Smells Like Spells Odin Focus Spell

An interesting aspect of Smells Like Spells incense is that each tube is marked with the phase of the moon it was made. My tube of Eir Healing Spell is marked "Waxing Gibbous Moon", while this Odin Focus Spell is marked "Waxing Crescent Moon". SeaWitchBotanicals provide a guide to the phases of the moon. Craftworkers and herbalists who align their incense making with the phases of the moon treat the lunar cycle as a sort of energy clock that governs the intent, formulation, and efficacy of the incense making - along the lines of "planting, building, celebrating, releasing". This is a system of symbolic and spiritual connections that informs the decisions of the maker,  rather than any specific chemical or scientific action. The moon's influence on human behaviour has been researched and documented,  and while considered statistically small, research does not completely rule it out. But the general conclusion is that while the effect of the moon on incense making provides a potential framework of mindfulness and psychological structure for the craftsperson who wishes  to be open to ritual tradition, it is unlikely to a matter of physical chemistry, so the moon's phases would not have an influence on machinery involved in the incense making. 

On my first run through of the Smells Like Spells incense range, I was so struck by the Nepalese incense style of the sticks, that I hadn't really noticed their soft resinous nature, and now that I am tuned into it, I am liking these sticks more and more. I shall come back to them in a month or two to see how I feel then.

Sage and curry spices and something delicate and sweet, almost floral, are the scent notes I pick up on the stick. Musky resin is the first scent impression on the burn, followed by woods and dried berry fruit. The fragrance ingredients are given as agarwood, champaca, and juniper berries - a curious combination. Agarwood seems a bit too serious and rustic for the delicate champaca notes - sandalwood might be a better base. Indeed, I'm mostly getting woods from this on the burn. The sweet floral notes I picked up on the stick appear to not be strong enough to make themselves known when the incense is burned. After getting into a position where I was feeling that these Smells Like Spells Nepal sticks were a little more special than the everyday Himalayan incense, this one brings me back down to earth. But it's OK. 

Available from Forest Home at £7 for a glass tube of approx five sticks; shipping extra; or from Smells Like Spells for €8, shipping extra.  As a handy comparison - average cost per pack of Nepal/Tibet incense sold by Padma Store in Germany is around €4, with average price per five sticks working out at around €1, plus  shipping. 

Date: Jun 2026   Score: 27/50

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Smells Like Spells