The Encyclopedia of Crystals, Herbs, and New Age Elements: An A to Z Guide to New Age Elements and How to Use Them - Adams Media 2016

Holders
The Power of Fire and Light

ORIGINS

Now that you know all about candles and incense, you may be wondering how to physically incorporate them into your home. After all, a burning candle or stick of incense can’t just be placed on the table and left unattended. Luckily there are all sorts of holders, tools, and other products that will help you enjoy the flickering flames and smoky scents without fear of setting the house on fire. These include candlesticks, lanterns, jars, sconces, censers, and incense burners.

HISTORY/LORE

Archaeologists have found incense burners dating back to 3000 B.C.E. The ancient Chinese, Japanese, and Mesoamerican civilizations all used censers (vessels for burning incense), and censers also appear in the traditions of religious institutions such as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum used in celebration of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, is one of the most historically and culturally significant candleholders. There is one candle for each night of Hanukkah, plus a shamash or “servant candle,” which is used to light the other eight.

USES

If you’ve ever gone camping, you are probably well acquainted with the lantern, a portable case, usually with transparent sides, for holding and protecting a light—historically a candle but nowadays an electric light is usually substituted. In the home, almost any type of holder may be used to display a candle. Candles are commonly displayed in candlesticks on the table to create ambience while dining, and jars, sconces, and other holders may be used around the home. Incense burners range from the simple to the complex. An ash catcher or boat burner is typically a strip of wood that catches ashes as they fall from an incense stick. The most common form of burner for cone incense is the brass burner—a small brass bowl with a lid. Loose incense burners are essentially little charcoal grills, with a divider between the burning coals and the incense, or a simple bowl of sand upon which the burning charcoal is placed.