What Is Incense? Everything You Need to Know (2024)

FAQs

What You Need to Know About incense? ›

Incense is typically made up of an aromatic material that produces a scent and a combustible binding material that holds it together in a particular shape. The aromatic materials used for making incense are typically plant-based and can include a variety of resins, barks, seeds, roots, and flowers.

So, among Christians today, incense has ritual and symbolic meaning. Its sweet aroma symbolizes something pleasing and acceptable being offered to God. Burning incense is also a sign of reverence and dedication. Incensing the body at a funeral Mass is a sign of reverence for the body that was once the temple of God.

In Christianity

The New Testament makes several typological references to incense, including a Christological reference to the coals from the altar of incense taken behind the veil on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:3-4), and a reference to the prayers of believers as incense (Revelation 5:8).

Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony.

In many religious practices, burning incense is believed to deepen our attention and empower our spiritual focus. The aroma of incense can help you tap in your spiritual connections. It calms the environment and your mind, cleansing the space for inner and outer journeys.

All you need is a match or lighter and an incense burner or heatproof/non-flammable dish. To light the cone, hold the tip over the heat source for about 30 seconds until it begins to smolder (you should see smoke coming out of the tip). If there is a flame, blow it out.

4 incense sticks: It is related to the elements and used to increase fortune. 5 incense sticks: It is about worshiping the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, father, mother, and teachers. 6 incense sticks: It is related to the power element, especially people born on Sunday, and used to increase fortune.

Incense is sometimes used to give honor to holy things and holy people, the primary symbols of the liturgy. For example, the gospel book, the altar, the bread and wine, the ministers and the assembly are incensed as a way of showing their importance in worship.

MYRRH – Myrrh is an ancient incense used for protection, healing, purification and spirituality.

As per the Biblical tale, as recounted in Matthew 2:1-12, an infant Jesus of Nazareth was visited in Bethlehem on the eve of his birth by Magi bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Who gave incense to Jesus? ›

The Magi saw the star from afar and traveled to worship the Christ Child. They brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – each of which tells us something about Jesus' identity.

Uzziah was suddenly struck with leprosy before he had offered the incense (2 Chronicles 26:19), and he was driven from the Temple and compelled to reside in "a separate house" until his death (2 Kings 15:5, 27; 2 Chronicles 26:3).

The exotic fragrance of the 777 Extreme Incense would help you connect your soul with the Divine power which will make you feel refreshed and confident. It will give your body and mind the power to follow your dreams and live your passion.

Medicinal

The effect of good aromas, generated from Incense sticks has been shown to raise serotonin in the brain. As an alternative to taking drugs, nonpharmacological methods of raising brain serotonin may not only improve mood but does so without side-effects or dangers of addiction.

Incense may be used in Christian worship at the celebration of the Eucharist, at solemn celebrations of the Divine Office, in particular at Solemn Vespers, at Solemn Evensong, at funerals, benediction and exposition of the Eucharist, the consecration of a church or altar and at other services.

Incense can be burned during times of meditation, prayer, general reflection or to help cleanse and clear the air and make a space sacred. Native Americans burn bundles of sage, known as smudge sticks, to help clear the air of negative energy.

Part of the reason for these potential health effects is that indoor incense burning is linked to poor air quality and increased levels of toxic chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are associated with a host of health problems. These compounds include: polyaromatic hydrocarbons. benzene.

Frankincense. Frankincense is great for soothing heightened nerves, so you can use it to boost sleep by burning frankincense incense on your nightstand. "This best for quieting the mind, and deepening and relaxing the breath so we can fall asleep and stay asleep," says Galper.

An incense stick, on an average, burns for 60 minutes. But it leaves behind the aroma to last for few hours. So if you're burning incense in a small-to-medium sized room, one incense stick a day is ample. If your space has more than 2 open windows with a constant flow of air, you can light upto 2 incense sticks a day.

Incense sticks generally burn for about an hour, but the scent tends to linger in a room for a few hours afterwards. Burning 1-2 incense sticks a day in one space should be plenty, however if you choose to use different scents for different rooms, you may wish to burn more.

What does Dragon Blood incense do? ›

Use : Dragon's Blood Incense helps protect and strengthen your aura from external negativity and psychic attacks, thereby energizing your psychic and spiritual core.

In conclusion, the morning can be an ideal time to burn incense for its peaceful and calming atmosphere. Whether you're looking to start your day with a fresh perspective or simply enjoy the relaxing aroma of incense, the morning can be the perfect time to light up a stick or two.

Yellow incense sticks are traditionally lit for the newly deceased—or to be more specific, those who have passed away less than two years prior. The more commonly seen red incense sticks are used for those whose deaths have occurred more than two years since.

The Altar of Incense was located in the Holy Place, before the veil. Here, priests would burn a combination of four precious spices and tree resins (including frankincense), every morning and evening, to coincide with the burnt offerings made at the Altar of Sacrifice.

The ingredients are detailed in Exodus 30:34, where Moses is tasked with making incense: Take fragrant spices – gum resin, onycha and galbanum – and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts.

Incense engages our senses in inescapable ways. The smoke we see rising from the burning incense is the physical representation of our prayers rising to God. The aroma we smell reminds us to live our lives as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Frankincense. Frankincense, an aromatic tree resin, is one of the oldest forms of incense. It has some incredible abilities to calm the central nervous system. Researchers have found that it also activates ion channels in the brain to calm anxiety and depression.

Frankincense and myrrh as an herb pair has shown promising effects in pain relief.

Boswellia. Boswellia, also known as Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata), has been used to manage pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), rheumatism, bursitis, and tendonitis.

