Century of Spells

by Draja Mickaharic

  Coffee: Good for protection from negativity; it can put an end to nightmares when it is burned in the bedroom. Better for teenage children than cinnamon.

  Mace: Good for self-discipline; aids concentration and strengthens the mental body. It is a spice ruled by Mars and affects the mental plane.

  Nutmeg: Makes people feel expansive or jovial. It adds to self-confidence, opens people to being joyous. It is not a sexual incense, but it does promote congeniality.

  The following spice blends are used as incenses, about a quarter teaspoon at a time. Their names are indicative of their use.

  Blessing of Concord: Cinnamon and allspice combined in equal parts. This places a smooth and witty feeling into the place where it is burned. It encourages social affairs and discourages jealousy between people. A bit of frankincense can be added to raise the vibration.

  Mental Ease and Peace: This resulted from a friend's making up an incense from the recipe in the folk song called “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.” Taken in equal parts, it yields an incense which seems to smooth out the vibrations in the place where it is burned. It makes meditation a bit calmer and easier, and calms the home at bedtime. It also seems to relieve mental tension and help those who worry a lot.

  Mental Stimulation and Wit: This incense is an example of the positive use of mace-the incense of Mars. It has a mentally stimulating effect and is good for increasing the alertness of those who do mental work. It is not a bad incense for the office or the store, in that it seems to perk things up a bit. It is bad to burn where tempers flare, however. Take two teaspoons of mace and mix with a teaspoon of ground cloves and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Burn a quarter teaspoon at a time on a hot charcoal for best results. The remainder can be placed in a small bottle and stored for future use. It improves a bit with a week of ageing.

  Blessing Incense: This incense is used to effect a blessing on a person, place, or thing. It is particularly good for blessing a new possession or article of clothing. Pray for what is desired as the incense is burning. Make the incense by mixing a teaspoon of ground bay leaf with a teaspoon of ground cumin. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Burn a quarter teaspoon at a time on hot charcoal and let the fumes of the incense reach the person or item being blessed.

  RITUAL INCENSE

  Your most important incense is the ritual incense used to cense an area used for ritual purposes. The following is my own blend, which serves well for most work. Specific rituals call for specific incenses, and in some cases this incense will not do at all. However, you will find that it will serve for most simple ritual work. The incense will not only cleanse an area, but it will also bring in the vibrations required for most work.

  Mix the following gum resins either by weight or by volume. A tablespoonful may be crushed in the mortar for use as required. Be sure to label the container and date it so you remember when you prepared it.

  51% frankincense

  20% myrrh

  20% benzoin

  9% copal2

  The incense may either be used on the altar or in a censer. It is also useful for fumigations and for censing in spiritual cleansings.

  PROTECTIVE INCENSE

  This incense is used to protect those occupying the place where it is burned. It was originally devised by Joseph-Antoine Boullan, a well-known occultist of the 19th century. The story of his preparing it for the use of J. K. Huysmans is told in Eliphas Levi and the French Occult Revival.3 The incense was made and blessed in the name of St. John the Baptist.

  The incense is made as a stiff gum, formed into small balls or pellets the size of a pea. These can be flattened into wafers if desired. It is to be burned on charcoal with a prayer for protection whenever protection is desired. The incense improves slightly with age as long as it is kept in a closed container which does not allow the camphor gum to evaporate.

  Mix in a mortar:

  1 teaspoon finely ground myrrh powder

  1 teaspoon frankincense powder

  1 teaspoon ground cloves

  1 teaspoon camphor gum (either synthetic from your local drugstore or natural from a store selling Indian foods and spices).

  If the mixture does not form a gum, add a bit more camphor to bind it. The finished pellets may be rolled or dusted with myrrh powder to make them less sticky if desired.

  You use this incense by placing a pellet on a hot charcoal. While the fumes are rising you should pray for the protection you desire. If you are praying from a Christian perspective, you should make your prayer to St. John the Baptist. From a pagan perspective you should address your prayer to the martial or Mars-related deity in the pantheon you use.

  To cleanse yourself or another person from negative influences you may use this incense in a fumigation. For information on fumigating yourself or another person see page 55 where fumigation with incense is discussed at length.

  HIGH SPIRIT INCENSE

  The name “High Spirit Incense” is frequently found on incenses sold in occult or curio shops. It is an incense which attracts higher spiritual forces, and has the effect of protecting, blessing, and generally clearing up the spiritual environment. The incense given below is not what you will find in the occult store, but is actually the incense used by spiritual practitioners. It is made from gum resins, and while it is more costly, it is also much more effective.

  If you are only going to work with one or two incenses this is one which you will want to keep on hand. The incense is made in the mortar and sealed in small bottles. You may burn about a quarter teaspoon at a time on charcoal.

  3 teaspoons frankincense

  2 teaspoons benzoin gum

  1 teaspoon myrrh

  You may use this incense either in a fixed burner or in a censer. You may also use this incense in a fumigation, especially following a cleansing bath.

