Asphaltum (Carabe,
Bitumen of Judea)
This incense ingredient is the
dried and powdered form of a tar that bubbles up through the ground
and hardens. It is an excellent addition to Earth incense but is also
used for censing destructive talismans
or making negative magick. It is painted on the back of scrying
mirrors—it can be made into a paint by combining
it with linseed oil and carefully warming (it's quite flammable, so don't
leave it alone when heating). You can add an herb or essential oil of your choice to this paint
to tweak the mirror. When burned,
it does not smell like roofing tar but instead has a metallic, slightly
tarry smell
with a touch of sulfur that actually smells good when mixed with other resins,
giving them a cooler quality. It is associated with the Element of Earth
(obviously, with a bit of Fire in there), and in destructive magick, with the
21st Mansion
of the Moon. An element in Plutarch's version of kyphi, it also played
a significant role in Egyptian mummification. Likewise, phony mummies ground
up for the medicine "mummy," which was popular in Europe from the
Renaissance until the 19th century, were made by coating the inside of a
human cadaver with asphaltum, bandaging it up, and drying it in the sun. Asphaltum
was itself sometimes sold as mummy.
Asphaltum
1
oz. $4.25
Uses in Witchcraft
& Magic:
Elemental Magic (Earth)
Baneful
Magic
Scrying
Kyphi Ingredient
Protection Spells
Lunar
Mansions
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