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A BRIEF HISTORY OF INCENSE AND SPIRITUALITY
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Certainly the use of incense for religious purposes is not exclusive to the ancient Semitic peoples. One can simply glance at a box of
Nag Champa incense sticks to see that its use transcends time and culture. The worship of Shiva
is done by the faithful with ritual offerings of incense every four hours. During Agni Hota, the ritual of the Holy Fire, believers
light a fire every morning and evening and burn fragrant substances. In India, there are Dhoop incenses
which are pliable substances of combined herbs and resins. Also there are incense sticks called Agarbatti. Sandalwood is a very
important fragrance among Hindus. When a wealthy Hindu dies, he or she will be cremated on the banks
of the river Ganges. Upon the funeral pyre they will throw pieces of sandalwood. The sandalwood will help carry the deceased into a more
glorious life. Afterward the ashes and remains are given up to the river Ganges. Sandalwood,
also called Chandan, is mentioned in such ancient texts as the Nirukta, the oldest Vedic commentary, as well as in the Mahabharata and
the Ramayana. Sandalwood is thought of in India as having radiant and protective energies.
Incense was also very significant to the ancient Egyptians. Egyptian priests were bound to burn incense in their temples at least three times
per day. So significant it was to them that they are believed to have been the greatest users
of incense in terms of sheer quantity ever. A huge quantity of incense was burned on behalf of the Pharaoh, or Egyptian king. Being a god
himself, the king had incense burnt for him whenever there was a royal procession or whenever
he visited a temple. The use of such scents where highly meticulous and ritualized. Using exact compositions of ingredients, during
precise times, and combined in exact proportions the ritual offering were made without fail. Imagine
the Pharaoh arriving in a procession which includes children carrying golden bowls filled with saffron and myrrh and camels loaded down
with hundreds of pounds of orris, cinnamon, cassia and frankincense. And when the Pharaoh died,
more incense, especially myrrh, was used in the preparation of the mummy. Even the god Amon carried an incense burner in his hand as
depicted on wall carvings at Karnak.
Again on another continent we can find extensive use of incense in ritual. The Mayans burned copal, which is a type of fragrant tree
resin. Some are fossilized, like amber, and some are not. This gives off a piney scent. To they Maya
this was "food of the gods" and with this they fed their gods. In the ancient cultures of the regions, burning incense was a part of
ritualistic medicine. Incense was also used to communicate with the gods and in magical ceremonies.
Only the priesthood could make certain incenses from special recipes believed to be given by the gods themselves.
In North America as well, incense was used. Sage is used in clearing and smudging. Smudging is a type of cleansing ritual involving
the smoke from burning dried sage. Today such sage can be found in many shops bound into rolls with
twine. During a spiritual gathering, a medicine person might hold a bowl or shell full of burning incense and walk around the participants
sitting in the circle. While in front of each participant, the medicine person would fan the smoke
and each participant would take the smoke for cleansing and strengthening.
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