Incenses have been used since as early as 2000 B.C. They have a deep history in a variety of cultures such as Christianity and Hinduism and evolved from religious uses to witchcraft to everyday use in modern times. Many people believe in the properties that different scents have and although the original intent was for religious reasons, those who use incenses use them for healing, meditation, and fragrance.
I use incenses to help me focus on meditation (which is a great practice for self-love and for destressing during finals) and to remind me to let go of negativity that’s weighing me down. A few of the more commonly used incenses are lavender, nag champa, sandalwood, patchouli jasmine and rose.
Here’s a brief overview of each to help you get started with incenses. Remember every incense can be burned in cone or stick form depending on your preference.
Lavender: This is a cleansing incense used to refresh and revive the mind, body, and home environment. It is used in healing and mediation and depending on the strength it can be either gentle and soothing or bright and invigorating.
Nag Champa: This was originally blended in India and is one of the most popular fragrance. It is used in mediation and as a general magical incense. It’s a blend of florals and Sandalwood and said to stimulate spiritual awareness and keep you grounded in the here and now.
Sandalwood: This is considered a holy wood in India that heals and consecrates. It’s used in magic for wishes, peace, and removing negativity. It is also used to bless altars, tools and ritual spaces. Sandalwood is only used to empower benevolent magic.
Patchouli: This has a dark and earthy aroma which is used to attract magical properties. It’s most used in sex and money spells but also thought to attract growth, mastery, sensuality and promote fertility.
Jasmine: This is used in meditation and since Jasmine blooms during the night it is said to encourage prophetic dreams. This is a Lunar incense and used in New Moon and Full Moon rituals. This is thought to attract love, money and wisdom.
Rose: This is thought to be a classic lover’s incense. It is used to attract and keep true love. Rose is said to have a sacred energy that boosts romantic love and self love.
If you choose to start burning incenses remember to do so responsibly and never leave a burning incense unsupervised.