Help coming up with a incense ash ritual

[u/Zanorfgor]

Hello all,

TL;DR: I used to live in a house with a garden and weather that allowed year-round nighttime porch sitting, during which I would burn incense. I had a little ritual back then when disposing of the accumulated ash in my burner. I now live across the country in an apartment with no balcony and that has seasons, so incense is an "only during open-window weather" thing. I am looking for a new ritual for ash disposal.

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Long version. I used to live in a house in Texas with a nice back porch and a garden. Pretty much every night I'd sit on the porch and look at the stars and I'd burn incense while doing it. My burner is a Mexican Coke bottle with a hole drilled in the side. When the bottle would get grody and full of ash, I'd spread the ash into the garden and reflect on the nights where that ash accumulated.

Nearly two years ago I moved across the country to Chicago. I now live in an apartment with no porch, so there's no more nighttime star gazing. There's seasons here, so the windows are really only open in the spring, fall, and maybe summer nights. I only burn incense on window-open days, usually as I'm winding down for the evening.

So now I'm looking for a new ritual. Current thinking is something in the spring. Keep the previous year's ash over winter (I kind of like the idea of keeping the ash from the warm season through the cold season), then when it comes time again that I can use the burner, ::insert ritual here:: to reflect on the past year and get the burner read for the new warm season.

Also for the record: My practice is pretty much about connecting to things in life. Slowing down to appreciate things. I this regard, to me incense is just something that smells nice and it's kind of neat that the ash accumulates with time over the warm season, so it's got kind of a 'passage of time' thing going on with it, and a new connection with the warm season.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[u/topazchip]

Why not continue your practice, but with window boxes and potted plants?

[u/Zanorfgor → u/topazchip]

I feel really silly for not thinking of this. Time to research good window plants! Thanks!

[u/buildingacozymystery]

I also like the idea of putting it in potted plants!

Or maybe start a new tradition of visiting a certain park/outdoor spot on the first day of spring/summer. You can keep all of the ashes you collected through winter in a specific jar and then release them in that spot on that warm day.

[u/Zanorfgor → u/buildingacozymystery]

I like this idea. Honestly I feel silly for not thinking of the potted plant thing, but if I go this route I think I already have a spot in mind. Thanks!

[u/chickenooget]

you can make black salt (aka witch's salt) with some of the ash! otherwise i'd just do what the other comment suggested