| How to Make Recels (Incense) (We would love to know who the author is, so we can give them proper credit!!) Recels is the term commonly used amongst practitioners of Ásatrú for herbs burned during a ritual or a spell working whether in the form of dried loose leaves and roots or in the form of incense. In ancient times it is assumed that the ancient Northern Europeans used only loose leaves, bark, and roots in their rites, if any at all. The concept of incense came from the south with the arrival of Christianity and largely was not seen in books until the late Dark Ages to early Middle Ages. It is known that the Northern Europeans felt fire and its smoke to have a warding quality. This can be seen behind the concept of need fire, fires lit with a fire drill or bow on particular holy days. The cattle were driven through the smokes of these fires to drive off pests and disease and some people were known to have leaped through them as they did the bonfires at May Day and Midsummer. In other sources we are told that nine kinds of wood played a role in the bonfires used in cremation. From these and other bits of folklore we therefore know that fire and its smoke was used magicly by the Northern Europeans. It is no far leap of the imagination then to assume that the magical properties of the plants burned in these fires effected the potency of the fire and its smoke in whatever rite they were a part of. Drying Herbs Whether one plans to burn loose bits of plant matter or burn incense in their rites or magical work, the herbs collected will first have to be dried. This can be done a variety of ways. The easiest and fastest way is to use a food dehydrator like those used to dry fruits and vegetables for camping trips. Anyone planning to use recels extensively in their rites would be wise to buy one of these units. Another, more natural way is to obtain a sheet of tin and place it in a sunny window of a dry room and lay the leaves and roots upon it. Depending on the plant, it can take up to three weeks for the leaves and roots to dry. Yet, a third way is to place the herbs in a tin can on a sunny hot day and place them outside on a slab of concrete. The can should be brought in at night to avoid the morning dew and the process repeated daily until the herbs are dried. Finally, one can lay the herbs out on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven. The temperature should be set at 350 degrees and the process usually takes half an hour to an hour. One must remember, regardless of what method they use, the faster herbs are dried, the greater the number of essential compounds of the herbs that are lost. It is therefore better perhaps to use slower methods when drying herbs for magical use. Making Incense Incense is thought to have been unknown to the ancient Northern Europeans, although the Romans were quite fond of using it even prior to the adoption of Christianity in the empire and its use did travel north with Christian missionaries. While perhaps not traditional for the Ásatrú, incense is convenient. It is easily stored and easily transported. Anyone can make incense cheaply with only the slightest bit of effort. Incense is actually made up of three components: 1) The aromatic, which is the herb itself being burned for its magical effect. 2) The chemical agent, which is what actually makes incense burn so slowly. Usually this is salt peter (potassium nitrate), although charcoal can be used if it is ground up fine enough. In ritual it might be wise to use charcoal made from a wood sympathetic to one's spell working. 3) The bonding agent- This is the "glue" that holds the incense together. Gum arabic is the most commonly used bonding agent in incenses and tragacanth is also widely used. Nearly any gummy substance like the sap of a tree and even honey can be used as a bonding agent however . Some bonding agents do not burn as well as others, and others simply refuse to harden. It is often therefore difficult to find a good bonding agent that does not conflict with the magical properties of the herbs. It such cases, one is best to experiment and keep a record of what bonding agents seem to work best. When one cannot find a bonding agent sympathetic to their ritual needs, it is best to either burn loose leaves or use incense made using gum arabic (which I have found to be pretty magically neutral). To make incense, one will need the following items: 1) a motar and pestal or something to crush the dried herb into powder, 2) Incense sticks (if one does not plan to mold the incense into cones) 3) A bread pan or cookie sheet on which to mix the three agents of the incense. 1) Crush the dried herb into a very fine powder using the motar and pestal. If one is using a wood or hard roots it will be necessary to sand it and use the dust from that. One will also wish to crush and grind the chemical agent into a fine powder as well. 2) If the bonding agent is in a solid form it will have to be made liquid. To do this one will need to boil the agent in water or allow it to set in water for several hours. Generally, one will need two parts water to the bonding agent. 3) Mix the three components together and knead them into a very fine paste. Make sure the paste is thoroughly mixed and has the aromatic, the chemical agent, and bonding agent thoroughly spread throughout it. 4) Mold the paste into cones or dip incense sticks into it and allow to dry. Making incense is not a difficult process, and may take a few tries to perfect. However, once one gets the hang of it, they will find it is a quick and easy way to meet any needs for recels in ritual or spell use. A Warding Incense Ingredients: 3 ounces garlic powder 3 ounces dust from linden wood 3 ounces juniper leaves 4 ounces saltpeter Gum arabic as needed Make sure all parts are ground to a fine powder and mixed well. This recipe is useful in warding and defensive rites of all kinds and can be burned in a house to drive off unwanted wights. An Incense for Prosperity Ingredients: 5 ounces clover leaves and/or blooms 9 ounces dust from birch bark 4 ounces vervain 3 ounces saltpeter Gum arabic as needed Grind all parts together and mix well. Use this incense with rites to make material gain or to keep what wealth one already has. An Incense for Love in Marriage Ingredients: 3 ounces rose petals 9 ounces thyme leaves 3 ounces vervain 3 ounces flax seed 8 ounces saltpeter gum arabic as needed Make sure all parts are ground into a fine powder. This incense can be burned during romantic interludes with one's spouse or simply to keep a household happy and bright back to writings |
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