Quick Specs
- Type: Palo santo sticks dipped in frankincense and myrrh powder
- Quantity: 25 sticks per pack
- Scent profile: Warm wood, balsamic resin, sweet smoke
- Best for: Space clearing, meditation, daily spiritual practice, bulk supply
Three Sacred Resins, One Burn
Palo santo (Bursera graveolens) is a wild tree native to the dry forests of Ecuador, Peru, and other parts of South America. The wood’s aromatic properties only fully develop after the tree has died and rested on the forest floor for several years, during which time the aromatic compounds concentrate in the heartwood. Andean and Amazonian communities have long burned palo santo as a smoke cleanser, and it is now widely sold commercially.
Frankincense comes from the resin of Boswellia trees, primarily Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carterii, harvested across the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and parts of India. It has been burned in temple, church, mosque, and home for at least four thousand years, appearing in ancient Egyptian kyphi formulas, Jewish Temple offerings, and Christian liturgical practice. Myrrh is the resin of Commiphora trees, also from the Horn of Africa, and shares much of frankincense’s sacred history. They smell magnificent together, a warm balsamic depth that elevates palo santo’s lighter wood smoke. Find related smudging supplies in my palo santo collection.
What Dipped Palo Santo Means in Practice
These sticks are natural palo santo that has been coated in frankincense and myrrh incense powder before packaging. The coating burns with the wood, releasing both the palo santo’s native oils and the resin blend simultaneously. The result is a more complex, layered smoke than plain palo santo offers, and the coating helps the stick catch and hold flame more easily, which is useful for practitioners who struggle with the slightly finicky ignition process that plain palo santo requires. A pack of 25 is a practical quantity for anyone who uses palo santo as a regular practice element rather than occasionally.
How to Use Frankincense Myrrh Dipped Palo Santo
How to light, use, and store frankincense and myrrh dipped palo santo sticks.
- Light the Stick
Hold the coated end to a flame for 20 to 30 seconds, longer than plain wood requires. Blow out the flame once the tip is glowing. The frankincense and myrrh coating helps the ember hold, so the stick burns longer before needing to be relit.
- Move Through the Space
Carry the smoking stick through areas you want to clear: doorways, corners, windows, and thresholds. Many people move counterclockwise for clearing and clockwise for drawing positive energy. Keep a fireproof dish underneath to catch ash.
- Extinguish and Store
Press the glowing tip into sand or soil in a fireproof dish to extinguish. Never leave a burning stick unattended. Store sticks in a cool dry location away from sunlight, which degrades the resin coating. A sealed container extends shelf life.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock these dipped sticks because combining three well-known sacred aromatics into one burn gives a layered, warm scent. A 25-stick pack is the right quantity for regular practitioners who don’t want to reorder every few weeks. For the full smudging and clearing toolkit, browse my smudge sticks and palo santo collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dipped palo santo is natural palo santo wood coated in an incense powder blend, in this case frankincense and myrrh resin powder. The coating burns with the wood, adding resin scent and making the stick easier to ignite and maintain during sessions.
A single palo santo stick typically provides two to four sessions depending on how long you burn it each time. A 25-stick pack yields roughly 50 to 100 individual sessions, making it a practical bulk quantity for daily or near-daily practice use.
Frankincense has a warm, resinous, slightly citrusy scent with a clean dry finish. Myrrh is earthier, smokier, and slightly bitter. Together they create a deep balsamic warmth used in sacred ritual across multiple traditions for thousands of years.
Reputable palo santo comes from trees that died naturally and cured on the forest floor, not from cut trees. Bursera graveolens is not currently endangered, but sourcing from suppliers who use fallen-wood-only practices is the responsible approach.
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