Spell to Gain Energy

You need:

bright red or orange candle

spicy incense

glass of clear pure cold water

bowl of sea salt

If is sunny out you may want to start the spell by going outside for a few minutes and breathing in some fresh air. Sit in front of the candle and say:

Give me energy to happily complete the task I have been given to do. I will feel better for having done it. The completion of the task will be my reward.

Sprinkle the sea salt around the candle and say:

Give me strength, O sacred Earth.

Pass your hand near the candle and say:

Give me strength, O sacred Fire.

Pass your hand through the smoke of the incense and say:

Give me strength, O sacred Air.

Drink the water down and say:

Give me strength O sacred water.

Now immediately get up and go do your task.

Magickal Correspondence for Friday, August 9th

Days Of The Week Comments

Magickal Correspondence for Friday, August 9th

Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers and Heart
Incense: Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron and Vanilla
Planet: Venus
Sign: Libra and Taurus
Angel: Ariel
Colors: Green, Pink, Aqua
Herbs/Plants: Pink Rose, Ivy, Birch, Heather, Clematis, Sage, Violet and Water Lilly Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade
Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmrosa, Rose, Yarrow

Friday belongs to Venus, and its energies are warm, sensuous, and fulfilling. Efforts that involve any type of pleasure, comfort, and luxury, as well as the arts, music, or aroma (incense and perfume) works well on this day. As Venus lends its sensuous influences to the energies of this day, use it for any magical work that deals with matters of the heart.

Crystal Purification Incense

2 parts Frankincense

2 parts Copal

1 part Sandalwood

1 part Rosemary

1 pinch finely powdered Salt

1 sm. purified Quartz Crystal point

To use, pour a bit of the incense (leaving the crystal in the jar) onto charcoal. Smolder, and pass the crystals to be purified through the smoke, visualizing the smoke wafting away the stone’s impurities. This incense can be used in conjunction with other recommended purifying rituals, or in place of them.

The Witches Spell for August 6th – CURSED OR BLESSED

CURSED OR BLESSED

You need:

Piece of burlap

piece of wool

piece of silk

Some polished stones (polished) from a river or stream

A live leaf

A bowl of fruit and/or bread

A dead branch

Lay the silk, wool and burlap at the foot of your bed in that order. About 5 feet from the foot of your bed, toward the left, lay the branch. About 5 feet from the foot of your bead, toward the right, place the bowl. The branch is the barren curse and the bowl is the bountiful life that withers the curse. Lay one stone on each cloth then lay a path from the wool, straight down the center, between the bowl and the branch. The stones must touch. At the end lay the leaf. By laying the stones, you show respect for the fates and the balance of life. Light three candles and incense and meditate over the rite. Sleep without touching the items. When you wake, watch how much the stones have moved. If they bias the branch, you are cursed. If they bias the bowl, you are blessed. If it doesn’t move, no outside force is affecting you. If you are cursed, how far it has moved will determine the strength of the curse. Reset the path, and that night, light the three candles and the incense and meditate again over the rite. Sleep again without touching anything. The path should have moved less than the first time. Repeat this every night until the path stays in the middle. Next, move the path toward the bowl following the same meditation and sleep process as before. Continue this every night until the path stays at the bowl. When it has done so, you may complete the rite. Touch nothing, but for the three following nights, meditate over the rite, to seal your new fate. The stones must be returned to the river or stream where you got them from . The branch must be returned to the forest floor where you found it, and the leaf cast to the wind. The bowl of fruit must be eaten, and the cloth must be saved in a dark place, undisturbed.

Lammas Rebirth Incense

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

Celebrate the Cycle of Life and Rebirth at Lammas

By the time Lammas rolls around, it’s usually pretty hot. In some parts of the world, gardens are beginning to dry out, and the earth has gone from soft and pliable to dry and cracked. If you haven’t harvested your herbs yet for drying, now is a good time to start doing so — in other words, pick them before they die on their own. Any fresh herb can be dried simply by picking it and tying it up in small bundles in a well-ventilated area. Once they are completely dry store them in airtight jars in a dark place.

