Incense, oils, herbs and crystals
 

This thread may go nowhere.

I'm an incense / essential oils fanatic. I'm constantly burning something, even if it's just a candle. I'm way into aromatherapy and it really does work for me. I love burning sage when I can get it. And I have a small crystal collection.

Anyone with me on this?

I dont do crystals but I do love incense and oils, though Im incredibly picky on the scents, most of the ones you find at head shops do nothing but give me a headache....I stock up on mine at the Renn Fair each year, the woman there that sells them has been there forever and the quality of her oils, to me, is unsurpassed

I'm so with you on that. 90% of the oils I sample freakin' stink. Like cheap perfume. I'm going to have to check out the festival! I haven't been in years but now I feel like I have to go.

Aura Cacia makes some nice ones. But to my knowledge, they make no blends. Just singles. I buy those at Vitacost.com or Amazon.com and usually use them in my car diffuser or oil burner.

My therapist has me hooked on a few of on this page. Young Living Essential Oils But would you freakin' look at the prices??? I can understand why they're that high but I just can't swing that. She gives me samples. She's a salesperson for them.

Regarding incense, I'm a nut with a shitload so I'll save that for another post lol. Pro tip: don't buy grocery store crap. *shudder*

Totally with you on all counts.

I do use aromatherapy in particular. I've got a collection of essential oils and perfume oils, and use the contents of my herb garden where I can.

Renn Faire incense is the best. It's probably Global Scents if it's anything like my Renn Faire--I think they do a lot of Faires. They've got some amazing blends.

i like to burn things that make my place smell nice. incense, scented candles, i'll even put cinnamon in a pan and heat it up, or even better, kosher salt and szechuan peppercorns, heat them in a dry pan, they smoke and it smells like a church.

omg I'm doing this tomorrow.

This site is amazing for incense:
Incense Sticks, Japanese Incense, Wine Holders, Incense Burners, Incense Cones, Teas, Puzzles, Kites
Best prices anywhere. Selection is unbeatable. And they include samples in orders.

Some recommendations:

• Incense > Nippon Kodo / Morning Star, Kah Fu, etc > scroll to Morning Star Sandalwood
• Incense > Ko-Shi > Ko-Shi Blueberry Incense / Less Smoke (more of a feminine scent)
• Nag Champa, Sayta Incense
• Goloka Incense, Maker Nag Champa at Ecclecstacy Arts
• Super Hit Incense Incense
• Satya Sairam Incense from India

You are one intereting guy! And I'm always amazed by the stuff you share.
You write like a writer warrior type who is surfing on the razors edge.

I think you are on the edge of some intense, terrific "breakthroughs".
Just had to share the psychic vibe. (It doesn't happen often here, ya know.)

I'm wondering if anyone's familiar with the 'Cucina' line by 'Fruits & Passion?' I want to get these oils but I don't know what they smell like - except for the Coriander and Olive Tree.

http://www.ebubbles.com/images/P/0034c-handduo-1.jpg

The oils:

http://www.ebubbles.com/images/P/0034-51030-01.jpg

The scents:

Coriander and Olive Tree
Ginger and Sicilian Lemon
Lime Zest and Cypress
Sanguinelli Orange Fennel

I rarely get to burn the stuff, but I do hang sticks of Nag Champa in my closet to make my clothes smell more like hippy.

Love the stuff. I'm actually burning some of the oil right now. If you're referring to Satya, did you know they also make soap and lotion in the scent? I found them not too long ago. Haven't purchased any though.

My wife has a vanilla oil that she burns, it makes my house smell like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, I love it.

She is a wiccan and she has a lot of oils and incense and gems and stones and crystals and dare I go on.

..."oh my!"

Somehow this thread made me hungry.

I burn incense when i think to. I'm with you that most scents kind of suck.

Yeah usually if you see 'hand-dipped,' walk away. 'Hand-rolled' is often a good sign. Anything black (charcoal based) is poop.

Not sure if it's like this everywhere, but I noticed some Indian-owned gas stations here are starting to sell samples of the good stuff. Nice way to try before you buy in larger sizes.

I've started experimenting with resins. I love them. Never tried them out before.

These are the 2 that I've tried so far:

http://ramakrishnanandasgifts.com/im...eC/img_211.jpg http://ramakrishnanandasgifts.com/im...eC/img_213.jpg

The ingredients really intrigued me and they smell fantastic. They're just blends of all different bits of resins, oils and woods. Pretty cool actually. Very 'pure.'

I want to try frankincense or myrrh or something. Anyone familiar with this kind of burning?

I compound my own incense, and I use frankincense and myrrh in my sacral incense mix, and in one of my cleansing mixes.

I also keep a number of herbs around for the making of healing teas, tisanes, and drenches, as well as for putting into incense and smudges of varying kinds.

