MAGICAL

[NCENSES
by

MAGICAL
INCENSES
by

DAVE LEE
Tbe aim of this book is to provide the basic know-how
required to start making high quality magical incenses for ritual,
celebration and meditation. It is suitable both for the complete
beginner and the advanced ritualist. Over 100 ingredients are
introduced, and over 70 recipes are given. For those who wish to
formulate their own recipes, comprehensive Tables of
Correspondences are included.

Copyright D a v e Lee 1992, 2000 c.e.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the publishers.

First Edition Revelation 23 Press, 1992 c.e.

S e c o n d E d i t i o n attractor,

2000 c.e.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: USING I N C E N S E

Chapter 2: I N C E N S E INGREDIENTS

Chapter 3: MAKING INCENSE

16

Chapter 4: I N C E N S E FORMULAS

19

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

36

APPENDIX: CORRESPONDENCES

38

iii

INTRODUCTION
The art of incense making is the most ancient branch of
perfumery. Incenses are solid perfumes, based on the gums and
resins obtained from trees, -which need to be burned on charcoal to
give off their exotic aromas. The word perfume comes from a word
for smoke; long before people learned how to distill essential oils
to make what we now call perfumes, sweet-smelling woods were
gathered for the fires of celebration, and pungent herbs were
burned to keep pests away.
The Egyptians left various incense recipes, prizing highly
the frankincense grown in the fabled Punt, probably the Horn of
Africa, where some of the best frankincense is still grown. They
developed the formulation and use of incense to a fine art of ritual
offering.
Stupendous quantities of incenses were used
ceremonially by the Egyptians and the Assyrians, who burned
nearly sixty tonnes of incense during the annual Baal festival.
Incenses are mentioned in the Old Testament, in particular
the Holy Incense of Moses, the instructions for the manufacture of
which were delivered along with those for building the Ark of the
Covenant.
The incenses dealt with in this book are the kind that need
to be burned on hot charcoal. The manufacture of self-burning
stick and cone incenses is not covered. These are much more
difficult to make at home, and the results are generally
disappointing, certainly far less interesting in the range of
fragrances you can make. The ingredients for an enormous range
of incenses can be kept in a small cupboard in your home
(incidentally perfuming your home gently all the time!), and the
equipment required is very basic and inexpensive.
For
background mood enhancement oils can be evaporated on a
fragrancer and give pure aroma, with no smoke. Incenses have
an additional dramatic side, from the lighting of the charcoal,
which sputters and sparks, to the taking up of a pinch of this
specially prepared offering, to the swirling coils of smoke that rise
from the censer, changing in smell as the incense bums.
1

Chapter 1

USING INCENSE
INCENSE AND

RITUAL

"Burn to me perfumes!"
While it is possible to burn a joss stick from the corner shop
for a ritual, this is a case of cutting corners and doing without.
No-one who has not experienced the atmosphere of a good
incense, prepared specifically for that particular kind of ritual
and no other, can appreciate the difference it makes. The smoke
seems to act as a vehicle for your invocations, mantras and
devotions via the vibration of the bodymind's biofield,
amplifying them tremendously to potentiate the intention of
the ritual. A candle- or fire- lit sanctuary in a temple or in a
woodland clearing where the glowing clouds of smoke seem to
vibrate with the spoken words, swirl with the movements of the
participants, and above all reach the nose in wisps of everchanging unearthly fragrance... this is the stuff of which effective
ceremony and ritual are made.
For the ritualist, the ancient and earthy complexity of
incense is turned to advantage:
"...however sweet may be its smell, it is always
cloudy...in this smoke, illusions arise. We sought the light, and
behold, the Temple is darkened! Yet we cannot do without the
Incense! Unless our aspiration took form, it could not influence
form"
- Magick by Aleister Crowley
The effect that the incense has on the ritualist arises chiefly
from a powerful form of association, of making a link between an
object or situation and a state of consciousness. The well-known
ability of a perfume to recall vividly to mind a person, place or
time is put to extremely effective use in the making of magical
incenses. The ingredients are selected on a basis of traditional or
intuited association with the object of the ritual, and blended with
2

that object in mind. Repetitive use of the incense under the same
conditions builds up a stronger and stronger association of the
incense with the objective. Incense is also, of course, an offering
to the Gods, Goddesses and Spirits, a celebratory link between
this world and the inner levels. Whatever tradition you work
with, the offering of incense can form a concentriated series of
magical gestures in itself, or incorporated in the coiitext of a
longer ritual.
In evokation to visible appearance, the overpowering levels
of aromatics and the wall of swirling smoke combine to produce a
"screen" on which the demon can be hallucinated. If this is the
kind of effect you want, choose an incense that will not choke you!

BURNING

INCENSES

To release their aromas, resins and herbs require the red

heat of burning charcoal. To be precise, the aim is not to burn the
incense completely, but to smoulder it gently. The charcoal
usually takes the form of discs or tablets of willow charcoal,
impregnated with saltpetre to make it easy to light, and
compressed to keep it burning longer. It is available from
religious shops and incense suppliers.
Charcoal discs should be stored away from moisture, which
they tend to pick up from the air. A match or two is usually
enough to get the charcoal sparkling, then you should put it into
the incense burner before it gets too hot to hold. Once the disc is
glowing red, sprinkle some incense on. You can try using red hot
coals from a fire, but they only burn for a very short time.

CENSERS AND

THURIBLES

A censer or thurible is a fireproof container t h a t allows air

to get to the charcoal whilst enclosing it safely. At minimum, you
can use an open metal dish, with something fireproof to protect
the surface under the dish, or even a dish half full of sand Or dry
earth. At the other end of the scale, there are the gigantic swing
chain censers used in cathedrals. Between these extremes,
various sizes and designs of brass incense burner are available,
often of Indian brass and highly decorative.
If you choose a free standing design without chains, you
might find that the charcoal stays alight longer if you do not cover

the censer. With a swing chain censer, picking it up and moving it

around gets air to the charcoal and keeps it burning, enabling
the lid to be left on. On the other hand, you may not want to
move about during a meditation! The best general purpose
censers have both chains and a sensible base to stand on, so that
you can use them with or without the lid on.

Chapter 2

INCENSE INGREDIENTS
Incenses are largely made up of solid ingredients - gums,
resins, herbs etc. - with essential oils or perfume compounds
soaked on to them.

GUMS AND

RESINS

These are produced by trees and shrubs to protect

themselves from insects, fierce sunlight and so on. Gums usually
refers to the water- soluble substances, and resins to those
insoluble in water. They are usually gathered as liquid saps,
which are then left to harden or processed to give a dry
consistency.
In the manufacture of self-burning stick and cone incenses,
the resin cannot exceed about 20 per cent, or the incense will not
stay alight. The characteristic aroma of self-burning incenses
then is a mixture of the gum used to hold the stuff together, a
touch of saltpetre (see below) and a perfume or essence
sufficiently powerful to overcome these! On the other hand, the
character of "loose" or non self-burning incense is predominantly
the aromas of resins, blending into the herbal and essential oil
notes.
Acacia gum : Better known in the powdered form of Gum
Arabic, from the Acacia Senegal of North Africa. Used largely as
a glue to bind stick and cone incenses, but with some use for its
faint warm aroma.
Aloes, Bitter or Cape : No relation to Aloeswood
(Aquilaria), bitter Aloes is bought as glossy brittle brown-black
lumps or greenish brown powder. Intense bitter quality with a
hint of licorice. Useful as a minor ingredient in some incenses.
Asafoetida : Used in incenses of exorcism, presumably on
the principle that spirits are driven away by the powerful stink.

