A mix of Dessert Sage & Palo Santo
Palo Santo, which means “holy wood” or “wood of the saints”, is a mystical tree that grows on the coast of South America and is related to Frankincense, Myrrh, and Copal.
Burning these sticks is a sacred practice used by Indigenous communities of the Andes to cleanse their space and ward off evil spirits. This practice is called smudging – a spiritual practice where you clear your energy fields using a piece of burning Palo Santo or a herb bundle, such as white sage.
The holy wood is part of the citrus family and has very pleasant sweet notes of pine, mint, and lemon. Perfect for the holiday season.
Cleansing
Similar to Sage and Cedar, Palo Santo is most widely used for spiritual purification and energy (house) cleansings. Once the wood sticks are burned, the smoke is believed to clear negative energy and restore tranquillity and calm emotions. Burning Palo Santo wood creates an uplifting, pleasant, fresh smoke that works miracles in keeping away mosquitoes and other insects. It is said that the smell enhances creativity.
Relaxation
We enjoy burning a stick of Palo Santo before meditating as it really helps us get relaxed and connected to ourselves. The lovely earthy, sweet and citrusy smell literally changes the energy inside any room.
How to Use It
We recommend you use a candle to ignite your Palo, Hold it at about a 45-degree angle and point the tip down toward the flame of your candle. If the sticks were a little wet, you might have some problems lighting them so make sure to store them dry.
Allow the stick to burn for about 30 secs, then blow it out. A stream of smoke will rise from the embers and spread into the environment. You can hold it in your hand or place the stick on an incense holder.
Smudging can be performed at home, starting at the front door, and moving around the house from there. With a specific intention in mind (often to clear your home from negative energy), focus on every room’s corners where energy tends to be stagnant.
You can gently blow on the embers if you want to revive it. When the embers go out, you can simply repeat the ignition process.
DO NOT under any circumstances leave the flame burning under the stick for more than a few seconds! Make sure to check the product description. When finished with your house cleansing, place the stick in a fireproof bowl.
Desert Sage
Desert sage (Artemesia Tridentata) covers much of the high desert and plains areas of the Western States of America. As well as being burned, desert sage is often held, worn or kept with sacred objects to ward off negative influences. Native American tradition says that wherever sage is, evil spirits cannot enter.
Sage, which cleanses and disperses negative energies, is sometimes called the ‘ear opener’ because it opens up our inner ears, allowing us to become more in tune with the sacredness of the world around us. Sage can be used before meditation, prayer or ceremony or any time you wish to clear your aura. It can also be burnt to cleanse your house, and is frequently used in Feng Shui for space clearing.
How to Use Your Smudge Stick
Light the end of your sage stick and after it has ignited, extinguish the flame and direct the smoke around your body. You may wish to hold a container in your other hand to catch ashes or to serve as a resting place for the smoldering stick if you use a fan or a feather to direct the smoke. You can direct the smoke around yourself, another person, or in your place of ceremony to purify the energy that is present. The smoke from your sage stick may also be directed as an invocation honoring the four directions, the father sun or the mother earth (“Fathermother God”). To extinguish your sage stick, smother the end and examine closely to make sure the stick is completely out. Note: Your stick may continue to burn if not completely extinguished.
Smudging Is a ceremony used to clear away negative energies and to attract ones that are more positive. Native Americans have traditionally used many herbs for this purpose, each one having a different effect on the aura and inner being. You may burn a smudge stick directly from the end (extinguish carefully afterwards), or break off fragments to burn in a container such as a shell. When smudging, try to feel connected with a power greater than yourself. You may say prayers while using a feather, or simply the palm of your hand, to brush the smoke over you.
Country of Origin: New Mexico, USA
Size of Smudge Stick: Approximately 4″ in length (roughly 10.5 cm).
Caution: A lit sage stick should not be left burning while unattended, and care should be used when extinguishing smouldering sticks.
** Only 1 piece of sage supplied ** ** Crystal is just for photo **
