PALO SANTO

Palo Santo's spiritual significance traces back to the Incas & it has figured prominently in indigenous South American medicine as a sacred incense. Burning it was believed to cleanse a person's energy field & heal physical ailments. 

Similar to myrrh & frankincense, Palo Santo contains brain oxygenating terpenes like limonene & terpineol; they give the Palo Santo its positive qualities.

When used for smudging or burning, Palo Santo  cleanses person’s energy field, thereby enhancing their ability to deflect & repel negative energies as well as raising your positive vibrations in preparation for meditation. 

It's also been known for it’s grounding & focusing effect which can enhance creativity, productivity & increase good fortune.

Palo Santo is used to treat a wide variety of physical ailments including cold, flu, anxiety, depression, asthma, bronchitis, headaches & emotional trauma. Use the oil to provide pain relief for arthritis & joint pain with its anti-inflammatory properties.

Palo Santo tea, made by simmering the wood in hot water, acts as a natural digestive aid. The oil can be added to soaps, scrubs & lotions to cleanse & moisturize the skin. The wood also contains high concentrations of a compound called d-limonene, which is thought to aid in the prevention of a variety of cancers. 

Palo santo can be used to purify your crystals energy when you first receive them & periodically when their energy begins to feel heavy. 

ECUADOR PALO SANTO PROJECT

The Palo Santo is commonly known as a native species of the forests of Ecuador. 

Much of the confusion about Palo Santo may arise from the fact that there are actually two South American trees called Palo Santo & they are both frequently enjoyed for their fragrances. Although these trees share the name Palo Santo, they are two totally different species that grow in different parts of the region.
Easy way to tell the two types of Palo Santo apart: 

Palo Santo from the threatened Bulnesia sarmientoi tree is dark & reddish, akin to mahogany. 

Palo Santo from sustainably harvested Bursera graveolens, is yellowish, tan, similar to pine & sometimes streaked with darker shades of gray or brown.
The inhabitants of the surrounding communities live from the trade of Palo Santo. 

Since the species is considered sacred, it is prohibited to cut a living Palo Santo tree. That is why, to collect the holy wood, the harvesters wait until the tree, or parts of it, fall naturally. The fallen wood is then left to dry for another 3 - 5 years. During this “resting” time, special chemical reactions take place in the wood itself.

Palo Santo wood collection from living trees is forbidden by law & the gathering & reselling of the fallen branches happens under government supervision.

Each time we burn Palo Santo, we should offer our intention to the land, the plants, the animals & the people of Ecuador.
With deepest blessings & sincere gratitude, Palo Santo has been used for centuries for magical & shamanic rituals, ceremonies & for spiritual healing. 

Palo Santo trees grow in groups of one male & eight females. The lone male outlives his female counterparts by a long shot. While female trees tend to live around 40-50 years, the male can live up to 200 years.Wood from female Palo Santo trees is yellow, solid & heavy, whereas that of the male is white, hollow, fragile & light. 

Shamans teach that these trees have a distinct spirit that lives in the wood long after the tree’s life has ended & they treat this tree as a living entity.

Palo Santo has been used by shamans to clear negative energy, attract positive energy, re-establish peace & balance, enhance concentration & meditation & heal people on physical & spiritual levels. 

The ancient practice of shamanism believes that plants have spirits & that the spirit can be a strong medicine. The shaman turns to the spirit of the plant & lets this spirit do the healing. The spirit of the Palo Santo tree carries a wisdom that enables the smoke of just a tiny piece of wood to heal people physically, emotionally & spiritually. 

This spirit must be respected & never misused. This is one of the reasons that the tree cannot be cut down & we must wait years after it has fallen on its own to harvest it.

Traditionally Palo Santo should not be traded, rather given to you by a shaman. 

To use the healing energy of Palo Santo on your crystals, place your crystals together in an area, light the Palo Santo stick & wait for its flame to die out.

Allow the smoke from the stick to envelope the crystals & the area they are in. You may have to relight the stick a few times as Palo Santo is a bit reluctant to hold a flame. 

To clear a space with Palo Santo simply light one end of the stick on fire.

Blow out the fire to produce smoke.

Set an intention about what you want to clear out of your space or person, then move from corner to corner, removing any bad energy, uplifting your spirit & filling your home with good fortune.

Black smoke shows negative energies.

When smoke turns white, it means energies are being cleansed.

Once you feel you have cleansed your space, place the Palo Santo stick in a fireproof bowl & allow the embers to burn out.
Remember to always exercise care & caution when working with fire.