Ill fact, its magical properties may be related to its action as a

preservative. Actually not too unpleasant in small amounts.
Benzoin, S u m a t r a : Resin of the Styrax benzoin tree.
Greyish brown or translucent lumps that break down to white
powder. Intensely "serious" and yet sensuous aroma.
S i a m e s e B e n z o i n : from another Styrax tree, is also
available. Its odour is reminiscent of vanilla.
B u r g u n d y P i t c h Resin : From the Abies spruce fir,
produced in Germany. Yellow, crumbly resin with a somewhat
turpentine like aroma
Colophony or L u m p R e s i n : Residue of the distillation of
turpentines from pine. Pale lumps or white powder. Light piney
aroma.
Copal : Resin of Hymenoea trees, grown in South America.
Translucent yellow to orange. Sweet light aroma. Copal is said to
have been the ceremonial incense of the Aztecs. Some resins,
both fresh and fossilised, of far Eastern and African trees are also
known as copals.
D a m m a r : Resins of a variety of trees grown in Malaysia.
Translucent pale yellow lumps.
With its cool light aroma,
dammar is sometimes substituted for the far more expensive
mastic in incense blends.
D r a g o n ' s Blood : A bright red powdered resin with a
delicate aroma. Because of its high price, it is usually only
employed as a colouring ingredient. It was at one time used to
colour violins.
Elemi :
From Canarium luzonicum, grown in the
Philippines. Usually encountered as a white, sticky, chewinggum-like mass. Interesting aroma, but rather difficult to handle
in its raw state.
Frankincense or Olibanum :
Resin of the Boswellia
thurifera shrub, grown in Somalia and Eritrea. Yellowish or grey
beads. Aroma is exotically piney, with sometimes a touch of
citrus. One of the very few natural incenses, used on its own.
Olibanum is sometimes known as Gum Thus, which is where the
word "thurible" comes from, so strongly is this plant identified
with incense
G u a i a c u m : Resin of Guaiacum officinale, grown in the
West Indies.
Yellowish powder or brown greenish lumps.
Curious aroma with hints of the sea.

Karaya is a white powdered gum, which has an interesting

and somewhat sour smell when burned. Karaya forms a sticky
mucilage with water, and can be used to bind stick and cone
incenses.
Mastic : Resin of the broadleaf tree Pistachia
lentiscus,
grown in Greece and Cyprus (and used as chewing gum and in
liqueurs). Almost colourless beads. Very bright, enlivening
perfume.
M y r r h : Resin of the Commiphora myrrha bush, grown in
East Africa and the Middle East. Dark brown/reddish/yellowish
grains. A smell that ranges from "noble" to dry and somewhat
bitter.
O p o p a n a x : Gum resin of Commiphora erythroea, grown
in Somalia and Ethiopia. Dark reddish brown and black hard
lumps. Gorgeous bittersweet aroma. Unlike most resins, the
smell of opoponax is strong even without heating it up.
Sandarac : Resin of Callitris guadrivalvis, grown in N.W.
Africa. Similar to mastic (and similarly expensive!).

BALSAMS AND

RESINOIDS

These are the liquid versions of gums and resins, either

occurring much as they are in nature or being processed to
produce a pourable consistency.
Benzoin resinoid : An oil-like extract of the abovementioned Styrax benzoin. Warm, "Solar", balsamic aroma with a
vanilla quality.
Copaiba balsam : An oleo-resin (liquid oily resin) tapped
in great quantities from the Amazon Copaifera tree, which
produces the balsam in pockets under such pressure that the
trees are said to explode from time to time with a loud bang! It
has an interesting aroma, similar to turpentine with a touch of
pepper.
Galbamun : From Ferula galbaniflua, grown in Iraq and
Iran. Usually in resinoid form. Dark to light brown, with one of
the most bizarre and fascinating "dark" smells on Planet Earth.
Labdanum : From the leaves of the Cistus rock rose,
grown around the Mediterranean coast. Usually available in the

resinoid form, a sort of pourable resin. Black, with an intense

"dark" sniell slightly reminiscent of licorice.
Oakmoss or Mousse de C h e n e : From the Euernia
lichens, found growing on oak and spruce trees in France, Italy
and Czechoslovakia. Usually available as a resinoid. Dark
green/brown, delicious earthy musky smell reminiscent of damp
forests.
P e r u B a l s a m : A sticky, storax-like balsam obtained from
a large central American tree (Myroxylon pereirae). Sweet warm
aroma.
S t o r a x : Gum of Liquidambar orientalis, grown in Turkey.
Liquid gum usually available in the consistency of thick syrup.
Delicious^ very heavy, somewhat sexual perfume.
TolU B a l s a m :
From the large South American tree
Myroxylon toluiferum.
Usually available as a solid balsam the
consistency of bonfire toffee, tolu has a soft, sweet amber like
fragrance.

WOODS, ROOTS,
HERBS,
BERRIES FLOWERS etc.

BARKS,

Many of these have medicinal or mildly psychoactive

properties, and herblore contains many stories, myths and
archetypes associated with herbs.
A l k a n e t : this dark reddish-brown to black root gives a
dark, sweetly sweaty aroma. A favourite in ancient Egyptian
recipes.
Allspice o r P i m e n t o : hot but pleasant "Solar" spice note.
Aloeswood : the old and dead wood of Aquilaria agallocha,
aloeswood is a much prized ingredient of ancient magical
incenses. The heavy, almost rotten pieces of wood that produce
the best perfume are separated from the much less valuable fight
wood by t h r o w n g the mixture into water, giving rise to the
Chinese name which means "fragrance sinking under water".
Aloeswood, especially the best quality, is extremely difficult to
obtain. The oil is in great demand in the Moslem world as a
perfume. When obtainable, it is very expensive. The famous
Incense from the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage calls for it
as first choice, but fortunately is happy to accept any "sweet
8

