There are many fragrances we associate with this time of year, fragrances spanning the wide variety of traditions found in winter celebrations. The fragrances of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, clove and orange and wonderful evergreen smells of pine, cedar, spruce. Frankincense and Myrrh are most associated with the sacred aspect of the Christmas tradition as they are said to have been among the gifts of the wise men brought to the prophesied baby and family. Frankincense is used in the Roman Catholic Church for worship and is mentioned no less than 22 times in the Bible.
What wisdom indeed to have brought such gifts as the highly prized incenses. The natural properties of these aromatics as disinfecting, cleansing and rejuvenating at multiple levels of being placed them as commodities of high value once camels were domesticated and used to establish a trade route through the desert. Thus several incense burning cultures developed. Even in modern times, those that might travel through the desert along the Frankincense trail to where it grows best, when encountering a Bedouin camp will be greeted by the addition of Frankincense tears thrown into the fire in their honor as a welcome.
The word perfume translated from the Latin means through smoke. Incenses were among the first forms of perfume. These aromatic substances can readily transform mood and ultimately consciousness from the lowly to the divine. Frankincense is prized for its clarifying properties – it is highly cleansing of a space while energizing, elevating, and bringing harmony without over excitation. Myrrh has profound healing and cleansing properties and is considered the earthy counterpart to the solar Frankincense. Both are potent mediums for the raising of vibration in a space and so have been used for worship and ritual throughout the ages. Here is an interesting thing – there have been some scientific studies conducted that have demonstrated burning Frankincense as a good medium for carrying sound – the sound quality is much improved in a room where Frankincense is burning.
The Ancient Egyptian cultures likely first learned of the burning of Frankincense from traveling Indian merchants. Being worship based, the demand for these precious substances within these cultures was great enough to produce trade routes that trekked through the desert. The effects produced in the creation of intentional atmosphere were highly prized by the reigning Pharoahs as part of their ongoing invocation of the deities that were thought to empower them and govern their rule of the land.
Incense smoke was thought to be a medium of communication from the earthly to higher realms. Around 3500 years before the first Christmas, King Assa, Tet –ka-Ra of the XI dynasty went on an expedition to the place where balsam trees proliferated, Punt, at the South end of the Red Sea. There Frankincense and Myrrh trees were native, but becoming rare. King Assa traveled by ship successfully gathering the precious substances and returning with them. This opened the way for many expeditions that followed. One of the expeditions well recorded was organized by Empress Hatshepsut who was the first woman to have occupied the position of pharaoh. Under her direction whole trees were brought back – this is the first expedition for botanicals recorded. Five boats traveled and after a few years returned with frankincense, myrrh, and balsam trees.
We have much to learn from ancient cultures that placed importance on vivifying the sacred in daily life. An ancient cure that treated arthritic conditions was to burn these resins and extend the affected limb over the smoke, even going so far as to create a sauna of sorts out of the incense so that the entire body could be covered in the precious smoke. This latter technique I have found to be most helpful in the removal of unwanted energetic components that we might pick up in the course of a day.
To thoroughly wash away a bad experience, or just put oneself in a fresh place of being that is more conducive to creative activity, one can use this technique of creating a little sauna. Before preparing the sauna it is useful to have a ritual bath and then to allow the skin to air dry. One has set up beforehand a straight back chair and a clean preferably white sheet that is used to wrap around oneself and the chair, under which the incense will burn. Using a brazier or heat resistant bowl one ignites a charcoal round then places powdered Frankincense, Myrrh and Benzoin on it. Once the incense is really going one sits naked on the chair, the seat of which is covered with a towel or clean cloth, wrapping the sheet around one such that it covers everything but the head to the floor. The brazier underneath the chair wafts the smoke up to the body and one sits in this, using prayer or meditation as a way of creating the intention of clearing the unwanted and being present. This process should ideally last at least twenty minutes, half an hour is optimal. Then one closes the space, being sure to clean the sheet and all utensils for the next use. The resulting feeling of clarity to my experience is quite remarkable.
By delving into the world of these aromatic substances with their potential for healing the body mind and spirit we can tap into ancient knowledge and awaken the sacred even in the midst of these crazy times.
