HOW TO USE INCENSE POWDERS

Burning Powder and Resin incense is easy:
Incense represents the element of Fire and Air, a mixture of Will and enlightenment, and the energy of Lucifer. As the smoke rises from the heat of the flame, our consciousness is risen and awakened with the power of Air and scent. So, using Incense in a magical ritual adds a specific effect to your magical working. The equipment you will need is a pair of tweezers, a fire-proof incense container, a charcoal brick and powder or resin incense.

Charcoal Safety
Charcoal bricks are specially made for the purpose of burning incense. They are self-igniting and they get very hot. It is advisable that you protect any surfaces where you are burning incense and you burn them in a heat-proof container such as metal or sandstone container. I use a short sandstone dish and I fill it with sand and place my charcoal in the center, so it has a barrier of insulation around it.

Light your Charcoal
The best way to get your incense started is to hold the charcoal brick with your tweezers, and light it in the center of the brick until it becomes hot. Then place the brick into the container, (hot side up) and let it burn for a few minutes until the surface is gray with ash. This will ensure that your brick burns evenly. If you place the incense on a red-hot brick it will burn very fast or have a hard time igniting correctly.

Add your incense
Sprinkle your incense powder or resin onto the charcoal. Start out with a little bit at first because powders and resins can create a lot of smoke, even in small amounts. Do not pile the incense upon the charcoal, or it will not ignite or it could extinguish. Depending on the type of incense powder or resin, a little bit can go a long way.

Cleanup and Precautions
Never leave burning charcoal or incense unattended. Use caution when handing any kind of flame. A charcoal will burn very hot for many hours so be careful when you are discarding your ashes and wait at least 24hours to make sure that there are no hot coals that you are discarding that could potentially be hazardous.

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