To make your own magical Lammas incense, first determine what form you’d like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. In this particular recipe, we’re creating an incense to use during a Lammas rite — it’s a time to celebrate the beginning of the harvest. We’re thankful for the foods we’ve grown, and for the bounty of the earth, and the knowledge that we’ll have enough to eat through the coming winter months.

You’ll need:

1 part basil
1/2 part cinnamon bark
1 part coriander
2 parts goldenrod
1 part heather
1/2 part rosemary
2 parts Sweet Annie (you can use dried apple blossoms if you don’t have Sweet Annie)
1 part yarrow

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

We’re thankful this day for the gift of rebirth,
Fruits and vegetables, the bounty of earth.
For the Harvest Mother with her basket and scythe, Abundance and fertility, and the blessings of life.
We’re grateful for the gifts we carry within
And for what will become, and what has been.
A new day begins, and life circles round,
As grain is harvested from the fertile ground.
Blessings to the earth and to the gods from me,
As I will this Lammas, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

The Witches Correspondence for Friday, July 26th

The Witches correspondence for July 19

“SOUL MATE” – Love Spell

“SOUL MATE” – Love Spell

This ritual is intended to draw a partner who is best suited to you at this time in your life, or
one who is “meant” for you. It is supposedly “fail-safe”, but remember, you must take
responsibility for any results and consequences.

Items You Will Need

a clear mind and focused goal

special paper such as hemp

cotton

real parchment

whatever you deem special a ritual writing instrument (the pen is mightier than the Athame) such as quill, fountain pen, favorite ball-point, etc. In whatever desired.

Moon incense

Charcoal or a small ritual fire

Timing: any time, preferably after dark during the waxing moon.
The timing is more flexible with this working for many reasons; the nature of the work,
and the full moon energy contained in the moon incense which is an incense of Increase or drawing.

Reinforce your personal circle/aura and prepare for workings in your
usual manner. Using the ritual pen and special paper, write words of power that will call the
most perfect partner to you at this time. Do not include specific names, and avoid thinking of
a specific person. If you can’t find quite the right words, use the following:

“If there be a perfect match,
this work tonight will surely catch.
the perfect one who is meant to be,
shall find his/her way home to me.
In perfect love and perfect trust,
I send this out, but not from lust,
This spell will guide us to unite,
free will remains with us tonight.”

When you are finished, read over what you wrote and confirm that everything you want to
say is included. When you are certain it is as you wish, spend some time meditating on your
goal while you light your ritual fire or the charcoal. When you get “that feeling” (the one when
you know everything is right, your will is focused, you know it is certain, you know the feeling…) prepare to the physical aspect of the ritual. When the fire has become coals, or the
charcoal is glowing happily, read aloud your writing, repeating it 3X. As you read, or as you
come to the end of each repetition, sprinkle a small handful (about a Tablespoon) of the incense
on the fire. You will want to be practiced at this for the best effect as well as safety, so make up
a full recipe of it and accustom yourself to its nature prior to the rite.

Fold the paper and keep it near you for three days. Keep it under your pillow, mattress, or pinned
to your night clothes (if you aren’t sky/star clad) while you sleep. After three days, light another
ritual fire, repeat the C.O.P., reading and incense procedure and this time, burn the paper when
you are done. OR you can keep the paper in a special spell box if you use this method. Many Witches have special containers to keep finished workings in. These are usually decorative
and personalized with engravings or painting on them that echo their contents. For example, a heart shaped heartwood box with runes and magical symbols of love on it for this spell. Usually only similar spells are kept together, or each spell is kept in its own box.

The Witches Spell for Wednesday, Feb. 13th – Love Spell number 9

The Witches Spell for Wednesday, February 13th

Love Spell number 9

“Uniting Ladder” — a love binding spell for a new love, or to have an old love return to you.

Items Needed:

A string or thread from the target’s clothing about 9 (or preferably more) inches long.

