The Wonderful World Of Incense ~ How To Burn Incense ~ By Erin Gjertsen ~ Basic Instructions For Burning Incense ~ Funny, how you take some things for granted, like my husband assuming that everyone has gone ice fishing before (NOT)... Hard as it was for me to believe, since incense has been a part of my life since childhood, there are many people that have NEVER burned incense before and have no idea HOW to burn incense. Some of these people have actually taken the first step: purchasing incense. Then, they get discouraged, because it is not what they expected. This has lead to many phone calls and emails, asking why the incense "does not work" "why it all smells the same" or why "it burns out in less than 5 minutes". These problems usually occur, because the person is unfamilliar with HOW to burn incense. Burning incense is VERY easy, if you will observe some basic rules for burning. This page is dedicated to those of you, who would like to venture into the wonderful world of incense, but have been afraid to ask how or just did not know who to ask. We do not promise to provide all the answers, just some of the basics to help you to enjoy your experience a little more :) First some basic instructions that pertain to most incense: Burn VS Smolder Rather than use the phrase Burning Incense, you might think of Smoldering Incense. Smoldering is much more accurate and will produce much more enjoyable results. Most incense is ignited, then the fire is extinguished. This leads to smoldering, the actual "burn" of the incense. ALWAYS use a heatproof container to burn your incense. Some incense can get VERY hot, hot enough to shatter a glass burner, or glass table top! Be sure your container will catch any falling ash and that the surface that your container will be sitting on is insulated from any heat. My favorite is a large ceramic bowl, filled with sand. The sand insulates the bowl and table surface from the heat of the incense. NEVER leave your incense burning unattended. Pets and Children can get curious and can knock over your incense, possibly starting a fire or injuring themselves. An open window with blowing drapes, too near your incense, can spell disaster. ALWAYS keep your incense away from your pets, children, draperies, or anything that might ignite because it comes into contact with fire. ALWAYS be sure that your incense is completely extinguished before you dispose of the ashes. Ashes from charcoal, in particular, can remain hot for many hours after the charcoal "burns out". This is a possibility for all types of incense. Make sure that your incense is cold to the touch, before disposing of the remains. Want to know how to burn a particular incense? Just click on the type of incense to learn more! How To Burn Cone Incense How To Burn Dhoop Incense How To Burn Stick Incense How To Burn Resin Incense How To Burn Herbal Incense How To Burn Smudge-We have a separate page, just for smudge. Read about it, here! (this will open a new window. Just close it, to return here.) FINALLY-THE LAST WORD |
Last Updated March 31, 2003 |
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Take the cone and set it in a heatproof container with the point facing up. (Try to avoid glass, as the bottom of the cone can get pretty hot.) Light the narrowest end of the cone incense with a match, or candle. Let the fire burn for about 10 seconds, then blow out, or fan until the flame goes out. The end of the cone should burn hot red, but no fire. The cone should begin to smolder, letting out a fragrant smoke. The cone must smolder, NOT flame, or you will only get a charcoal/fire type of fragrance. This is the main reason people complain that the incense smells bad, or only burns for 3 minutes! The fire MUST be out! If you let your cone incense smolder, your cone will probably burn like this, for 20-30 minutes. This will depend on the type of cone incense and the size. If you want more smoke, you may light a few more cones, at the same time. Known Issues For Cones- If your cone incense goes out, it is usually because there is not enough oxygen to keep it burning. This will also depend on the quality of your incense and how much moisture the cones have been exposed to. Be sure to store your incense in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. If your cone incense burner has a lid, try removing that lid to give your cone more oxygen. This is especially true, if you live in a cooler climate and it is wintertime. Here in the north, our homes have much less oxygen available, in winter, and some cones will go out, if burned in covered containers during this time. Looking for Cone Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. Dhoop incense comes in many sizes and shapes. Most will be in tubular format and many will come with their own aluminum burner, or will have a hole cut out in the box. If the dhoop is hard and inflexible, just place it upright in a dhoop burner, or in a bowl of sand. Make sure your table top is protected from any lightweight aluminum burner (aluminum heats fast) that comes with the incense. If your dhoop comes with a burner cut out of the box, be VERY careful and do NOT leave it unattended! Great way to start a fire. :) If your dhoop is soft and flexible, break off a piece, about an inch long. Roll this piece between your fingers, shaping it gradually into a cone shape. When you have your dhoop ready to light, place it upright, into a heatproof burner and light with a match or candle. Let the fire burn for about 10-15 seconds, then blow out, or fan until the flame goes out. The end of the stick should burn hot red, but no fire. Like all the other incense, the dhoop should begin to smolder, letting out a fragrant smoke. The dhoop MUST smolder, or you will only get a charcoal/fire type of fragrance. This is the main reason people complain that the incense smells bad, or only burns for 3 minutes! If you let your dhoop incense smolder, your cone will probably burn like this, for about 30 minutes. This will depend on the type of dhoop incense and the size. Issues with dhoop incense: Many dhoop incense come in packages of 5 or 6 sticks connected in a row, side by side, in the box. These need to be separated, before you burn them. Sometimes, they will break in the wrong places. Don't Worry, if you break one in half, or have two halves stuck together. It is only incense, after all. Just place the unit, point up, in an open burner (like my bowl of sand) and they will burn quite nicely. Looking for Dhoop Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. Most stick incense is made of a combination of herbs, wood, and/or oils, rolled onto a bamboo stick or wood