Leuce Poplar Bud Incense

In Spring, when the trees are still bare, their leaves have not yet uncurled, still tightly wound, plump buds along the branches, Leuce feels a stirring in her heart. She gathers the other Nymphs, calling "It's time sisters, It's time to pick the poplar buds!". The Nymphs grab their baskets and offerings, some tie up their long, exuberant hair, others grab their blades or bows and arrows, and a few their musical instruments. As they hike off into the forest, down a path only traveled this time of year, they sing songs akin to the medley of the forest, and along the way, Pan joins them for a moment with his pan flute, to be part of the music and cheer, for poplar bud picking time is here! 
  A sweet smell begins to fill the air, like crushed sugar cane and spun honey. They enter the grove of the old poplar trees, gather in the clearing at the center, and light a fire in the ancient pit. Some of the Nymphs fashion a chair of poplar branches for Leuce, for it is time for her to be honored and praised, for the gifts bestowed upon them. The Nymphs lay their sweet offerings at her feet, a personification of each one, and by the time they are finished bearing their gifts, Leuce has enough stores until next year! The nymphs mindfully harvest the poplar buds for the rest of the day, and once finished they bring their full baskets to Leuce. She will create medicines, incense, perfume, and elixirs, and distribute them as her own offerings, when each Nymphs season arrives, and she too will be honored and harvested from.

Ingredients:
Poplar Buds
Honey Frankincense 
Propolis from our organic Apiary
Fir Boughs and Resin
Juniper Boughs
Wild Rhododendron 
Plantation Grown Agarwood
Plantation Grown Australian Sandalwood
Labdanum
Pine Resin
Opoponax Myrrh
Handcrafted Poplar Bud Absolute and Resinoid
Handcrafted Labdanum Absolute
Handcrafted Whole Honeycomb/Beeswax Absolute
Handcrafted Poplar Bud, Labdanum, and Myrrh Co-Resinoid

  This incense was created by hand grinding resins and botanicals with a mortar and pestle. Blended by adding ingredients one at a time, allowing it to marry and meld, before adding the next ingredient. After aging the dry blend of resins and botanicals, I added liquid resinnoids and concentrated absolute extractions, before tucking it away in glass for more aging  Created and aged over 3 years. 
  This loose granular incense is best heated gently, rather than burned. I enjoy the experience of an electric incense heater, it really allows for all of the notes to be experienced, and you can smell the story unfolding. You can use any method in which the incense is heated, like using a mica plate or incense sand as a buffer on coal. The goal is to eliminate the smoke, and to use gentle heat, preventing scorching, and allowing resins to melt and pool, creating an incense experienced in layers.

1 ounce of highly fragrant, natural granular incense, in a reusable glass jar.