A string from your clothing of the same length A Red Candle (any type)

A tall red taper candle

A drop of the person’s scent (this would be their favorite cologne/perfume, after shave, shampoo, whatever they smell like the most)

Dried rose petals

Vanilla extract, about 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce)

A rose quartz (washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well)

1 ounce of rum

2 cups of fresh water (spring water, rainwater, collected dew, and distilled water, whatever you prefer)

Salt (any type)

Incense (any type but musk or vanilla are appropriate)

Glass phial or bottle

Maintain focus on your target coming to you in love during the entire working and as often as you can until the spell is fulfilled.

Potion Preparation: Bring the fresh water to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn down the heat very low so the mixture stays warm but does not boil. Add the rose petals while saying:

‘Dancing on the wind I go,

To aid ________’s love to flow

His/her love will now fully bloom

His/her desire for me will come soon!’

Reconfirm your focus of the target loving you and coming to you. Add the vanilla extract while saying:

‘Sweet charm, not meant to harm,

Evoke his/her desire to take my arm.

Deep within him/her I summon it,

To come to me as I see fit!’

Reconfirm your focus; remove the mixture from the stove. Add a pinch of salt while saying:

‘No one may interfere magickally,

This spell can only be undone by me.’

Reconfirm your focus; add the ounce of rum while saying:

‘Drunk with love he/she will come to me,

No other love will he/she see.

Our love will grow in purity,

And once it is true, this spell is set free.’

Let the mixture cool and put it in a nice glass bottle with the rose quartz. This should be a bottle that has an appealing shape and is worthy of containing such a potion. (Do not use a bottle that used to contain something strong smelling like cologne) Now comes the actual spell casting, so far you have completed the potion, which is an ingredient of the actual spell.

Timing: This part of the working should start about 15 minutes before sunrise on a Friday. It should be concluded by 1 hour after sunrise so make sure you know it from start to finish in your mind. Check the almanac (on the links page) or your local weather station for exact sunrise times.

Begin: Clear an open area that you can work in and are comfortable in, this should be approximately a 6-foot diameter space. You should not feel cramped. Find some sort of table with at least 1-foot of top surface space. Place the table in the center of the area you have cleared and assemble the two candles, the strings, the potion, a bowl of salt, incense, target’s scent (cologne, etc)

Armed with the salt and starting in the north of your working area, cast a circle by making a salt circle. Cast is clockwise (deosil) while saying:

‘I cast this circle to protect me from bane.

I cast this circle to contain my energy until it is open.

The circle is strong and will hold true.’

Light the red candle and facing south say:

‘Burning passion and desire,

Arise in _______ like a burning fire!’

Place the candle on the table, pick up the taper candle and anoint it with the target’s scent. With the cologne or whatever on your index finger, start in the middle of the candle and move down. Go all around the candles bottom half-only rubbing in downward strokes. Now start in the middle again and rub up to the wick all around the candle only in upward strokes. Focus on your target coming to you in love.

Take both strings, hold them together and tie a knot at one end while focusing and saying:

‘I bind this knot and bring _____ ‘s love.’

Tie another knot at the opposite end of the parallel strings while saying:

‘I bind this knot and bring ______’s desire.’

Tie another knot near the first one on the opposite side:

‘I bind this knot and bring ______’s faithfulness.’

Tie another knot next to the second one you tied:

‘I bind ______’s love to me.’

Another next to the third one you tied:

‘Come to me, so mote it be!’

Wrap the cord around the anointed taper at the base and light it while saying:

‘The fire of love burns in his heart!’

Light the incense while saying:

‘This smoke does hereby evoke,

His commitment to me that he cannot revoke!’

Sit and focus on your goal, you may wish to chant the following:

‘________ to me, so mote it be.’

After a few minutes, pick up the red candle and let three drops of wax fall on the bottle of potion (not in it, just on the lid or glass) and say:

‘This spell is sealed!’

Put down the candle, remove the knotted cord, open the potion and dip the cord into it once while saying:

‘I infuse this cord,

The spell is stored.

So long as knots remain,

His/her love for me will never wane.’