  MEDITATION INCENSE

  This incense is sometimes known as High Church Incense, or Church Incense. The formula we will use contains gum resins, while the occult store product is usually made from perfume oils and wood flour. You will. find that our version of the incense has a very spiritual and quiet vibration. It is useful for meditation or for calming a nervous vibration.

  This incense is made in the mortar and stored in small closed bottles. You can burn it on charcoal about a quarter teaspoon at a time.

  2½ teaspoons of frankincense

  1 teaspoon of myrrh

  1 teaspoon of copal

  You may burn this incense either in a fixed burner or in a censer. You will find that it is best in meditation if you use a fixed burner that remains about six feet away when you are meditating.

  INCENSE FOR SWEETENING THE HOME

  This incense originated with black Americans in the South. It was a favorite incense in the pre-Civil War South, when resin gums were not available to the black slaves. This incense cheers up the home, settling so called “troubled conditions.” It is also good to use around old people, especially those who feel that they have nothing to live for.

  Unlike the other incenses made from gums, this incense does not store for more than a week or so. Therefore you should make only the amount you will need for one time.

  Mix two or three drops of honey in a quarter teaspoon of brown sugar. Place the resulting paste on a hot charcoal and allow the fumes to fill the house. The odor can be rather strong if it is burned in a room full of people, consequently it is usually better to burn this when you are alone. The vibrations will remain when the rest of the family arrives.

  MONEY-DRAWING INCENSE

  This incense is useful for opening to door to money. It has gained a very good reputation in money-drawing, as it seems to work when it is used. Having used it myself when in financial need I can testify to its effectiveness. I am sure it will work as well for you, although there are no guarantees in the operation of magic. Burning this incense seems to announce to the universe that more income is needed.

  Mix a teaspoon of benzoin gum powder and two teaspoons of cinnamon in a m
ortar. Bum about a quarter teaspoon at a time on hot charcoal. Cense all the rooms of the house with the incense when you want a lift in your money supply.

  This incense must not be over-used, as over-use is a signal that you are unhappy with the divine supply that is being given you. The universe seems to interpret over-use as a sign of greed, and reduces rather than increases the supply. Using this incense three or four times a year is best. You should use it when you are at a low point financially, as this seems to have the best results. It will bring money in to you—don't be impatient. It is important not to wonder where the money will come from, for doing so may act to limit the amount available to you.

  CONCENTRATION INCENSE

  This incense has been used for many years to encourage concentration when meditating. You may find it valuable when you study. This incense may be burned in your bedroom to aid your mind in directing itself to certain thoughts while you sleep. It is an aid to concentration in general. Mix together well the following spices:

  3 teaspoons cinnamon

  1½ teaspoons mace

  teaspoon powdered alum4

  Bum a quarter teaspoon at a time on a hot charcoal. This incense stores well if it is kept in a closed bottle. It should be burned alternately with one of the spiritual incenses, or the vibration of the room where it is burned may become a bit too heavy.

  This incense should not be used to cense people, as it has too heavy a vibration. For the same reason it should not be used for fumigations.

  HOUSE BLESSING INCENSE

  When you move into a new house you often want it to get a “homey” feeling quickly. This incense will assist in making your house into a home. It was devised by an expert in ceremonial magic,5 and has been used by a number of people with success, including myself.

  The incense improves with age, but it should be stored in a covered bottle. Mix this incense in the mortar and form into pills about the size of a pea.

  1 teaspoon powdered camphor gum

  1 teaspoon powdered nutmeg

  1 teaspoon powdered dried myrtle leaves

  This incense may be burned in a censer, but the best way to use it to put a strong vibration in a new home is to arrange several incense burners throughout the house. You can use catfood cans and saucers for this, with a charcoal on each one. Place two pea-sized lumps or about an eighth teaspoon of incense on each charcoal. Let the fumes rise and permeate the whole house until there are no more fumes rising. This takes about an hour. As the scent is a bit strong, you may wish to air out the house afterwards, but the vibration will remain in the house.

  A single application of this incense is sufficient. It will establish a good vibration throughout the entire house, and unless there is a traumatic upset, it will remain.

  INCENSE FOR ABUNDANCE AND PROSPERITY IN THE HOME

  Once you have established a good homey vibration in your house you might wish to refresh this vibration from time to time. Regularly used, say every month or so, the following incense will assist you in that effort. It has the quality of bringing abundance into your home, and when it is used as a censing incense throughout the house-with a prayer of thanksgiving-it will maintain the beneficial vibrations of the home and keep prosperity flowing in. This incense has other beneficial qualities as well, in that it has a spiritualizing effect in the place where it is burned. This assists in removing negative thoughtforms and keeping the home elevated.

  In the mortar mix the following;

  2 parts ground cinnamon

  1 part nutmeg

  1 part benzoin

  1 part ground dried myrtle leaves

  Bum about an eighth of a teaspoon at a time on a hot charcoal in a censer. Carry the censer with you as you move throughout the house, allowing the fumes to reach through the entire house. The remaining incense may be stored away in a closed bottle.

