Good use of charcoal/burning resin alternatives

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Charcoal! One of my favorite ways of burning incense, a ritual unto

itself!<smile>

 

What I do is get out my sacred incense fork (kitchen witch he hehe), and

hold it over a candle

flame until it starts sparking.

I typically wait until a lot of it is turning red, not always.

 

The best way that I have ever found to burn it is on a screen burner. It is

a round brass incense burner with a removable screen on top that sits on a

wooden coaster.

 

This provides maximum air flow allowing your charcoal to last longer and

burn evenly. In a sense it is like having a mini barb-q!

We sell TONS of them at the store. I even carry one around with me wherever

I go on vacation (i know! fire, fire). Sand works too, but you don't

typically

get the same amount of burn time and I have found that they tend to go out

more frequently.

(unless of course your patron Goddess is Pele or Brigid)

 

The coated charcoal challenge; some resins and incenses will coat the the

coal not allowing it

to burn fully when more incense is added:

Take a small piece of tin foil and form a cup shape.

Place the cup on the coal after it is going.

Add your resin or incense to the cup.

 

This helps it not to stick and to burn longer as well as let you use

multiple incenceses in one working if need be.

 

Non burning coals (fondly referred to as limp coal syndrome)

The minute you take the coals out of the original package, seal them back up

in a ziploc and then another zip loc and then an airtight container (feel

free to skip #3, that is my obsessive side coming out).

If they get any moisture (steam, condensation, water) at all, they won't

burn.

Now, somebody said that they dry them out in the

microwave. I have never tried this (and don't endorse it <smile>) and am not

sure how it works or how long to do it.

 

Anyway, I hope this is helpful. Take what you need and leave the rest.

There are lots of great ways to do incense out there.

 

By Rachel Smith

 

Also,

 

As to the question below, I have started to burn frankincense in an oil

diffuser. I have used my ceramic one, but soapstone is probably better.

This is the type that you but a tealight candle in the bottom and it heats

the bowl. Not only does it eliminate the smoke of burning on charcaol, you

get a clearer sense of the actual smell. PLUS the resin lasts longer. I

don't add water or anything. It gets gummy, but when it cools, you can

re-light the diffuser again and again with the same results. I just add a

few more granules every couple of weeks or so. I have also tried other

resins... the end result is better for me and the space I share with my

family.

 

Just an idea!

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Rach

[Guest guest]

Thanks for that - some good ideas there

Regards

Ann - Scotland