
Benefits
Cleansing/Purifying
Burning Elemi incense on a charcoal disc produces smoke that is cleansing, purifying, grounding and balancing. It can be used to prepare your space for meditation and prayer as it is thought to enhance psychic abilities and strengthen connection to divine forces.
Emotionally, Elemi imparts a balancing action that allows you to come fully into your centre, allowing for deeper meditation.
Stress/Anxiety
With its fresh, citrus scent, Elemi can be used to stimulate mental ability and is especially useful when you are suffering from stress, anxiety and nervous exhaustion. It has stimulating properties which can help to perk you up if you are feeling sluggish and helps to clear the mind of mental fog.
Burning this incense is also thought to help to dispel loneliness, uplift one’s mood and create a more positive outlook on life.
Insect Repellent
Like most tree resins, Elemi is a powerful insect repellent, effective against mosquitoes, ants, midges, moths, flies and fleas.
Burn this incense outside to create an uplifting, meditative space and to keep biting insects at bay.
Folklore and history
Elemi was possibly one of the first resins used by the ancient Egyptians to embalm the dead, alongside frankincense, myrrh, galbanum and Lebanese cedar. It was used throughout the Middle East for thousands of years as an antiseptic, and for healing scars and wounds.
Introduced into Europe around the 16th century, Elemi quickly became popular with medicinal herbalists who used it extensively. It was employed in poultices, ointments and healing salves for wounds and skin infections. In the 17th century, a pioneering physician named J. J. Wecker used elemi in salves to treat soldiers who had been injured in battle.
Traditional use
A sacred resin derived from the Canarium luzonicum tree, Elemi has a long history of traditional use in its native Philippines where it is known as “Pili”. The word Elemi is Arabic, a word used to describe the concept of “as above, so below”.
The tree bark of Canarium produces large quantities of the resin over a period of months and a mature tree can produce up to five kilograms of Elemi resin a year.
Typical use
Elemi Incense Resin
Because the resin is sticky to touch, it can be helpful to freeze it before cutting it or smashing it up into small pieces or powder. This enables easier blending with other resins or it can be simply be burned on a charcoal disc.
Constituents
Elemi consists of elemol, elemicine, dipentene, terpineol, limonene and phellandrene.
Precautions
Not to be taken internally. As the incense smoke from resins is very strong, use with caution around babies and children.