The burning of incense can act as a doorway to spirituality; formal or informal, recognised religion or secular. Incense is, and has been used daily use, for thousands of years in many religions around the world; Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. The purpose of incensing and the symbolic value of the smoke is that of purification and sanctification. For example, in the Eastern Rites at the beginning of Mass, the altar and sanctuary area are incensed while Psalm 50, the “Miserere”, was chanted, invoking the mercy of God. The smoke symbolises the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven. The Psalmist prays, “Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141).

Incense also creates the ambiance of heaven. The Book of Revelation describes the heavenly worship as follows:

“Another angel came in holding a censer of gold.  He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God’s holy ones.  From the angel’s hand, the smoke of the incense went up before God, and with it the prayers of God’s people” (Revelation 8:3-4).

For me personally, when I wish to pray, meditate, or to help aid any healing rituals, my go-to incense is pure Frankincense Resin, and our Three Wise Men Blend. This is how you can use this incense in your sacred space:

Size: 70g 

Origin: Greece 

Other Names: Livani (Greek) , Bakhour (Arabic) , Luban (Arabic)  Olibanum (Hindu) , Ruxiang (Chinese)

Label images vary between Mother Mary, St Nickolas, Saint George & St Charbel 

Method:

1. Hold the charcoal disc with the tongs and light by holding a flame to one side of the disc, until it glows and sparks.
2. Place the disc in the  Incense burner or on a heat proof dish and wait for it to stop smoking. I use smokeless tablets. But, if yours smokes up during start up, I recommend you light them outside.
3. The disc will slowly turn grey – if you blow on it, this will happen more quickly and across a wider surface of the disc. Be careful, as this can cause the disc to spark. So, do not hold it too close to your face when you blow on it! Please act with caution.
4. Select a piece of frankincense resin or a pinch of your Three Wise Men Blend. Top tip: if you’re burning it in a relatively small space, choose a smaller piece, as this will make it less smoky, and it won’t burn for as long.
5. Place the piece of frankincense on top of the charcoal disc, and let it burn. If it stops smoking, you can turn the piece of frankincense over, so it burns on the other side.
6. I start at my front door and move room to room, therefore cleansing each room. I finish the cleanse at the back of the home. I then take the incense to my sacred space, where I leave the incense to burn, while I either meditate or pray.