woods". The obvious choice of substituent would be sandalwood,

perhaps modified with cinnamon or another spice, and a touch of
ambergris compound.
S t a r A n i s e e d ; the aroma should need no introduction.
Aniseed is one of the spices whose burned smell is as good as you
would expect. Sweet but fiery quality.
Balm of Gilead : Also known as Mecca Balsam, this is
usually sold in the form of dried "sticky buds" for the purpose of
incense. Somewhat smoky balsamic perfume.
Bay Leaves : surprisingly good to burn - a wonderfully
"noble" aroma.
Bryony R o o t : this is the English Mandrake, one species of
the fabled magical and narcotic root.
Calamus R o o t : one of the ingredients given for the fabled
Kyphi recipe of Egypt, calamus or sweet flag is a truly ancient
medicine and incense herb. Characteristic sharp and sweet note
with heavy overtones.
C a r d a m o m s : green cardamoms are somewhat citrus-like,
and sweeter than the black elaichi cardamom.
C i n n a m o n and the coarser Cassia b a r k s : warm spicey
aroma. Often used in incenses for attracting money.
C o r i a n d e r : try burning some seeds - an interesting spice
aroma.
Damiana : a popular aphrodisiac that gives a pleasant oily
herbal note.
Deerstongue Leaves : rich, heady vanilla aroma.
Dittany of Crete : Unique dense herbal note, the incense
par excellence of materialisation in old recipes.
G a l a n g a l Root : an ancient medicine and incense. Ginger
like, but cooler.
G r a i n s of P a r a d i s e : a kind of peppery seed, related to
cardamom. Traditionally attributed to Jupiter.
High John or Jalap R o o t : High John the Conqueror root
(Ipomoea jalapa) is a hard, knobbly, brownish root much prized as
a good luck charm in West Indian and Neo-African sorcery.
Ground down, it finds a place in many incenses for consecration
or good luck.
Hyssop : traditional incense of banishing. "Clean" herbal
note.

Juniper Berries : an extremely versatile and useful

ingredient, the cool sweetness of Juniper berries has a range of
possible attributions.
Lavender Flowers : delicious cool floral aroma.
Lemongrass Herb :
a lemon-like Oriental flavour.
Strongly cleansing quality.
Lemon Peel : when well-dried, surprisingly pleasant.
Marigold Flowers : rather like saffron, and good for their
golden colour.
Myrtle : Cool, pleasant herbal aroma traditionally ascribed
to Venus and Luna.
Oak, Pine and other Barks : some incense makers make
much of ivoodbase; this means sawdust, and is generally a cheap
adulterant of better ingredients. However, the bark appropriate
to a given incense can be used to enhance its talismanic
properties. Generally, barks give a warm autumnal smell.
O r r i s Root : available as a cream-coloured powder, orris
root is widely used in pot pourris to retain the fragrance of the
oils. It contributes a faint echo of its violet-like aroma to incenses.
Patchouli Leaves : earthy and delicious, like the oil. Both
Saturnian and Venusian qualities.
P e p p e r s , R e d a n d Black : burned on their own, peppers
give off a choking, irritant smoke, but can be used in some
mixtures to give a fiery note.
Roses : autumn leaves with a touch of rose.
Rosemary : a traditional herb of banishing, rosemary
burns with a warm, refreshing smell. A mental stimulant, which
relates to its role in banishing.
Sandalwood (also known as White Sandalwood) is one of
the great traditional Indian incenses. One of the most useful
incense ingredients, especially in the powdered form.
Sanderswood :
also known as red sandalwood.
Pleasantly pungent traditional ingredient. Genuine sanderswood
is usually sold as quite dark red tiny chips, smaller than a grain
of rice.
The inferior padauk wood is sometimes sold as
sanderswood, and usually comes as larger chips of a pinker
colour.
S a s s a f r a s : worth trying for its curious spicey smell.
Tonka or Tonquin beans : seeds of a tall South American
tree, treated by soaking in rum to give produce the black,

10

wrinkled beans covered in coumarin crystals, which are used as

luck charms. Rich vanilla-like perfume.
V a l e r i a n Root : extremely heavy odour of unwashed feet.
May be used (traces!) in a heavily Saturnian incense. A curious
feature of valerian is that it smells worse from a distance than it
does close up.
V e r b e n a : warm lemon-herb aroma.
White Willow B a r k : pleasantly bitter.
W o r m w o o d : traditional bitter narcotic stimulant herb
used to make absinthe.

ESSENTIAL
COMPOUNDS

OILS

AND

PERFUME

Essential
oils are pure, natural plant essences obtained
from flowers, fruits, berries, woods, leaves, seeds, barks etc. They
are extracted by steam distillation,
solvent extraction, or
expression (pressing from fruit peels). Of the vast number of
essential oils now available, the following are among the most
useful:
Benzoin: warm, vanilla like aroma.
B e r g a m o t : light citrus, "Earl Grey" flavouring.
C a m p h o r : available as an oil, and sometimes in crystalline
form. Called for in old recipes, but may sometimes be replaced to
advantage with the appropriate camphor- containing or camphorlike essential oil. Examples are rosemary, marjoram, eucalyptus.
C e d a r w o o d : soft, rich and smoky.
Cassia: hot and spicey.
Clove leaf, G i n g e r , C a r a w a y , C o r i a n d e r : sweeter spice
notes.
Cypress: distinctive bitter, piney aroma.
G e r a n i u m : distinctive; light but assertive.
J a s m i n : intense, enveloping floral with a hint of sexual
base notes. True Jasmin absolute is very expensive.
L a v e n d e r : cool and clean, with a hint of sweetness.
L e m o n g r a s s : intense, quite harsh lemony aroma.
Lemon,
Lime,
Grapefruit,
Orange,
Mandarin,
T a n g e r i n e : useful citrus notes.
P a t c h o u l i : earthy and sensual.
P e t i t g r a i n , Neroli: from orange leaves and flowers.
11

Pine : sharp, cleansing aroma.

Rose: the ultimate Venusian perfume, but very expensive.
R o s e m a r y : sharp and stimulating.
S a n d a l w o o d a n d Amyris: genuine Indian Sandalwood oil
is obtained from Santalum album. The less expensive Amyris or
West Indian Sandalwood is from a different plant, Amyris
balsamifera, and is similar, but somewhat spicier and smokier.
Amyris is useful too, and has its own mythology, being cut up into
sticks and used as 'candle wood' in night processions in Haiti.
Vetivert: dark and smoky. A favourite ingredient in
traditional after-shaves
Ylang y l a n g : unique and exotic, with aphrodisiac
properties.
Perfume
Compounds
If the range of essential oils is vast, the range of possible
perfume compounds is infinite. Perfumiers continually produce
new blends and different slants on traditional blends.
From a magical point of view, it is best to use essential oils
wherever possible; holistically extracted natural substances have
a subtle, elemental quality lacking in reconstituted oils and
synthetic compounds. However, many perfumes mentioned in
traditional sources are simply not produced in essential oil form.
For instance, true violet flower oil is not available at the time of
writing. Many other oils may be produced in tiny experimental
batches, and are never sold, and some oils are able to be found,
but only at totally prohibitive prices.
Furthermore, the
traditional animal ingredients used by perfumers - musk, civet,
ambergris and castoreum - are produced by methods that involve
death, pain and possible extinction for the animal s they are made
from. Apart from this, they are astronomically expensive when
encountered at all. Substitution by compounds is therefore the
order of the day with the animal perfumes, and may be necessary
in some other cases. The following compounds take in some of the
main themes:
Amber: sweet heavy perfumes reminiscent of storax and
ambergris.
A m b e r g r i s : the natural product is from the stomach of the
sperm whale, occasionally found on beaches but largely a product

