Three Sticks of Incense: A Simply Elegant Eshu Ritual
by Arden Keren

Once you have established your relationship with Eshu, this is a good weekly ritual that you can do as an observance and prayer.  Other Gatekeeper deities such as Hecate may like this as well.  You should do this either on a Monday or a Friday, but not both.  It’s something to be done no more than once per week so as to avoid disrespectfully pestering Eshu with rumination and obsession.

It is a religious/deity centered way of prayer, not really witchcraft, but the remnants can be used for witchcraft.  The energy built from faithful, consistent observance, also helps you maintain and boost your insua.

The only ingredients you need for it are 3 sticks, cones, or pellets of incense of a sort that is pleasing to your Gatekeeper deity.  Eshu is said to enjoy cloves, rose, lavender, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, coffee, sakura, Opium perfume type, and other sweet-spicy scents.  If you can, at least try to get some that is made with the natural ingredients or essential oils, or the good fragrance oils.

You will also of course need a plate or incense burner, and a lighter or candle already burning on your altar.  You will also need a flat surface that is not the floor, with a smooth surface you can roll things on.

For the ritual…

Open a window or a door to the outside, so that the air flows freely in and out of the room.

Get your burner in place, and ready your incense and lighter.

Greet Eshu (or your Gatekeeper deity).

Take the first stick of incense, and speak thanks to Eshu.  Light it and then blow on it to get the tip glowing well.  Place this stick in the burner, and take a moment to think about the things Eshu has done for you.

Take the second stick, and place it on the flat surface.  Roll it away from yourself 3 times, speaking things you want to banish from your life or do away with.  One roll by the way, is one passage of your hand.  Each time you lift your hand is one roll.  It’s okay if it rolls back towards you a bit in this process.  Just be mindful that if you suddenly lose your coordination, and it continually rolls back towards you and falls on the floor and chips or breaks, Eshu may be trying to tell you something…that maybe what you want to be rid of is there for a reason.  Asking Eshu to make you wiser in this matter usually helps the uncontrolled rolling stop.  He needs to know that you’re willing to do your part.

After rolling, light the incense, blow on it, and place it in the burner.  Take a moment to at least start actually letting go of the things you are giving away for Eshu to handle.

Take the third stick, and place it on the surface.  Roll this one towards yourself 3 times, speaking things you want to bring into your life.  Again, if it keeps rolling away from you, there is a message in that.  Ask for wisdom in helping you to get what you want, and things should stabilize.

Light the incense, blow on it, and place it in the burner.  Take a moment to open yourself to receive blessings, and ready yourself for the changes that come with them.

Close the ritual by thanking Eshu for his presence, or continue with your usual daily observances.

You may want to keep a notebook of these sessions so that when Eshu takes away something you wanted rid of, or brings you things you asked to receive, you can give him a bigger offering of thanks.  It is important to thank deities with more than words.

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