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The Best Incense For Manifestation

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Incense can be a powerful tool in helping to prepare your personal space for focused manifesting. Bustle reached out to two experts to learn what to look for in the best incense for manifestation. Alane Hathaway, professional tarot card reader at At The Rising Moon, and Valerie Weyland, meditation practitioner and founder of Brown Girl Bloom, both spoke to Bustle and offered recommendations on how to use specific scents to amplify specific intentions.

What Is Manifestation?

Manifestation is essentially turning your dreams and desires into a tangible reality with the help of steps and methods based on the Law of Attraction. “Everyone hopes for abundance and there are some easy steps to take to help you turn hopes into manifestations,” Hathaway says. If you plan on including incense in your process, Hathaway advises: “Light your incense, waving the incense in the air to extinguish the flame rather than blowing out the flame, as blowing something out releases and ends the intention.”

Is It Good To Manifest With Incense?

Your sense of smell is very potent. It can make you instantly recall past memories or help you get into certain states of mind. Incense can cleanse your space of bad vibes and allow you to harness the energy you are seeking, while the smoke is thought to assist in transporting those intentions out into the world. “To activate a higher level of energy, consider lighting three incenses [that focus] on the power of threes (body, mind, and spirit),” Weyland says.

How Do You Set Incense Intentions?

There are several ways to begin this manifesting journey with incense, but Weyland suggests following these specific steps:

  1. Find a quiet place to connect with your higher self
  2. Breathe into the present moment
  3. Place the incense in your palm and place your other hand over it
  4. Call on a spirit to give you clarity around the intention that is needed in that very moment
  5. Visualize the energy of the intention flowing through your body
  6. See yourself already being the intention in complete form
  7. Light the incense and allow the scent to flow through your entire body (you can even physically move the incense from your root chakra to your crown chakra)
  8. Close your eyes and embrace the silence and stillness

Which Incense Should You Use?

“When it comes to the best types of incense, I highly encourage you to connect with the indigenous communities in your part of the world and learn about the native healing properties that you can tap into,” Weyland says. Beyond that, you can also use this scent guide to set specific manifestations:

  • Negative Energy Smudging: For smudging your space, consider sage and patchouli. “Using patchouli is one of the best places to start as it will help remove any negative energetic influences from your space,” Hathaway says. “It is important to energetically and physically clean the area you plan to do your work in by using sage to remove negative energy and physically cleaning to release any impending energy [...]”
  • Money, Wealth, Abundance: Weyland recommends cinnamon, while Hathaway says clove and vetiver are good choices.
  • Love: “Jasmine, hyacinth, and cinnamon work particularly well for passion, and vanilla or rose also work well,” Hathaway says.
  • Balance, Good Luck, Stability: Weyland suggests nag champa and frangipani.
  • Health, Well-Being, Calm: Weyland recommends lavender, sandalwood, and frankincense.

Keep a few final tips in mind for closing out your manifestation with incense. “One of the best closing phrases around manifestations is ‘In the name of my guides, my guardians, my ancestors, and my angels, I ask this with an open heart and mind.’” With all that in mind, here are the best incense options to include in your manifestation practice.

1. A Popular Gift Set That Includes 7 Scents

This popular incense gift set is a perfect choice if you’re starting your manifesting journey or are interested in trying different scents. It has over 12,500 reviews with a high 4.6-star rating on Amazon, with many reviewers commenting on how they are familiar with this trusted brand, which makes its incense in India and has been around for decades. The set comes with seven different scents, including singular scents like nag champa, sandalwood and lavender, and patchouli, as well as blends like Dragon’s Blood (a natural plant resin), Super Hit, and Positive Vibes. With 12 sticks per box, you’ll get a total of 84 sticks, which is amazing for the $7 price. One reviewer commented that each stick burns for approximately 45 minutes.

Helpful Review: “I was pleasantly surprised by this incense set. I purchased it as my very first set of incense ever, and couldn’t have been more pleased. The variety of scents is pleasant. I liked some more than others, of course, but each serves its purpose [...] I will definitely be purchasing again, and if you find yourself uncertain, take a chance on this. The price is beautiful and the scents are truly something else.”

