There is currently a lot of shame and judgement being thrown around about the use of Palo Santo in the spiritual community. People are pushing that everyone discontinue the smudging use of the powerful wood in exchange for other cleansing herbs and clearing techniques.
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💗While it’s true that there are various other wonderful methods, I want to stress that it’s okay to still use Palo Santo if you wish to.💗
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For me, Palo Santo is not primarily about clearing  but about anxiety relief.
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I will never forget the first time I felt the Palo Santo smoke wash over me, calming my nerves like pure magic. The holy wood brought a sense of grounding to my being that I desperately craved and had never felt before.
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The key is to become more mindful of obtaining your Palo Santo from sustainable and ethical sources like @woodlot
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@woodlot: “...we have good news – everything about ethically sourced palo santo encourages a more mindful, sustainable existence. It is said that the true value of this tree comes after its life of up to 90 years because the tree does not release its essence, or essential oil, until it has lain on the ground for at least 4 years after having died of natural causes. At this point the tree gives freely of its essential essences. Small communities in Ecuador gather sticks of palo santo that have been laying on the ground for years which benefits many families who live in the central highlands of Ecuador.”
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In my opinion, just like many other things in our new world, the ethical and sustainable approach is the answer not complete discontinuation of something that can be so monumentally helpful to many people.