the incense into cones by hand or use a small conical mold. A piping bag with the metal tip detached makes a perfect mold for your incense cones.
Place your cones on wax paper and allow them to dry for at least 12 hours. Turn the cones over halfway through to ensure both sides dry.
Fill a heat-resistant bowl with sand or salt and place the cone on top. Light the tip of the cone, wait a few seconds, and blow it out. The cone will continue to smoke for about an hour. Always ensure incense is placed in a fire-safe container before lighting and kept away from fabric, children, and pets.
