Books: What Do Christians, Muslims, & Buddhists All Have in Common?

The answer is incense! The Incense Bible: Plant Scents Transcending World Culture, Medicine and Spirituality, by ethnobotanist Kerry Hughes, M.Sc., is a vivid tour through the ages and through our psyche as she illustrates our connection to incense for its use in health, spirituality and religion. Hughes was struck by the fact that many of the world’s main religions, as well as indigenous spiritual traditions, all used incense. In her quest to understand why, she has uncovered our deepest longings and need for connection to the divine and nature. The Incense Bible is one of the first comprehensive guides on incense ever published.

Hughes is an expert in botanical medicines and dietary supplements, as well as co-author of other highly regarded books in the field, including The Health Professional’s Guide to Dietary Supplements, by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, September 2006. Hughes is also the founder of Organo-Leptic, a business dedicated to high quality natural incense.

The Incense Bible is written to be a fun-to-read and thought-provoking examination of the spiritual meaning of real, raw, natural incense and how to use it in prayer, meditation, or simply in creating a home environment to “reconnect” with divinity and nature. This unique book examines the spiritual and ritual uses of “pure” incense (not sticks, cones, or synthetic mixtures), explores our attraction to it, and explains how we can use it at home to increase wellness. Filled with easy-to-use references, photos and easy-to-understand technical information, the book also appeals to our sense of adventure by taking us on an incense tour throughout the world. The book looks at the use of incense for purifications and cleansings, creative inspiration, meditation, worship and prayer, for inducing dreams and sleep, to improve learning and problem solving, and as a perfume for clothes, hair, and body.

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