How To Use Incense in Folk Magic and Witchcraft

Austin Fuller
Jul 12
12 min read

a Blue and yellow graphic with Castle-shaped incense burner colored yellow reads "BaneXbramble" "how to use incense in magic"

Incense perfumes a space: It fragrances the airs, and can be pleasant or putrid. To the ancient art

of incensecraft, to modern perfumery, incense is the oldest form of fragrance. Much like the other forms of formulary I have spoken about: whether using Oils, using Colognes and Perfumes, or Washes, Incense has its origins in the medicinal. As old as fire itself, aromatic herbs, resins, and woods have been sprinkled upon the coals of the fire to release a fragrant smoke, staving off disease, demons, and putrid airs.

Ancient Incense

One of the oldest recorded incenses is kyphet, or kyphe. In ancient Egypt, a recipe for kyphet was to take mastic, wine, fruits, and muddle them together. The recipe then called to add aromatic resins such as frankincense and myrrh. The resulting dough would be rolled into pills and cured for months. The incense was burned to stave off disease and used to fragrance temples in religious ceremonies.

In China, incense would be used to tell time, either by sticks that would burn for an hour, or contraptions that would burn the incense for a period of time.

Abrahamic Incense

As we see with our other formulas such as cologne waters and oils, we see the use of aromatic incense to purify a space- and justified its use by the bible that we see adopted into so many traditions of folk magic: for example, the holy incense given to Moses by God was compounded thus:

The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”

We see the use and adaptations of this incense in a slew of formulas, such as the recipe used in the abremelin ritual: 1 part olibanum, 1/2 part storax, and 1/4 part aloeswood, or, from the german manuscripts: equal parts of balsam, galbanum, and frankincense. Other additions can be added.

As also adapted from this biblical formula, we see the use of a similar blend by Agrippa in his first book to call spirits:

wherefore if a fume be made of that, and Lignum-aloes, Pepperwort, Musk, Saffron, red Storax tempered together, with the blood of a Lapwing, it will quickly gather airy spirits together, and if it be used about the graves of the dead, it gathers together spirits, and the Ghosts of the dead.

But Agrippa goes further to planetary incense formulas, amongst others.

Planetary Formulas

Old formulas for planetary magic are codified more formally from the Picatrix. Agrippa compiles the parts of plants as having an inherent planetary rulership:

The Moon rules over all leaves
The Sun over all Resins & Gums
Mercury over all Seeds, peels, and skins
Venus over all Flowers
Jupiter over all Fruits and nuts
Mars over all Woods
Saturn over all Roots

But he continues further: for while these planets may rule over parts, their rulership is also marked by the planet that has strongest dominion over them, and so they have particular suffumigations that are dedicated to them and their spirits:

We make a suffumigation for the Sun in this manner, viz. of Saffron, Ambergrise, Musk, Lignum-aloes, Lignum-balsam, the fruit of the Laurell, Cloves, Myrrh, and Frankincense, all which being bruised, and mixt in such a proportion as may make a sweet odour, must be incorporated with the brain of an Eagle, or the blood of a white Cock, after the manner of pills. For the Moon, we make a suffumigation of the head of a Frog, dried, the eyes of a Bull, the seed of white Poppy, Frankincense, and camphor, which must be incorporated with Menstruous blood, or the blood of a Goose.

For Saturne, take the seed of black Poppy, of Henbane, root of Mandrake, the loadstone, and Myrrh, and make them up with the brain of a Cat, or the blood of a Bat.

For Jupiter, take the seed of Ash, Lignum-aloes, Storax, the gum Benjamin, the Lazule stone, the tops of the feathers of a Peacock, and incorporate them with the blood of a Stork, or a Swallow, or the brain of a Hart.

For Mars take Euphorbium, Bdellium, gum Armoniack, the roots of both Hellebors, the Load stone, and a little Sulphur, and incorporate them all with the brain of a Hart, the blood of a Man, and the blood of a black Cat.

For Venus take Musk, Amber-gryse, Lignum-aloes, red Roses, and red Corall, and make them up with the brain of Sparrows, and the blood of Pigeons.

For Mercury take Mastick, Frankincense, Cloves, and the Hearb Cinquefoile, and the stone Achates, and incorporate them all with the brain of a Fox, or Weesel, and the blood of a Pie.

