Sunday, June 16, 2013

Incense Powder And The Old Religions That Used It

By Margarita Joseph


People all over the world love to use incense powder and other types for a variety of reasons. Many people use it for healing or for religious purposes. Some use it to spiritually cleanse a room or larger area while still others will use it to do the same to a persons soul. There are a variety of reasons for its use and why it has been around for so long.

The first things that you will need are the tools. You will need a ceramic or metal bowl or container. Usually people use metal because it absorbs and dissipates heat very well. If using this type however and using it on a wooden or any other kind of table, you should still place a ceramic plate underneath or something else to help with the heat transfer.

Once you have those items secured and ready you will need a set of charcoal disks. The powdered type will need something to both ignite the substance as well as to keep a continuous heat applied to it. The charcoal disks are perfect for the task and are used for other variations of incense so it is easy to find. Usually it can be purchased in the same place you purchased the incense.

Older people who are still practicing their family traditions will use various types to ward off evil spirits and heal their loved ones. Most of what we have in the United States comes from halfway around the world. They still produce much of what we use with old methods that they used generations ago. These older methods really have no place in the large industrialized nations of today but they have still survived and most of what is bought is bought from them, not the large companies.

The powders are often used for mixing of aromas and the creation of new smells. They can be pressed into cones or sticks or other types as the powder is usually one of the purest forms of the incense. Even so, they are still used for burning as well and some will say that they produce some of the most intense smells.

You get everything set on the table with your metal or ceramic bowl, the charcoal disks and your incense powder. Place the charcoal disk into the bowl. Some people prefer to place a small amount of sand or dirt at the bottom, under the charcoal to help keep as much of the heat from transferring into the bowl. Once at this point you can use tongs to pick up and light the disk.

Of course as time moved on and modern medicine took hold, many of the old world traditions were lost or forgotten. The only people who still remember or practice these are the nomads, gypsies, or old villagers in Europe and the Middle East. Modern Catholic churches also use the burning of incense to symbolize Jesus.

If you have the type of incense powder that is self igniting all you need to do is press it into a shape in the bowl and use a match to light that. Once it is lit it will catch on fire and slowly burn itself out. Once it is burnt out it will continue to slowly burn with a red glow just like the charcoal. This is what will produce the wonderful aromas.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment