Anisha Riggs
Incense has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies and medicine. It is also a great way to fill your home with fragrance. Incense is usually burned using charcoal, but this can produce a lot of smoke. A popular alternative is to use an oil warmer, which releases less smoke and can be used with a variety of resins. Resin incense can be purchased or made at home with natural ingredients such as woods, resins, and spices. Making incense at home is a creative and meditative process that allows you to customize your own scents.
How to make resin incense monks:
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Resin, woods, herbs, spices, wine, honey, dried fruits, fragrant hydrosols |
| Preparation | Pulverize ingredients, mix dry ingredients, add resins, blend, roll into balls, dry |
| Burning | Use charcoal, oil warmer, or tea light candle |
| Benefits | Aromatic, meditative, inexpensive, creative, spiritual |
| Considerations | Safety, storage, ingredient ratios, binders |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing your ingredients
- Natural ingredients: Opt for high-quality, natural ingredients to create fine aromatic incense mixtures. This can include a variety of woods, spices, resins, and herbs. Popular wood choices include cedar, sandalwood, and pine, while spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg can add a warm, spicy scent. Resins such as frankincense, myrrh, and copal are commonly used and can be purchased or gathered from conifer tree sap. Dried herbs like lavender, rosemary, and thyme contribute to a fresh and natural fragrance.
- Proportions: When creating your incense mixture, use the right proportions for a balanced scent. A good starting point is to use equal parts herbs and resins. For example, you can mix dried and ground herbs, including both bitter and sweet varieties, to make up half of your mixture. Bitter herbs can include sagebrush, juniper berries, and wormwood, while sweet herbs can be rose petals, lavender, and cinnamon. For the other half, use a form of powdered resin.
- Binder selection: A binder is necessary to help your incense mixture stick together. You can use a small amount of honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine as a natural binder. The binder should be added to your dry ingredients to create a stiff dough-like consistency. It's important not to add too much binder, as it can affect the burning quality of your incense.
- Personal preference and experimentation: Choose ingredients that appeal to your personal fragrance preferences. Start with a simple combination of three ingredients, such as one wood and two herbs, or one resin, one wood, and one herb. As you become more familiar with the process, you can experiment with different ingredients and increase the number of components in your mixture. Visit local herb shops, incense stores, and nurseries to explore a variety of aromatic options.
Remember to store your ingredients in a cool, dark space, and if you're not starting with powdered ingredients, you'll need to pulverize them using a mortar and pestle or a hand-crank coffee grinder. Creating your own resin incense allows you to customize the fragrance and develop unique scent profiles that suit your tastes and purposes.
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Preparing resins and woods
Choosing Ingredients:
Start by selecting your preferred woods and resins. Popular choices include various types of wood, such as cedar, sandalwood, or pine, and resins like frankincense or myrrh. These can be purchased or gathered from nature, such as collecting conifer tree sap. When gathering resins from trees, it is important to only take what is necessary and consider the tree's health. Look for hardened resin pieces that have fallen to the ground rather than collecting it directly from the tree, as resins serve a protective function for the tree.
Pulverizing:
Before mixing your ingredients, they need to be pulverized into a fine powder. This process is easier with resins if you place them in a freezer for about 15 minutes to make them brittle. Pulverize the resins using a mortar and pestle. Woods, on the other hand, are challenging to grind with a mortar and pestle and often require a hand crank coffee grinder. It is recommended to grind the woods first, then herbs, and finally, the resins.
Mixing:
Mix all the dry ingredients, including woods and herbs, in one batch. In a separate container, mix all your resins together. Then, combine the resin mixture with the dry mixture, ensuring a thorough blend. You can return the final mixture to the mortar and pestle for an additional grind to enhance the blending of aromas.
Aging:
The incense mixture benefits from aging, as it allows the aromatics to permeate and create a harmonious fragrance. Store the mixture for a couple of weeks in a dark, cool space, allowing the different scents to meld together.
After preparing your resins and woods, you can move on to the next steps of making incense, such as forming incense cones or sticks, or simply enjoying your loose incense mixture.
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Mixing ingredients
The first step in making incense is to choose a recipe and gather the ingredients. You can use a variety of natural ingredients such as woods, resins, herbs, spices, wine, honey, dried fruits, and fragrant hydrosols. It is recommended to use high-quality, natural ingredients and store them in a cool, dark space.
If you are not starting with powdered ingredients, you will need to pulverize them. You can use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder for this step. However, electric coffee grinders should be avoided as they produce too much heat, which can cause the loss of vital chemicals from the ingredients. A helpful tip is to freeze resins for a short time (around 15 minutes) to make them easier to pulverize. Woods can be particularly difficult to pulverize with a mortar and pestle, so you may need to use a hand crank coffee grinder or start with powdered wood.
Once you have your ingredients prepared, it's time to mix them together. Mix all your dry ingredients (herbs and woods) together separately from your resins. Then, combine the two mixtures and blend them thoroughly. You can use a mortar and pestle to grind the completed mixture one more time to help blend the aromas of each ingredient.
At this point, you will have a "loose non-combustible incense mixture". You can age the mixture for a couple of weeks to allow the aromatics to permeate each other and produce a single fragrance. However, if you are making incense pellets, cones, or sticks, there are a few additional steps. You can add a binder to your mixture, such as honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine, to help it stick together. The consistency should be similar to a stiff dough—crumbly but able to stick together when squeezed.
Next, roll the mixture into pea-sized balls, which can be rolled in powdered herbs to prevent sticking. Place them on a ceramic plate or parchment paper to dry for several days to a couple of weeks, turning them occasionally to ensure even drying.
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Shaping incense
Preparing the Ingredients:
Start by choosing your favourite woods, spices, resins, and other aromatic substances. It is recommended to use high-quality, natural ingredients to ensure the best fragrance. You can experiment with different substances, but always include at least one type of resin or wood in your mixture as a base. Visit local herb shops, incense stores, or nurseries to explore a variety of ingredients. Remember to store all ingredients in a cool, dark space to maintain their freshness and aromatic properties.
Pulverizing the Ingredients:
Before mixing, ensure your ingredients are in a powdered form. If you are using resins, freezing them for a short time (around 15 minutes) will make them easier to pulverize. Use a mortar and pestle to grind and powder the resins effectively. For woods, you may need to use a hand crank coffee grinder as they can be challenging to pulverize with a mortar and pestle. Herbs can be ground using either method. When grinding, it is best to start with woods, then herbs, and finally resins.
Mixing the Ingredients:
Begin by mixing your dry ingredients (herbs and woods) together in one bowl. In a separate container, mix all your resins together. Combine the resin mixture with the dry mixture and blend them thoroughly. You can use a mortar and pestle to grind the final mixture one more time, ensuring a uniform blend of fragrances.
Adding a Binder:
To shape your incense into cones, pellets, or sticks, you will need to add a binder to your mixture. Binders help to hold the ingredients together, creating a stiff dough-like consistency. You can use a small amount of honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine as a natural binder. Mix the binder into your incense mixture until it forms a crumbly yet moldable dough.
Shaping the Incense:
Once your mixture is ready, it's time to shape it into your desired form. For incense cones or pellets, roll the mixture into small, pea-sized balls. You can coat them with powdered herbs to prevent sticking. Place the shaped incense on a ceramic plate or parchment paper to dry. Allow them to air dry for several days to a couple of weeks, turning them occasionally to ensure even drying.
Storage and Burning:
After your incense has dried, store them in a cool, dry place until you are ready to use them. When you wish to burn your incense, place a charcoal briquette or tablet in an incense burner or dish. Light the charcoal using a match or lighter, and once ash forms on the edges, place a piece of your shaped incense on top. The heat will release the fragrance of your carefully crafted incense. Always exercise caution when burning incense and ensure proper ventilation.
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Burning incense
Firstly, choose a heat-safe vessel, preferably an incense burner designed for burning resins. These burners are made from materials such as brass or ceramic and can be found in the form of bowls or trays. If you are not using a specialised resin burner, it is recommended to fill the vessel with a bit of salt or black sand to help absorb heat and protect the dish from the charcoal.
The next step is to light a charcoal disc using a match or lighter. You can use tongs to hold the charcoal safely. Place the lit charcoal in the centre of your vessel, on top of the sand or directly into the resin burner. It is important to wait for the charcoal to fully ignite and turn grey or white. This usually takes just a couple of minutes.
Now, you can add your chosen resin incense. Place a small piece or a few smaller pieces of resin in the middle of the charcoal. The resin will begin to melt, bubble, and release its fragrance as smoke billows into the air. You can add additional resin pieces as desired and even blend different resins to create a custom scent.
It is important to note that burning resin incense requires caution. Never leave lit charcoal unattended and ensure it is kept away from flammable materials. Always use heat-resistant surfaces and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
By following these steps, you can enjoy the mystical and therapeutic experience of burning resin incense, creating aromatic spaces and enhancing your spiritual practices.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a resin, such as frankincense or myrrh, which you can buy or gather from conifer tree sap. You will also need a binder such as honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine. Finally, you will need a heat source such as charcoal or a tealight candle.
If you are using resin from a tree, only gather hard resin, not soft sticky sap. To make the resin easier to crush, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes or a few hours until it becomes brittle. Then, use a mortar and pestle to grind the resin into a powder.
You can add dried and ground herbs, such as sagebrush, mugwort, yarrow leaves, juniper berries, wormwood, white sage, rosemary, thyme, rose petals, lavender, yarrow flowers, fir needles, or cinnamon. You can also experiment with other natural ingredients such as woods, spices, wine, and honey.
First, mix your dry ingredients (herbs and woods) together. Then, in a separate container, mix all your resins together. Next, add your resin mixture to your dry mixture and combine thoroughly. Finally, throw the completed mixture into a mortar and pestle and grind it all together one last time to help blend the aromas.
To burn resin incense, you can use an incense burner with charcoal. Fill the burner with salt or sand to help absorb heat, then place a charcoal tablet inside and light it with a match or lighter. Once the charcoal is fully lit and ash has begun to form, place a small piece of resin in the middle. Alternatively, you can burn resin incense without charcoal by making a homemade incense burner using an old soda can and a tealight candle.