12

of the whaling industry these days. In compounds, look for a

distinctly gamey animal odour with a suggestion of deep warmth.
Apple: high quality "nature identical" apple oils (i.e.
chemically identical to the natural extract) are available. Other
fruit compounds are also available - Peach, Blackberry and so on and may prove useful for bringing to life some of the mythological
associations of fruits.
Civet: occasionally called for in old recipes. A very dilute
imitation is recommended - the concentrated stuff, whether
natural or compounded, is truly disgusting!
H o n e y s u c k l e : intense floral with a dreamy vibration.
K h u s k h u s : unique woody fruity aroma. An imitation of an
Indian grass used to weave scented mats.
L e a t h e r : leather or Russian leather compounds are based
on birch tar, and are very useful for adding a Martial note to
incenses.
Lilac: heavy, sweet floral.
Musk: many good compounds are available. The heavy,
Oriental-type ones are generally more useful in incense than the
so-called 'white musks'..
S p i k e n a r d : one of the perfumes of the ancient world, the
root of the Indian herb Nardostachys jatamansi is sometimes
obtainable. A good compound of the oil is valuable in some
traditional recipes.

OTHER

INGREDIENTS

Tinctures are produced by dissolving, steeping or diluting

resins and gums in alcohol. They can be used as a way of adding
a concentrated extract of a natural substance to the incense, the
alcohol evaporating to leave the gummy extract behind.
Minerals
: Some old formulas require ground semip r e c i o u s stones, or salt; these are generally a medium for
accumulating psychic/etheric charge in the incense, salt and
crystalline minerals having the ordered crystalline lattice which
pulls in and fixes etheric charge. An incense that is going to be
subjected to a full consecration will do well to have a pinch of salt
in it. In very sensitive situations, salt might be counter-indicated
because of its subtle Saturnine attribution. (As a psychic
13

accumulator, it is under the rulership of Binah or Saturn, in that

it condenses and fixes the fluid radiations.)
Seasalt is of course a good attribution for any sea deity.
Some Martial and Saturnine recipes call for Sulphur or
Brimstone. This yellow mineral burns to produce antiseptic
(and headache-causing) fumes which are excellent for fumigation.
Similarly, sulphur can be employed in incenses of exorcism.
Saltpetre is added to stick and cone incenses to keep them
burning by themselves. It has a martial, fiery vibration, but not
as pungent as sulphur. Like salt, it can be used as a psychic
accumulator where a fast burning incense is required. Such an
incense, burned during the ritual, will release flashes of
condensed prana into the air.
Wine : The fabulous Egyptian Kyphi calls for wine. A few
drops of consecrated wine can add a wonderful vibrancy to some
incenses.
Woodbase : This is the powdered wood used to obtain the
correct consistency in the paste used on stick and cone incenses.
Wood of the appropriate attribution is very useful in proper
incenses (see the section on Correspondences), but should not
usually make up the bulk of the incense.
Some incense
manufacturers employ sawdust as a cheap diluent - this is very
poor practice in any but the most poverty-stricken circumstances.
Talismanic
Ingredients
: These might be a leaf from a
special tree, a pinch of earth from a sacred site. Breathing ones
own lifebreath into the incense may be appropriate. A magical
diagram drawn on wood and burnt is a related idea.
Requirements for more gruesome ingredients maybe found in the
mediaeval giimoires.
The Missing Ingredient
: There h a d to be one: the Holy
Incense given to Aaron (Exodus 30,34) is: "sweet spices, stacte
[storax] and onycha, and galbanum, these spices with pure
frankincense: of each there shall be a like weight: and thou shalt
make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary,
tempered together, pure and holy". Onycha is supposed by many
authorities to be the shell of a shellfish, obtained in India or Asia

14

Minor. Its occasional confusion with labdanum may give us some

idea of how it smelled.

FINDING YOUR OWN

INGREDIENTS

The list above is in no way exhaustive - try discovering

incense ingredients for yourself. Culinary herbs offer some
surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant!
Light your charcoal. Take a pinch at a time of just one herb
or spice, waft the smoke towards you rather than stand over it,
and sniff.
Take a break before trying another, let your nose get clear.
If you try a few in one session, go for some fresh air afterwards!

15

Chapter 3

MAKING INCENSE
DESCRIBING AROMAS, AND THE BASIS
OF RECIPES
How can one describe an aroma? Smell is the most fugitive
of the senses, not leaving the same orderly impression on the
memory as do sight or sound. Paradoxically, this makes it the
most evocative of the senses, by-passing the conscious mind to a
great extent and so allowing us to communicate with the mind's
deeps. This quality also makes smells very difficult to describe,
though everyone can recall some perfume or aroma which is
loaded with significance or nostalgia.
We might describe perfumes variously as: spicy, light,
warm, cool, sharp, bitter, sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, earthy,
balsamic (like liquid gums), woody and so on. On top of this there
are descriptions which refer to specific aromas, such as piney,
citrus-like, camphor-like, through to more precise chemical
descriptions such as fruit-ester-like, floral-aldehyde-like, terpenelike, and so on almost to infinity!
The descriptions of mixtures is more difficult still: unlike in
painting, where if you mix a red with a yellow you get some sort
of an orange, all the various components of a complex aroma can
act almost independently, giving it many dimensions.
This is not a problem though in incense making; the
ingredients for a given incense are like a cluster around an idea.
They are said to be attributed to a particular God/dess, Planet etc.
They do not have to be the same ingredients every time (though
this can help strengthen associations), or, to put it another way,
there are an infinite number of different but functionally similar
and equally valid recipes for the same, say, Planet.
So why do we choose from a particular set of ingredients for,
say, our Venus recipe, and not from some other?
Astrological
correspondences are the basis : the appropriate Planet is chosen
16

for the type of meditation or ritual required, and the ingredients

are selected from those corresponded to that Planet.
The overall types of correspondence are as follows:
Sun: glorious odours. Noble quality. Works of strengthening
the self, or of attracting positive attention to the self.
Moon: dreamy, sweet, alluring odours. Dream works, some
forms of sexual magick.
M e r c u r y : stimulating, refreshing odours. Works of
business, money, communications, knowledge and study.
Venus: sweet voluptuous odours. Works of love, sensuality,
pleasure and partnership.
Mars: fiery pungent odours. Used in works to obtain
strength, energy, vigorous magical defence and works of male
sexuality.
J u p i t e r : generous, warming expansive odours. Works to
obtain honour, the goodwill of powerful people, or luck.
S a t u r n : heavy odours. Works of restriction, legality, and
connected with agriculture.
U r a n u s : stimulating "offbeat" odours. Works of inspiration
and magical knowledge.
N e p t u n e : mysterious odours. Works of trance and psychic
perception.
Pluto: cold, fantastic odours and darkly sexual odours.
Works of deep unconscious and initiation.
Traditional and tried and tested incense formulas are given
in Chapter 6, and anointing oil formulas in Chapter 10; for those
who wish to make up their own recipes, see the full Tables of
Correspondences in the Appendix.

