In my experience, there are lots of occult websites on the internet that will give you information about how to cast spells or summon demons, and give basic information about “psychic safety” such as casting circles of protection or banishing. But these websites often neglect to mention basic fire safety, despite advising the use of candles or incense in ritual. It may be that they assume this is common sense or is already covered on other websites, but in my opinion, this is a serious oversight. Some teenager who is getting interested in Satanism for the first time and is very eager to summon a demon, is probably not going to take the time to navigate over to another website to learn about fire safety before performing a ritual. And due to a lack of life experience, they may be unaware of basic safety tips that seem like “common sense” to older, more experienced practitioners. So I really feel this information should be included more often.
First of all, keep this in mind: Safety always comes first. While using incense or candles can enhance the ritual atmosphere greatly, it is basically never necessary. In magic, your intentions are generally more important than the specific implements used. So if you aren’t able to use incense or candles in a safe manner (for example, due to a lack of privacy in your home), don’t use them at all. Without further ado, here are my tips.
Always keep the flame within your sight: The #1 cause of house fires in the US is unattended candles. If you need to leave the room while a candle is burning, and no one else is around to attend it, blow it out first, and re-light it when you come back in.
Make sure smoke detectors are working: Obviously, you don’t want to burn your candles or incense right next to the smoke detector, but you want to make sure the detector is working in case the fire gets out of hand.
Use a well-ventilated room: If the candle or incense you are using produces a lot of smoke, crack open a window or door. However, don’t burn anything too close to a very drafty window or door, because the wind might knock it over. Having a window or door open and accessible is also a good idea because it means you definitely have an escape route if the fire spreads. You can also consider getting a ventilator or air purifier.
Burn sigils in a bowl: Some rituals have you writing a sigil or your intentions on a piece of a paper, which you then burn at the end of the ritual to release the energy. If you do this, DO NOT burn the paper directly on your altar. Instead, use a bowl made of a heat-resistant material such as metal or glass. This will prevent the fire from spreading.
Keep fire away from paper: Aside from any sigils you might be burning as part of the ritual (see above), move any paper, books, or anything flammable safely out of the way before you start burning.
Use candle holders, ashtrays, and incense ash catchers: These items are designed to catch and hold ashes. Sometimes sparks or ashes fall off and can start a fire if they land on something flammable. Incense tends to come in long sticks, and ashes will fall off as it burns away. Generally, incense burners are specially designed with a long tray to catch this ash. Usually, places that sell incense will sell the burners as well, so you can get them both at the same time. Remember to clean the incense burner regularly as well, so it lasts longer.
Burn candles or incense on a heat-resistant surface: Even after placing your candle securely in a candle holder, or burning your incense in an incense-burner with an ash catcher, you want to make sure you place the whole thing on a heat-resistant surface, just in case it falls over or ashes or sparks fly off and land on the surface. So when buying or making an altar, you want to keep in mind that if you’re burning candles or incense on it, you will want it to be made of a heat-resistant material. In other words, make it stone or metal, not wood or paper.
Make sure the fire is completely out and all ashes are cooled before throwing them away. The way incense works, you light the end of the stick on fire, then blow it out, but the tip should still be glowing and this ember will slowly burn the incense stick, causing smoke to rise and the scent to disperse throughout the room. Once the incense stick has burned all the way down, you want to make sure the ember is completely out. I recommend keeping a bowl of water handy, so you can just dip the end of the incense stick in the water to put it out. Many rituals involve balancing or invoking all 4 elements, so this bowl of water can be used for that, as well.
If you’re afraid of burning yourself, afraid of setting off the smoke detector, or have allergies or sensitivity to smoke, here are some alternatives you can use.
Dissolve sigils in a bowl of water. If you’re using the method where you write your intentions or a sigil on a piece of paper and then burn it, you can instead write with an ink that will dissolve in water, and destroy the sigil that way.
Tear up the sigil. Similarly, you can write on a piece of paper and then just tear it up into very small pieces with your hands.
Use scented oils or other fragrance. If you want to use incense of a particular scent as an offering to a spirit, but you’re afraid of the smoke or fire, you can try other things that produce a strong scent, such as scented oils or fragrant flowers.
If you live with unsupportive people, you may lack the privacy to burn any candles or incense, let alone set up an altar to do a full-blown ritual on. You may also lack the funds to purchase any items for rituals. If this is the case, you can use meditation and visualization to create a “mental temple” to perform your rituals in the mental or astral world - whatever you want to call it. Some resources that may help with this:
Modified Demonolatry by S. Connolly – A free, 31-page ebook aimed at those who can’t practice demonolatry the “traditional” way for whatever reason, be it disability, illness, incarceration, or living with people who don’t approve of your spiritual practice. This book describes how to create an astral temple, but also offers lots of other practical advice on how to modify rituals if your ability to use props is limited – so it can be very helpful even if you struggle with astral travel or visualization.
All The Resources You’ll Need To Build Your Own Wonderland, Headspace or Inner World, Now Mobile Compatible! by Sophie in Wonderland – A list of guides on how to create an inner world. This resource is primarily intended for those who identify as part of a “multiple system,” meaning they share their body with other people/minds/spirits. However, the same techniques should in principle work for anyone wanting to create a headspace or inner world.