Recap the potion and hold it above the incense so that smoke surrounds it. Turn it so the smoke reaches all sides and say:

‘This smoke seals his love for me!’

Repeat the ‘smudging’ with incense for the knotted core and say:

‘His love is bound!’

Place all items back on the table and go around the circle counterclockwise (widdershins) while saying:

‘The circle is open,

The spell is released.

His/her love for me,

Will never cease!’

Take the potion outside so that sunlight will infuse it. Set it in the sun for as long as remains of the hour past sunrise. Take the potion in and store it in a safe space. Each day place a drop of the potion on your forehead, each breast and your groin area (4 drops total) carry the cord with you at all times and keep it near you when you sleep. Do not let anyone else see it. You can optionally store the cord in a safe space. Whenever the opportunity arises, sneak a FEW, 3 is best, drops of the potion is food or drink that your target will consume.

This will work, but when is hard to determine as it depends on many factors, among them, your personal power and confidence, timing, the target’s will, etc.

To Bind An Enemy Poppet

TO BIND AN ENEMY

You Will Need:

A poppet to represent the person you wish to bind

Patchouli leaves

Frankincense

Charcoal block

Black candle

Red ribbon

White cloth

Make a poppet to represent the person you wish to bind. Burn patchouli leaves and frankincense on a charcoal block. Light a black candle and pass the poppet through the incense smoke saying:

“Hecate, great Goddess of life and death,

I ask you to acknowledge that this Creation

of cloth be known as Flesh and blood of.(name).

Wrap the poppet tightly in red ribbon, paying close attention to the area you wish to bind, i.e.: the genitals of a rapist, the mouth of a slanderer. As you wrap, say:

Between the worlds in Hecate’s eyes

you (name) are bound powerless.

In the eyes of this world, you are harmless.

Imagine a heavy net made from a white light. Imagine the net clinging to the poppet. Wrap it in a piece of white cloth and bury it close to the person’s house (or by the ocean and bid the sea to bless it).

Spell Of The Day for February 10th – Curse Uraveling Ritual

　Curse Unraveling Ritual

Materials:

1 black/white reversible candle (if you can’t find one of these, substitute a white candle which you’ve colored completely with a black permanent marker.)

1 yellow candle

Uncrossing Incense

Charcoal block

Fire-proof dish

Cauldron or fire pit

Scissors

Sweater

Light the reversible candle and visualize the magick reversing itself. Light the yellow candle and see the effort meeting with success. Then light the charcoal block and sprinkle the incense on top.

Now sit in a comfortable position in front of the cauldron or fire pit. Using the scissors, cut the neck and cuff ribbing away from the sweater and toss them into the receptacle. Locate a yarn end on the garment and begin to unravel the fabric, saying something like:

“The magick cast now falls away

As I unravel it today,

(Name of person)’s life is now returned

As magick in the cauldron’s burned.

By all the power of Moon and Sun

I remove all harm; so be it done.”

Continue to repeat the chant as you unravel the sweater, stopping occasionally to snip off the loosened yarn and set it aflame in the cauldron. Continue the process until the sweater is completely unraveled, burned, and reduced to ash. Either discard the ashes in running water or scatter them to the winds

The Witches Correspondence for Friday, February 8th

I is for Incense

I

Incense

Ruler: Spirits of Air and the East

Type: Smoke

Magickal Form: Stick, cone, loose

The burning of incense to purify a temple or devotee is one of the oldest forms of spiritual practice. In essence, the smoke is offered as a pleasing supplication to the Gods. Assigned to the Element of Air because of the smoke, incense also contains the Element of Fire and Earth. As Air, it influences the mind and thought. Through Fire, it affects the will and actions. Through Earth, it can bring about physical change. Although incense is most commonly used for purification, it can be burned to complement and advance the results of any magickal request

Life As The Witch – Looking in Dorian Gray’s Mirror

Witchy Comments

Life As The Witch

Looking in Dorian Gray’s Mirror

These days, people are not encouraged to examine themselves, deeply, if at all. We breeze through our days playing a part: the student, the grunt, the boss, the teacher, the wife, and so on. How often during your day do you batten yourself down so that the real you isn’t exposed? Do you do it because it keeps you safe, because you think who you are is unacceptable, because it would crack your mask? Living masked day in and day out can make it very difficult to see oneself clearly. Wear those masks long enough and sooner or later you’ll start to forget the person you really are and then you’ll be nothing but the hollow mask of the character you play. Shadow magick breaks through the lies, most especially the ones you tell yourself. This simple ritual will introduce you to shadow magick and the practice of looking deep within.

