'”, Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—stacte, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. Here, it’s most likely referring to Vicia faba, or the simple fava bean, still a staple in Egypt to this day. While looking through the PGM for topics and sections involving the use and types of incenses, I came across (once again) the Eighth Book of Moses, split and replicated in several forms in PGM XIII, sections 1—343, 343—646, and 646—734. These medicinal trees are traditionally used for clearing the body of diseases and also to keep mosquitos away. The word Kyphi is understood as the Greek interpretation of the Egyptian term kp.t. Kyphi was being made with lots of devotion in an mindful process. Another option might be bitter vetch, Vicia ervilia, which was domesticated before fava beans by about 1500 years, but I’m inclined to think that fava beans are meant here. 21 days before this, then, would mean to gather the flowers on the day of or just before a Full Moon. The problem is, though, the use of incense generally outside of a ritual for its own sake. Consider Exodus 30:22—38, which discusses the recipes and uses for the holy anointing oil and the offering incense: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. the Guardians of the Directions, the Lord of the Hour or Day or Sign, etc.) Taken all together, PGM XIII presents a fascinating self-initiatory form of magic coming into some of the highest and most glorious powers of the cosmos, and presents an interesting blend of Egyptian and Jewish priestly practices. Consider PGM XIII.230ff: The initiation called The Monad has been fully declared to you, child. Still, it’s indicative of how heavy Jewish influences are in this part of the PGM, and the incense list above indicates a distinct familiarity with priestly practices. Incense doesn’t seem to be used for its own sake, whether as a general perfume, a spiritual resonance-tuning method (getting a place more into the “feel” of a particular sphere or spirit), or a method of blessing or purifying a space (a la smudging), which are all pretty common modern uses of incense. This well-known incense uses a bouquet of flowers and resins which many of its fans say creates an olfactory replica of traveling to India. From shop Alkemia. Personally, I love the use of incense, and I don’t do many rituals without it; I typically find it to be an important, if not outright essential, part of ritual magic, and there are too many rituals in the PGM to count that use some sort of suffumigation or another. Unwrapping The Cannabis in Kyphi Mystery. Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. Any and every little bit counts, and you'll have my unending thanks. Check out my Etsy store for the crafts I make and tools I supply, the Books page for the ebooks I write, or the Services page for more information about the rituals, consultations, divinations, or other things I can do for you! as well as to higher powers such as the Agathodaimon or Aiōn, but I’m also not entirely sold on doing that each and every time; after all, why eat dessert when breakfast has yet to be served? Anyway, we have seven materials to be used as planetary incenses. Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia frereana, Boswellia carterii, and/or Boswellia sacra) is a tree or shrub that produces a gum or resin that can be steam distilled into an essential oil with HUGE health benefits.Frankincense trees grow in the harshest environments. What strikes me as significant is how…Jew-ish all those materials are. Recipes for the incense used to usher in the night in ancient Egyptian temples to Ra have often been preserved thanks to medicine. Now let’s learn how to use incense in our magical practice. Seven types of incenses are described as proper to the seven planets: In addition, PGM XIII.1—343 says that one should “prepare sun vetch on every occasion”, meaning the “Egyptian bean”. Kyphi is a compound incense that was used in ancient Egypt for religious and medical purposes. Preisendanz gives “Dichtlaubpflanze (? Tukankhamen was entombed with seeds from this ancient herb. Now I subjoin for you, child, also the practical uses of this sacred book, the things which all the experts accomplished with this sacred and blessed book. Certain ingredients within it must ferment and blend with time. stacte (understood as the sap of the balsam tree, i.e. Kyphi Incense. This would moisten the incenses and flowers together, allowing them not only to be more fragrant and pungent, but also giving a bit of sugar to it as well, which would help the incense smoke more; the specific note of “not mixed with seawater” suggests that white wine would have been the preference, which would also line up with the Talmudic use of Cypriot or old white wine, dry and with a greater acidity, for the Temple incense. Doreen Valiente says incense has a … Eventually Kyphi developed a particular recipe and ‘brand’. Create a website or blog at WordPress.com. Kyphi Incense, is an ancient recipe, used in the temples of Ancient Egypt. Scouring the entire PGM for things that fit a pattern I work in, trying to select the best or most appropriate verses to use to make sure they’re generic enough to not step on toes while still being specific enough to function for a purpose, and seeing what was really needed and what wasn’t as far as potential options go helped me get an even deeper realization of the abundant (yet never enough!) So much for the Jewish influences. In Ancient times, and on a daily basis, the ritualized burning of incense consisted of frankincense in the morning, myrrh in the middle of the day and Kapet (Kyphi) in the evening. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Trying to come up with my PGM-style framing rite was pretty fun, I have to admit. Check out the Red Work Course! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In fact, not just the temples, but in many households to, to relax on an evening. The directions further on in PGM XIII.1—343 suggest that the the seven flowers was to be mixed with the appropriate planetary incense into a “bean”, a small nugget of incense, which was then to presumably be burned; later, the incense and the powder of the seven flowers is to be used when making ink for writing on a special tablet of natron before washing it off in wine and drinking the wine. Kyphi incense is derived from an ancient incense that Egyptians made for temple incense. It will be the sacred anointing oil. The smell is extremely pleasant and my absolute favorite incense. Most mystical of all was the Kyphi incense: though the recipe varied from temple to temple, each recipe featured 16 ingredients – including myrrh, sweet rush, cupress grass, wine, honey, raisins, resin and juniper, pounded together. Rather, the use of incense appears to almost always be used as an offering to some god or spirit, or as a suffumigation to bless a particular object under a particular god or spirit. Likely explainable due to voicing from the following mu. The use of fava beans would then act as a binder and filler, giving the incense nuggets as a whole an earthy base to solidify on and would help stretch the use of scarce or expensive ingredients. However, it’s unclear whether it’s the bean itself to be used or the leaves or flowers of the plant instead. Making pellets like this is something I’ve done before, and was definitely done in the old world as well; while burning a combination of resins works, mixing them ahead of time along with a filler to produce more, thicker, or brighter smoke was often done as well. Your email address will not be published. Pingback: Pole Lords and Northern Stars: The Seven Pairs of Divinities from the Mithras Liturgy « The Digital Ambler. Primarily used as an incense, Kyphi was also used as a remedy for such ailments as nightmares and snake bites. Off the top of my head (and I could be really wrong about it), I’d probably think a 2:1:3 ratio by weight would be appropriate for resins to flowers to beans, all having been soaked ahead of time in dry, strong white wine that is, of course, with no salt or salt water added. What we end up with, essentially, is a type of PGM-specific kyphi, the sacred incense compound used in Egypt for both religious and medicinal purposes, which was also a blend of a variety of resins, flowers, barks, and so forth, many of which according to ancient authors are found in our ingredients above (and which, of course, have overlap with the incense and oil recipes given by the … I’m not quite sure what a good species would be, but so long as it’s a non-white true lily like, Erephyllinon or herephyllinon (ἐρεφύλλινον). Dioscorides was a Greek born in 40 CE in what is now Turkey, then part of the Roman Empire. It is possible to replace the use of raw resins and barks (and even the flowers, too!) As said above, the end of PGM XIII.1—343 says that the powder of the flowers is to be mixed with the incense and, presumably, sun vetch (fava beans) into nuggets of incense. Kyphi brings to mind forgotten days of the past, creating a comforting space. The process of soaking and mashing the ingredients, plus curing the nuggets once made (say, in a terracotta or clay container), would indeed take about three weeks, giving the magician enough time to have them ready by the time they were to be used. “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 4 parts Frankincense 2 part Benzoin 2 part Gum Mastic 2 part Myrrh 1 part Cedar 1 part Galangal (or Ginger) 1/2 part Calamus (or Vetivert) 1/2 part Cardamom 1/2 part Cinnamon 1/2 part Cassia 1/2 part Juniper berries 1/2 part Orris 1/2 part Cypress Few drops Lotus bouquet styrax, but it could also refer to mastic from terebinth, onycha (to which was added Carshina lye and Cyprus wine for refining and steeping it), The word used here is not the usual Greek word for marjoram, but specifically a “foreign name”, while the usual classical Greek term would be ἀμάρακος (, Betz gives “white lily”, though this is not mentioned in either Preisendanz or the original Greek. Ancient Egyptian Kyphi Incense Used for rituals involving | Etsy Phytognosis means plant knowledge and is dedicated to making 100% natural products derived from plants that aid in spiritual attainment. with essential oils instead, which could then be used for both making incense (when mashed with fava beans soaked in wine) as well as making a PGM-style anointing oil. PGM XIII.343—646 suggests that, as a general initiatory incense, all seven of the planetary incenses were to be mixed with the the seven flowers, along with unmixed wine; additionally, the seven flowers are to be mixed with ink in the same way as before; though no reference is made here to using the incense as well for this purpose, PGM XIII.646—734 does say to use both the incense and the flowers for the ink. 5 out of 5 stars (20,452) 20,452 reviews $ 18.00. Kyphi is the Latin version of the Greek translation of Kapet in Egypt which was originally a general term for fumigation through smoke and was used in the temples. Check out Geomancy in the Reign of the Lady of Crowns! Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. Since ancient times, Copal incense has been considered sacred to the people of Mexico, as well as South and Central America. Incense can generally be separated into two … For connoisseurs of incense, Nag Champa is the standard by which other scents are judged. Check out Geomancy in the Reign of the Lady of Crowns! What we end up with, essentially, is a type of PGM-specific kyphi, the sacred incense compound used in Egypt for both religious and medicinal purposes, which was also a blend of a variety of resins, flowers, barks, and so forth, many of which according to ancient authors are found in our ingredients above (and which, of course, have overlap with the incense and oil recipes given by the Book of Exodus which may also have been influenced by ancient Egyptian priestly practices). A number of sources propose that cannabis was an active ingredient in the ancient incense and perfume of the pharaohs, known as kyphi. Sep 8, 2020 - Explore Nelson's Herbs's board "Incense", followed by 132 people on Pinterest. Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”. Historical and Ancient Incense. Note the ingredients of those two special substances: myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, stacte (most likely storax or styrax), onycha (most likely part of a sea snail or labdanum from Cistus creticus), galbanum (resin of Ferula gummosa), and frankincense. The vibratory rates of kyphi induced peace and sleep, intensified dreams, relaxed the body, and soothed anxieties, while generating harmony and order in all who inhaled the sacred vapors. Most notably, there is no mention of raisins in this recipe (although it is possible that the inclusion of raisins was assumed) and the Kyphi is prepared by simply boiling the ingredients in honey. See more ideas about incense, herbalism, smudge sticks. Quantities, unfortunately, are missing from PGM XIII (as they often are from much of the rest of the PGM), so it’s unclear exactly how much of each incense or flower we should use, the ratio of incense and flowers to beans, and so forth, so some experimentation would be needed to come up with something that would resemble the incense of PGM XIII. Real Kyphi incense must be properly aged in phases to have the desired scent and effect. Your email address will not be published. You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. Dioscorides' Kyphi from Alchemy Works - Incense for Ritual Magick and Witchcraft. Required fields are marked *. ), it could be seen as a reasonable substitute for cinnamon, and some rabbinical scholars suggest that it could indeed have been used in place of actual cinnamon. The Egyptians also used frankincense and terebinth gum on the hot coals of … Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It was also an ingredient of Kyphi incense, which was burnt in copious amounts for both secular and sacred occasions. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. It shall be most holy to you. The process for making kyphi is longer than any other incense, as it uses raisins and honey as an agent to glue together the differerent fragrant components i.e. Kyphi is both a meditative and spell because you are hand grinding all the herbs while in meditation and putting your intentions into the herbs. material available to us in the Greek magical papyri. Kyphi was offertory incense burned at dusk in the temples of ancient Egypt. Back to the Basics: Burning Incense. Betz includes a fantastically sharp footnote here for this paragraph: “pretentious hokum”. For that matter, the planetary patterns of the incenses, too, are unfamiliar to modern magicians. Kyphi’s elegant fragrance was prized throughout the ancient world. Still, perhaps that’s desired; if they are to be mixed up, perhaps making a single mass of them and letting them dry in the shade (protected from the light of the Sun and the Moon and other stars) could be more effective than letting the flowers dry out first then grinding them up into a powder. It’s unclear how close to what the PGM author and I’ve described I can get, but it’s probably worth a shot. The text says that the flowers, once picked, are to be ground finely either in a white mortar or into a white incense (the Betz translation gives two options for this), then left to dry in the shade. “Kyphi has always fascinated me. Wash the head with an infusion of fenugreek seeds to protect against demonic possession. One of the ritual acts that I made optional was a general burning of incense, after the empowerment and just before the ritual proper around which the framing rite takes place. The Witching Hour Perfume - Kyphi Incense, Smokey Oud, Van Van herbs, Caramels, Aged Rum, Rose Petals, Black Vanilla Alkemia. Interested in an informal series of lectures on geomancy that'll get you up and running to start reading geomantic charts? This recipe was intended to be used to purify the home and give clothes and breath a pleasant aroma so may have differed