Burning incense is an ancient tradition in all cultures of the world, because it works deeply on a spiritual and soul level. Incense material is used above all for energetic cleansing and clearing. There are many different incense materials and all of them have their own meaning. Today we would like to bring Palo Santo a little closer to you.
In this post you will learn what the "Holy Wood" Palo Santo is all about. We answer questions such as: What is Palo Santo used for? How do I burn incense with Palo Santo? We also give you insight into what you may want to pay attention to when burning incense and where we source our holy wood from.
By Leni & Axel in Cacao Blog
What is Palo Santo and where does it come from?
Palo Santo, the "Holy Wood" (botanical name: Bursera gravolens), has played an important role for the indigenous population of South America for thousands of years. Among other things, they use the wood of the gnarled, heavily branched tree as incense, to drive away evil spirits and attract good ones. Due to the more than 100 different essential oils, a strong balsamic scent arises when it is burned, which has a euphoric, stress-relieving, clarifying and calming effect. Like myrrh and frankincense, Palo Santo belongs to the balsam tree family.
The wood of Palo Santo is not comparable to the wood we know here. Originating mainly from the low-rainfall forests of Peru and Ecuador, Palo Santo blooms yellow and has a hard, resinous wood. The scent is very unusual and can hardly be described. But it could probably best be described as sweetish, somewhat lemony with a hint of frankincense.
The life cycle of Palo Santo
Palo Santo needs many years to develop its extraordinary note. The resin only gets its characteristic scent after the tree has died following a lifespan of around 40 to 50 years, the branches of the tree have fallen off, and then remain on the ground for around 4 more years before finally being collected.
It is only in these 4 years on the ground that they develop their very special aroma. (I actually find this quite an encouraging metaphor for us humans, for when we once again feel "down" and this feeling lasts for a while... :-) )
What is Palo Santo used for?
In Peru, Palo Santo - which is generally credited with very great healing powers, not only spiritually but also concretely physically/medically — is often used to support healing and the cleansing of rooms. It is said to have an immune-strengthening effect and is used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and even syphilis. The good effect in the treatment of syphilis was, among other things, one of the reasons why the Spanish at the time brought Palo Santo to Europe in large quantities and sold it for a lot of money.
Nowadays, in our latitudes, one may already have caught the scent during a yoga or ayahuasca session.
We too very much like to use the special aroma of the "Holy Wood" during our ceremonies. In our experience, the calming scent is very supportive in opening up to the Cacao Spirit and to our inner world.
Where does Cacaoloves.me source its Palo Santo from?
We were looking for a particularly high-quality incense wood and found it in the region of Piura in Peru. Coming exclusively from natural stands of the local dry forests, this Palo Santo is distinguished by a very high quality and oiliness. In Piura, the tree is under nature protection and may not simply be felled. This way it lives a natural life. Farming collectives collect the fallen wood - so-called deadwood - after it has "matured" for 4 years, and the Peruvian forestry authority (SERFOR) monitors the amount of wood that has been collected. It then determines the compensation area that must be reforested.
How do I burn incense with Palo Santo? A small incense-burning ritual
The application for burning incense is very simple: light the piece of Palo Santo at one spot. You have to hold the wood over the fire for a while until the wood really burns. Due to the many essential oils, the wood catches fire and thick black smoke emerges from the wood, which is a sign of quality. Then wave out the flame and place it on a fireproof surface, ideally in a bowl. The wood then continues to smolder there. It is said that one should not blow out the flame, so that the good spirits are not also driven away. In our latitudes one may smile about such instructions - but better safe than sorry, and it certainly doesn't hurt, so make sure to only wave out the flame!
You can walk through the room with the piece of wood and smoke out the corners in particular, by waving the smoke into the room with your hand or a feather. Feel free to also open the windows and doors of the room, so that the unwanted energies can flow away and escape. You can also cleanse yourself or, of course, other people, by waving the smoke over the body from head to feet.
If you have had enough, briefly stick the smoldering end of the wood into some sand, so that the embers go out.
What are your experiences with Palo Santo or with incense? Do you like the scent and what does it remind YOU of?
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