Does Anyone Use Incense in their own Personal Times of Prayer?

[Knee V]

I used to use incense a lot during my evening prayers. I only use it every once in a while now. Most of the time I'd rather just do the prayers and not worry about taking the extra time for the incense.

I have a handful of different kinds. My wife got much of our incense a few years ago when she was in Greece. We still have a good reserve of it. Most of the rest of our incense comes from Holy Archangels Monastery in central TX. We use charred grapevines for our charcoal which we grind down to a powder. Those vines also come from that same monastery.

 

[Ortho_Cat]

I could get a censer from my parish, but I don't think my husband would be comfortable with it in the home. I think that might be too much for him.

Mary

is your hubby Orthodox? Just curious...

 

[Ortho_Cat]

Would you mind explaining why it's the case that you're not in the position currently to have incense in your own home?
I think alot of people sometimes feel that using incense, be it for spiritual purposes such as prayer or theraputic purposes such as physical healing (as it has been known to be a powerful healing agent), often think that those doing so much have supervision of a priest in order for it to be legitimate.

i don't want to bother the person i'm living with

 

[Ortho_Cat]

I love incense.

pass the incense!

 

[inconsequential]

I do sometimes but, as others have said, messing with charcoal is a hassle. That's why I'm going to make one with a metal bowl that uses a tea candle.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

i don't want to bother the person i'm living with

 

[Mary of Bethany]

is your hubby Orthodox? Just curious...

Nope.

 

[Dorothea]

I'd love to, but the one time I tried it in the living room, it poofed up in smoke, and the smoke alarm went off, and I put the lid on after the small explosion, and of course, snuffed out the whole thing. lol I didn't know what I was doing, obviously.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

That's why I love the stick incense. You just stand it in the sand, hold a match to it til it starts to burn, and when prayers are over, you just put the burning end in the sand to snuff it. No muss, no fuss. And it's there waiting for you the next time.

Mary

 

[Dorothea]

That's why I love the stick incense. You just stand it in the sand, hold a match to it til it starts to burn, and when prayers are over, you just put the burning end in the sand to snuff it. No muss, no fuss. And it's there waiting for you the next time.

Mary

Eons ago, when the dinos were still roaming the earth (lol one of my dad's sayings, or he'd say when the earth's crust was cooling ), I used to work at a record and tape cassette music store, and they sold incense sticks. I never knew how to use one and I never bought one. So we need a bucket of sand to use these stick incense, right?

 

[Ignatius21]

Eons ago, when the dinos were still roaming the earth (lol one of my dad's sayings, or he'd say when the earth's crust was cooling ), I used to work at a record and tape cassette music store, and they sold incense sticks. I never knew how to use one and I never bought one. So we need a bucket of sand to use these stick incense, right?

We use incense sticks at home in our personal devotions. We don't really need a bucket, just a very small bowl or candle jar with some sand. I use the sand to hold up the stick while it burns, then flip it over and extinguish when I'm finished. A few pointers I've learned from experience:

1. After the tip of the stick is burning for a few seconds and glowing red, gently blow it out if the flame doesn't go away on its own. Then it will smolder and produce the fragrant smoke. Don't stand looking at it while it just disappears before your eyes in a big pillar of flame like I did, trying to figure out why it was burning so fast

2. Place the jar of sand and stick onto a small plate to catch ash.

3. Tap the stick with something to knock the loose ash away before picking it up and turning it over. Amazingly, hot ash is...hot.

 

[Protoevangel]

Eons ago, when the dinos were still roaming the earth (lol one of my dad's sayings, or he'd say when the earth's crust was cooling ), I used to work at a record and tape cassette music store, and they sold incense sticks. I never knew how to use one and I never bought one. So we need a bucket of sand to use these stick incense, right?

There are different kinds of stick incense burners. I wouldn't use one from a hippy shop though, so a bowl with sand is a good choice.

I actually have a ton of incense/charcoal ashes that I've never thrown away, so I packed it down in a glass candle holder, and use that to hold my incense sticks vertical. Basically the same idea.