Materials:

A black candle

Insight oil

A small mirror

Incense, if desired (dragon’s blood or a mixture of frankincense and myrrh both work well)

Paper

Pen or pencil

To Make Insight Oil:

Grind 1 teaspoon each of dried mugwort, sage and yarrow into a fine powder. Mix with 3 tablespoon of jojoba oil in a jar with a tight fighting lid. Let steep for three to four weeks. Strain and it’s ready to use. For the most potent oil, make this ono the Dark Moon and let it steep until the next Dark Moon.

Perform this ritual at night in a quiet, private place where you won’t be disturbed. This is most effective during the Waning and Dark Moon. Also, make sure you have enough time to both perform the ritual and to decompress afterward. Looking at the shadow is emotionally taxing and can leave you wrung out. Give yourelf time to deal with whatever comes up without other responsibilities pressing on you.

Gather your materials, shut the door, close the drapes, turn off your cell phone, and turn down the lights. Sit comfortably on the floor (or on a chair at a table) with your materials in front of you.

Take a few minutes to simply breathe and let go of the stresses of the day. Ground and center as you normally do. If you find that your mind has difficulty pushing away the thoughts of the day, perhaps you need to deal with them before performing this ritual.

Light the incense if you’re using any. Anoint your third eye with a drop of Insight Oil. Think for a few minutes about why you want to see yourself more clearly. Think about what you hope to gain. Think about what challenges you expect the exercise to present. Are you really willing to see yourself without bias, warts and all? Take some time to write down these thoughts until you feel that you really understand why you’re doing this.

Anoint the black candle with the Insight Oil and light the candle. Pass the mirror just above the candle flame (just far enough that the heat doesn’t hut your fingers, but you can feel it). Envision the heat and light of the flame passing into the mirror, cleansing its energy and empowering it. If you’re using incense, pass the mirror through the smoke while envisioning the smoke imparting its energy into the mirror.

Hold the mirror to your third eye and either think or say aloud:

“I will see myself clearly. I will see who and what I really am. Show me my strength. Show me my weakness. Show me all that I am. Show me joy and sorrow, pride and folly, success and failure. I see clearly. I see who and what I really am.”

Look in the mirror. Look at yourself, really look at yourself. Look beyond the face you present to others, look beyond your flesh. Look deeply into your own eyes. See the kernel of “you” that lives deep within your soul. What do you see?

Take a few minutes to write down what you see. Write down your strengths and your weaknesses, everything. Who is the person that lives deep inside your true heart? What in your life needs to change in order for that person to thrive?

You may find this easy or difficult. If it’s difficult, don’t worry, you’re on the right track. If it’s easy, either you’re a near bodhisattva or you just aren’t ready to see what lies below—that’s okay too. Shadow magick only works when you’re ready for it to work, so it’s okay to put it aside and come back later.

When you feel you’ve seen all of yourself that you’re able to process now, turn over the mirror and say:

“Thank you for showing me my deeper self.”

It it’s short enough, let the candle continue to burn—snuff it out if it isn’t. (The candle can be reused the next time you do this exercise.) Stand up and turn on the lights. Allow yourself some time to process the experience.

Reference:

Excerpt from

“The Masks We Wear”

by Kristin Madden

2013 Llewellyn’s Practical Magick for Everyday Living

The Witches Spell for Monday, January 28th: A Spell To See The Great Spirits/Deities

A Spell To See The Great Spirits/Deities

To see spirits, old European grimoires recommend mixing together aloe, pepper, musk, vervain and saffron, and burning this in a cemetery. We can adapt this for other locations (like those in which the spirit lived) by adding a bit of sweetgrass or tobacco to a specially prepared incense. Create the incense on the anniversary of the death of the individual you wish to contact. This is the burned at 11 am, in the safety of a magick circle that also holds symbolic items to connect you to the entity.