punk. The stick has a narrow end, and a thicker coated end. To light your stick incense, place the wooden end into a heatproof holder. I use a bowl of sand and just place the stick right into the sand. This holds my stick upright, so the ashes fall right back into the container. Light the coated end with a match or candle. Let the stick burn for about 10 seconds and blow or fan the flame out. If you still see a flame, you need to put it out. The incense must smolder, NOT burn, for you to get the proper fragrance. The end of the stick should burn hot red, but no fire. The stick should begin to smolder, letting out a fragrant smoke. The stick MUST smolder, or you will only get a charcoal/fire type of fragrance. This is the main reason people complain that the incense smells bad, or only burns for 3 minutes! If you let your stick incense smolder, your stick will probably burn like this, for 30-45 minutes. This will depend on the type of stick incense and the size. Looking for Stick Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. Resin incense usually comes in packets of small chunks, "tears" or powder. Resin Incense is burned over hot charcoal tablets or in a fire. These charcoal tablets can get up to 1500 degrees, so it is very important to learn about how to use them, as well. Please, read about incense charcoal, here. /learn/learnch.html This will open a new window. Just close the window to return here. Once you have your charcoal tablet lit, just spoon or drop a 1/4 teaspoon or so of resin, onto the hot tablet. The resin will begin to melt and smolder. This should last for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how much resin you used. Be careful not to put too much resin on the tablet, or you may smother the charcoal tablet, and will need to begin again. An alternative that I particularly enjoy, is burning my pine resin on my barbecue, before we cook out. It gives out an aroma, like we are in the woods camping. I just love it! Some people will put a little resin on a log they are going to burn in the fire place. This is another great way to enjoy resin incense. Still, by far, the most popular method is to burn over charcoal tablets. ALWAYS make sure the tablet is extinguished, before disposing of it. For me, the safest way to get rid of my old charcoal is in my sink or toilet. No chance of a fire, in this way. Looking for Resin Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. Herbal incense is burned the same way as the resin incense, UNLESS it has a burning agent included in the incense. These types will usually say something like "match light" or give specific instructions for burning. What I am talking about, is burning dried herbs over charcoal. Herbal Incense is burned over hot charcoal tablets or in a fire. These charcoal tablets can get up to 1500 degrees, so it is very important to learn about how to use them, as well. Please, read about incense charcoal, here. https://www.grandpasgeneral.com/learn/learnch.html This will open a new window. Just close the window to return here. Once you have your charcoal tablet lit, just spoon or drop a 1/4 teaspoon or so of herbs onto the hot tablet. The herbs will begin to burn and smolder. This should last for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how much you used. Be careful not to put too much incense on the tablet, or you will smother the charcoal tablet, and will need to begin again. An alternative that I particularly enjoy is burning my cherry wood, pine cones, or cedar on my barbecue, before we cook out. You could also put some herbal incense in your fireplace, but be aware that because these are herbs, they will not emit the same kind of smoke in a fire that they will if you wait until the fire has burned down to embers This is another great way to enjoy herbal incense! Still, by far, the most popular method is to burn herbs over charcoal tablets. ALWAYS make sure the tablet is extinguished, before disposing of it. For me, the safest way to get rid of my old charcoal is in my sink or toilet. No chance of a fire, in this way. Looking for Herbal Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. Complaint: My incense all seems to smell the same! All blended incense has some sort of base. Many use a hardwood, such as sandalwood, as the base fragrance. Other scents or herbs may be added, but the base fragrance will usually be the same for all fragrances made under a particular brand name. In order to get the full aroma of your incense, it should smolder, NOT burn. If you burn your incense like a fire, right down to the bottom, it will burn in only a couple of minutes and you will only get a charcoaly smell of burning wood. It will ALL smell pretty much the same. However, if you let it SMOLDER, you will get the full fragrance of the various herbs, woods, oils, and/or resins and it will be quite different, MUCH more pleasurable, and definitely burn longer. Of course, you will always get a sense of whatever base is used. That is why many brands of incense smell similar, from scent to scent. A brand may the same wood base, with other top notes added for the different fragrances. So, if you are burning Rose, you will sense a similarity to the amber made by the same company. This is NOT a course, in how to burn incense. These are only basic guidlines. If you purchase an incense and it gives you instructions, naturally, use THOSE instructions. They have been designed by the manufacturer, who knows how to get the best enjoyment from that incense! Use the brain that Spirit provided you. USE COMMON SENSE! Don't burn incense while under the influence of mind altering substances or when you are going to sleep. Don't use incense if you suffer from Asthma or other respiratory difficulty unless you check with your physician, first. Let some fresh air into the space, where you are burning your incense. You need fresh air to breathe. This is only intended to be a guide for general usage and is not intended to be an instructive course. Also, this is not intended to answer ALL questions of fire safety. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own outcome, and for seeking proper safety advice. Please, check with your local fire department for any local fire regulations or safety tips on this subject. Always remember: SAFETY FIRST! As always, feel free to email, if you have further questions. Have fun, & enjoy all the exotic scents of the wonderful world of incense! Please, email us, to request permission to use this information on your site. Love & Peace, Erin Gjertsen Looking for Incense? Click here, to see the great variety of incense selections available from Grandpa's General Store. |