Palo Santo has a long spiritual history. References to this tree date back to the Incan era, when it was used in rituals and ceremonies throughout Amazonia.
A mystical tree, Palo Santo grows wild in the tropical dry forests of Ecuador, Peru, and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It does not look particularly beautiful or impressive but what it offers is very rare, unusual, and magical. Spanish monks who discovered the tree centuries ago named it “palo santo” – “holy wood” or “the wood of the saints.”
Healers and shamans of South America believe that Palo Santo has a strong spirit that has to be treated with respect. The spirit continues to live in the wood long after the tree has fallen, and when treated properly, will assist in restoring your physical and energetic wellbeing.
Throughout Amazonia, shamans have been using Palo Santo in medicinal practices to help with relieving symptoms of common colds and flu, asthma, headaches, stress, anxiety, emotional pain, and various other diseases.