An incantation to encourage the spirit’s presence is:

“Guardians of the Spirit realm,

hear and guide my plea.

When the witching hour rings true,

bring my relationship, name of person to me.

Other souls who hear my call,

are not welcome in this place.

Only the one known as name of person may enter sacred space.”

Repeat the request three times, twenty minutes apart, then wait quietly for indications of a presence. Signs include the scent of flowers, or favored cologne, a cool wind, movement of curtains, and candles going out or twitching erratically. Once you feel sure the spirit is with you, do not make it tarry overly long. Take care of your business, say farewell, and thank the guardians for their assistance before closing the circle.

A Word of Caution:

Spiritual entities should not be banished or called for amusement. It is best

to contact a knowledgeable, experienced psychic for advice or assistance

before undertaking any spells of this type. It is used for communication,

and understanding the purpose of spirits. The best times are in-between

times, such as noon, midnight, dusk and dawn. Halloween. Seasons of late fall

and winter. When the Moon is in Libra. Eclipses. Wednesday.

The Witches Correspondences for Friday, January 25th

Spell to Create Calmness and Aid Concentration

You need:

White candle Jasmine or Pine incense Sprig of sage

This is best performed at night, but it can be done any time of day.

Light the white candle and the incense stick. Close your eyes and hold the sage close to your nose, and breathe in its calming scent. Keep holding it as say:

Calming powers of sage and pine, Add order to this life of mine, (name) By the four corners, elements, God and Goddess too, If this gift seems fit to you, Then please grant calmness unto him/me. So mote it be, So mote it be.

Repeat as necessary. It works within a day or two.

Spell to Reverse Negative Psychic Energy

This spell is done on Tuesday nights, right before you retire. Do for at least nine Tuesdays in a row. You can also make it a weekly ritual.

Supplies:

1 large red votive candle
Run Devil Run incense
Reversible oil
A saucer or plate, plain white, reserved for this use only.

Procedure:

Anoint the red candle from middle to top then middle to bottom, concentrate on reversing all negative psychic messages sent to you, back to their senders. (Try not to visualize anyone, just the negativity being reversed away from you.) Light the incense. You can also carve that desire into the candle with an awl or knife. Take the wick out of the candle, remove it from the metal weight at the bottom. Now turn it around and replace back into the candle. Reversing the wick. Place it on the white plate.

Light the candle and continue the visualization for 7 minutes. Let candle burn itself out while you sleep. Make sure your candle is in a safe place. In the morning you can scry in the wax to find out who is sending you the negativity. Or you can just toss it! Who really wants to know anyway?

The Witches Magickal Spell for Jan. 21st – Dancing Broom Spell

Witchy Comments
^{Dancing Broom Spell}

^{Items You Will Need:}

^{Blue or White Candle}

^{Citrus Scented Incense}

^{Up Tempo Music}

^Broom

^{The Spell:}

^{If you are feeling down or could use a little pick me up this spell should work for you. Light some citrusy smelling incense along with a blue or white candle. Put something on the radio that makes you want to dance. Something happy and upbeat. In a counterclockwise direction (this is done to remove any negativity that is lingering in the room) start sweeping from room to room in your house or apartment. After you have finished, reverse this and start sweeping in a clockwise direction to instill harmony into your household. Go from room to room again until you get back to where you started from. If you feel the need arise, start singing and dancing as you sweep, feel the music and mood just carry you away. Get into the ritual and enjoy yourself.}

Trail Magic: Creating an incense trail

Author: Incense Dragon

Everyone knows what incense is, don’t they? It’s the little sticks and cones you get at the grocery store that smell like Apple or Musk, right? Well, it hasn’t always been that way.