EQUIPMENT
You will need a good pestle and mortar, for grinding herbs
and resins - they will gum up or blunt a coffee grinder! Buy one
of sufficient size to contain rather more incense than you intend
to make in a batch, leaving room for mixing.
A few mixing bowls of appropriate size are handy, in case
you want to make larger batches of incense than your mortar can
hold, or if you need to process some ingredients separately. A pair
17

of kitchen-type scissors is useful for cutting up dried leaves such

as Bay. A couple of old spoons of various sizes can be handy.
Keep your incense equipment for incense alone - it will
develop special associations, and would scent your food!
Keep some small, airtight containers for storing finished
incenses - small glass jars and grip-top bags are useful.
Above all, keep a notebook, and record all your formulas any one of which could be the ultimate version of an incense!

A GENERAL GUIDE TO RECIPES

In most cases, a good incense will consist of from 50 to 99
per cent of resins. Herbs, woods, etc usually make up most of the
remainder, with essential oils at about Vi millilitre (ml) to 1 ml
per ounce of dry incense. Where the highly expensive but
powerful absolutes of Rose and Jasmin are used, a few drops per
ounce will suffice to provide the right vibration, so concentrated
are these substances.
Some traditional recipes for magical incenses flout these
guidelines completely using very little or even no resin in some
cases. Where an incense consists mostly of herbal material, it is
best to grind the ingredients as finely as possible, to get a gentle,
smouldering action when burned. With highly resinous incenses,
it is not necessary to grind the resins finely - they will smell good
when burning in any case, and a mass of resin powder can
"dampen" charcoal and put it out.

PREPARING

THE INCENSE

Preparation of your incense can be a powerful part of your

magical working. When you make the incense, you are gathering
together ingredients, each with their own sensory and elemental
qualities, and blending them together with a magical intention in
mind. The elemental energies so generated will be released when
the incense is burned.
Before you s t a r t to make an incense, be sure that all your
ingredients are to hand. Start by grinding your ingredients
separately, to the consistency you want them. Fine powders will
mix more thoroughly, and give a more homogeneous perfume
when burned; coarser textures will give a kind of time-release
effect. Add the liquid ingredients last.
18

Chapter 4

INCENSE RECIPES
Where quantities are given, they are proportions by weight,
unless otherwise indicated.
For liquid measures, a typical teaspoonful is approximately
5 millilitres (ml).

INCENSES

OF THE

PLANETS

SUN I n c e n s e
Frankincense
Benzoin
Bay Leaves
Marigold Flowers
Cinnamon Quills
Benzoin Resinoid

4
2
1
as flecks of colour
1
to moisten

MOON I n c e n s e
Copal
Frankincense
Sandalwood Powder
Myrtle
Jasmin Oil

4
4
2
1
a few drops

VENUS I n c e n s e
Benzoin
Rose Petals
Red Sanderswood
Rose Oil

2
1
2
a few drops

19

MERCURY Incense
Dammar Resin
Mace
Lavender Flowers
Storax
Lemon or Lime Oil

4
1
1
1/4
to moisten

MARS Incense
Benzoin
Burgundy Pitch
Cayenne Pepper
Dragon's Blood Powder
Copaiba Balsam

4
4
1/2
to colour
to moisten

JUPITER Incense
Copal Gum
Lavender Flowers
Galangal Root
Balm of Gilead Buds
Cedarwood Oil

4
1/2
1
1
to moisten

SATURN Incense
Myrrh
Alkanet Root
Cypress Leaves
Juniperberries
Patchouli Oil

4
1
1
1
a few dropi

URANUS Incense
Dammar Resin
Opopanax
Dittany of Crete
Mistletoe
Galbanum resinoid

4
1
1/2
1/2
1ml per oz

NEPTUNE Incense
Copal Gum
Bryony (Mandrake) Root
Calamus Root
Deerstongue Leaves
Ylang ylang Oil

6
1
2
1
to moisten

PLUTO Incense
Myrrh
Opopanax
Damiana
Patchouli Leaves
Oakmoss Resinoid

2
4
1
1
1ml per oz

CHIRON Incense
Benzoin
Myrrh
Colpohony
Dammar
Sage
Balm of Gilead Buds
Cedarwood Oil

1
1
1
1
1/2
1
to moisten

AGRIPPA'S
PLANETS

INCENSES

OF

THE

The original recipes for these incenses involve blood and

other animal tissues; these are mostly omitted here. There are nc
quantities given in the original: you are free to experiment!
SUN Incense
Saffron
Ambergris
Musk
Lign Aloes
Lignum Balsam
Laurel Leaves
Cloves
Myrrh
Frankincense
MOON Incense
White Poppy Seed
Frankincense
Camphor
21

MERCURY I n c e n s e
Mastic
Frankincense
Cloves
Cinquefoil
Powdered Agate
VENUS I n c e n s e
Musk
Ambergris
Lign Aloes
Red Roses
Red Coral
MARS I n c e n s e
Euphorbium
Bdellium Gum (the more bitter kind of Myrrh)
Gum Ammoniacum
Hellebore Root
Lodestone powder
Sulphur
JUPITER Incense
Ash seed
Lign Aloes
Storax
Benzoin
Lapis Lazuli
Peacock Feathers
SATURN I n c e n s e
Black Poppy Seed
Henbane
Mandrake root
Myrrh
Powdered Lodestone

22

ZODIAC

INCENSES

For personal empowerment,

and meditation

on the Zodia

signs.
ARIES I n c e n s e
Myrrh
Benzoin
Galangal Root
Geranium or Peony Petals
Geranium Oil

3
3
2
as flecks of colour
to moisten

TAURUS I n c e n s e
Red Sanderswood
Storax
Benzoin
Rose oil

1
1/4
4
a few drops

GEMINI I n c e n s e
Dammar Resin
Mace
Cinnamon Quills
Fennel Seed
Lime oil, Coriander oil

6
1
1
1
to moisten

CANCER I n c e n s e
Copal Gum
Rosemary
Calamus
White Willow Bark
Honeysuckle Fragrance

4
1
1
1
to moisten

LEO I n c e n s e
Allspice
Frankincense
Oak Bark
Bay Leaves
Benzoin Resinoid
Bergamot oil

2
4
1
1/2
to moisten
a few drops

23

24

VIRGO Incense
White Sandalwood
Dammar
Lavender Flowers
Storax
Petitgrain Oil

2
4
1/2
1/4
a few drops

LIBRA I n c e n s e
Dammar Resin
Benzoin
Lemon Verbena
Carnation Oil

2
2
1
a few drops

SCORPIO Incense
Opopanax
Copal
Damiana
Black Peppercorns
Musk oil

2
4
1
2
a few drops

SAGITTARIUS I n c e n s e
Myrrh
Frankincense
Balm of Gilead
Blue flowers
Cedar oil, Pine oil

2
2
1
as flecks of colour
to moisten

CAPRICORN Incense
Benzoin
Myrrh
Patchouli Leaves
Storax

2
2
1
1/4

AQUARIUS I n c e n s e
Colophony
Myrrh
Euphorbia
Violet flowers
Calbanum, Khus khus oil

