The incense burner is a sacred object in the home and must be placed correctly to not affect your family’s luck. At the same time, if your incense burner shows any of these signs, it should be replaced as soon as possible.
Abnormal Signs on the Incense Burner
Moving Incense Burner
The incense burner is usually placed in the center of the altar and should not be moved throughout the year, even during end-of-year cleaning. When cleaning the altar, the homeowner should use a clean cloth and clean hands to wipe the incense burner without moving it from its original position. On the last day of the year, the homeowner can trim the incense sticks to make the burner neater. The trimmed sticks must be gathered, burned, and a few (odd number) kept in the burner. This practice is believed to bring peace and prosperity to the family.
Signs That You Need to Replace Your Incense Burner
Unstable Incense Burner
The incense burner is considered a sacred object and should always be kept stable. Even if the altar is small, there should be enough space for three incense burners. The largest burner is for worshipping the Earth God and the Kitchen God, and the two smaller ones on either side are for the ancestors of the family. It is essential to keep a lit lamp or candle on the altar to signify its sacredness. However, the most important thing is to ensure that the incense burner remains stable and is not tilted to either side.
Stone Incense Burner
Using a stone incense burner for home worship is considered a major taboo. Only temples, shrines, and monasteries use stone incense burners for worship. Homeowners who intentionally use this type of burner may experience negative consequences, such as a loss of wealth. Therefore, it is recommended to respect the deities by choosing incense burners made of porcelain or copper.
Signs Indicating the Need to Replace the Incense Burner
Sand in the Incense Burner
Some families use sand in the incense burner to hold the incense sticks. However, this practice is considered incorrect according to Feng Shui principles. Sand is considered dirty and impure and should not be placed in sacred objects like the incense burner. By doing so, the homeowner may attract misfortune and bad luck. Instead, it is recommended to use straw ash in the burner, as this is believed to attract wealth and bring peace to the family.
How Many Incense Burners Should Be on the Ancestral Altar?
The ancestral altar usually has at least two incense burners. One is for worshipping deities, and the other is for worshipping ancestors. Some families choose to have only one burner, combining the worship of both. In some cases, there may be up to four burners, with separate burners for the female ancestors and the male ancestors.
According to long-standing folk beliefs, the most common arrangement is to have three incense burners. The burner for the female ancestors is placed on the left, the burner for the Earth God and deities in the middle, and the burner for the family ancestors on the right.
(*) This article is for reference only and is not meant to be taken as absolute truth.
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