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Incense Symbology Table

Incense Symbology
Just like candles, crystals and colors, incense have their own symbolic uses as well. The right use of energy for the right purpose is one of the things any magikal practioner has to be aware of.
 
But as with all things, there is never only one table of object to use definition. There are many. So do some research, study the Buddhist method, the Egyptians and any other society that pulls your interest. Make your own list or use one you've found that rings true to you.
 
The following list is gathered from Tibetan and various Native American traditions.
 
You may want to review the Symbology of Herbs if you can't find what you're looking for here.
 
Incense Usage
African Violet Enhances spirituality and protection. Used to create attraction and harmony in love and friendship.
Almond Used for prosperity and wisdom.
Aloes wood Used for Healing, protection and affection. It is considered to be one of the most precious and rare incense on earth. From the time of antiquity it has been so prized and difficult to find, that it was often traded on an equal level of gold.
Amber Powder Considered to be an emotion balancer. Used for healing and meditation. It's intoxicating aroma blends well with everything. Because of it's divine fragrance, it has been considered as a sacred temple powder often referred to as "Nectar of the Gods" or "Ambrosia".
Anise, Star Used for psychic pendulums and good luck charms. It is used to drive away negativity and to bring good luck. Long used as a sacred Japanese temple incense for cleansing and attracting good luck.
Apple Enhances knowledge and wisdom. Used for love, healing, immortality and garden magik rituals.
Balsam Fir Needles Enhances breath work or breathing in life. Used for respiratory work and for grounding.
Bamboo Enhances Divination and protection. Used for luck, protection and hex-breaking rituals. Bamboo is the stick used to hold the herbs and resins in most stick incense. It has magikal uses of it's own and was used for divination in Chinese Temples.
Banana Enhances prosperity. Used for fertility, potency and prosperity rituals.
Benzoin Gum Resin Used for purification and prosperity. Often used as a base for incense blends. An antiseptic used to cleanse the lungs and strengthen the mind. Promotes knowledge, peace, and psychic protection. Considered to be a fine "clearing" resin.
Cedar Used for purifying, protection and to banish bad dreams. Used by Native Americans in sweat lodges to release heavy emotional energies. Often included with Sage in smudge sticks for clearing and cleansing an area.
Champa Used for clearing and protection. Used for meditation and for creating your sacred space. It is known to bring an individuals energies into harmonious balance.
Cherry Enhances divination and attraction. It has long been used to stimulate or attract intament love.
Cinnamon Powder Enhances spiritual consciousness and protective energies. Cinnamon has long been used for healing and money rituals. As well as, a stimulant and aphrodisiac. It was used as a Holy anointing oil by ancient Hebrews.
Coconut Long been used for protection rituals, especially in chastity spells.
Copal, Black Resin Enhances energies of the heart. Used for healing the heart, either physical or emotional illnesses. It has long been used as an incense during "Day of the Dead" Celebrations.
Copal, White Resin Enhances energies of the heart. Used primarily for emotional matters of the heart, for love and purification. It is the cleanest and purest of the Copals. Is has long been considered to be a sacred "Food of the Gods".
Clove Powder Enhances banishing rituals. Used to drive away hostile, negative forces. It is also used to attract positive spiritual energies and to purify a negative area.
Desert Sage Enhances protection and purification to bring about wisdom and health. Traditionally used to drive out bad spirits, feelings and influences. An important Native American Plant.
Dragon's Blood Resin Red Resin from a palm tree. It enhances rituals involving love, protection and exorcism. Used for consecration, protection, and good luck. It is also thought to increase the potency of other resins.
Eucalyptus Leaf Enhances good health and protection.Used for healing and sickness rituals.
Frankincense Resin Used for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation. Long used by the Catholic church to release powerful positive energies and to drive away evil and negativity.
Frankincense & Myrrh Resin Enhances spirituality, healing, protection and exorcism. Used for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation. Two most popular blessed resins of the kings.
Gardenia Enhances Moon energies, it is a must for Esbat rituals. Often used for love spells and to attract good, peaceful spirits during rituals.
Geranium Leaf, Nutmeg Enhances prosperity and fertility. Used for luck , prosperity, fidelity, love and fertility
Geranium, Oak Leaf Enhances friendship. Used to maintain a friendship or make a friendship stronger, creating a 'true' friendship.
Geranium Leaf, Orange Citrus Geranium is burned for luck, love, fidelity, money and weddings.
Geranium Leaf, Rose A beautiful rose fragrance that is used for in love & healing sachets. It promotes calm and relieves stress.
Ginger Root Used to promote psychic growth and success.
Gum Arabic Powder Used for psychic purification and protection. It's a sweet, light vanilla scent which has often been used for making scents and adhesives.
Honeysuckle Enhances the bonds of love. Used to heal relationships, or make a love stronger. It's honey sweet smell was used in Victorian times to promote mental and emotional attraction. It was often used in a small sachet worn around a woman's wrist.