Essential oils I don't work with much, except in cooking. But I like my fiancee to wear them sometimes, instead of artificially compounded perfume-- which I never like. For some reason, pine resin and rosemary is a really arousing scent on a woman for me....

I don't work much with crystals. The mystical systems I use don't favor any material being inherently more or less able to channel positive energy, and other than that, I feel they're mostly aesthetic. I think I have a geode, someplace.....

I adore rosemary.

Are you by any chance familiar with the scent of benzoin? I bought some the other day but because of the packaging, I couldn't smell before buying. Well, it stinks. Like freakin' nail polish remover. But I thought it was supposed to smell so good?? bleh

Incense often makes me sneeze, so when I want my place to smell nice I generally cook something... just an option for my fellow allergy sufferers.

I love incense and oils and crystals. My room has all sorta of "esoteric" (would that be the word?) shit. I have dowsing rods, crystal balls, all types of crystals and gems.. and tons of incense and oils.

I do a lot of meditation and healing and fortune telling.

I usually buy my stuff at stores that sell oils and magick crap exclusively so they're always pretty good quality AND pretty cheap.

Lavendar oil usually gets to me after a while, but the one I bought from this one magick and esoteric crap bookstore was awesome. Smelled like the actual floral bunches. Sooo sweet.. and not at all dizzying.

Yes, and I don't like the smell of the Nag Champa in the soap and lotion, oddly enough. I really love it in the incense sticks, though, and love the smell of it on my clothes.

I've been drying lavender lately for the smell. I have planed three kinds of lavender--French, English, and a hybrid called Pinnaflora. Love the French lavender; it's beautiful and smells lovely.

I think you're looking for 'eccentric.'

I'm the same way when it comes to decor. I have some odd, but cool stuff in my place - large wooden hand incense burners, imported wooden bowls and chargers and some crazy cool cast iron urns and what not.
I haven't smelled it in those forms but I know what you mean - the same scent can smell different.

Have you tried Super Hit? It's also made by Satya. Very similar to Nag Champa but with a touch of vanilla. It's another staple I keep around.

http://wholesale.incensewarehouse.co...hit-header.jpg

Even i am crazy of essential oils. I have a good collection of candles in diff flavors, but i dont use thm everyday. I use thm on spl occasions. i evn hv a good collection of oils with diff aroma which gives me a good relaxed feelin in my bathtub. i almost use thm everyday. try thm i am sure u would lov them.

Well most recently, I picked up some frankincense, dragon's blood and tonka beans. This type of frankincense is weak unfortunately. And it doesn't burn well. The dragon's blood is nice. Takes a lot to get a strong scent going though. But omfg - tonka bean ftw. I was turned on to tonka beans when I picked up a candle a couple years ago in that scent. It was like heaven. Tonka bean smells like almond, vanilla, cashew with a little cinnamon. I just break a bean in half and burn half on charcoal. It's fantastic.

I'm really liking this whole resins / herbs / woods thing. I still burn sticks and cones but using raw materials just seems so much 'cleaner.' I'm going to check into making my own. Found a couple books I want to get on the subject that are bestsellers. I'll keep you posted if anyone's interested.

Has anyone tried incense from this line?

https://www.wild-berry.com/mm5/index.html

I'm seeing on various sites and forums that people love it. Just wanted to talk to others if you've used it before. Pretty cheap. And the scents are interesting.

https://www.wild-berry.com/mm5/newimages/topbar.jpg

Seems like the right place to ask. Anyone know what kind of incense is used in Catholic masses like Easter, funerals, and the like? Google is giving me mixed results. I'd really like to get a few sticks, cones, or whatever because even though I've abandoned religion, it brings back fond memories of going to church with my grandmother (my mom's church didn't do all the flair like stained glass and incense.) I wouldn't mind lighting some and having my house smell like it.

I was raised Catholic / Greek Orthodox so I know what you're talking about. I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure they use loose incense with charcoal disks - but no clue as to what the mixture is. I'll look around. My grandmother used to always bless us walking around the house with a brass hangy urn thing with stuff burning inside. She'd mumble in Greek and make the sign of the cross on our foreheads. Yet she still never managed to purge my demons.

---------- Post added at 11:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------

K here's some info -

• It is definitely loose / resin incense that's used in churches
• Frankincense and Myrrh are used often
• Frankincense and Sandalwood are used often
• This seems to be a popular incense that's used in churches. Google 'Three Kings Incense' to compare prices. I just can't tell you if it smells good or not.

http://www.stjudeshop.com/resources/...301.zoom.a.jpg

When you purchase resin incense, you'll need to get charcoal tablets as well. Not sure if you know how it works so I'll spare you the how-to's unless you need the info lol.

