Palo Santo "Bursera Graveolens"
- Thierry Foraste
- Oct 6, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2021
Palo Santo est un commerce équitable Parce qu'il est important d'acheter Palo Santo sur un site de confiance.
Regulated by the Peruvian government
Our Palo Santo comes exclusively from Peru, where it has been regulated for years by the state, with a series of measures to ensure the balance between consumption and growth of this tree.
Harvesting is done exclusively from fallen timber
In accordance with national regulations, timber is always collected from fallen branches or dead trees. In addition, extraction is always carried out in assigned areas with a prior study of the forest mass.
Commitment to the people and replanting of Palo Santo
The law states that it must be extracted and cut by the inhabitants of the indigenous communities, thus benefiting the local economy.
When the Palo Santo passes through customs, it is verified that all conditions are met and all relevant documentation is delivered.
Palo Santo incense (Bursera graveolens) is a natural wood incense that has been used for centuries by the Incas and other indigenous cultures to purify and purify energies providing spiritual protection. Its smell is intense and slightly sweet, and provides a feeling of well-being.
The palo santo on the boutique-encens.com site has its origin in Peru, in the dry forest of the northwest. It is a tree adapted to arid conditions and high temperatures. During the dry season it completely defoliates and appears like a dead tree, but when the rains start it grows back very easily. It is preferably located on steep slopes and hills. Its bark is smooth, purple to greyish in color, and secretes a white or yellowish resin. It can reach up to 10 meters in height and grows from 50 to 1,500 meters in elevation.
Peruvian forestry regulations regulate the sustainable use of palo santo wood through a forest management plan that addresses the recovery and maintenance of the resource, while promoting the cleaning of the forest, banks and dams. irrigation system, where trunks and branches tend to accumulate.
Currently, palo santo continues to be used as an incense. Only trees that have completed their life cycle and die naturally are used. These trees are the only ones which, after a period of rest, provide aromatic properties and concentrate essential oils.
Shamanic rites
Few studies describe the properties of this oil. Yet the use is very old. It was indeed used by the Incas during religious rituals especially during Ayhuasca ceremonies in order to obtain better spiritual communication with the gods. Even today, this wood, considered sacred, is used in everyday life to attract luck, ward off negative waves or to harmonize with the natural elements. The tree is present during celebrations of native marriages: the couple having to plant a shoot, in the privacy, in order to bind their destiny and make their union last. It is also attributed curative and medicinal properties: stomach or muscle pain, wounds in the form of decoctions or wood soot. Criollo Indians relieve ear infections by blowing smoke into the ear.
The wood is used in the form of sticks about ten centimeters long cut with a machete, whose method of obtaining is very particular: we do not use all the wood of the Palo Santo tree, but only branches that are left on the ground and undergo a process of decomposition for three to four years. It is during this period of non-life that the wood of Palo Santo develops its specific essence. Consequently, the tree is not felled, we harvest the already dead trees which thus deliver to the man who knows how to listen to it, its essence, I would even say its soul, as the smoke which emanates from these sticks is so beneficial. and spiritual, creating a harmonious atmosphere full of happiness.
How to do ? Just bring a flame up to a downward tilted Palo Santo stick, let it burn for 30 to 60 seconds, then shake the stick to extinguish it. It is then easy to move it to the places to be purified or perfumed. The stick can thus be used several times. Place it in a small earthenware or glass bowl or place it in pure sand to completely stop the combustion.
High vibratory and energetic aromatherapy
The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dead branches of the tree. These main components are limonene, alpha-terpineol and unfortunately a ketone, pulegone and one of its metabolites, menthofuran. These two substances give the oil pulmonary, renal and hepatic toxicity through cell necrosis. As a precaution, avoid using it systemically.
Hydrosol is, on the other hand, interesting for asthmatics who cannot stand smoke.
For its energetic aspects, it can be used on the physical body to improve energies by respecting acupuncture points or in relation to the chakras. It is also a natural and powerful anti-stress reliever that alleviates the physical and psychological suffering that accompanies a state of pathological stress: back pain, depression, self-loathing.
The use of essential oils is not limited to the care of the physical body but is also beneficial for our emotions and thoughts. The Palo Santo soothes the torments of the mind, provides clarity and serenity. It is not only a reinforcement of the being but also an opening towards a better creativity.
Its association with Myrrh takes on its full meaning if we refer to their joint use during religious ceremonies to obtain the elevation character. They can thus be used in diffusion at a rate of 5 to 10 drops each.
The Palo Santo is a true gift from the spirit of the tree for men. Let’s not neglect it, let’s use it wisely: the species is now protected. It would be a shame if we lost the lessons of his soul.
AVERTISSEMENT !
About sandalwood which has nothing to do with Palo Santo
Sandalwood from the Santalaceae family. Trees of species producing this type of wood grow naturally in India, Nepal, Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Hawaii. This wood is used as incense, in aromatherapy, and in perfumery, rather than as construction or lumber, although temples have been built of sandalwood in India and have retained their aroma for centuries.
Furniture, chests and jewelry boxes were also fashioned from sandalwood.
Tomé Pires, a Portuguese apothecary who, from 1512 to 1515, lived in the city of Malacca, on the Malay Peninsula, notes in his Suma Oriental that the sandalwood comes from the islands of Sumba and Timor in Insulinde (present-day Indonesia and East Timor ). From 1820 to 1870, Oceania was scoured by sandalwood ships, often the source of conflicts with the indigenous populations.
In perfumery, sandalwood is used as a base note; it is an excellent fixer which allows to capture the top aromas of other essential oils.
In Hinduism, sandalwood is commonly used in ceremonies and rituals. It is part of the recipe for embalming pastes used in temples dedicated to the deity Shiva. A large majority of Hindus wear a mark made with this paste on their foreheads, which is supposed to keep the third eye cool. The main species used is Santalum album since it is abundant in southern India.
Sandalwood is also present in traditional medicine, in particular its essential oil which is found, even pure, in Ayurvedic medicine and to treat anxiety
In Buddhism, sandalwood is one of the Padma (lotus) and corresponds to Bodhisattva Amitabha. Sandalwood scents are believed to be able to transform desires and keep the attention of a person practicing meditation
Sandalwood is one of the main constituents of incense made in China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and is intended to be lit in temples or during worship. It is also widely used in India for these same applications.
WIKIPEDIA
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