Types of Incenses

There are many types of incenses, most of which being different in their formulation, typically variant by region and culture, as well as having different formulations from place to place.

Loose Incense

Loose incense is the oldest and most common form of incense- it is taking pieces of aromatic materials, suchas resins, gums, woods, flowers, leaves, animalia, seeds, skins, etc. and casting them onto hot coals from a fire or- more commonly- self-igniting charcoal discs made for incense. The benefits of this incense is that its easy to make, by simply adding ingredients together, you dont even need to grind them. The down side is that it rarely is blended to smell goodm, common, so many people make it, and difficult to work with if you are transporting it anywhere, as the brazer, the incnese, and the messy charcoal all must be brought.

Dhoop, stick, cone, coil, incense

a woman dressed in white sits in a field ofbright pink incnese sticks, part of the Incense Village of Quang Phu Cau in Vietnam — Incense Village of Quang Phu Cau. Image Credit: Pelago

Another popular form of incense that dominates peoples conception of incense. Sticks made with makko powder in Japan, have been used in rituals for thousands of years. Dhoop sticks, which involve rolling incense dough around a bamboo core originated in india, and spread to surrounding areas: the result creating sticks that would burn longer. Some temples burn massive incense sticks that are six feet tall! Coils were used in China to tell time, and incense coils can still be bought today, as they are lovely long-burning forms. On the outskirts of Hanoi in Vietnam, bundles of red and pink dhoop incense look like flower spikes jutting from a field: the incense village of Quang Phu Cau. Known for their colorful incense production, the small village has been manufacturing incense for the last 100 years- and making beautiful displays while doing so.

Incense stick quality varies, and making it from hand is difficult. Incense masters train for years before being put into manufacturing. Stick incense, despite many Americans associating it with cheap gas-stations and 2-packs-for-one-dollar head shops, many quality incense is made with medicinal qualities in mind: some made with powerful botanical, animal and mineral allies to help heal the sick. Unfortunately the varying quality, plus many unwilling to pay for more expensive incense, turning to cheaper options such as Very-Cherry-Pthalate-Riddled sticks, containing no herbal properties, leaves this form of incense widley untrusted by many serious magical practitioners- unless you know what you’re looking for.

Bakhoor

The luxurious form of incense originates in the Middle East: combining the coveted aloeswood, resins, aromatics, and perfumes to create a rich, fragrant incense. Because of the agarwood and perfumes, these incenses are relatively expensive. Better yet, while they can be burned on a charcoal disk, they’re best burned on a burner specially made for bakhoor. Electric incense burners provide a lower heat, and therefore don’t char the incense, which can create a bitter smell. The delicate aroma of Bakhoor can be wafted around the house, perfuming clothes and scenting ritual space.

Athonite Incense (Orthodox Incense/ Greek Incense)

In the early days of the church, the use of frankincense was integral to religious rites. In athens, a stopping point along the Incense trade route, frankincense was worth more than its weight in gold. Small monasteries would develop athonite incense with a blend of incense and perfumes that would be used in church to cense icons and the church. Athonite incense is beautiful, and made secretly, with prayers given to the saints by which they are dedicated and to god. Less expensive than Bakhoor, but still less common, and sold in small containers oftentimes. The incense itself looks like tiny pieces of childrens chewing gum, covered (usually) in white powder. Certain formulas such as Rose, will be pink or red on the inside. Another formula, might use gold dust, which is saved for special occasions.

Despite being beautiful to burn, like bakhoor and loose incense, they require charcoal to burn, and thus, outside of a ritual space, can be difficult or messy to carry around.

Self-Igniting Incense Powders

A very traditional form of incense in Hoodoo, rootwork, and conjure, Self-Igniting Incense Powders combine the best of loose powdered incense, and dhoop sticks or cones. It can be sprinkled onto any heatproof surface, and made into the shape of a line, mound, or even a sigil or some special shape. A match or lighter is held to it for ten seconds, and then smoke will appear. It comes in many different kinds. My Self-Igniting Incense Powders are made from genuine botanical materials-not cheap perfumes or oils mixed into wood powder. These contain genuine botanical, mineral, and animal material, alongside carefully-crafted handmade perfumes. All my Self-Igniting Incense Powders are made in-house, and come in a 1.3 oz vail.

