Burning Cedar: Meaning, How to Do It and Safety
Burning cedar for cleansing, protection and grounding: the traditions behind it, why most American cedars are not true cedars, a step-by-step method, a comparison with sage and palo...
Planting by the Signs: How the Almanac Zodiac Man Works in the Garden
How planting by the signs works: the almanac Zodiac Man, fruitful and barren signs, light and dark of the moon, fall planting and what the research says.
Kitchen Witch Doll Meaning: Origin, Folklore and Where to Hang One
What a kitchen witch doll means, where the custom comes from, what folklore says she does, and how to hang, gift or make one safely.
Camphor Incense: Meaning, Uses and Safety
Camphor for cleansing: what it is, its meaning in Hindu aarti and folk practice, how to burn it safely step by step, why it is toxic if swallowed,...
Mastic Resin Incense: Chios Tears and How to Burn Them
The bright resin of Chios: how mastic tears are harvested, how they smell, how to burn them without scorching, the best blends, and why hardware-store mastic is something...
Ozark Folk Magic: Power Doctors, Water Witching and Planting by the Signs
Who the Ozark power doctors, yarb doctors and water witches were, what they did, where the tradition came from, and how to explore it with respect.
Benzoin Resin Incense: Meaning and How to Burn It
The vanilla-sweet resin of Styrax trees: Siam vs. Sumatra benzoin, its history in temples, churches and chemistry, traditional meanings, how to burn it, blends and a home blessing.
Sandalwood Incense: Meaning, Uses and Real vs. Fake
Sandalwood from Mysore to Hawaii: botany, sacred uses, how to burn sticks and chips, the evidence on its calming reputation, and how to tell real sandalwood from synthetic...
Ayurvedic Morning Routine: Tongue Scraping & More
Dinacharya in three steps: tongue scraping, oil pulling and dry brushing, how to do each one, and what is documented versus tradition.
Opoponax: Sweet Myrrh Incense, Uses and How to Burn It
Opoponax, or sweet myrrh, is the soft, balsamic cousin of myrrh. Its origin, the ancient name mix-up, a myrrh comparison and how to burn it safely.
Appalachian Granny Witch: What the Tradition Really Was, and What Is Modern
Who Appalachia's granny women really were, what folklorists documented about their charms, herbs and signs, and why granny witch is a modern name.
Pine Resin Incense: Spruce vs. Pine and How to Burn It
Frankincense travels from Oman, copal from Mexico, myrrh from the Horn of Africa. The resin that does not need a passport grows at the edge of the nearest...