2. The Frangipani Incense Bundle For Good Luck

If you’re looking to channel good luck in your manifesting practice, opt for this Frangipani incense bundle, made by the well-known and respected Hem brand, which has been handcrafting incense in India for more than 30 years. The set includes 120 sticks total in six separate packages with an incense holder for convenience. The incense features nontoxic, organic ingredients and, according to one reviewer, has a burn time of more than 20 minutes.

Helpful Review: “Love this scent, smells so beautiful and divine!!”

3. A Japanese Rose Incense For Manifesting Love

This Japanese rose incense is ideal for cultivating love and has a following with more than 4,000 reviews. There are approximately 75 sticks per box that burn for 45 minutes each, according to the brand. They’re hand-rolled in India and are made with organic ingredients free of chemicals. Each stick is made by hand with a blend of natural resins, herbs, wood powders, charred coconut powder, essential oils, and honey.

Helpful Review: “Beautiful and sensual aroma. This is my new favorite incense.”

4. This Variety Pack of Incense To Create More Abundance

If money and abundance are at the top of your manifestation list, pick up this set of money-themed incense sticks from the Hem brand that contains five different fragrances to help you cultivate wealth and success. Each scent set comes with 20 sticks for a total of 100 incense sticks and each carries a slightly different purpose as evidenced by their names: Attracts Money, Success, Good Luck, Open Roads, and Call Money. They are handcrafted in India with nontoxic ingredients and have garnered nearly 2,000 reviews. Many reviewers pointed out that the cinnamon scent (an expert recommendation for manifesting wealth) is blended with other woodsy fragrances and smells particularly delightful. According to reviewers, the burn time for each stick varies.

Helpful Review: “I'm a huge fan, I love my incense, I think they smell wonderful. They're great for putting my space at ease and meditation. Very happy!”

5. A Lavender Incense Stick For Calm & Clarity

For those seeking clarity with their intentions or more calm in their lives, this lavender incense can help create a peaceful state of mind. Each stick is made in California where it is soaked for weeks in lavender oil to allow for an even more potent scent. It has over 3,000 reviews and each package comes with 100 sticks that are sealed to maintain maximum freshness. One reviewer confirmed the burn time is about 30 minutes.

Helpful Review: “This is by far the best incense I have ever bought! It smells wonderful; a pure, strong lavender, and the scent lingers for such a long time. Will be buying more.”

6. This Frankincense For Stress Relief

Burn this Frankincense incense by the Hem brand if your intentions are to relieve stress or promote a general sense of well-being. This is a popular choice with more than 3,000 reviews that comes with six separate boxes of 20 sticks for a total of 120 sticks. The incense is made in India and each stick can burn anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes, according to the brand.

Helpful Review: “I have noticed that the incense gives me an opportunity to move stagnant energy or emotions out of my body. I was able to feel emotions that I was trying [to] numb. This is a good tool that can be used for inner development to release blocked/trapped emotions and I have noticed the psychic energy in the room is more free-flowing and elevated to a certain point.”

7. This Fan-Favorite Set Of 3 Sage Bundles For Smudging

Clear the air of negative or stagnant energy before you manifest by using a sage stick to smudge. The set includes three bundles of California white sage that are sustainably sourced from the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico and come with a convenient instruction manual and smudging guide to take you through each step of the cleansing process. These extremely popular sticks have over 17,000 reviews and are free of artificial scents or additives. The burn time for this pick is not mentioned.

Helpful Review: “I definitely recommend purchasing as it truly has healing power. I use it for everything; to rid negative energy and to restore peace.”

Also Nice: An Incense Holder With A Storage Compartment

This lovely incense burner, with over 1,300 reviews, has several holes to burn multiple incense sticks simultaneously in addition to plates for holding onto incense cones. A compartment below offers convenient storage and the small storage chamber can be opened from the side to slide out your incense whenever you’re ready to start your manifesting practice. Choose between four different designs that feature pretty brass inlay designs of elephants, stars, and combinations of suns, moons, and stars.

Helpful Review: “Beautiful and functional! I burn a lot of incense and I have a lot of ash. This burner keeps it contained and it looks gorgeous on the coffee table. The smoke looks really cool flowing from the vents, too. I can see where this would be a nice safety item for people with small kids as well, since it keeps the ember enclosed.”

Experts:

Alane Hathaway, professional tarot card reader at At The Rising Moon.

Valerie Weyland, meditation practitioner and founder of Brown Girl Bloom.