  FUMIGATION WITH INCENSE

  Fumigation is the process of using incense on a person, place, or thing to change the vibration of whatever is fumigated. The desire of the fumigation is to permanently change the vibration for the better. In the case of the fumigation of people, however, the change in the vibration is rarely lasting. Buildings and furniture will have a permanent change in vibration if they are thoroughly fumigated.

  You might compare the concept of fumigation with the use of perfume. When you use any kind of scent you have a change in your vibration, but the change is not lasting because the scent wears off. You will experience a similar change as a result of using a fumigation. In the case of a fumigation, however, you will find that the change in the vibration is more subtle. It will take a few days or a week for your natural vibration to completely supersede the vibration placed on you by the fumigation.

  The primary object of a fumigation, whether of a person, place, or thing, is to eliminate negative influences which may be present. This is the reason why knowing landlords have houses and apartments fumigated after a tenant leaves. The fumigation completely removes the vibration of the previous tenants and places a new vibration into the living space. The fumigation of a person has the same effect—first it cleanses them of negative influences, and second, it raises his or her vibration to a higher level.

  When you fumigate a building it is necessary to use a number of incense burners. You may want to place one in every room of the house. A cleansing incense is placed on the coals of the incense burners and left for an hour or so. Once the cleansing is accomplished, the new vibration is placed in the building by burning a spiritual incense. You might want to use Coffee Incense to clean out the negativity in the place and then follow with House Blessing Incense to place a good vibration in the place.

  When a crime of violence or murder has taken place in a house or apartment, it is frequently necessary to use incenses as well as other things to clean out the living quarters. Some of the materials used can be dangerous, so this type of cleansing is best left to those who have been trained to do it. One incense commonly used for this type of cleansing actually destroys the astral fabric in an apartment or house. With this type of cleansing the most evil vibrations can be removed and replaced with a feeling of sweetness and light.

  Fumigating a person is a very simple thing, and one which will be found to be beneficial under all circumstances. You should get into the habit of using a fumigation on yourself whenever you still feel “grungy” after taking a cleansing bath.6 The incense will remove astral forms which the bath will not. This is not because the incense is more effective than the bath, but simply that the incense removes one thing while the bath removes something else.

  When you are fumigating yourself, you should avoid experimenting with incenses other than those given below. You are working with your personal vibration when you do a fumigation, and you may create a change that you will not like. After any fumigation, the effect will stay with you for at least twenty-four hours!

  To fumigate yourself (or another person) you will need a straight-backed chair, a white sheet, your incense burner and the incense you have selected. Place the incense burner under the chair and light the charcoal. Place the incense on the hot charcoal and sit on the chair (either nude or in your underwear). Now gently wrap the sheet around you, covering the chair, and everything but your head. Be careful not to let the sheet hit the incense burner or the hot charcoal! Sit like this for ten or fifteen minutes and you will fumigate yourself very well indeed.

  Allspice: Will assist you in being more harmonious with others. It is a good fumigation when you have difficulties in a marriage or at work.

  Benzoin: Will assist in removing blockages to your growth. For spiritual assistance, it should be accompanied by a sincere prayer to God for help.

  Cinnamon: Will assist you in gaining protection from outside forces, and from malicious or negative people. It can be used with a prayer for a job or a business opportunity.

  Cloves: This is the best protective incense for fumigation. It will protect you from those who are deliberately malicious as well as from the s
ub-conscious negative thoughts of others. A clove fumigation is about the strongest protection fumigation there is.

  Coffee: A good fumigation against negative entities, including the spirits of the dead. It is also a good fumigation for those who are sick or who have been sick for a period of time. It will remove heavy thoughtforms from people. It also puts an end to nightmares induced by heavy thoughts of yourself or others. Use regular ground coffee, not instant or decaffeinated coffee.

  Frankincense: A general fumigation for cleansing and spiritual growth. It will assist you to get off on the right foot in any form of spiritual growth or exercise. It is probably the best general fumigation to start with.

  Garlic Skins: The outer covering of the garlic is peeled off and discarded when you cook with garlic. The skins are good for the removal of negative thoughtforms or obsessive thoughts. You should fumigate yourself with garlic skins if you feel discouraged about something, or if one thought preys on your mind. After breaking off an affair, it is a good idea to fumigate yourself with garlic skins every week for the first month or so. This keeps thoughts of loss from becoming too strong.

  Tobacco: Tobacco is an herb of Mars, and is often used in incense in small quantities to add the Mars vibration. It is good for physical protection and for freeing yourself from influences sent to you. It may also be used with a sincere prayer to free yourself of the ability to send the evil eye to others. There is enough tobacco in a cigarette to fumigate yourself.

  1See Vinci, Incense (Wellingborough, England: Thorsons Publishing Group, 1980); and Maple, The Magic of Perfume (Thorsons Publishing Group, 1973). Both are now out of print, but worth reading if you can find a copy.