I've seen how some of my Pagan friends set up resin incense.. it's a little bit like setting up a hookah but without the rest of the hookah bowl.

you pour some in a bowl (my friends were using a glass bowl), wrap the top with foil, poke holes in the foil, heat up the charcoal so it retains the heat (they used a hot plate) and put it on top of the foil. This should heat up the incense.

This is what I observed.. though I could be wrong in the steps. :P

There's a vendor at the Ohio Renn Fest that has the BEST scented oils. I can't remember what they're called, but their Egyptian Jasmine is absolutely amazing. I try to conserve the vial and use it for special occasions only, but I always run out before the fest comes around again.

I think I'll buy two vials this year.

From what I've read, glass is not heat safe enough to burn charcoal / resin. It can shatter. They suggest metal bowls (brass or cauldrons) more so over anything. You'll also need sand to retain the heat. I use a soapstone bowl with play sand.

These are the charcoal tablets. They come in several different brands. Don't pay more than $2:00 a roll. I pay only $1.25 at a shop I go to:

http://www.giftsupplies.biz/images/2...20Charcoal.jpg

As you can see, they have an indentation at the top for your incense. When lighting one up, do it outside! It smokes and stinks lol. Bring your bowl of sand with you. Holding the tablet with either tongs or your fingers (they don't recommend this but I haven't had any problems,) hold a lighter to the tablet. When it starts to spark like a sparkler, set the tablet in the center of the sand. Let it smoke and spark until it's done. That's when you'll know it's lit and ready for use indoors. It'll also glow red when you blow on it and / or turn grayish around the edges.

Place your resin / powder / etc. in the indentation at the top. It will begin to smoke (a lot) and smell up your home all nice and pretty. Use a small amount of incense before using larger amounts to gauge how strong it is. Once it stops smoking, you can add more to the tablet or just let it burn out.

DO NOT EVER THROW THE TABLET IN THE TRASH. These things can burn for quite a while, even though they claim they're good for 25 minutes / pop. I'll scoop mine up with a spoon and dump either in the toilet and flush or I'll just drop it in an ashtray to make sure it burns out completely.

I do still use sticks and cones, but using charcoal and resin is just 'neater.' It's more pure. If you're that into new age'ish stuff, Wicca, paganism, etc., make it a ritual for yourself.

It's because I started this whole charcoal / resin thing that I've been inspired to start making my own blends. I got one of the two books I'm after to learn more about what smells good together, what each herb / resin / bean / seed represents, etc. Yeah, I'm way into aromatherapy anyways.

So that's it. :)

The more I look around and research about different stuff, it seems Frankincense is definitely what's used in Catholic / Greek Orthodox churches. So I guess you can try the resin form of that or maybe that Three Kings, etc.

I'm pretty sure it was glass, but yeah, I could be wrong since I was only watching from a distance. It could've been metal but it looked like opaque glass to me. :P

Anywho, I'm a big floral fan but I can't do heavy musky scents because my family gets a headache from anything too heavy (Nag Champa was too heavy for them :P).. just wondering what you all would recommend for me.

I love fragrances of all sorts, so I am open to try things other than florals, but I need brands/products that aren't too strong or heavy.

Oh I'm not doubting you! I'm sure there's lots of different methods people use. The soapstone bowl I use actually isn't recommended I don't think. But I put enough sand in there that it seems to withstand heat pretty well (I can still pick up the bowl without getting burned.)

I honestly don't know what to recommend :/. I don't think I've ever tried an incense that was actually 'light and / or floral.' Maybe you should try warming oils instead?

Get a contraption like this:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/361...4228284698.jpg http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4...3488320284.jpg http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9...2048390593.jpg

They obviously come in all different forms and prices can get high. I'm pretty sure you can buy plain old ceramic versions in the craft department at Walmart for maybe $6.00.

Regarding oils, you can find them in lots of places. You can find great deals on the internet but of course, you want to know what they smell like first. They can range anywhere from a couple bucks to $50'ish. But that's if you play with actual, essential oils and not just perfumed ones.

You'll need tealight candles.

Put about a tablespoon of water in the bowl at the top of the warmer. Add maybe 2-4 drops of oil. Light a tealight and place in opening underneath. You'll start smelling the oil within minutes.

I think you'll have much better luck finding lighter scents with oils instead of pungent incenses. I dunno - maybe someone else will have a recommendation?

These are great:

http://www.ebubbles.com/images/P/0034-51030-01.jpg

...but I think they're being discontinued.

And this line is amazing but pricey as hell.

http://www.youngliving.us/

Lets see if I can post to this thread without causing some sort of controversy.

I haven't posted to it before because I am not a big fan of the high-end $10 for 4 sticks kind of incense.

However, I am an incense freak. I have incense burners in every room in the house.

I generally like the earthy sweet scents like patchouli, nag champa, egyptian musk, dragons blood, etc.

