
Sacred Herbal Scents Smoke-free
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In our homes and in our witchy practices we utilize incense and herbal bundles to burn for all manner of purposes cleansing, protection, altered states, energetic shifting, etc. Many of us use them as symbols of the Elements Fire and Air, and while these are traditional not everyone can handle smoke in their homes or ritual space. Many people have respiratory ailments or allergies that may preclude them from using the burning of herbs or incenses. This time of year, I love having seasonal scents in my home, whether from baking, cooking, or burning incense, but I don’t always want smoke in the house. There are some alternatives that I’d like to share with you that I have been enjoying both mundanely and in ritual that are Essential Oil free. Essential Oils are lovely for Aromatherapy and used in diffusers for the home, and I still utilize them in many of my blends, but these can also be dangerous for our little furry friends and still may invoke allergies for some depending on the scents so the recipes below will be simple and created without them.
Scents bypass the thalamus and go straight to the brain's smell center, known as the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, which might explain why the smell of something can so immediately trigger a detailed memory or even an intense emotion. Creating seasonal scents that remind us of positive memories can fill us with nostalgia and warmth. But just the opposite can of course occur as well. If any herbs in the recipes below, do not work for you, please use an alternative, use something that you truly enjoy and brings you peace, and happiness.

For an Elemental Fire and Air alternative try a Smoke-free Herbal Warmer. This is my name for it, you will use an aromatherapy diffuser that uses a tea light or candle; but instead of using a scented candle melt or essential oil you can place the dried or fresh herb directly in the bowl and warm it by lighting the candle. This provides a gentle and subtle scent without it overwhelming the space like an essential oil or incense, and uses very little plant material. I made the Winter Blend below, with 5 whole cloves, 3 whole allspices, a ½ inch of a cinnamon stick, a few slivers of fresh and dried orange peel broken into pieces, a cranberry, and a couple of dried rosehips. I lit the candle, and it only took a few minutes for the room to fill with the aroma. You can mix and match whatever you’d like. I kept the ingredients to items easily sourced from your herb and spice cabinet or the grocery store.
Smokeless Herbal Warmer Recipes
Fresh or dried ingredients
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For Fire, Water, and Air you can make a Simmer Pot for the stove. This is a pot of herbs, fruit, and spices filled with water, just enough to cover the herbs, and then placing the pot to warm on the stove. This warms the contents, and they release their scents into the air via steam. These scents are the Aromatics technically the volatile oils or essential oils of the plant but are in much smaller particles and for our purpose, safer amounts than in a highly concentrated Essential Oil from the store. Essential Oils are made using a large quantity of herb and then distilled down to just the oil and the hydrosol (water from the distilling process). This condensed oil is extremely potent and powerful, much different from the small amount of aromatics released while warming or cooking a little bit of the plant. Have fun being creative in your holiday choices. I hope your holidays will be filled with beautiful scents that bring only good memories or create new ones for you and your family.
Simmer Pot Recipes:
Fresh or dried ingredients
Winter Season Blend
Orange slices represent the Sun God
Apple slices represent the Moon Goddess
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Clove
Allspice
Rosehips, Rowan berries, Cranberries, or Pomegranate
Evergreen needles, Pine needles or some Rosemary
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Healthy Gathering Blend
Ginger
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Lemon Slices
Cranberries
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Magickal Meanings of the herbs and fruits used:
Allspice: Healing, Luck, Prosperity, Empowering Energy
Apple: Love, Friendship, Healing, Immortality, Protection, Balance, Vitality
Cardamom: Love, Passion
Cinnamon: Success, Healing, Protection, Love, Luck, Strength, Prosperity
Clove: Love, Prosperity, Protection
Cranberries: Courage, Healing, Love, Passion, Positivity, Protection
Evergreen, Pine: Healing, Protection, Purification, Prosperity, Vitality, Longevity
Ginger: Prosperity, Success, Energy, Confidence, Healing, Protection
Hibiscus: Love, Sensuality, Beauty
Lavender: Love, Protection, Purification, Peace, Happiness, Vitality
Lemon peel: Vitality, Love, Purification, Friendship
Nutmeg: Prosperity, Luck, Protection, Healing
Orange: Love, Sun, Luck, Blessing,
Pomegranate: Protection, Dreams, Wishes, Wisdom, Luck, Fertility, Prosperity
Rose: Love, Friendship, Peace, Happiness, Beauty, Moon
Rose hips: Love, Healing, Vitality, Good luck
Rosemary: Protection, Love, Mental Powers, Purification, Healing
Rowan berries: Protection, Power, Success, Healing, Luck
Sage: Wisdom, Protection, Wishes, Vitality
Winter Season Blessings to you!
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Cynthia Killingbeck - An Owner of Herbs & Arts
I am a certified Clinical Herbalist (CH), Clinical Nutritionist (CN) and Flower Essence Practitioner (FEP) in the Bach Flower Essences. I am a Third Degree Wiccan Priestess and Teacher, come check out some of our classes!Â
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