Long before incense filled our homes with calming scents, it carried deep spiritual meaning across ancient cultures. In shamanic traditions, incense has always been more than a pleasant fragrance it is sacred smoke, a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual worlds.
Shamans, healers, and wisdom keepers used incense in ceremonies to cleanse energy, call in guidance, and offer prayers to the unseen. The slow curl of smoke was believed to carry intentions, hopes, and gratitude upwards to the spirit realm. Each plant and resin had its own power: sage for purification, frankincense for connection to the divine, copal to awaken the soul.
Burning incense wasn’t just ritual it was medicine. The smoke would clear spaces of heavy energies, soothe emotional wounds, and prepare both the healer and the community for transformation. It was a way of marking the sacred, turning an ordinary moment into something full of meaning.
Even today, when we light incense, we are participating in a lineage that stretches back thousands of years. Whether we do so for ceremony, meditation, or simple reflection, we are tapping into an ancient practice that reminds us: we are part of something greater, something timeless.
The next time you light a stick or a smudge, pause for a moment. Watch the smoke rise and remember, this is sacred. This is connection.
All of our courses incorporated the sense of smell in some way, mindful some people have sensitivities. Learn more about our offerings at Embracing Shamanism here.