 

[Dorothea]

We use incense sticks at home in our personal devotions. We don't really need a bucket, just a very small bowl or candle jar with some sand. I use the sand to hold up the stick while it burns, then flip it over and extinguish when I'm finished. A few pointers I've learned from experience:

1. After the tip of the stick is burning for a few seconds and glowing red, gently blow it out if the flame doesn't go away on its own. Then it will smolder and produce the fragrant smoke. Don't stand looking at it while it just disappears before your eyes in a big pillar of flame like I did, trying to figure out why it was burning so fast

2. Place the jar of sand and stick onto a small plate to catch ash.

3. Tap the stick with something to knock the loose ash away before picking it up and turning it over. Amazingly, hot ash is...hot.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Dorothea]

There are different kinds of stick incense burners. I wouldn't use one from a hippy shop though, so a bowl with sand is a good choice.

I actually have a ton of incense/charcoal ashes that I've never thrown away, so I packed it down in a glass candle holder, and use that to hold my incense sticks vertical. Basically the same idea.

Cool. Thanks!

 

[-Kyriaki-]

Don't stand looking at it while it just disappears before your eyes in a big pillar of flame like I did, trying to figure out why it was burning so fast

I did that when I first tried it too

I want to get a hand censer and learn how to use it properly, it's on my to-do list. If I get one I'll get one from Pantanassa Monastery, this set is something I've had my eye on for a long time (I love the blue, and we sell these at my parish (our priest is from Pantanassa, so...)

Set: Vigil Oil Lamp, Incense burner, Jar and Candle Stand

I don't burn incense often - quite frankly at the moment my health has taken such a nosedive that I don't stand in my icon corner nearly as often as I'd like. It's hard to be disciplined when your body is screaming at you, but I'm trying. I do make a point of lighting a very tall, thick taper candle when I'm there though that's kept there for only that reason, it helps me focus.

When I do burn incense I use a water glass (bought for cheap from the supermarket on its own) full of coloured sand for a holder. Pretty, and effective

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Has anyone ever considered using the incense sticks from places like the Gas Station or the Wal-Mart?

 

[-Kyriaki-]

Since they're made mostly of chemicals, glue and sawdust, no thanks. I get mine (when I buy them, which has been a while) from Columbina as do most of the people in this thread I would think (who burn stick incense anyway). Hers is Orthodox incense, good quality, and burned on charcoal not sawdust and glue.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Since they're made mostly of chemicals, glue and sawdust, no thanks. I get mine (when I buy them, which has been a while) from Columbina as do most of the people in this thread I would think (who burn stick incense anyway). Hers is Orthodox incense, good quality, and burned on charcoal not sawdust and glue.

Got ya. To be clear, I already have mine incense from a Monastery in Ethopia..given to be by one who was a monk in the Eastern Orthodox Church....and I'm currently testing some of them out to see which ones I may enjoy the most. I'm aware that the incense at the Gas Station isn't the best, even though I've seen it in use before and some of it smells good....but it would never be my first choice.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

There are different kinds of stick incense burners. I wouldn't use one from a hippy shop though, so a bowl with sand is a good choice.

I actually have a ton of incense/charcoal ashes that I've never thrown away, so I packed it down in a glass candle holder, and use that to hold my incense sticks vertical. Basically the same idea.

What are some of the best places, in your view, to get stick incense from since it seems easier to use than charcoal?

 

[Gxg (G²)]

We use incense sticks at home in our personal devotions. We don't really need a bucket, just a very small bowl or candle jar with some sand. I use the sand to hold up the stick while it burns, then flip it over and extinguish when I'm finished. A few pointers I've learned from experience:

1. After the tip of the stick is burning for a few seconds and glowing red, gently blow it out if the flame doesn't go away on its own. Then it will smolder and produce the fragrant smoke. Don't stand looking at it while it just disappears before your eyes in a big pillar of flame like I did, trying to figure out why it was burning so fast

2. Place the jar of sand and stick onto a small plate to catch ash.

3. Tap the stick with something to knock the loose ash away before picking it up and turning it over. Amazingly, hot ash is...hot.

Always a endeavor to take with care....