CLEANSING TOOLS
Smoke has been used for spiritual cleansing and ritual across virtually every culture in the world for thousands of years. Walk into any spiritual shop and you'll find incense sticks, bundles of white sage and sticks of Palo Santo — but what's the difference, and which should you choose? Here's your complete guide.
White sage — Salvia apiana — is a sacred plant used for thousands of years in the spiritual traditions of Native American peoples, particularly for the practice of smudging. It is one of the most powerful energy cleansers available — its smoke is antimicrobial, purifying and highly effective at clearing stagnant and negative energy from a space or person.
Light the end of your sage bundle until it catches flame, then blow it out and allow it to smoulder. Move through your space letting the smoke reach corners, doorways and windows. Set a clear intention as you work — visualise the smoke carrying away all that no longer serves the space.
White sage has a strong, distinctive scent that some find quite intense. It produces a lot of smoke — always open windows when using it. It's important to source white sage ethically, as overharvesting has become a concern. Look for sustainably grown or cultivated sage rather than wild-harvested.
Palo Santo — which means "holy wood" in Spanish — is a sacred wood from South America, traditionally used by Shamanic healers for spiritual purification and healing. Unlike sage, which clears everything, Palo Santo is said to clear negative energy while preserving and inviting positive energy — making it a wonderfully balancing tool.
Hold the stick at a 45-degree angle and light the tip. Allow it to burn for 30 seconds, then blow out the flame and let it smoulder. Move around your space as with sage, or simply rest it in a fireproof dish and allow the smoke to fill the room naturally. Palo Santo goes out easily — relight as needed.
Palo Santo has a beautiful, warm, slightly sweet scent — often described as a blend of pine, mint and lemon. It produces less smoke than sage and is generally considered more accessible for beginners. As with sage, ethical sourcing matters — look for suppliers who use fallen wood rather than harvested trees.
Incense is the most widely available and varied of the three options — available in countless scents, forms and traditions from all over the world. Unlike sage and Palo Santo which are primarily cleansing tools, incense serves a huge range of purposes depending on the scent and your intention.
For deep clearing and cleansing — reach for sage. For daily maintenance and inviting positive energy — Palo Santo is your friend. For atmosphere, intention work and meditation — incense is wonderfully versatile. Many practitioners use all three for different purposes — and there's absolutely no reason you can't do the same.
Shop our incense and Palo Santo collection at Star's Crystals. ✦