156 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
156 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
From: Rowan Fairgrove
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About ten years ago I was very interested in botanical incenses
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and spent alot of time studying and teaching the use of same.
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After a hiatus I am getting back into this and would like some
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feedback on what has been happening out there.
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I will type herein parts of a booklet I published called
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"A Handbook of Botantical Incenses" to give you some idea of
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where my thinking was at that time. I had generated the schema
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as something useful to my own work, it is not something widely
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used. I would love to hear other schema such as astrological,
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diety correspondences, seasonal, etc. I may append some of
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those sorts of categories to this if I have the time.
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My meaning come mostly from "traditional" sources but in my
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actual teaching and working I place more emphasis on what an
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individual scent does to the worker. In my beginning classes
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I simply passed around a collection of incenses and had each
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member tell what it meant to them and then we talked about the
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"traditional
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" meaning. If, for example, the traditional meaning for
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cinnamon is concentration and you smell it and think of
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grandma's pumpkin pie and all you can think about is food,
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it is not going to be appropriate to burn to help you study!
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A HANDBOOK OF BOTANICAL INSENSES
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Introduction:
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...Botanical and other incense are a tool which can be
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tailored to the user's desire. At their simplest they may
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be used to stimulate the sense of smell and bring enjoyment
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to those nearby, alternatively, they can be a suble
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compilation designed to create a specific ambiance for a
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ritual or magical operation.
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The following guide contains some botanical (and a few other
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substances) and their uses when burned. The attributes have
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been derived from a great many sources, both published and
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personal communication, and like most magical properties
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they are most effective when tailored to the individual or
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group using them. So sit down and burn some and see if they
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work for you. Try combinations. I have included some recipes
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which have worked for myself and others in the hopes that you
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will find them useful. Happy Censing!
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A Scheme of Things:
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The botanicals which I will discuss fall into several broad
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categories:
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1) EVOCATIVE - used to get the attention of divinities or
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to summon spirits
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2) DIVINATORY - used to foretell the future or to see hidden
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secrets
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3) PURIFICATORY - used to purify the purpose of a rite or the
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action of a given object
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4) ENHANCING - used to intensify the purpose of a rite or the
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action of a given object
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5) PROTECTIVE - used to shield the user or area from harm
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6) BANISHING - used to drive out unwanted influences or
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spirits
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7) HEALING - used to promote wholeness in mind, body or
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spirit
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8) SPELL CASTING - used to promote a purpose, e.g., love,
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fertility, money, luck, fortune, concentration, etc.
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Many botanicals fall into several categories, for example:
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Wormword (Artemesia) can be used 1) to evoke Artemis and call\
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the dead
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2) to promote divination
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6) when consecrated to Mars
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in banishing
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6) & 7) it was used to banish the Black Plague
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fleas
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8) when consecrated to Mars, in works of anger.
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Some Examples:
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1) Evocative
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Almond Lotus
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Ash Mandrake
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Basil Myrrh
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Bay Olive
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Blessed Thistle Patchouli
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Damiana Rowan
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Dittany of Crete Rue
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Elm Thyme
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Frankincense Verbena
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Henbane Vervain, Blue
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Life Everlasting Flowers Wormwood
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Yarrow
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2) Divinatory:
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Ash Linseed
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Bay Mugwort
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Cinquefoil Rowan
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Clove Thyme
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Elm Wormwood
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Frankincense Yarrow
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3) Purificatory:
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Angelica Mastic gum
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Bayberry Myrrh
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Burnet Olive
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Cinnamon
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4) Healing
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Balm of Gilead Myrrh
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Lavendar Rosemary
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Life Everlasting Wormwood
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4) Enhancing:
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Anise seed Lotus
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Angelica Mandrake
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Celery seed Mastic gum
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Cinnamon Mugwort
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Cinquefoil Orris root
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Cloves Peppermint
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Damiana Sandalwood
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Dragon's Blood Styrax
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Frankincense Uva Ursi
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Henbane
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5) Protective:
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Alfalfa Juniper wood
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Basil Life Everlasting flowers
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Blessed Thistle Mastic gum
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Bay Mistletoe
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Camphor Mugwort
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Cinquefoil Orris root
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Elder Rosemary
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Five Finger Grass Rowan
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Frankincense St. John's Wort
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Garlic Vervain, Blue
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6) Banishing:
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Agrimony Lavendar
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Ash Pine
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Camphor Rowan
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Dragon's Blood Vervain, Blue
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Juniper wood Wormwood
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8) Spell Casting:
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Basil Patchouli
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Bayberry Peppermint
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Bezoin gum Rosemary
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Camphor Rowan
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Cinnamon Rue
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Damiana Sandalwood
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Dragon's Blood Tormantil
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Frankincense Uva Ursi
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Lavendar Vervain, Blue
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Lemon peel St. John's Wort
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Life Everlasting flowers Wormwood
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Mandrake Yarrow
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Mistletoe Ylang Ylang
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Orris Root
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