Incense

Incense has been used by virtually every culture practicing ritual magic throughout history. It is a versatile tool with a wide variety of applications.
Incense is used in spell craft to absorb intent and cast it into the atmosphere when burnt, and its aromatic properties can alter mood and perception to be conducive to the task at hand. Stick incense can be used as a wand to direct energy in ritual, or as a punk stick to ignite flash powder when casting sigils.
Incense can be purchased in an endless array of shapes, colors, and aromas, but for a more potent blend manufacturing your own is recommended.
When formulating your own incense recipes you will need four basic components. The first component will be an aromatic substance such as an herb or an essential oil of an herb. The second component will be a base substance that will burn easily, and give off either no scent, or a scent that will blend with you’ve chosen for your incense. The third component will a be a quick dissolving water soluble bonding agent. The bonding agent should be odorless and in powder form. Guar gum, ghatti gum, agar agar, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth, karaya, and sodium alginate are good bonding agents.
The above three components should be combined before the fourth component is mixed in. If you are using an essential oil instead of an herb as your aromatic substance, do not add it into this step of the recipe, but instead make up for the portion with added base.
When using an herb as your aromatic substance, this mix will consist of 20 parts aromatic substance, 4 parts base, and 1 part bonding agent. If you are using an essential oil for your aromatic substance instead of an actual herb, the formula will be 24 parts base, 1 part bonding agent. The essential oil will be added to the fourth component, which is a liquid mix.
The fourth component is potassium nitrate, also called salt peter. This comes in powder form which is water soluble. The ratio of potassium nitrate to water is ¼ tablespoons to 4 tablespoons. Dissolve the salt peter completely, and add any other liquid ingredients.
Once this is done, add 1 tablespoon of liquid to 2 ½ tablespoons of the dry mixture. If needed, add ¼ tablespoon increments until the mixture is malleable.
Once this is achieved, the incense can be formed into cones, or you can pack it into straws and push a stick through the center to make stick incense.
When drying incense, use a room with good ventilation and access to the sun or a sun lamp. Always dry incense on a wood surface. Cardboard absorbs the moisture to quickly, causing the salt peter to be sucked out of the incense.
When the incense is dry, store it in brown mason jars, and keep them in a dark dry place.