The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews

One of the secrets of real magic is that it is controlled by the mind. The more things in your ritual to help your mind associate with your goal, the more powerful your ritual may be. Colored candles, scented oils, natural incenses, and more all add to the impact of the magic you wish to do. But how do you know which incense to burn? Is it possible to add scented oils together to get a more powerful oil? And how do you make your own appropriately-scented tools? The answers to questions like these and hundreds more can be found in The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by world-famous author Scott Cunningham. This is a greatly expanded and rewritten version of The Magic of Incenses, Oils and Brews. It includes over 100 new show more formulas, proportions for each element of the recipes (the most requested feature from his previous book), how to substitute ingredients, and much more. Besides the formulas, it also includes the exact methods of making all of these scented tools, including how to extract the essences from the herbs. Each one of the formulas in this magic book is precise and easy to make. Do you need luck? Take 2 parts vetivert, 2 parts allspice, 1 part nutmeg, and 1 part calamus, grind them together as finely as possible, then sprinkle the powder in a circle around you, beginning and ending in the East and moving clockwise. Sit within this circle and absorb the powder's energies. Also included are other ways to use magical powders that will have you coming up with your own ideas for them, too. There is a legion of recipes for incenses. There are three for the sun and two for consecrating talismans. There are incenses for each of the astrological signs and ones to help you study better and gain success. You'll also find incenses for each of the planetary influences. There are four for Saturn alone! This compendium of magical lore is a vital tool for every magical person on any magical path, whether you are a beginner or an expert. show less

One of the books in Scott Cunningham's magical series for Llewellyn. In this book he covers the process of making your own incense, oils, ointments, inks, tinctures, herb baths, bath salts, brews, soaps, sachets and powders for ritual or magical purposes. Cunningham takes you through each process step by step. There is also a large section on magical substitutions for hard to find (or poisonous) ingredients. Each section includes multiple recipes. I'm actually considering making the Witches Love Honey because it's edible and sounds delicious. Some of the recipes are a little scary; an incense to make apparitions appear - no thanks. There are numerous recipes for exorcism if you should need that sort of help. I think I will stick with show more protection powders and purification oil. I'm looking forward to making an asperger (sprig of fresh herbs used for sprinkling liquids). The book is thorough and informative. Recommended. show less

This is my absolute favorite witchy ingredient reference book. When I do spellwork, I pick and choose between many different sources, but I always go to Cunningham's first. This book provides recipes for oils, incense, potions, and so much more, along with appendices full of correspondences and information. This is a GREAT resource.

Even if you skip the magical ideas, this is a good book to use for mixing oils and incense for your body and your house. I have mixed some beautiful fragrences from this book. I like the fact that you don't have to follow a recipe exactly and it encourages you to strike out on your own.

I am not the biggest fan of Cunningham, but this book was definitely worth reading.
Mainly for anyone who is just started in their studies of herbalism, this book outlines the uses of many known and obscure mixtures. I was not left feeling like something was missing, when I read this.

I pull this book off the shelf constantly to make oils, tinctures, infusions, teas, and incense. It's got a list of substitutions that can be made for specific ingredients as well. Very helpful

This is a great reference book for folks who like to play with 'smells-n-bells' style magic. Just have a fire extinguisher handy if you decide to do the charcoal burning stuff.