Incense - The Breath of the Dragon by Christian Rätsch

The lighting of incense is one of the oldest ritual practices of humankind. Shamans put themselves into a trance with the rising smoke of certain woods, resins and leaves. Seers inhaled the smoke of mind-altering substances to fall into ecstasy. Priestesses and priests burned resins to establish contact with the gods and goddesses. The aromatic smoke has always been attributed magical or medicinal properties.

After an introduction to the cultural history of incense, a comprehensive lexical section presents all incense substances from aloe to cypress in detail in text and pictures: Botanical description of the parent plant, history, ritual and custom, effects and possible applications, chemistry and pharmacology, notes on harvesting and preparation. Through the well-founded ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological presentation of the incense substances, the book opens a door to the mysteries of nature, provides insights and encourages one's own creative use.

Hardback edition, 237 pages.