Palo Santo
The “Palo Santo”, (Bursera Graveolens), is an aromatic tree with an exquisite fragrance, native to the Galapagos Archipelago, which grows especially in the dry forests of Peru and Ecuador, and to a lesser extent in the rest of the countries of the coast of South America.
For the palo santo to retain its properties, and to be used, the wood must be harvested once the tree dies from natural causes. Afterwards, it must be left in place for at least five to eight years for the heartwood oils to mature sufficiently and the wood to acquire its aromatic and medicinal properties.
Presentation: Set of 6 sticks
8,00€
Palo Santo is from the Burseraceae family, as are Frankincense (Boswellia carteri), Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), and Copal. It has a surprisingly strong and sweet aroma when burned, an exquisite fragrance that gives it the exclusive property of being able to be used directly as incense. It has intense and penetrating notes, with a subtly citrus touch, slightly sweet.
Palo santo is a perfect energy cleanser, thanks to substances such as Limonene, an active principle present in a high percentage in its trunk; Limonene, is a terpene, belongs to the family of solvents or turpentines, which are responsible for cleaning and alignment, both physical and spiritual.
Origin of Palo Santo
Widely used by ancient pre-Hispanic cultures such as the Tihuanaco and the Incas, who used it on a daily basis in their spiritual activities, in their prayers, to attract luck, improve mood and to clean spaces and environments.
Currently, PaloSanto wood is widely used by South American tribes, such as the Aymara, Quechua, and Jíbaros, among others. The Manteña, Machalilla, Valdivia, and Inca cultures used their smoke and oil for magical and therapeutic purposes.
It was also called “quebracho” by the Spanish colonizers since its hardness broke the ax when it was cut, and “palo santo”, due to the various uses and magical properties that the Inkas discovered.
The Palo Santo tree (Bursera graveolens) is found in Mexico, Cuba, the Galapagos Islands, and northern Peru.
It is a deciduous tree, as far as Peru is concerned, it grows in the lower part of the western slopes of northern Peru, in the departments of Cajamarca, Lambayeque, Piura, Tumbes, 800 to 1200 meters above sea level, together with other shrubs typical of these environments. xerophytic or subxerophytic.
Harvest:
For the palo santo to retain its properties, and to be used, the wood must be harvested once the tree dies from natural causes. Afterwards, it must be left in place for at least five to eight years for the heartwood oils to mature sufficiently and the wood to acquire its aromatic and medicinal properties. The natural lifespan of a palo santo tree varies between 50 to 70 years, which in relative terms is not much. ”, Explains Jonathon Miller Weisberger, ethnobotanist and author of Rainforest Medicine: Preserving Indigenous Science and Biodiversity in the Upper Amazon
The Lengua-Maskoy have the belief that a bonfire made with the wood of the Palo Santo prevents evil spirits from approaching the dwellings. They attribute such property to it due to the particular clarity of the flames that arise from this burning wood. In fact, it can be observed that many Lengua-Maskoy make their fire almost exclusively with the wood of Palo Santo.
The Palo Santo is also present in the ritual of indigenous marriages. The couple must plant a plant of this tree in the absence of witnesses, to bind their destinies and that the union last forever.