Incense is one of the oldest tools of magic and ritual but its lore, history and modern hobbyists are virtually unknown to much of the Pagan community. The incense “trail” represents an ancient incense burning technique that is highly applicable to modern magic practices and ritual. I should also mention it’s a great deal of fun.

An incense trail is simply a line of incense powder that is burned. A trail can be as simple as a line of powdered sandalwood on a rock. While this is not the preferred method, you can make it work with practice. This is likely the first form of incense trail, but ancient practice eventually elevated the incense trail to a critical role in society.

Before the availability of high quality, spring-powered clocks there were many different methods employed to keep track of time – especially at night. Among the many devices created were clocks powered by dripping or running water. Although some were fairly accurate, they were no good in freezing conditions or on a swaying ship. There were also candles used to mark the time, but environmental conditions could greatly affect their accuracy. The incense “clock” was another attempt to mark time.

In a bed of pure ash, a line can be pressed into the surface. That depression would then be carefully filled with a powdered incense mixture. When used for timekeeping, a special incense blend was used since its burning times were well known. Special markers were then inserted along this trail of incense. The markers could be used to signal a changing of guards, mealtimes or working hours, but their primary use was to mark times to pray.

Eventually incense clocks were developed that used incense sticks to give even more consistent timing. Incense alarm clocks were eventually created. These sometimes used bells hung from the incense stick with thread. When the stick burned to the thread it would break and the bell would clang to the floor.

This is an extremely condensed look at a fascinating topic. If you have more interest in the ancient use of incense clocks read Silvio Bedini’s book The Trail of Time. It is a rare look at this amazing lost art form.

The good news about all of this is you can start using incense trails yourself. You will need ash, incense powder (powdered sandalwood works great), a heat resistant dish or large incense censer and a match or lighter. It’s best to put your censer where it will be used before you begin to minimize movement.

What should you draw? Just think of the magical possibilities. Symbols are an important part of magic. You can draw symbols for deities, astrological signs, runes or geometric shapes. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination. Think of the energy of the slowly burning shape as you raise power in your circle. Use trails to time rituals or to cleanse a space. Trails can elevate your incense from being a part of the magical background to a central part of any ritual.

You might have everything you need in your house except for the required amount of ash. You can harvest ash from some other activity if you wish. Never use ash from your charcoal grill or ashes containing synthetic “fire logs.” Ash from incense censers, campfires and fireplaces can be used but I don’t recommend them. If you use such recycled ash, be certain to sift it through a fine screen and then bake the ash in a warm oven for 20-30 minutes to remove as much scent as possible.

A better solution is to purchase ash specifically for incense use. Ash is an important part of Asian incense traditions (such as the Japanese Kodo ceremony). As a result, many shops that sell Asian incense sell pure ash as well. That’s the best possible source if you plan to make incense trails. The pure white ash is scentless and ready for use.

Simply fill your dish or censer with ash and lightly tamp the censer (you can tap the censer lightly a few times on a sturdy table, but pressing down on the ash with something solid works even better). This is to level the ash and make it a bit firmer. You can then make shallow impressions on the surface of the ash. For this, you can use simple stamps (complex designs don’t work very well) from your local craft store, cookie cutters (insert the cutter about 1/8 of an inch deep and move it very slightly from side to side) or simply draw in the ash with a skewer or toothpick. The edge of a paper card will work as well.

No matter what tool you choose, keep the impressions no more than 1/8 inch deep and try to move the excess ash to the sides of your impressions. Especially when using a toothpick or skewer, the ash might try to build up in front of your tool making it more difficult to draw. Push the ash side to side instead. Just try and create a smooth impression – you might need to trace the shape several times to clear the entire trail.

You are not limited in what you can draw. The important thing to keep in mind is that every one of the lines you draw needs to be connected to another line. You might think of it as a line of dominoes you want to topple. If they don’t touch, the chain will stop. It’s the same with incense. Unlike dominoes, burning incense travels in multiple directions. If you draw a circle of incense, when you light it the incense will burn both directions around the circle. Every junction of lines will be lighted at the same time. I have a pentagram stamp that I made that would originally burn in eight different places at once.

