Shooting the Moon...

Per usual, these are some photos I took of the Aries Full Moon for this month.  We have been having a bit of rain lately, so I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would be able to get at least a few shots.  Luckily, I was not to be disappointed.  There was a bit of cloud cover (as you can see in the pictures), but I actually prefer some clouds.  I like the potential for mystery laden pictures...a darker vision, like my camera is capturing a shot that has pushed through the veil.

Walking In The Wind...

(The "Storm Scene" from Steamboat Bill, Jr, starring Buster Keaton.)

Boy, is it windy here in Savannah.  Whenever I am experiencing heavy winds during stormy weather, I always think of the above movie clip.  Sometimes I feel like I can relate to Buster Keaton, especially the part where he is fighting to walk against the wind and his body is practically parallel to the ground as he strains to move each foot forward.  Such a classic scene.  Keaton was brilliant.

We had some seriously heavy rains that started yesterday, and continued into mid to late morning.  The winds have been at a constant.  The strong gusts have been accompanied by an ever present roar, much like the roar of a continual series of waves crashing onto a shore.  There is something very meditative about it.  Very calming.

I did "throw caution to the wind" (*grin*), and decided to take the overflowing recycling to the dump.  Since there aren't any trees on the bit of land the dump is on, the wind was quite strong.  Needless to say, throwing the empty beverage cans into the aluminum bin was a rather dicey situation.  On the way over, I had a couple of moments where I thought some of the broken down boxes were to become airborne.  Thankfully, I made it there with everything still in the truck bed...sheesh...

I attempted to get some photographs of some of the plant life around the condo to illustrate just how intense the winds are.The one above is a better example than the Spanish Moss below.  The moss covered tree was rather dense, and the wind did penetrate the thick outer layer of branches, leaves, and moss...my timing was off.  Trust me when I say the moss in that picture was blowing up to the horizontal position.

The forecast says that we should be in for more rain.  I hope so.  We are well below where we should be in the rain department.  Maybe I should do a rain dance just to be sure...

Aries Full Moon...

(Artist:  David Palladini)

Tuesday, October 11th, at 9:06 PM/EST, is the first Full Moon of Autumn.  It's time for my usual forecast based on the various regular reads I have at these times...this is my usual amalgamation post.  For the lay people out there, I have once again posted definitions of a couple of terms in the post that clarify things for those that need it.  Those definitions are located at the bottom of the post.

In the sign of Aries, this Moon brings with it some challenges, but there are clearly three dominant themes: Truth, Change, and Patience.

During this Full Aries Moon, Mars will be in Leo, and there will be a North Node in Sagittarius, forming a strong triangular energy flow of a Grand Trine.  The Moon's energy represents courage and motivation.  That energy will flow into the energy of Mars that represents creative vision.  All of that energy will flow up to a collective destiny that asks, "What do you believe to be true?"  You will have some powerful creative energy at your disposal, so how will you take advantage of it?

The time is ripe for making changes in our lives.  In addition to the Grand Trine of the Moon, Mars, and North Node, the Moon is also part of another powerful configuration with the Sun and Saturn both in Libra.  The welcome influence of Libra during this period of change is a key to patience.  The potential for pursuing change in an immature way is transformed by the Libra influence which brings things into a wiser more considerate frame.  During this period of change it is important to note that we don't have to proceed alone.  Don't be afraid to ask for help, and by the same token, don't be afraid to give help to others.

It is important to express your emotions, and to do it with maturity and patience.  Aries during a Full Moon can be anything but patient, and compromising can be out of the question.  Aries wants what he wants, when he wants it.  Possible anger and irritability, can push to the surface before any changes are made.  There may even be times where a short temper can release energy, and it can (interestingly enough) bring self awareness with it. Feeling on an emotional edge, can prime you to strike down others.  You might encounter some instigators, as well.  Just keep in mind that you do have a choice.  We always have a choice.  Emotional upset can cloud that fact at times, but you can use the balancing energy from the Libra Sun and Saturn to help rise above situations to avoid conflict.  Locking horns with someone is not productive.  Finding a solution that honors all parties involved in a situation is. With Saturn, the healthier route may be to set new parameters or boundaries in a relationship.  That includes relationships with others, or the most important relationship...the one with ourselves.

The symbolism of the Sun and Saturn tells us that patience is the key.  There is potential for strength of self expression when dealing with others.  If you feel yourself moving into a place of anger, take a moment to breath and calm yourself.  Act responsibly in all relationships...with yourself and others.  So often we can focus all of our interests on others at our own expense.  Be a peaceful presence.  Radiate a sense of peace in situations to pass it on.  Find a middle path, a balance.  Focus on your needs instead of expecting others to fulfill them.  With a balance between yourself and your relationships with others, you can find happiness and empowerment.

Seek grounding energy.  Get out in nature, and enjoy the Earth and what it provides and offers to us.  Feeling grounded is one of the best stress relievers around.

The following information about the October Full Moon is from the Farmer's Almanac:

• Full Hunter's Moon or Full Harvest Moon - October:  This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon.  Many moons ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons.  The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it's time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead.  Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that come out to glean from the fallen grains.  Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter's Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes.

Definitions:

• Grand Trine ~ An aspect representing very easy energy.  It nourishes the continuous use of natural talents and abilities, is an area of comfort, and can assist life in being either positive or negative.
• 
  
• North Node ~ An area of life that promotes emotional and spiritual growth, undiscovered talents, and positive ways of doing things.

