The beginning of an essay by Emily Witt that is to appear on Sunday,
Dec. 4, 2016, in the T Magazine of The New York Times —
| "Palo santo, which means 'holy stick' in Spanish, is a tree indigenous to the Caribbean and South America. When burned, it emits a fragrance of pine and citrus. Lighting a stick of palo santo, like burning a bundle of sage or sweetgrass, is believed to chase away misfortune. Amazonian shamans use it in ayahuasca ceremonies to cleanse a ceremonial space of bad spirits. Given its mystical connotations, it’s not a scent associated with the secular world, but lately I have noticed its distinctive smoke wafting over more earthly settings, from Brooklyn dive bars to blue-chip art openings." |
The ending of an essay by T. S. Eliot that appeared in his 1921 book
titled The Sacred Wood —
Those who prefer ayahuasca ceremonies may consult
a Sept. 10 post, Cocktail of the Damned.