While you can use those burning characteristics to your advantage, in general you want only one point on the line of incense to burn. Otherwise plumes of smoke result. The simplest way to control this it to put “blocks” in place. Use your drawing tool to break the lines of incense with a barrier of ash. You can also place small pieces of metal (in a pinch, a penny will work) in the trail of incense. Once the burning incense reaches the metal, it will go out.

Once you have made an impression in the ash and established any ash blocks you might need, fill the impression with incense powder. This is the trickiest part, although it’s not as tough as it seems at first glance. I’ve experimented with a lot of techniques but have found one to be the easiest. I was actually inspired to it while watching Tibetan monks making a sand painting. They use long metal tubes, tapered at one end, which they fill with colored sand and then gently rub to release the sand from the narrow end. It gives them great control over where every grain of sand goes. I tried this with tubes and met with some success, but when I transitioned to paper cards I found the method I prefer.

Use a 3” X 5” paper card. Fold the card in half in line with the long edge. This gives you a 1 ½ X 5 card. Open the card partially and you have a large cavity you can fill with incense powder. Fill the card about 1/3 full with powder (as I said before, you can just use powdered sandalwood and get great results). Push some of the powder away from one end of the card, so that only a thin line is left at the edge of the card. You can then use that end of the card to fill your impression in the ash.

Put the end of the card just above the impression with the folded edge of the card down. That will make the card a large V-shape with the incense powder held in the center. I like to hold the card in my right hand with the two folded up edges touching the palm of my hand. I then extend the “drawing” end of the card slightly past the palm of my hand. With the end of the card just above the ash and the card at about a 25 degree angle, I tap the end of the card with my left hand. Each tap causes a small bit of incense powder to fall precisely where I want it to go. By gently tapping the card and moving it over every part of the impression in the ash, I can fill the impression to the exact depth I desire.

Once the impression is filled, you can tap or press its surface lightly to get perfect contact, but that’s an optional step. With practice you can fill the impression very well without the need to press it together. The trail looks better without pressing, since that process “blurs” the shape you draw in the ash.

After you’ve drawn an impression and filled it with powder, the incense trail is ready for use. Once the impression is filled, you should move your censer as little as possible. Each time you move it, you could displace the trail and make it harder to see or break the line. If the trail won’t be used immediately, consider covering the censer to keeping wind or drafts from disturbing it.

To light the trail, you can simply apply flame directly to the lighting point you’ve chosen. It’s usually best to light the trail at one end, but you can get a great effect from starting in the middle of the trail. You will need to hold the flame in place for at least 30 seconds to get it burning well. You might notice that where ash and flame meet, the ash becomes discolored. The same will happen as the incense trail burns past the ash. Once the flame is removed, the incense will continue to burn along the path you’ve set for it.

A more elegant way to light the trail is to use stick or cone incense. You can use the stick or cone as a fuse. Set the incense cone directly atop the lighting point on the trail. If using a stick, break off a small section and insert it into the starting point of the trail. If you use so-called “masala” incense sticks (the kind with a wooden rod in the center of the stick), make certain you break off a piece that is completely covered in incense material. The top two inches of stick is best. If you’re using a “joss stick” of incense, any two-inch section will be fine.

Put the cone or stick in place at the starting point (the trailhead, if you will) and light it as you normally would. As the stick or cone burns down to the incense trail, the trail will light. You can also light an incense stick and place it atop the powder parallel to the trail. Some traditions call for lighting an incense stick and then inserting the burning end into the powder.

Incorporating incense trails into your rituals, both large and small, is not only rewarding magically, it’s also a lot of fun. Like any skill, it requires practice to get the exact effect you desire but even first-time trail makers will find it easy and enjoyable. Bring an ancient form magic to your next circle and you won’t be disappointed.

Footnotes:
Bedini, Silvio A. – The Trails of Time: Time measurement with incense in East Asia – Cambridge University Press, 1994

Neal, Carl F. – Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents – Llewellyn Worldwide, 2003

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