Friday, March 6, 2009

Incense Sticks Burning

By John Stewart-Raji

Incense burning is considered a religious and a purification rite in many places. Incense, the practice of burning aromatic materials to release fragrance has been done for hundreds of years and in recent years, the practice is quite popular. Burning of incense is done either for aesthetic purpose or due to some medicinal benefits that go along with it.

The reasons for burning incense in recent years have however changed, largely influenced by the wide variety of cultures practicing the art as well as the interaction of cultures. In recent years, the practice has gotten quite popular as a result of such diverse reasons.

Incense burning today is very diverse with many materials being used. Oils, solids and other things that have a fragrance are being used. The large diversity means the need for appropriate incense burners is necessary. A solid can be held on the same incense burner as a liquid, like frankincense.

In liquid substances charcoal powder is placed on the incense burner and the essential oil poured onto it, creating a stable base. Chemically synthesized incense may also be used. All these diverse forms of incense thus require their own special incense burners and holders.

Incense can be classified by the degree it is burnt to as well as the mode of burning. The two common ways of classification are direct incense burning and indirect incense burning. A well-known substance that uses indirect burning to produce fragrances is frankincense. In the European languages, Frankincense can mean any aromatic incense. Strictly speaking, frankincense is burnt while in the unprocessed raw form by placing it on its incense burner that has coal embers. Myrrh is also another substance that is indirectly burnt.

Direct burning involves lighting the combustible substance and placing it on the incense burner. The substance continues smoldering even after the initial flame or light source is removed. This initial ignition is all that is required. The substance can either be in liquid form or in finely grounded particles so that it can be entirely.

Frankincense coils can be burnt directly or by suspending them on an incense burner so that it burns completely in a coil-like fashion. Some incense sticks have a bamboo core for support while for loose powder, wood ash incense burners are used. When burning powder directly, it first has to be enclosed under another material before placing it on the incense stick and lighting it up. Other forms of direct burning use cored sticks, solid sticks and incense blanks. In incense blanks, scented dust is used as the fragrance substance.

Incense burners are sold in different sizes and of different shapes. Burners can be classified in different ways. There are burners that take shapes of mythical creatures like gargoyles, goddesses, while others are celestial in nature. Others include pentagrams and animal incense burners. There are even some that take shapes of dragons and mermaids in varying shapes and sizes. Search online for incense burners and holders will show up pictures as well as their use. - 14130

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