HOT CHARCOAL GUIDE

Many incense blends (mixtures of aromatic herbs and spices) that I talk about in my spells are to be burned on a hot charcoal disc, and you will need a small pair of tongs for heating these up. If you don’t have any tongs, scissors or some tweezers will also do the job. Please don’t do this with your hands – the charcoal gets very hot and you don’t want to burn yourself (especially before a spell!). For extra insulation, add a generous layer of sand or salt to the heatproof dish you’ll be using before you light the charcoal.

Using the tongs, hold the charcoal disc over a flame for 15–20 seconds: when
the time is right the charcoal will start sparking. At this point, place the charcoal disc in a heatproof dish filled with salt or sand – this could be an incense burner, heatproof ceramic dish or cast-iron cauldron.

Always place your incense blend a small pinch at a time onto the charcoal disc, being careful not to cover it entirely. You can keep adding the blend as you go on. The charcoal disc will usually burn for around 30 minutes. It will give off a lot of smoke, so make sure you are sitting away from a smoke alarm. You can buy charcoal discs from spiritual stockists, either in shops or online.

This is an extract from Everyday Magic, by Semra Haksever