I don't like resin incense because it is too high maintenance.

Woods, you asked about Wild Berry brand incense. I have burned it in the past(and currently have some). It is very strong incense. One the most interesting scents they have is called "fizzy pop". It literally smells like you are burning a can of 7up or Sprite. If you plan on trying Wild Berry, I wouldn't suggest getting it from the Wild Berry site though, because you can get it mush cheaper at sites like River Village.

As far as oils go, the way I use them is in an electric potpourri burner. I put in either a wax tart or a votive candle (after removing the wick and metal bit). Then when that scent dissipates (or you can use an unscented votive), I pour a bit of oil directly into the melted wax. I find that this method has several advantages in that the wax does not evaporate so it doesn't need to be monitored or replenished. And since there is no open flame it is much less of a fire hazard. Also cleanup is much easier, just unplug the burner and pop out the wax when it cools instead of having to try and clean off burnt on oil residue.

And to MSD : Incense & Charcoal

Why would there be controversy! I'm glad you contributed to the thread!

'River Village' seems to be wholesale only. I'd probably want to try smaller packages to start anyways - in case something stinks. I've found a couple other sites just by Googling, that sell Wildberry cheaper than their home site though. But it's good to hear a real live opinion lol. I've never heard of them until I saw them mentioned on some other sites / forums.

Love the idea about essentially making your own scented wax tarts. I'm definitely going to try this! Although I don't have an electric warmer so I'd be using tealights for warming.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5198/64423207.gif

River Village is a wholesaler, but you don't have to have a tax ID to shop there, as I have personally purchased from them. Plus their minimum is only $35. Just something to consider if you are able to find some you like and want larger quantities.

A couple of places that you might want to check if you want to sample WildBerry "live", are if you know of any local record/cd shops that sell t-shirts, etc, or "smoking accessory" stores. Those are the places around here that sell WildBerry.

Well that's good to know as they seem to have great prices on various things. The mortar and pestles are around $7.00. I just dropped $20.00 on mine. :/

I also wanted to mention that I'm not only into resins and herbs for the scents alone, but for aromatherapy in general. Call me flakey but I'm a firm believer (maybe I should change the thread title?) Anyways, after I spent around $60 on various herbs, I found this AMAZING site that has stuff at a fraction of the price.

Mountain Rose Herbs | Bulk organic herbs, spices & essential oils

Example:
I spent $3.99 for 1/2oz of lavender flowers
They sell 4oz for $5.75

You CANNOT beat these prices! Now I can't speak for the quality just yet, but the website alone is pretty promising.

They carry all sorts of natural stuff - salt from the Dead Sea, tea supplies, butters like shea and cocoa, essential oils, etc. All for way cheap prices. Worth checking out.

So yeah maybe I'll hit a head shop later today to see if they sell Wildberry. I also heard about the 'Fizzy Pop' before you mentioned it. Must try this.

Got some nice incense sticks yesterday. And they're...*gulp*...made in America lol.

Misticks Incense and Home Fragrance Sticks

I got Champa, Rainforest and Ginger Sutra - all fantastic.

Just had to say how wonderful Tonka Beans are.
Only way I can describe the scent is 'warm and cozy.' Luff it.
I cut it up with scissors into 4-5 pieces and burn them on charcoal.

And if you're flakey:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bul...onka_beans.jpg

Bulk Organic Herbs and Spices

Journal entry #73:

omg I'm so into this whole 'making your own loose incense' thing. I'm loving it. I now have 4 books on it, which include tips, what individual herbs are for, recipes, etc. If it weren't so damn hokey, I'd definitely make a living out of this. I'm making my own recipes already. I have my notes that I could probably make into a book myself eventually. Awesomeness.

Learned the bestest way ever to burn loose incense - use a foil cup. That way, not only do the ingredients not get scorched and stinky, but it's much less clean up. And if by chance you just do herbs one time excluding a resin, you can reuse the cup without having to make another. All it takes is a small square of foil, then I mold it using a plastic bottle cap.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6256/image1pv.jpg

bowl of sand
charcoal tablet
foil cup with ingredients

Soooo much fun yay. And my house smells like I'm cooking cuz I've been using kitchen-y herbs (thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, etc.,) but heh - yeah, that's not happening.

I got my hands on some today. Very strong. And I didn't like a lot of the scents they had. I came home with about 6 different scents. I just wish they had a pen there so I could write the scents on the bags. I know I did get some Fizzy Pop - and you're right about the 7UP. And I also got Sensuality. And one's Earth. Can't remember any others. I'm not big on food flavors in incense form. Candles maybe - but more woody, earthy, resiny scents for incense. Doubt I'll buy it again.

I am, however, in way too deep with the whole loose incense thing :/.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2046/incense2.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3420/incense1.jpg