Open any Jade + June Ritual Pack and you will find a stick of Palo Santo resting inside. It is often the piece people hold up and wonder about. What is it, why is it there, and how do you use Palo Santo without setting off the smoke alarm? This guide answers all three, and shows you how to use Palo Santo with care.

What is Palo Santo?

Palo Santo is Spanish for holy wood. It comes from the Bursera graveolens tree, which grows in the dry coastal forests of South America, particularly Ecuador and Peru. It is a relative of frankincense and myrrh, which explains its warm, resinous scent.

For centuries, Indigenous peoples of the region have burned it in ceremony and healing. When you light a stick, you are taking part in a very old practice, and that is worth doing knowingly and with respect.

What does Palo Santo smell like?

Sweet and woody, with notes of pine, citrus and a cool hint of mint. Unlit, the stick carries a soft scent of its own. Lit, the smoke is lighter and sweeter than most incense, which is why people who find incense heavy often love it.

What is Palo Santo used for?

Traditionally, Palo Santo is burned to cleanse a space, an object or a person, clearing what feels stagnant or heavy and making room for something new. In everyday terms, it is the opening act of a ritual. The scent marks a threshold. Ordinary time ends here, and time for you begins.

People reach for it:

before a ritual, meditation or quiet evening
after guests leave, or after a difficult conversation
when moving into a new home
to cleanse crystals before using them

How to use Palo Santo, step by step

Open a window. Smoke needs somewhere to go, and fresh air helps the room feel clear.
Light the tip. Hold the stick at a downward angle and light the end with a match or lighter. Let it flame for 20 to 30 seconds.
Blow it out gently. The flame goes out and the tip smoulders, releasing a thin ribbon of fragrant smoke.
Move slowly through your space. Walk the room holding a heatproof dish beneath the stick to catch any embers. Pay attention to corners, doorways and the spot where your ritual will happen. Hold a simple thought as you go: what is heavy may leave, what is good may stay.
Let it rest. Place the stick in a heatproof dish, such as a ceramic bowl or a shell, and let it go out on its own, usually within a few minutes. If it keeps smouldering, press the tip gently into the dish.

One stick lasts many uses. When you are ready to use it again, simply relight the same end.

A few safety notes

Never leave Palo Santo smouldering unattended, and keep it away from curtains, children and pets. Smoke alarms can be sensitive, so light it in a spot away from them. If you have asthma or a sensitive chest, open more windows, or skip the smoke entirely and simply hold the unlit stick and breathe in its scent.

Storing Palo Santo between uses

Keep your stick somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sun, so its natural oils last. A drawer, a small box or a linen pouch works well. Stored this way, Palo Santo holds its scent for years, and you will often catch a soft breath of it each time you open the drawer.

Choosing Palo Santo responsibly

Because Palo Santo is so popular, how it is gathered matters. The traditional and respectful method uses wood from branches and trees that have fallen naturally and been left to cure on the forest floor for several years. That curing time is what develops the scent, so freshly cut wood is both less fragrant and less respectful of the tree. When you buy Palo Santo, look for sellers who say it was collected from fallen wood.

Where Palo Santo fits in a ritual

Order matters. Cleanse first, then light your candle, then begin. Palo Santo clears the room, the candle sets the intention, and the crystal is traditionally said to hold it.

Here is a simple evening version. Cleanse the room with Palo Santo for a minute or two. Settle into your seat. Light a calming candle such as Luna, lavender and tonka bean with amethyst. Then follow a short practice like my five minute candle ritual for stress, or write down one intention using my guide to setting intentions with candles.

It is exactly the sequence the ritual card in every Ritual Pack walks you through, with the Palo Santo, candle, crystal and selenite wand all included and ready. Still and Sacred is the one I would choose for a quiet evening like this. If you would like a stick of your own without a full pack, you will find my Palo Santo in the shop.

Not sure which candle belongs in your ritual? Take the candle finder quiz and it will match you with your candle in a few questions.