Hyacinth Enhances love, protection and happiness. Guards against nightmares.
Jasmine Flowers Enhances relaxation and dreams. Used to create prophetic dreams if burned in the bedroom or in a sachet pillow.
Juniper Berry Powder Enhances healing and healing rituals. Used to guard against evil forces and energies, hexes and sickness. It has long been used throughout Europe in rooms of the sick.
Juniper Leaf Enhances healing and healing rituals. Used to guard against evil forces and hexes. It has long been used throughout Europe in rooms of the dying.
Lavender Flowers Enhances healing rituals for love and compassion. Used for bringing compassion to intament relationships and to protect relationships.
Lavender Enhances devotion and virtue. Used by Native Americans with Sage in a smudge stick, to clear and cleanse an area for spiritual work. Promotes communication in meditation between an individual and the GreatSpirits.
Lemon Balm Used for compassion and gentleness. A shared sympathy.
Lemon grass Enhances psychic awareness. Used for psychic meditations.
Lilac Enhances protection. Used to bring peace and harmony into an area. Lilac has long been planted over garden gates to ensure peace and harmony is maintained within the gates.
Lotus Enhances good fortune and love while promoting long life. Used for protection and as a sacred offering to the Gods. The Lotus has been long revered in the East as a mystical symbol of life, spirituality and the center of the universe.
Magnolia Enhances relationship commitment. Used for fidelity and love. Magnolia trees have long been planted around a house in the south to promote love of the family and home.
Musk Enhances self-confidence, determination and a strong will to succeed. Used for sexual attraction and to promote sensuality. Musk has long been used in mens colognes to promote attraction.
Myrrh Resin Enhances meditation and contemplation. Used to release and banish negativity, to promote spiritual enlightenment and progression. It was often used in the temple of Isis.
Nag Champa Powder Enhances energies into harmonious balance. Used to clear and cleanse an area for ritual work. Especially good for setting space for meditation, group rituals or gatherings.
Osha Root Used to treat respiratory and rheumatic complaints. Long used by Native American healers for it's powerful healing abilities. Incredible butterscotch and celery scent promotes health.
Orange Peel Enhances weddings and unions. Used for luck, love and money.
Orange Blossom (Neroli) Enhances attraction and sexual magnetism. Used to attract love and romance.
Patchouli Powder Enhances prosperity. Used for fertility (love) or prosperity (all areas of prosperity such as personal relationships, careers, finances etc.).
Peppermint Leaf Used for growth and renewal.
Pineapple Used for luck and chastity. Pineapples have long symbolized success in the south and were used to bring luck and money to the home and family. Or when used as a head piece on a bed, to symbolize luck and fertility, as well as chastity.
Pine Needles and Cones Used for humility and protection. Often placed in the home during the winter to promote protection and health through the cold season.
Rose Petals
Yellow rose pedals are used for bringing success to any kind of venture. Such as a court case, a new business plan, looking for a job and so on.
Red rose pedals are used for matters of love and protection.
Pink rose pedals are used for matters of protection and compassion.
White rose pedals are used for protection and any general spiritual matter. Such as communicating with spirit, working on raising energies for meditation or bringing a greater sense of Divinity into your spirit.
Purple rose pedals are used for matters of divination. Such as working to identify your psychic ability, developing your talent and learning the wisdom of divination.
Rosemary Leaf Enhances memory. Used for love, healing and mental or remembrance rituals. Stimulates memory and clarification. Use of Rosemary has been documented to ancient Egyptian times.
Saffron Used for happiness and healing sadness.
Sage  Enhances wisdom and immortality. Sage has long been sacred to Native Americans and were incorporated in most smudge sticks.
Sage Leaf (California) Used to purify and protect objects, places and people. Sage has long been sacred to Native Americans and were incorporated in most smudge sticks.
Sandal Wood Powder Used for spiritual awareness, meditation and psychic development. It has long been used as a base to hold incense sticks to help add it's energies to the incense being burned.
Strawberry Enhances tenderness, friendship and love. Strawberries have long been associated with love and celebrations as a food. Such as chocolate covered strawberries used as an aphrodisiac, or strawberries and champaign as a symbol in the celebration love.
Sweet grass Used to purify spaces and to attract positive influences.
Tea, Green Used for healing to promote health and physical strength.
Vanilla Enhances prosperity and dedication. Used to promote dedication of home and hearth, and to bring about prosperity in all areas of one's life, of the family unit and of home. Every home seems much happier and cozy when some type of food is baking with vanilla in it. Such as cookies or cakes.
Verbena, Lemon Used carried for protection of love. In the Victorian era, women would often stuff a small sachet of lemon verbena and slip it into the coat pocket of their husband or intended.
 
Tools: Incense
- A History Of Incense
- Creating Your Own Incense
- Incense Symbology

Source: 1, h1, h2, h3, h4, h11, h12, h13, h14, h15, h16
Created: 05.11.2008 Updated: 05.11.2008

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