Herbal Substitutions for incense

Finding the right herb for a particular spell can be hard, but finding a substitute can be easy. Belladonna can be hard to find but Tobacco is readily available. Please check the chart below for alternative herbs that can be substituted.


  • Rosemary can be used in place of any other herb

  • Rose can be used in place of any flower

  • Frankincense or Copal can be used in place of any Gum Resin

  • Sage can substitute for any mint

  • Tobacco can be used in place of any poisonous herb


  • ACACIA Gum Arabic
    ACACIA GUM Gum Arabic
    ACONITE Tobacco
    ARABIC GUM Frankincense, Gum Mastic, Gum Tragacanth
    (for binding wet ingredients, not for incense)
    AMMONIAC GUM Asafetida
    ASAFOETIDA Tobacco; Valerian
    BALM OF GILEAD Rose buds, Gum Mastic
    BDELLIUM , GUM Copal; Pine resin; Dragons Blood
    BELLADONNA Tobacco
    BENZOIN Gum Arabic; Gum Mastic
    CACHANA= Angelica Root
    CARNATION Rose petals anointed with a few drops of clove oil
    CASSIA Cinnamon
    CASTOR BEAN A few drops of Castor Oil
    CEDAR Sandalwood
    CINQUEFOIL Clover; Trefoil
    CITRON Equal parts of Orange Peel & Lemon Peel
    CLOVE Mace, Nutmeg
    CLOVER Cinquefoil
    COPAL Frankincense; Cedar
    COWBANE Tobacco
    CYPRESS Juniper; Pine needles
    DEERSTONGUE Tonka Bean (not for internal use); Woodruff; Vanilla
    DITTANY OF CRETE Gum Mastic
    DRAGONS BLOOD Equal Parts of Red Sandalwood and Frankincense
    EUCALYPTUS OIL Camphor oil; Lavender Oil
    EUPHORBIUM Tobacco
    FRANKINCENSE Copal; Pine resin
    GALANGAL Ginger Root
    GRAINS OF PARADISE Black Pepper
    GUM AMMONIAC Asafetida
    GUM BDELLIUM Copal; Pine resin; Dragons Blood
    HELLEBORE Tobacco; Nettle
    HEMLOCK Tobacco
    HEMP= Nutmeg; Damiana; Star Anise; Bay
    HENBANE Tobacco
    HYSSOP Lavender
    IVY Cinquefoil
    JASMINE Rose
    JUNIPER Pine
    LAVENDER Rose
    LEMONGRASS Lemon Peel
    LEMON PEEL Lemongrass;
    LEMON VERBENA Lemongrass; Lemon peel
    MACE Nutmeg
    MANDRAKE Tobacco
    MASTIC GUM Gum Arabic; Frankincense
    MINT(any sort) Sage
    MISTLETOE Mint; Sage
    MUGWORT Wormwood
    NEROLI OIL Orange Oil
    NIGHTSHADE Tobacco
    NUTMEG= Mace; Cinnamon
    OAKMOSS Patchouli
    ORANGE Tangerine Peel
    ORANGE FLOWERS Orange Peel
    PATCHOULI Oakmoss
    PEPPERMINT Spearmint
    PEPPERWORT Rue; Grains of Paradise; Black Pepper
    PINE Juniper
    PINE RESIN Frankincense; Copal
    RED SANDALWOOD Sandalwood mixed with a pinch of Dragons Blood
    ROSE Yarrow
    ROSE GERANIUM Rose
    RUE Rosemary mixed with a pinch of black pepper
    SAFFRON Orange Peel
    SANDALWOOD Cedar
    SARSAPARILLA Sassafras
    SASSAFRAS Sarsaparilla
    SPEARMINT Peppermint
    SULFUR Tobacco; Club Moss; Asafetida
    THYME Rosemary
    TOBACCO Bay
    TONKA BEAN Vanilla
    TREFOIL Cinquefoil
    VALERIAN Asafetida
    VANILLA Woodruff; Deerstongue; Tonka Bean
    VETIVERT Calamus
    WOLFSBANE Tobacco
    WOOD ALOE Sandalwood Sprinkled with Ambergris Oil
    WOODRUFF Deerstongue; Vanilla
    WORMWOOD Mugwort
    YEW Tobacco
    Herbal Substitution information courtesy S.Cunningham's Book of Incense, Oils and Brews

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