2
2
1
as flecks of colour
a few drops

PISCES Incense
Copal Gum
White Willow Bark
Guaiacum Resin
Pink Rose Petals
Storax
Lilac Bouquet

INCENSES
THE YEAR

4
2
1/2
as flecks of colour
1/4
a few drops

OF THE FESTIVALS

OI

Burn at the celebrations of the 4 Cardinal Festivals and thi

4 Celtic Fire Festivals that fall between them.
SAMHAIN Incense
Myrrh
Op op an ax
Deerstongue Leaves
Damiana
Labdanum
YULE Incense
Frankincense
Myrrh
Pine Needles
Storax
Cinnamon Quills
A few drops wine
Orange oil
IMBOLC Incense
Dammar
Myrrh
Colophony
Broom Tops
Copaiba Balsam
Cinnamon oil

4
1
1
1
1ml per oz

4
4
1/2
1/4
1/2
to moisten
2
2
2
2
1ml per oz
a few drops
25

E O S T R E (SPRING EQUINOX) I n c e n s e
4
Dammar
1
Lemongrass
1/2
Lemon Verbena
Daffodil Petals
as flecks of colour
Neroli oil
a few drops
BELTANE Incense
Benzoin
White sandalwood
Red Sanderswood
White flowers
Storax
Jasmin Oil
MIDSUMMER I n c e n s e
Frankincense
Fennel Seed
Chamomile flowers
Tonka beans
Deerstongue
Benzoin oil
Bergamot oil

4
1
1
as flecks
1/4
a few drops

6
1
1
1/2
1/2

to moisten
a few drops

LUGHNASADH (LAMMAS) I n c e n s e
Frankincense
5
Burgundy pitch
3
Oak Bark
1
Star Aniseed
1
Clove oil, Labdanum
to moisten
AUTUMN EQUINOX I n c e n s e
Myrrh
2
Copal
2
Applewood
1/2
Tolu Balsam
1/2
Elderberry (or other red berry) for colour

26

INCENSES OF THE ELEMENTS

EARTH I n c e n s e
Myrrh
Frankincense
Oakbark
Rose petals
Lemongrass
Alkanet Root
Storax

2
2
1
1/2
1/2
1
1/2

AIR I n c e n s e
Frankincense
Dammar
Sandalwood
Galbanum
Pine oil

3
3
1
1ml per oz
a few drops

FIRE Incense
Myrrh
Benzoin
Labdanum
Star Aniseeds
Tonka Beans
Cassia Oil

4
4
1/4
2
1
a few drops

WATER I n c e n s e
Copal
Willow Bark
Juniperberries
Ylang-ylang oil

3
1
1
to moisten

VARIOUS MAGICAL

INCENSES

ABRA MELIN Incense

From The Sacred Magic ofAbra Melin The Mage
Frankincense
4
Aloeswood
1
Storax
2
The original formula allows Aloeswood to be substituted byother "sweet woods". Suggestions are: Sandalwood, Cinnamon,
perhaps with a touch of Ambergris compound.
The solid
ingredients m u s t be finely ground, to absorb the large quantity of
Storax.
ATTRACTION Incense
Benzoin
4
Patchouli Leaves
1
Opopanax
2
Rose Petals
1
Stephanotis Fragrance
a few drops
Burn in preparation for making yourself attractive.
AURA OF ENCHANTMENT Incense (From Hoodoo)
Formula for daily meditation and prayer.
Bayberry herb
1/4 oz
Powdered sandalwood
1/2 oz
Frankincense
1 oz
Anise seed
1/4 oz
Powdered myrrh
1/4 oz
Saltpetre
1/4 tsp
Gardenia Oil
1 dram
Tinct. of Benzoin
2 drams
BANISHING Incense
For ritual purification prior to magical work.
Frankincense
2
Hyssop Herb
1
Cardamom Oil
1ml per oz

28

BRIGHID I n c e n s e
Dedicated to the great Triple Goddess of the Celts.
Cinnamon
1
Frankincense
4
Myrtle
1
Benzoin
4
Myrrh
4
Storax
1
CAKES O F LIGHT
"For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red
wine: then oil of Abramelin & olive oil...". The mixture is
"smoothed and softened down" with menstrual blood. (Liber AL
vel Legis, 111,23)
CHINESE I n c e n s e
Myrrh
Allspice
Cassia
Patchouli Leaves
Star Aniseed
Ylang-ylang Oil

8
1
1
1
1
to moisten

CHURCH I n c e n s e
Church incenses are almost 100% pure frankincense, with
the addition of some myrrh, benzoin or storax, and often some
colouring matter. The following is typical:
Frankincense
Benzoin Resinoid
Storax

16oz
2gms
4gms

These Clairvoyance incenses are to be used as a

aroma for skrying etc.

background

CLAIRVOYANCE I n c e n s e No.l
Bistort
1

29

CLAIRVOYANCE Incense No.2

After Dion Fortune:
Sandalwood Powder
1
J u n i p e r Berries
1
Cedarwood Oil
a few drops
EXORCISM Incense No.l
Highly energetic, a real scourge
Rosemary
Asafoetida
Black Pepper Oil
EXORCISM Incense No.2
Asafoetida
Myrrh
Juniper Oil

of an incense!
1
1
a few drops

1
4
a few drops

GREAT HERMES Incense

Cornelius Agrippa's supreme incense of Ritual
contains 7 herbs, one for each of the 7 Planets of antiquity.
Pepperwort
Nutmeg
Lign Aloes
Mastic
Saffron
Cinnamon
Myrtle leaves

Magic

These Healing Incenses are formulated not for burning in a

sick person's room, but as part of a meditation to help them heal
themselves.

HEALING Incense No.l

Frankincense
Cinnamon
Juniper

30

4
1
a few drops

HEALING Incense No.2

Frankincense
Dammar
Sandalwood
Chamomile
Neroli Oil

4
4
1
1
a few drops

HOUSE CLEANSING Incense

For a place you have just moved into, or for a "Spring clean".
4
Dammar
Hyssop
1
Rosemary
1
Rosemary Oil
a few drops
HOUSEHOLD Incense Pastilles
These pastilles are included as examples of 19th century
household incenses. The formulas are for "self burning" incenses
(like cones), but can be adapted to a charcoal-burned formula by
leaving out the charcoal, saltpetre and acacia
mucilage.
Quantities given are parts by weight.
Siam Benzoin
100
Tolu Balsam
50
Charcoal
700
Saltpetre
50
Sandalwood Oil
50
Patchouli Oil
15
Cascarilla Oil
30
Musk
5
Acacia Gum Mucilage
as needed to produce
pastilles.
ISIS Incense
Benzoin
Myrrh
Copal Gum
Juniperberries
Bay Leaves
Lemon Oil

1
1
1
1
1/2
to moisten

31

KYPHI I n c e n s e s : Various versions of this very ancient

Egyptian recipe have been passed down. The following are tried
and- tested:

32

KYPHI N o . l
Frankincense
Myrrh
Colophony Resin
Juniperberries
Galangal root
Calamus root
Alkanet root
Lemongrass oil

