The first thing to know is that there are two different kinds of cinnamon. I know this because the first time I bought cinnamon to smudge with, it was the wrong kind. It was too thick and wouldn’t burn.
As you can see in the above picture, the cinnamon stick on the left looks like a solid layer of very thick bark curled over on itself somewhat loosely. As you can imagine, that’s the one that won’t burn. It is, however, fantastic for boiling spells, or for adding to tea or coffee or other food, because it can be reused. I wouldn’t put a cinnamon stick in my apple cider after I had used it in coffee, but I would certainly put it in a second cup of coffee. I don’t throw cinnamon sticks away until I’ve used them so many times that they no longer smell like cinnamon, and that usually takes a long time and a lot of uses.
The cinnamon stick on the right, however, is lighter colored and looks like several very thin layers, thin enough that you could peel them apart with your fingers. Those will burn easily if you hold them over a fire, and as such I only use those for smudging.
My experience at several different grocery stores is that there’s no indication on the packaging of which is which, and that the only way to tell the difference is to look at the cinnamon itself (assuming the packaging is clear). A quick google search tells me that the unburnable kind is called “cassia,” not “true cinnamon” but I have never seen it indicated as such. So yeah, just look carefully at what you’re buying before you buy it.
Correspondence:
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Sun, Mars
- Gender: Masculine
- Zodiac: Aries, Leo
- Chakras: Root (1st), Sacral (2nd)
- Powers: protection, warmth, love/lust, abundance/prosperity
Uses:
Add a cinnamon stick to a smudge for a house protection spell. My personal experience is that cinnamon smudges also function as an antidepressant, raising and warming the vibration of the room you’re smudging.
Mix powdered cinnamon with black salt and sweep your house or place of business with it for a success and abundance.
Add power to bay leaf intentions in a boil.
Use cinnamon with vanilla for a love/lust spell.
Use it with cloves, ginger, nutmeg, or basil for a money drawing spell.
Flavor various different foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, wine, hot cocoa, cookies and other desserts, apples and other fruits, and meat.
Use (diluted and in moderation, as too much can burn sensitive skin) in homemade cosmetics and glamour spells to improve acne, heal dry skin, and improve blood flow to the skin. (Don’t use it in anything that will go in your hair.)