Palo Santo, literally meaning “holy wood” in Spanish, is a tree that is widely distributed throughout Central and South America. Palo Santo is used in South America in much the same way as White Ceremonial Sage is used in North America- to combat negative energy and to cleanse the space. Palo Santo is different than many of the other smudging materials as it is fragrant in its raw form and does not necessarily need to be lit, though it usually is when being used for ceremonial purposes. Palo Santo is often used by Amazonian shamans in sacred plant spirit ceremonies; the rising smoke of the lit sticks is believed to enter the energy field of ritual participants to clear misfortune, negative thoughts and to chase away evil spirits. Its use reportedly dates back to the Inca era.
History and Folklore
It is believed that a tree or fallen branches must lie dead for 4-10 years before the medicinal and mystical properties of the wood begin to come alive. It is also believed that the branches of the Palo Santo that are felled by lightning have the highest concentration of medicinal and mystical properties.
Burning Instructions
Use a candle, match or lighter to ignite your stick of Palo Santo. Hold at about a 45 degree angle pointing the tip down toward the flame. Allow it to burn for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then blow out. Move about your workspace, home, car, bathroom or anywhere you would like to clear the energy. Never leave a burning stick unattended, near children, pets, drafts or flammable objects.
Steps for Smudging
Smudging is the ritual of cleaning the energy of a physical space, object or person. First you start with a clear and simple intention of focusing on clearing the negative energy out of your space and mind. Once you have your intention clearly in mind, light the Palo Santo stick as per instructions above.
Then walk around the room, space, object or person, fanning the smoke over it’s entirety, whilst focusing on cleansing and clearing negative energy. Palo Santo will smoulder and release smoke for a few minutes and may need to be re-light a few times throughout the ritual, depending on the size of the area area you are cleansing.
Once you’ve finished smudging and removed the negative energy, you must push positive energy into the space to maintain balance. To do this, declare your intention out loud or silently in your head.
History and Folklore
It is believed that a tree or fallen branches must lie dead for 4-10 years before the medicinal and mystical properties of the wood begin to come alive. It is also believed that the branches of the Palo Santo that are felled by lightning have the highest concentration of medicinal and mystical properties.
Burning Instructions
Use a candle, match or lighter to ignite your stick of Palo Santo. Hold at about a 45 degree angle pointing the tip down toward the flame. Allow it to burn for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then blow out. Move about your workspace, home, car, bathroom or anywhere you would like to clear the energy. Never leave a burning stick unattended, near children, pets, drafts or flammable objects.
Steps for Smudging
Smudging is the ritual of cleaning the energy of a physical space, object or person. First you start with a clear and simple intention of focusing on clearing the negative energy out of your space and mind. Once you have your intention clearly in mind, light the Palo Santo stick as per instructions above.
Then walk around the room, space, object or person, fanning the smoke over it’s entirety, whilst focusing on cleansing and clearing negative energy. Palo Santo will smoulder and release smoke for a few minutes and may need to be re-light a few times throughout the ritual, depending on the size of the area area you are cleansing.
Once you’ve finished smudging and removed the negative energy, you must push positive energy into the space to maintain balance. To do this, declare your intention out loud or silently in your head.