2
2
2
2
1/2
1/2
1
to moisten

KYPHI No.2
Myrrh
Colophony Resin
Orris Root
Cardamoms
Broom Tops
Juniperberries
Calamus Root
Wine, Raisins and Honey

2
2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
to moisten

LINK BREAKING I n c e n s e
Myrrh
Mastic
Cayenne pepper
Sage
Garlic Skins
Hyssop Oil

2
2
a pinch !
1/2
as flecks
to moisten

LOVERS I n c e n s e
Sandalwood
Frankincense
Cinnamon
Musk Oil

2
4
1
a few drops

PAN Incense
Benzoin
Frankincense
Myrrh
Colophony
Damiana
Patchouli oil
Musk compound

2
2
2

1
to moisten
a few drops

PLEIADES Incense (Agrippa)

Frankincense
Fennel Seed

PROTECTION Incense
For rituals of psychic security..
Frankincense
Bay Leaves
Juniperberries
Rosemary
Avens
Mugwort
Yarrow
St.John's Wort
Angelica
Basil
Juniper Oil

6
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
a few drops

RICHES AND FAVOURS Incense

An old-style Incense of Riches.
4
Benzoin
1
Pepperwort
1
Sandalwood
a pinch
Cloves, ground
a few drops
Ginger Oil

SIRIUS Incense
A delicious incense of bright serenity, for meditation.
2
Frankincense
2
Myrrh
2
Mastic
2
Lemon Peel
Frankincense Oil
a few drops
Ylang ylang Oil
to moisten
SIRIUS Incense (Agrippa)
Savin
Mugwort
SPICA Incense (Agrippa)
Sage
Periwinkle
Mugwort
Trefoil
Mandrake
SPIRITS COME TOGETHER Incense
This recipe from Agrippa is included mainly from historical
interest; the toxic ingredients make it rather overpowering to use.
Coriander
Smallage
Henbane
Hemlock
TEMPLE OF THELEMA Incense
"My incense is of resinous woods & gums"
"There are four gates to one palace.,.;lapis lazuli and jasper
are there; and all rare scents; jasmin and rose, and the emblems
of death" - Liber AL velLegis, 1.59 and 1.51
Frankincense
6
Dammar
4
Rose Buds
3
Sandalwood Powder
2
Jasmin Oil
a few drops

34

TIBETAN Incense
Benzoin
Sandalwood
Cypress Leaves
Cinnamon
Musk Oil

4
2
2
2
lml/oz

WEALTH Incense
Benzoin
Frankincense
Cinnamon
Sandalwood
Red Sanderswood
Grains of Paradise
Oakmoss Resinoid
Amber Perfume

2
2
1
1
1
1/2
a few c
a few c

35

QUESTIONS

AND

ANSWERS

Can you use fixed oils in incenses?

Fixed oils are
pressed oils such as Sweet Almond, and those oils used in
cookery, such as Olive. Fixed oils, usually olive, are occasionally
called for in incense recipes. Unless there is a good reason from
the point of view of tradition or attribution, they are best avoided,
or used very sparingly - they smell like burning cooking oil when
burned!
Can alcohol be used in incenses?
Alcohol, whether
ethanol or propanol, evaporates rapidly, leaving just its effects on
the incense mixture.
Alcohol acts to dissolve some of the
aromatics in the mixture, and blend them together. It often
changes the appearance of a dry incense for the better. Alcohol is
considered to be the element of Spirit or Mercury in plant
alchemy.
Is it necessary to make incenses on appropriate
days
and appropriate
times?
No two incenses will ever be exactly
the same: made from different batches of ingredients, or even
made with the same ingredients on different days. In order to
majdmize a particular elemental or Planetary 'vibration', some
incense makers prefer to make up their incenses on the
appropriate day and at the appropriate hour. So, for instance, a
Martial incense would be made up in the Hours of Mars on a
Tuesday.
Only making your incenses at certain times is not necessary
if you are confident that you can achieve the appropriate mood at
the time of preparation. If you are not, then it is unlikely that a
Table of Planetary Hours will help you, unless you are already
attuned to that form of magic.
How long do incenses keep?
In a stoppered jar, away
from heat and light, an incense will change little over a few
months. Resins and gums are very stable, losing little of their
aroma in years. The highly volatile oils, however, will evaporate
into the air, leaving behind only a tiny modification of the basic
resin aroma. Most people prefer their incenses fresh, no more
than a few months old, and preferably younger, but some people
claim t h a t laying incenses down to mature, like vintage wines,
36

improves them. From the point of view of enriching the aromati

qualities, this is not likely to work: the reasons for doing this ar
entirely alchemical.
What about colouring
incenses?
Ingredients ari
selected to some extent on the basis of colour the red pink o
rosebuds is perfect for the sensuality of Venus, as well a;
providing the appropriate perfume.
If you wish to colou:
incenses, to enhance their talismanic function, try using n a t u r a
ingredients, such as turmeric, or the vegetable dyes available
from wholefood shops.
The following Table gives the appropriate Planetary and
Zodiacal colours.

TABLE OF COLOURS
Sun
Moon
Venus
Mercury
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

Yellow - Gold
Silver - Pearly white
Deep Pink and Leaf Green
Amber
Red - Orange red
Royal Blue - Purple
Black - Indigo
Cool Grey or Violet
Pearly White, Pale Blue
Black

Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces

Scarlet
Orange
Amber
Gold Orange
Yellow
Yellow Green
Emerald Green
Blue-Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Magenta

Appendix
CORRESPONDENCES
THE BASIS OF

CORRESPONDENCES

The idea of correspondences in its present form dates from

Cornelius Aggrippa's massive compilation of esoteric lore in the
16C., and the vast majority of material written on
corxespondences since then has largely been regurgitation of his
book. Agrippa's basic tenet is the Doctrine of Signatures, the idea
that the Hermetic dictum "As above, so below" can be applied to
understand the natures of things by their appearance, and by
their similarities to other things. In the realm of medicine, the
Lungwort is considered to look like lungs, and to aid lung disease.
Naturally, herbalists and doctors were primarily
interested in herbs for their medicinal uses, and much of the lore
of Correspondences is taken from the old herbals.
However, the recipes of various magicians for their oils and
"sulfumigations" have survived, giving us some Correspondences
of aromatics based on ritual considerations. These form quite a
small body of aromatics, hardly enough to formulate a full range
of incenses. The aim of the present Tables has been to collect
together the attributions from Crowley (which derive largely from
Agrippa via the Golden Dawn and Alan Bennet), and Agrippa,
amongst others, and to expand these into a full range of practical
aromatic Correspondences.
Attributions have been included
rather t h a n excluded, even where they seem to make little sense.

