Know your Incense ingredients : Storax Storax, or Asiatic Storax (Liquidambar orientalis) was known in Latin as Styrax, was native to Asia Minor, has a strong grey to yellow color, presents as a thick liquid which can eventually form a hard resin, and leaves no residue when burned. These two names were used interchangeably in Latin and other Romance language magical texts. The waste bark from processing was also used as incense. Growth is restricted to a narrow range in Turkey, harvesting has been curtailed, and there is no commercial availability. (I bought up all they had at the Magikal Childe, before they closed in the early 1980’s, which quantity should last several lifetimes). This particular resin has been detected on period Egyptian mummies , so this is likely the real thing, dissenting opinions to the contrary. Cited as an incense ingredient in both the Demotic and Greek texts; this would be one of your offerings when faced with judicial matters, questions of truthfulness, or spell work involving Hermes or Thoth. Because of its scent and appearance, it is Solar as well, and was the most recommended offering to use with the Orphic Hymns. With the advent of Linnaean nomenclature to classify plants, utilizing extant Latin names to classify allied groups, trees resembling our Asiatic Storax share one Latin name, while the original Latin name for the tree was assigned to a different group; thus the difficulty in sorting out who is talking about which material when. What is generally offered as “real” Storax by sellers today is in fact “Honduran” Storax (Liquidambar styraciflua and other species), generally is seen as brownish syrup. Resins from various species in this group are locally used as incense in Brazil, Mesoamerica and Mexico (known as Estoraque). In the U.S. this is the Sweet Gum. The tree itself is used in Hoodoo and rootwork , as an incense it is associated with Mercury. Are you with me so far? Benzoin, or Gum Benjamin (Styrax benzoin & other varieties) neither looks of smells like the above, though it is often offered as being “the same thing”, the confusion being caused by its Genus name. This generally is seen as a pinkish fine grained power, having a vanilla like aroma. This may be used in celebrating the Female Mysteries, or as part of an offering to Aphrodite, and as part of incenses for romantic love While it has a fine scent on its own, it can be compounded into an herbal sachet or dream pillow, both for that and its ability to fix other scents. Burning a small quantity brings clarity to one’s meditation as well, lifting one’s focus to a higher plane. Also, this works alone or compounded to cleanse a home before you move in, as well as dissipating any malignant sendings directed your way. Consider it a bug zapper for low grade attacks of any sort. To add to this confusion another contender in the running as being True Storax is the Snowbell bush (Styrax officinalis), native to the Mediterranean, and Mock Orange (Styrax americana), both with a fragrance, neither of which produce a resin, this failure being attributed to the extinction of the productive species. I only mention these so that you may refuse them when offered. Even though you have followed instructions, and only acquired never used implements for your magical workings, you still want to give them a rinse. The classic fumigation is composed of equal parts of Storax and Benzoin. This may also be used to prep a magical circle in the opening ritual. The use of White Sage is a fairly recent adaptation.