This is just a simple starter for those that are new
to using herbs so please disregard this if you are already familiar with the use of herbs.
It is advisable to be very careful with herbs as some herbs can be toxic and you should always be well informed of the herbs you are working with and any potential dangers that using
herbs can bring. It is also advisable to be cautious of allergic reactions to any herbs you have never handled before. If you have any kind of allergic reaction it is advisable to seek medical attention to prevent any serious danger to your health.
Now for those of you that are new to using herbs, the most common use of herbs is in the form of incense. Each herb has its own magical properties and you should use a good source of herbal properties to form the correct incense, or you can find many incense recipes on the web and there are countless
books that contain herbal incense recipes as well. In most cases it only takes a small pinch of each herb to create incense unless you are creating incense that you will be using often and then you can use larger amounts to create a blend that you can keep stored for use at a later time.
Incense of this type is typically used in two ways, either it is burned on clean burning charcoal block, which are intended for indoor use. DO NOT use charcoal from a BBQ that type is not intended to be used indoors and creates toxic fumes that can kill you. There are many brands of charcoal for incense
burning and they can be found on eBay as well as other place on the web or at your local metaphysical store. One Brand is Called “Swiftlite” and is a brand that is rather common on the market.
You simply light the charcoal and allow it to burn for a few minutes so that it is burning well and then you add the incense on top. Be very careful when using charcoal block as they burn VERY HOT and it is advisable to use a heat proof container to prevent burning anything the incense holder is on top of. You
can also use sand in the bottom of your container to help decrease the transfer of heat.
The second method for using loose herbs for incense is to use cigarette rolling papers. You simply place the herbs in the rolling paper as if you were rolling a cigarette then you can either attach the rolled incense to a short stick or even a metal skewer and light the end and allow it to burn that way.
I hope this helps those that are new to using herbs for incense. Remember there is lots of information on the web as well so do your research and you will find lots of ways to use herbs in your daily life.