38

THE SCHEME OF THE TABLES

For historical continuity with all the available modern work
on Correspondences, the scheme used here is based on the 10
Sephiroth and the 22 Paths of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, as
taught by the Golden Dawn. The 7 planets known to the ancient
world share attributions with their corresponding Sephiroth.
The attributions for the Planet, the Sephirah and the Signs of the
Zodiac ruled by the Planet are grouped together to bring out the
overlaps between them. For those familiar with the scheme of
Crowley's "Liber 777", I have retained the left hand column of
numbers giving the Path or Sephirah of the Tree of Life.
Attributions are sometimes repeated within each group.
Where they are not, it is possible to "borrow", say, a Sun
attribution for Leo. Zodiac Sign attributions also cross over from
the appropriate Element, and vice versa.
This leaves two of the three Supernal spheres (Binah
usually being attributed to Saturn) and Malkuth. The attribution
of Planets to the Supernals is by no means a settled matter
amongst Qabalists; the attributions to these Sephiroth are given
separately, as are those for the paradoxical "false" Sephirah
Daath.

39

TABLES OF

CORRESPONDENCES
Resins

Liquid
Ingredients
(oils etc.)

Path

Sephirah
Planet
Element
Sign

Plants

30

Sun

Frankincense
Sunflower
Myrrh
Laurel
Benzoin
Cinnamon
Mastic
Marigold
Galangal
Ash
Oak
Vine
Cedar
Palm
Chamomile
Orange Peel
Saffron
St John's Wort
Cloves
Ginger
Lignum Aloes
Calamus
Peony
Dittany of Crete
Vervain

Tiphareth

Bay
Laurel

Acacia
Frankincense

19

Leo

Sunflower

Frankincense

13

Moon

Aloes
Almond
Mugwort
Hazel

Karaya
Copal

40

Heliotrope
Ambergris
Amber
Bergamot
Orange
Coriander
Chamomile
Musk
Storax
Labdanum
Yellow
Honey

Camphor
Ylangylang
Chamomile

Ranunculus
White Sandalwood
Wormwood
Peony
Bay
Myrtle
Hyssop
Rosemary
Jasmin
Lotus

Yesod

Roots
Ginseng
Mandrake
D ami an a
Yohimbe

18

Cancer

Lotus
Rosemary
Comfrey

12

Mercury

Verveine
Mastic
Palm
Dammar
Sandal
Mace
Lemon Peel
Nutmeg
Southernwood
Orchid
Bayberry
Hazel
Fumitory
Parsley
Cinnamon
Cassia

Lime
Dill
Lemon
Storax

Hod

Moly

Storax

17

Gemini

Wormwood

Onycha
Honeysuckle
Myrtle
Camphor

Mastic

Orchid
Bergamot
Coriander
41

20

Virgo

Sandal
Calamint
Red Sanderswood

Lily
Narcissus
Gardenia

14

Venus

Myrtle
Rose
Clover
Sandal
Sanderswood
Damiana
Vervain
Saffron
Maidenhair
Thyme
Coriander

Benzoin
Elemi
Labdanum

Rose
Apple
Apple
Blossom
Musk
Myrtle
Sweet Fruit
Violet
Floral
bouquets

Netzach

Rose
Red Sanders

Benzoin

Rose

16

Taurus

Mallow
Vervain
Pepperwort

Storax
Stephanotis

22

Libra

Aloe
Verbena
Carnation
Mugwort

Galbanum

21

Jupiter

Hyssop
Copal
Oak
Poplar
Fruit & Nut Trees
Sage
Agrimony
Vervain
Hyssop
Orris Root
Cardamom
Turmeric

Amyris
Nutmeg
Violet
Galbanum
Storax
Clove
Spike
Lavender

42

Licorice
Bugloss
Elecampane
Raisins
Sugar
Jalap (High John) Root
4

Chesed

Cedar
Olive
Shamrock

Benzoin

Cedar

25

Sagittarius

Rush
Lign aloes
Galangal

27

Mars

Pepper
Dragon's Blood
Juniper
Absinthe
Benzoin
Copaiba
Rue
Ammoniacum Leather
Cuminseed
Op op an ax
Basil
Sulphur
Burgundy Pitch
Broom
Scammony
Red Sanders
Cypress
Aloes (Bitter)
Euphorbium
Onions
Thorn Trees
Asparagus

Geburah

Oak
Nettle
Tobacco

15

Aries

Tiger Lily

Aloeswood

Dragon's
Blood
Myrrh

Geranium
California
Poppy

43

32

26

28

29

44

Saturn

Ash
Cypress
Hellebore
Yew
Nightshade
Valerian
Coffee
Rue
Daffodil
Pine
Mandrake

Scammony
Asafoetida

Cypress
Musk
Patchouli
Cumin
Storax

Bin ah

Cypress
Myrrh
Opium Poppy

Cypress
Civet

Capricorn

Hemp
Orchis root
Thistle
Dock

Myrrh
Benzoin

Civet

Uranus

Dittany
of Crete
Mistletoe

Dammar

Khus-khus
Caraway
Galbanum

Aquarius

Olive
Coconut
Euphorbia

Neptune

Calamus

Pisces

Opium

Pluto

Damiana
Opopanax
Saw Palmetto
Burdock Root
Patchouli Leaves

Violet

Guaiacum
Copal
Karaya
Tolu Balsam

Ylangylang
Lotus
Ambergris
Lilac
Storax
Labdanum
Oakmoss

24

Scorpio

Cactus
Black Pepper
Damiana
Basil

THE SUPERNAL
1

Kether

Almond in
Calamus

Cbokmab

Amaranth
Ash

Siam benzoin
Opopanax

Opopanax
Musk

SEPHIROTH
flower

Copal

Ambergris
Linden
Musk

THE ELEMENTS
31

Fire

Red Poppy
Hibiscus
Nettle
Galangal

Frankincense Cassia
Bitter aloes
Labdanum
Dragon's Blood

32bis

Earth

Oak
Ivy
Rose
Cypress
Red Sanders

Frankincense Musk
Scammony
Storax
Myrrh

23

Water

White
Willow

Myrrh
Copal

Onycha
Lotus

45

11

Air

Aspen
Damiana
White
Sandal
Ash

3 Ibis

Spirit

Almond in
Elemi
Mastic
flower
Aloeswood
Tonquin Beans

Ambergris

Dittany
Oak

Petitgrain
Lily
Storax

10

Malkuth

Mastic
Dammar
Elemi
Benzoin

Myrrh
Acacia

Galbanum
Pine

Lotus
Coumarins

DAATH
The "False" Sephirah has no traditional attributions, being
a fairly recent area of magical study. The Uranian - Plutonian
qualities usually attributed to Daath give us a lead as to
attributions: the general aromas we are looking for in a Daath
perfume will be dark, mysterious and paradoxical in type. The
dark resinoids of Oakmoss, Galbanum and Labdanum are good
attributions because their aromas are unearthly and unfamiliar
as perfumes. One level of their colour vibrations suggests rich
colours almost completely blended into black. Also, their aromas
are paradoxical because they have strange crossovers with non
perfume items
- the Uranian attribution of Galbanum is
strengthened by its curiously synthetic quality, hinting of the
smell of hot electrical equipment and new plastic furnishings.
The natural choice for a solid resin would be Opopanax.

llbis

46

Daath

Dittany

Opopanax

Labdanum
Galbanum

attractor