The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. This dates back to Origen in Contra Celsum: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God."

Why did Jesus get frankincense? ›

The first, referred to in the carol 'We Three Kings', interprets the gifts as symbolising three aspects of Christ's future life: gold representing kingship, frankincense (worship) and myrrh (death and mourning).

Each of these precious gifts has a symbolic meaning. Frankincense was used for worship in the Temple; it is symbolic of Christ the High Priest. Gold is symbolic of Christ the King. Myrrh a perfume, was used to anoint dead bodies, it is symbolic of His death for the sake of truth, and therefore of Christ the Prophet.

As of 2022 Myrrh has been branded as Synthetic Cannabinoid by Amazon.

The book of Exodus and the Talmud list the original ingredients that include frankincense, galbanum, onycha, stacte, myrrh, cassia, spikenard. Every morning and evening this sacred incense was burned on the incense altar in the temple.

Divine Healing incense offers a fragrance that eases the mind, relieves stress, and generally helps your divine magic. Used for prayer rituals and other forms of healing practice, Divine Healing is a wonderful magical aid, helping you invoke the healing qualities of the divine.

A thurible is a metal censer in which incense is burned during religious services. The thurible is suspended from chains and is gently swung by the priest or thurifer in order to spread the fragrant smoke of the incense. A thurifer is an acolyte that carries the thurible.

Myrrh. The Hebrew word for this incense is מור = "mōr." Maimonides, following a lead by Rabbi Saadia Gaon, believed this incense to have been musk (Moschus moschiferus), the aromatic substance which exudes from a gland on the male musk deer. From ancient times down to our present time, an incense has been made from it.

Like asthma and cancer, incense smoke has also been associated with increased risk of heart disease. In a study of over 60,000 Singapore citizens, long-term exposure to incense in the home was linked to cardiovascular-caused deaths. Researchers think this may be tied into the smoke's effects on metabolism as well.

If you love the smell of scented candles or incense sticks, you may be concerned about the potential for setting off the smoke detector. As with cigarettes and vaporizers, it's unlikely that a single candle or incense stick will trigger the fire alarm, especially if you keep them away from the smoke detector.

Some studies have found that burning incense indoors increases the levels of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been linked to cancer. This makes sense – burning any sort of organic material, whether tobacco leaves, coal or an incense stick – produces PAHs.

Is incense good for your lungs? ›

According to the EPA, exposure to the particulate matter present in incense smoke has been linked to asthma, lung inflammation and even cancer. In fact, long-term exposure to incense smoke was found to be related to an increased risk for upper respiratory cancers as well as squamous cell lung cancer.

Incense burning emits smoke containing particulate matter, gas products and other organic compounds and causes air pollution, airway disease and health problems. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause airway dysfunction.

Hindus, especially the Śaivas, use incense for ritual and domestic offerings, and so do Buddhists, who burn it at festivals and initiations as well as at daily rites. In China incense was burned during festivals and processions to honour ancestors and household gods, and in Japan it was incorporated into Shintō ritual.

Some studies have found that burning incense indoors increases the levels of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been linked to cancer. This makes sense – burning any sort of organic material, whether tobacco leaves, coal or an incense stick – produces PAHs.

Please ensure that you do not leave the incense unattended. Please place incense out of reach of children or pets. Do not touch remnants of the stick incense right after it has finished burning. Also do not touch metal parts of the incense burner right after burning.

Incense burning emits smoke containing particulate matter, gas products and other organic compounds and causes air pollution, airway disease and health problems. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause airway dysfunction.

It was also more cytotoxic and genotoxic than the cigarette used in the study. This means that incense smoke is potentially more toxic to a cell, and especially to its genetic contents, the researchers noted. Mutagenics, genotoxins and cytotoxins have all been linked to the development of cancers.

"Warm, woody scents, like sandalwood and myrhh, are sought after for their meditative, healing, and mood-boosting qualities, while relaxing scents lavender and peppermint can reduce stress and anxiety," she says.

Sage, frankincense and sandalwood are considered the best incense for purifying the air in your space and cleansing your body's energy field.

Is it OK to sleep with incense? ›

Frankincense. Frankincense is great for soothing heightened nerves, so you can use it to boost sleep by burning frankincense incense on your nightstand. "This best for quieting the mind, and deepening and relaxing the breath so we can fall asleep and stay asleep," says Galper.

Cleansing regularly can help improve the energetic flow in your space and help introduce more positive energy into your home. You can easily cleanse the energy in your space in a few short minutes with the help of your favorite incense.

Stick Incense

You put the stick in an incense holder, and light the tip of the stick with a lighter or a match. Once it catches, you gently blow out the flame. The stick will continue to smolder with a red ember at the end, releasing aromatic smoke and leaving ash behind.

Incense sticks generally burn for about an hour, but the scent tends to linger in a room for a few hours afterwards. Burning 1-2 incense sticks a day in one space should be plenty, however if you choose to use different scents for different rooms, you may wish to burn more.

The short answer is no, it's not bad for our pets and it is completely safe to burn in the presence of our cats, dogs, rats and rabbits etc. Burning incense is as safe for our furry friends as it is for us.

Your incense should glow and give off a light wisp of smoke as it slowly burns. Allow the fragrance to disperse through your space. It's always a good idea to keep a window or door open while burning incense to provide ventilation.

Most incense that is used in spiritual applications consists of resins like Frankincense and Myrrh, herbs and/or woods like Sandalwood or Palo Santo burned loosely over coals. Sometimes, the mixture is combined with a natural combustible ingredient like makko powder.