Function of Incense In Folk Magic & Witchcraft

Suffumigations are used for many functions: there are perfumes for cleansing, for calling, for banishing, for drawing love, for drawing money, for necromancy- the list goes on. In the “Western esoteric” current of magic, much of the rituals are contingent on incense. In the key of solomon it is even reminded that one should never forget the incense, or, as according to William Lillies teacher, the spirits will be “vexxed” and might carry you off three miles away from your home!

There are several ways to use them, however, aside from burning just as a way to perfume and sense a space:

Conjuration

As said, in many traditions, incense is integral to the ritual-conjuration, or calling spirits to

A Vial of BaneXBramble Come To Me Love Self-Igniting Incense Powder. A pink powder in a vial with colorful label depicting lovers kissing in a frame of orris, with angels dressed in blue flying over them, celebrating their love, on a pastel pink background with light blue border. Yellow text reads "Come To Me Love Incense" a nod at its use in folk magic and witchcraft for love magic, love spells, and spells to draw lovers, whether men, women, or nonbinary love spells — Shop Come To Me Love Self-Igniting Incense Powder

turn up, whether it be plant, animal, infernal, ouranic, human dead, or otherwise, it can be useful to burn incense. For shades of the dead, using Black Arts Self-Igniting Incense Powder is traditional, and uses classic botanicals to call these spirits. Read More about Black Arts Spells Here.

If you’re making a charm, each thing you are placing inside the charm should be conjured, and thusly, perfuming each material, and suffumigating it in incense is part of the work. In example, if you are using Queen Elizabeth Root in a charm for love, burning Come To Me Love Self-Igniting Incense Powder can help in the conjuration.

Banishing And Cleansing

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With suffumigations, many serve to expel sickness, spirits, energies, and people. Banishing Self-Igniting Incense Powder can be burned while recieiting Psalm 25:

25: Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

A Vial of BaneXBramble Black Arts Incense in a vial. A Black Powder incense that is used to call spirits, for folk magic conjurations, witchcraft, and cursing spells. — Shop Black Arts Self-Igniting Incense Powder

Another way to use Black Arts Self-Igniting Incense Powder to send evil back to someone is to burn it on top of a mirror anointed in Reversal Oil, recieiting Psalm 55 after calling the spiritsof the devils sent to you by the witch:

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

a Vial of BaneXBramble Cleopatra Self-Igniting Incense Powder, with a colorful label depicting a showgirl dancer with a colorful blue and yellow headdress, and jewelry, on a hot pink background, with black border and blue art-deco text reading "Cleopatra Incense " and red text that reads "The Working Girls Secret" — Shop Cleopara Self-Igniting Incense Powder

Feeding

Some charms, statues, amulets, spirits, etc, are nourished by incense. Perfuming things to charge them can help remind them of who they are. This is also can be done with oils or perfumes. For example, if you were needed to refresh your Cleopatra charm, you could anoint it in Cleopatra Oil, Cleopatra Cologne Water, or suffumigate it in Cleopatra Self-Igniting incense Powder. Read More free Cleopatra spells here.

Attraction

Attraction-type formulas such as Come To Me Love Self-Igniting Incense Powder, Money-

A Vial of BaneXBamble Money Drawing Self-Igniting Incense Powder- a green powder used for money-drawing spells, financial magic, money-magic, money spells, witchcraft for money, folk magic for money, hoodoo, wicca, and voodoo for money. It has a green label with images of a red horshoe, a bag of money, stacks of gold coins, and red text that reads "Money rain down on me" and yellow text that reads "Money Drawing Incense" — Shop Money-Drawing Self-Igniting Incense Powders

Drawing Self-Drawing Incense, Black Arts Self-Igniting Incense Powder, and Crown of Success Self-Igniting Incense Powder are useful to attract and call: for example, Come To Me Love is (obviously) an incense for attracting love. Money Drawing Incense is used to attract money. Black Arts Self-Igniting Incense Powder, calls spirits, such as shades of the dead, devils, and some spirits that are found in grimoires. Crown of Success Incense functions to attract success and lift prayers, making prayers heard.