HEALING GRIEF: SANDALWOOD

I hadn't realised until recently that Sandalwood (SANTALUM ALBUM) is a parasitic tree. In other words it sucks nutrients through its roots from other plants. I had some experience of using it as a homeopathic remedy for a chap whose dog had died some months earlier and who couldn't stop crying over the loss. This is a typical Sandalwood state and Sandalwood immediately calmed him.

Sandalwood grows mainly in India and Southern Asia and it's aromatic oil has been used in Buddhist and Hindu festivals for aeons. Ancient Egyptians used it for embalming the dead. So we can see its connection with death, grief and Eastern religions.

Of course homeopathy has always used a variety of remedies for grief states, such as Ignatia (from the Strychnine family) and Natrum Mur (salt). But often the particular characteristics of a patient's grief calls for something else.

The Sandalwood patient allows grief to suck the energy from them for long periods. They may even create a physical shrine to the beloved who has passed (for instance retaining the ashes for long periods) and the name of the deceased becomes sacred. This can cause dynamics in the family to become twisted.

Along with this may come a complete loss of faith in oneself, a complete examination of one's life, confusion and bewilderment. And weeping for long periods.

Sandalwood essential oil has a calming aroma not unlike an earthy vanilla and is used to help ground the psyche.

And in herbal medicine Sandalwood has long been used for urinary problems.

Sandalwood Trees