Burning incense is a tradition that dates back thousands
of years, in practically all of earth’s ancient civilizations, and is well
known for it’s mood-altering qualities.
The word Incense is derived from the Latin verb incendere, ‘to burn’.
It has been used to accompany prayer, to worship the
Gods, purify the air, release negative vibrations, induce self-awareness and
to uplift the emotional state.
There are many references to incense in the Old and New
Testament and the Roman Catholics still use incense at mass and in many other
of their rituals. It symbolizes
the sacredness of a person or occasion, and their prayer as it rises to God.
When Jesus was born, frankincense, myrrh and gold were
presented as gifts to the newborn infant.
In Hindu tradition incense plays a very important role as the aroma
contributes to providing the most favorable atmosphere for meditation and
prayer.
In the worship of their Deities, incense is considered
essential for any offering, so during the daily worship at their altars,
Indian families offer incense, candles and flowers as a mark of devotion.
It has been explained that ‘our actions in our lives should give
happiness to others, just as the incense stick gives off a beautiful smell’.
The Ancient Egyptians used incense in many of their
temple rituals; they believed it purified both the worshipped and their
worshippers. It was said to drive
away evil spirits while simultaneously attracting the gods. The tomb of
Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes was discovered with huge
quantities of perfumes, oils and incense surrounding his mummy. Each incense had a specific purpose and effect such as
Frankincense, which was regarded as ‘sustenance for the gods’.
In the ancient Sanskrit texts, there are many beautiful
descriptions of festive occasions when incense was burned in the homes and
streets, delighting the residents of the city ‘at every step’.
Fragrant waters were also used to spray the thoroughfares and scented
garlands of flowers adorned and decorated buildings and entranceways.
The aromas created by these delightful activities were enough to
‘fill the heart with euphoria and uplift the mind to its highest state’.
In the Buddhist tradition incense has always been used to
accompany their meditations, to induce self-awareness and free them of
negative states. It is associated
with living with wisdom and compassion, gently permeating the world with their
God-like qualities, just as incense wafts and permeates the atmosphere.
Each different fragrance has its own vibration, so
incense can be selected to assist with mood enhancement, to help you feel
good; soothing and uplifting – to reduce stressful situations, and to assist
with personal development. It is
also excellent to burn whilst saying affirmations, to raise your consciousness
and purify the atmosphere in which you live.
Most people choose their incense ‘from their heart’, thus allowing
for intuition to guide them for their ‘highest good’. Therefore, incense plays a very important role in creating a
healthy environment in which those people seeking wisdom and truth can ‘tune
in’ to their ‘purpose in life’.
There are many varieties of aromas within the incense
world, some with a 'single note', such as jasmine, sandalwood or
tuberose. Oriental blends tend to be hot, spicy and sweet and complex
floral harmonies are a blend of several floral notes together. The
ever-popular earthy tone of patchouli is a warm fragrance and is often used
more in winter, to warm the heart and home; whereas the delightful, youthful
fragrance of strawberry is commonly enjoyed on a spring morning, when
the sun is spreading its healing rays.
Incense
'Notes'
Perfumes are described as 'notes', similar to the notes
on a piano, each note with it's own 'melody'. There are the 'top' notes,
which are the initial scent that you will smell in an incense, perhaps when
you take a stick out of it's packet for the first time, and often when you
first light the stick. The top note is usually high, strong and sweet,
but very short-lasting. (It is also quite euphoric and uplifting) These
top notes fade very quickly and are referred to as
low-persistence; much like a 100 yard dash!
The 'middle' note has quite a bit more persistence - more
like running the mile and is often quite different to the top note.
After the incense has been burning for a short while you can usually detect
the middle note; it is the most predominant melody - keeps the whole thing
swinging. Sometimes the middle note is a blend of the top note
and the base note.
The 'base' note is Mr. Marathon J-
the Grand Finale! It is long-lasting, very persistent and keeps the whole combination
humming.
(The base note is what you will smell even after the incense has been finished
for quite some time.) Usually the base note is very woody or earthy and
helps to bring out peaceful, contented feelings; it's cozy qualities really
help create inner harmony.
As you can imagine, all of these notes are essential for an
incense to create that perfect atmosphere and provide the strength that you need. Here at
Spiritual Sky we make sure that our fragrances have an excellent balance of
all three notes to provide you with the best quality product possible!
