From: Rowan Fairgrove

About ten years ago I was very interested in botanical incenses
and spent alot of time studying and teaching the use of same.
After a hiatus I am getting back into this and would like some
feedback on what has been happening out there.
 
I will type herein parts of a booklet I published called
"A Handbook of Botantical Incenses" to give you some idea of
where my thinking was at that time.  I had generated the schema
as something useful to my own work, it is not something widely
used.  I would love to hear other schema such as astrological,
deity correspondences, seasonal, etc.  I may append some of
those sorts of categories to this if I have the time.
 
My meaning come mostly from "traditional" sources but in my
actual teaching and working I place more emphasis on what an
individual scent does to the worker.  In my beginning classes
I simply passed around a collection of incenses and had each
member tell what it meant to them and then we talked about the
"traditional" meaning.  If, for example, the traditional meaning
for cinnamon is concentration and you smell it and think of
grandma's pumpkin pie and all you can think about is food,
it is not going to be appropriate to burn to help you study!
 
A HANDBOOK OF BOTANICAL INCENSES

Introduction:

...Botanical and other incense are a tool which can be
tailored to the user's desire.  At their simplest they may
be used to stimulate the sense of smell and bring enjoyment
to those nearby, alternatively, they can be a suble
compilation designed to create a specific ambiance for a
ritual or magical operation.
 
The following guide contains some botanical (and a few other
substances) and their uses when burned.  The attributes have
been derived from a great many sources, both published and
personal communication, and like most magical properties
they are most effective when tailored to the individual or
group using them.  So sit down and burn some and see if they
work for you.  Try combinations.  I have included some recipes
which have worked for myself and others in the hopes that you
will find them useful.  Happy Censing!
 
A Scheme of Things:

The botanicals which I will discuss fall into several broad categories:

1) EVOCATIVE - used to get the attention of divinities or to summon spirits.

2) DIVINATORY - used to foretell the future or to see hidden secrets.

3) PURIFICATORY - used to purify the purpose of a rite or the action of a
   given object.

4) ENHANCING - used to intensify the purpose of a rite or the action of a
   given object.

5) PROTECTIVE - used to shield the user or area from harm.

6) BANISHING - used to drive out unwanted influences or spirits.

7) HEALING - used to promote wholeness in mind, body or spirit.

8) SPELL CASTING - used to promote a purpose.
 
Many botanicals fall into several categories, for example:
    Wormword (Artemesia) can be used as:
 1) to evoke Artemis and call\the dead
 2) to promote divination
 6) when consecrated to Mars in banishing
 6) & 7) it was used to banish the Black Plague fleas
 8) when consecrated to Mars, in works of anger.
 
Some Examples:

1) Evocative
   Almond                             Lotus
   Ash                                   Mandrake
   Basil                                  Myrrh
   Bay                                   Olive
   Blessed Thistle                   Patchouli
   Damiana                            Rowan
   Dittany of Crete                 Rue
   Elm                                    Thyme
   Frankincense                      Verbena
   Henbane                            Vervain, Blue
   Life Everlasting Flowers     Wormwood
                                             Yarrow

2) Divinatory:
   Ash                                Linseed
   Bay                                Mugwort
   Cinquefoil                        Rowan
   Clove                              Thyme
   Elm                                 Wormwood
   Frankincense                   Yarrow
 
3) Purificatory:
   Angelica                           Mastic gum
   Bayberry                          Myrrh
   Burnet                              Olive
   Cinnamon
 
4) Enhancing:
   Anise seed                         Lotus
   Angelica                            Mandrake
   Celery seed                       Mastic gum
   Cinnamon                          Mugwort
   Cinquefoil                          Orris root
   Cloves                               Peppermint
   Damiana                            Sandalwood
   Dragon's Blood                 Styrax
   Frankincense                     Uva Ursi
   Henbane
 
5) Protective:
   Alfalfa                            Juniper wood
   Basil                              Life Everlasting flowers
   Blessed Thistle               Mastic gum
   Bay                                Mistletoe
   Camphor                        Mugwort
   Cinquefoil                       Orris root
   Elder                               Rosemary
   Five Finger Grass            Rowan
   Frankincense                   St. John's Wort
   Garlic                              Vervain, Blue
 
6) Banishing:
   Agrimony                            Lavendar
   Ash                                     Pine
   Camphor                             Rowan
   Dragon's Blood                    Vervain, Blue
   Juniper wood                       Wormwood
 
7) Healing
   Balm of Gilead                     Myrrh
   Lavendar                             Rosemary
   Life Everlasting                    Wormwood
 
8) Spell Casting:
   Basil                                   Patchouli
   Bayberry                            Peppermint
   Bezoin gum                         Rosemary
   Camphor                            Rowan
   Cinnamon                           Rue
   Damiana                             Sandalwood
   Dragon's Blood                   Tormantil
   Frankincense                       Uva Ursi
   Lavendar                             Vervain, Blue
   Lemon peel                          St. John's Wort
   Life Everlasting flowers        Wormwood
   Mandrake                            Yarrow
   Mistletoe                              Ylang Ylang
   Orris Root