Shoyeido Incense

Upon arriving in DC for my summer internship, I asked Apollon if he would guide me to a place where I could buy incense for the weekly offering to him. Turns out he answered my prayers, because by coincidence there is a random new age shop across the street from the Takoma Park Metro Station, the one I use for commuting purposes. While they don't have much normal incense, they do have some Eastern blends with New Agey themes manufactured in Japan, and these are incenses that list all of their ingredients clearly on the side. This incense is made by the Shoyeido Corporation. Many of the varieties in the store have a sandalwood base, but I picked up two different ones with frankincense and myrrh as the components. The web site does have actual frankincense listed as something one can order, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing the New Age store would carry.

The incense smells spectacular, and it's made in a slightly different way from incense I've used in the past, so it's pleasing to burn and it isn't very smoky. I find it funny that the English packaging has very New Agey tones, with an emphasis on the benefits the incense brings to the person instead, while I'm interested in giving my Gods something nice. While burning the Diamond-Power incense (Sandalwood, Frankincense, Cinnamon, Ginger Lily, and spices) for Apollon last night, I had a feeling that he would also have liked what I got for the myrrh-liking Gods, the Peace incense (Myrrh, Sandalwood, Clove, spices), so I will offer him that next time as a test to see if he likes it.

But seriously, there's something really bizarre about incense that smells good enough to eat. I hope that it helps take the edge off the Gods' hunger for offering-smoke.