All about Holy wood – Palo Santo

What is the holy wood?

Holy wood or Bursera Graveolens is an aromatic tree that grows on the coast of South America and is related to frankincense, myrrh and copal. It has a very pleasant aroma and is a part of the citrus family with sweet notes of pine, mint and lemon.

It is a sacred tree traditionally used by indigenous communities in a sacred practices. Shamans burn pieces of holy Wood in lumps to clean their space and ward off spirits.

This wood offers us a very powerful, deep and rich smell and just a presence of a log of this wood nearby, allows to distinguish that delicate aroma, without having to light it.

How is it harvested?

Holy wood is obtained through the collection of fallen or dead trees in a natural way.

Suppliers of holy wood products don’t cut a single live tree. They only harvest the wood of dead and fallen trees.

Benefits:

The therapeutic benefits of holy wood are many, as it is highly medicinal and healing. The only way to get the full benefit of this tree is to let it die naturally and allow it to rest for a period of four to ten years on the forest floor.

Holy wood is used for a wide variety of purposes, from the use of its wood as incense, to the production of essential oil extracted from both the wood and its fruit.

Benefits we get through the use of holy wood:

• Remove negative energies and attract positive ones.
• Relieves nervous tension and helps control illnesses or ailments caused by stress, enhancing harmony and well-being.
• Its aroma helps to deepen the spiritual moments of meditation and contemplation.
• Shamans use them in their sessions to clean and purify environments against evil spirits, bad vibes and negative forces.
• It is used by breathing it to lift the mood and against asthma.
• Its aroma serves as a 100% natural mosquito repellent, ideal for children’s rooms.
• Cleans and purifies the environments, in addition to adding a scent.

Instructions:

Holy wood has been used by people, particularly in Ecuador and Peru, for thousands of years for traditional medicine, mosquito repellent and spiritual cleansing rituals.

How is the holy wood used?

• Use a candle, match or lighter to light a piece of your holy wood.
• You will see a black smoke.
• Let holy wood burn for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Extinguish the flame by waving your hand.
• Walk through the space where you want to clean the energy.
• Enjoy the white, spiritual and soothing smoke of the holy wood.
• Place the stick in a fireproof container.
• You can use it again until it runs out.
• Holy wood oil can be applied to the body (at the base of the skull or the spine) to increase relaxation, similar to aromatherapy.