Seraphim Astral Vision

   

The ingredients of Astral Vision have been selected by hand  by incense maker Benyamin Shoham of Seraphim Incense in Israel for their meditation properties; and the ingredients chosen do have historic ritual uses as well as uses in modern medicine - such as Compass Lettuce which produces Lactucarium, an opium-like substance which has sedative and euphoric qualities, Rue which protects against the evil eye and is also a mild sedative, and Blue Lotus which aids sleep as well as euphoria.  

There's a curious and pleasant mild curry scent on the stick. Some herb, some root, some mild spice, and a hint of sweet mint. I like it, though more as a curiosity than a delight. I find the scent on the burn a little rough and dry - not really my thing. Closer in style with Pondicherry and Himalayan incense than the fragrant incenses that really move me. I quite liked the first Seraphim incense I reviewed, Embracing Love, though in retrospect I think I was a tad generous in my scoring. I'll be interested to see how I react to the same incense when I return to it later in the year. 

On the whole I think that Seraphim incense is not my thing. As I said earlier in response to a comment on Single Spirit Cedar: "My heart goes out to makers like Benyamin who are focused on the spiritual aspect of incense. However, in my journey of exploration though incense I have found that my personal inclination is toward the fragrance rather than the symbolism or even the health benefits of certain ingredients.... I'm cool with incense that has an awareness of spirituality and ritual, because many of us are drawn to incense as a way of fragrancing our homes because of the spiritual and ritual aspects of incense. I think it makes us feel closer to nature, to our past, to rituals, and to the spiritual, in whatever manner we feel that. But I guess I don't want the spiritual and ritual to be the be all and end all of the incense, especially at the cost of creating an attractive fragrance. I feel that an understanding of both the spiritual and ritual, and the olfactory pleasure of incense, should go hand in hand. And the best incenses handle that balance well." 

All that being said, for those for whom the ritual, spiritual, and natural aspects of the burning of herbs and resins is important, Seraphim incense is likely to hold a strong and vibrant attraction; and, at a high price point though these sticks are, there will be people willing to pay the premium for hand made sticks from Israel. Available at  $17.00 for 10 sticks from Seraphim. 

Date: June 2025    Score: 28

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Seraphim Incense