a little from the recipes used by temples at the time. )”, literally “thick-foliage plant”, so he’s not sure, either, though he also gives a possible alternative ἑρπύλλινον “herpullinon”. Before the late 1800’s we only knew of the existence of Kyphi, and its uses both as temple incense and as a form of medication to be taken orally, through the earliest surviving Greek recipes - often consisting of up to sixteen ingredients. This is a holy incense created by the priests of Egypt – at least a few hundred years before the common era (BCE or BC), but possibly up to 4000 years ago. Given the Egpytian priestly influence in PGM XIII, and the fact that we see the use of this incense both as a form of fumigation as well as a type of sacred medicine (when the ink used to write on the natron tablet is either licked off or washed off into wine and drunk), it’s clear that PGM XIII is really giving us a special type of Hermetic kyphi recipe. Dioscorides' Kyphi. Kyphi’s medicinal uses were many: it was used to induce sleep, to bring sweet dreams, to disinfect the environment, to beautify the skin, to calm nerves, as a treatment for asthma, and to increase the sex drive (even the sex drive of the dead!) It’s possible to deduce some planetary rulerships, but I’m unclear on what sources to use; most modern resources would give multiple flowers to Venus (lily, rose, narcissus, and thyme), leaving not many for the other planets. It’s…it’s rose. It goes as far back to the Mayan and Aztec cultures. (Hush, inner child.). However, some sort of liquid would be needed in order to steep and soften the resins and barks in order that they can be ground up; indeed, PGM XIII.646—734 says that, “having ground them all to a powder” (meaning both the flowers at minimum and likely also the incenses), one is to add “wine not mixed with seawater”. I think I’ll keep an eye out for getting some more flowers later this summer. Enter your email to subscribe and get notified when something new happens. These sections precede the section PGM XIII.734—1077, which calls itself the Tenth Book of Moses, which is also the source of the Heptagram Rite (and, thus, the Calling the Sevenths or Heptasphere ritual that’s so common in modern PGM-forms of magic). If the Talmudic/rabbinical recipe list given above can be considered something approximating or reflecting actual Jewish practice at the time of PGM XIII’s inception, then we basically have the entire list of incenses given in PGM XIII. Kyphi Incense Spell “I ask that Isis lend her power, As the herbs blend together, And when they are touched by Fire, They will open the starlit veil of night, So I may see with inner sight, Embraced by the protection of the Lord and Lady, By magic’s art, revealed to me, That which I … This reaches its pinnacle in the idea that one has to receive “the Name” from the “god who comes in” via the initiation; this is that god’s own True Name, which is sacred and powerful and is used in many of the works that follow the initiation in PGM XIII.1—343; this can be seen to also bring in some of the influence of the Divine Name of God, only permitted to be spoken aloud once a year by the high priest in the holy of holies of the Temple. PGM XII.401—444), but beyond that, it’d be odd for blinds to be introduced in what are little more than personal notes or examples that were never probably meant for public dissemination. Still, there were some design decisions that I had to make about what to include and where. Was cannabis present in Egyptian kyphi?. My Free eBook: The Essential Recipes and Formulas, http://artisticwitch.blogspot.fr/2011/04/making-kyphi-or-kapet-egyptian.html, Myrrh – heightens physical vibrations, banishing negativity, Frankincense – heightens spiritual vibrations, Honey – sweetens the atmosphere/emotions, attracting good, Cinnamon – healing, draws in positive energies, Lotus – calms the mind, a flower of Egypt. Even the word makes my heart skip a beat. It’s possible that they would be mixed-up as a blind, but I’m disinclined to think so; what few blinds there are in the PGM are code-names for particular materia magica (e.g. All told, I’m not sure we can clearly identify which flower goes with which planet, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s needed; unlike the incenses, there never seems to be a use for individual flowers, but they’re to be mixed up and used as a single substance. Each product is made from organic or ethically wild crafted botanicals taking care to … Learn how your comment data is processed. ️ Historical Medicinal Uses of Kyphi ️ Ancient Egyptian Royalty loved Kyphi for more than just it's luxurious aromatherapy, they also were skilled in medicine, & used various forms of Kyphi and other oils & incenses for specific medicinal uses..such as Using the smoke to cleanse bacteria from air during surgeries & mummification This doesn’t apply, however, to the final dismissal, where incense is burned, because the parts of the PGM where I pulled those prayers from do indeed call for incense, and it being a dismissal and thanksgiving offering to the spirits, the use of incense is appropriate. I ’ ll keep an eye out for getting some more flowers later this summer wanted to really... Connoisseurs of incense, Nag Champa is the standard by which other scents are judged name refers.! 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