Lammas/Lughnasadh Herb

Sandalwood Lammas/Lughnasadh Herb

Sandalwood
Botanical: Santalum album (LINN.) Family: N.O. Santalaceae.
A small tree 20 to 30 feet high, with many opposite slender drooping branches, bark smooth grey-brown. Young twigs glabrous; leaves opposite, without stipules, petiole slender, about 1/2 inch long, blade 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, oval, ovate-oval or lanceolate, acute or obtuse at apex, tapering at base into petiole entire, smooth on both sides, glaucous beneath. Flowers small, numerous, shortly stalked in the small pyramidal erect terminal and axillary, trichotomous paniculate, cymes panicle, branches smooth, bracts small passing into leaves below.
Sandalwood trees grow in India and Asia. The wood is renowned for being excellent for carving and also yields medicinal oil.
When used externally, Sandalwood oil or Sandalwood paste (made from mixing water with Sandalwood powder) has a calming, cooling effect on the body and mind. It helps relieve fever and burns and stops excessive sweating. In general, it relieves Pitta dosha and helps balance the body after overexposure to the sun. The oil or the paste can help heal skin diseases such as infectious sores, ulcers, acne, and rashes. Sandalwood powder helps smooth and cool the skin, and can be made into a paste, lotion, or soap for cleansing, calming, and hydrating sensitive or aging skin. Sandalwood acts as a disinfectant, diuretic, expectorant, and sedative. It is bitter, sweet, astringent, and cooling. Sandalwood balances the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems.
On the skin, sandalwood essential oil helps to moisturize and hydrate aging, dry or flaky skin, relieving itching and inflammation and its astringent action balances oily skin conditions.
Sandalwood incense is made by rolling the paste of the sapwood on bamboo skewers by hand. The scent of Sandalwood essential oil or Sandalwood incense clarifies the mind and helps to awaken intelligence and is often used as an aid for meditation. It calms the mind, soothes stress and nervous tension, and uplifts the mood. It is said to enliven courage, purpose, strength, and happiness.
Magickal Properties of Sandalwood:  Water, Moon, Sun Venus
POWERS: Spirituality, protection, wishes, healing, exorcism, Heightens Perception, purification.