PUDDLEWACKY

Daily A~Musing #5:  Sandalwood Incense 

I was walking around one day, lighting incense sticks and strategically placing them in various areas of the house while gabbing on the phone with my mom.  Being the chub-a-dub I am, I started huffing a bit.  The sound of my belabored breathing prompted my mom to inquire as to what I was doing.  I said I was burning incense then tried to pretend I wasn’t out of breath from just walking around my house.  (I didn’t want to have to field inevitable questions about my health and well-being because these conversations RARELY go well.)

She asked me what kind of incense and I told her Sandalwood because that’s my favorite kind and I like to burn it whenever I feel the need to dispel icky energy. 

Mom said, “Oh…well that makes sense.” 

WAIT!  Although that SOUNDS like a perfectly normal Mom-Response, you need to put on the beepbeep backup lights and understand that I am Pagan, mom is Christian and she does NOT like that I am Pagan.  She does her best with it, but for her to say, “Oh…well that makes sense,” so matter-of-factly...?  I think I may have peed my pants just a lil. 

  

“Really?  That makes sense to you?”

“Sure.  I used to burn sandalwood incense all the time when you were little.  You probably associate it with home.”

Dammit!  Whenever I think I’ve got everything pegged, that woman comes out with these little gems of wisdom and understanding.  It's really freakin' annoying.

Things You May Not Know about Sandalwood

 Sandalwood comes from not just one tree, but from several kinds of trees most commonly found in India, Hawaii and Australia.               

 Indian Sandalwood is a threatened species and is government protected, owned and harvested.

While most trees are harvested by cutting them down to the stump, Sandalwood trees are completely uprooted to get at as much of the wood as possible.

Sandalwood was once the biggest export earner in Australia.

Sandalwood incense is a very popular scent not just cuz it smells soooo gooooood, but because it’s frequently used in healing and religious ceremony. 

Examples:

HINDUISM  

Sandalwood brings you closer to the divine, treats anxiety

BUDDHISM 
Sandalwood used to transform desires and maintain alertness while meditating

TIBETAN BUDDHISTS 

Sandalwood used as antiseptic (the oil has been used to treat acne), antidepressant, insecticide and sedative, also used in malas (which are sorta eastern rosary beads)

NEO-PAGANS

Sandalwood frequently used for meditation, cleansing/smudging and in protection rituals

Here's a cool picture of an incense burner I found at www.aspencountry.com

(Can't you just see it puffing smoke outta its nostrils?)

Here's a sandalwood mala I found at www.tibetanmalashop.com

(This shop is located in Kathmandu, Nepal and profits go to support Tibetan refugees)

And I just luvluvluved this cone incense burner at www.tenthousandvillages.com

(Ten Thousand Villages has products in over 155 stores in the U.S. and Canada listed on the website and is a fair trade company)

And, hey, if you're feeling creative and want to learn how some people make incense themselves, check out Scott Cunningham's Incense, Oils & Brews.