2012 Musings...

As funny as this comic panel is, it does pretty much sum things up for a lot of people.  An ancient civilization has created a round stone calendar that many people are giving a whole lot of attention.  A number of those people are jumping on the 2012 band wagon of 'death and destruction' because there are others who are generating the seeds of mass hysteria.  Are the majority of the potentially 'hysterical' true believers?  Do they believe that the Maya are right, and have they researched things to the point of being able to safely say that every event laid down in the calendar so far has came to pass?  I would have to say, no.  I did a bit of reading about the calendar for another post I wrote about 2012 (you can find it in the "Theory" section of my blog), and I can safely say that there is a lot out there that has been written about the Mayan calendar and all of the prophecies said to lie in it's wheel.  It can get rather mind numbing when each account has specific points to make, and count 'this' as fact and count 'that' as false interpretation, when the finer points all seem to be interpretation based.  The messages laid out in the calendar, the "ages" or developmental levels to human life and it's existence on this planet we call Earth...once I started doing some surface research and read various accounts by different people...well, everything seems to be open to the realm of individual interpretation, everyone (whether part of a small or large group of like minded individuals) has their own thoughts about what the calendar means.  I think the level of belief and accompanying states of worry that seem to follow the prominent views out there on what the calendar is telling us, is proportionate to the widely believed predictions to what we can expect to happen on the fateful day of 12/21/2012.  It's like a global telephone game that is getting extra fuel through television, film, and the internet.  The fact that we as a society are going through an extremely 'crappy' period what with our government showing how useless it is, and our economy being in the crapper...it's just not a time that is conducive to over all happiness.  Doom and gloom is an easier sell when things are like this.

Am I saying that I don't think the calendar has any actual significance?  No, I am not.  I am saying to those individuals who are freaking out about 2012 to do some looking around for themselves.  It might shed a bit more light on what may or may not happen next year.  Do I think the Earth is going to expereince total destruction and the end of mankind will result?  No.  Whatever mankind does or whatever happens to us, the Earth is still going to be here revolving away.  Whether it's something off of an ancient civilizations calendar, or man made global warming, old Gaia is going to keep on keepin' on long after we have gone.

I am going to share some of the info from one of the sites I visited.  It relates to the "Seven Ages of Man" as supposedly laid out in the Mayan Calendar:

The Mayan circle calendar is a huge monolith that is called the "Cuauhxicalli Eagle Bowl".  It represents the solar deity Tonatiuh.

The Zapotic Prophecy (which I couldn't track down a definition of) is based on the 'Eagle Bowl'.  "After 13 Heavens of Decreasing Choice, and 9 Hells of Increasing Doom", the Tree of Life shall blossom with a fruit never before known in creation, and that fruit shall be the New Spirit of Men."

So, as stated above, there are to be 13 Heavens and 9 Hells.  Each lasts 52 years.  According to the calendar as stated by this site, we are into the Hells right now.  Each hell is to be worse than the last.  The final day of the 4th hell was August 17, 1987.  As all who are aware of the end date of the calendar knows, it is said to be December 21, 2012.  (Although, the site did say that there is some debate as the last day is said to be between the 21st and 23rd of December).  When the end day of the calendar comes, only a few will survive in the catastrophes that will happen.  So at the end of this 5th stage, the remaining humanity will realize their spiritual destiny.  That should be it according to many of the people who believe, right?  Well, not according to this site.  You see there are other predictions supposedly made in the calendar that happen beyond the end of the calendar.  There is a 6th and 7th age or stage slated to happen.  Apparently, the 6th age is when 'we will realize the God within ourselves'.  The 7th (and last) states that we 'will become so spiritual that we will be telepathic'.

(I found this picture on a site that described "9 Waves", instead of  the "7 Ages" talked about by the site I wrote about.  Each account has it's differences.)

So...where does that put us then?  Okay, we are (according to this site) well into the 5th age, which is going to end in December of 2012.  The 4th Hell ended in 1987, so that should place us in the 5th now.  We've got two ages left, and once this 5th Hell ends next year there will be 4 Hells left.  So does the Hell continue?  If mankind is supposed to go through some sort of prophesied cleansing to weed out the non-spiritual, so those with a "spiritual destiny" can move forward, does that mean that these selected few are going to continue going through Hell?  The site said that the Hells last 52 years each, so that means that we are currently only on year 24 of the 5th Hell, and we have 28 years to go.  How does that work?

Confused?  It can get insane making trying to read up on 2012, and the Mayan calendar.  Every place you go has a difference of opinion, and they all think they are right.  Even when they contradict themselves.  Within all of the information that continued getting blurred and running together in a huge pile of ARGH, there was one site that made some sense.

When December 21, 2012 comes, the world won't come to an end.  It's going to be a time of transition.  We as the human race are going through some tough times.  Here in the US things are a mess. There is so much chaos. However, we have a choice.  We can move forward with resistance, or acceptance. That is what will gauge how we proceed.  It will determine whether we transition through cataclysmic changes, or through gradual peace and tranquility.  I can jive with that.  That makes perfect sense to me.

The 2012 prophecy.  Ophiucus.  Nibiru.  There is a 'Dooms Day' scenario for everyone who wants to believe in them.  I said it before, and I'll say it again...do I believe in all of these supposed prophecies?  Not really.  However, I do know one thing for sure.  I will find out what's going to happen when everyone else does.

Jack Of The Lantern...

(Photo:  Dan Haskell)

May Jack-O'-Lanterns burning bright

Of soft and golden hue

Pierce through the future's veil and show

What fate now holds for you.

~ Author Unknown

One of my favorite things about Halloween is the carving of the pumpkins.  I would say it has to be the main symbol for the holiday.  Jack O'Lanterns with candles burning brightly inside, mischievous and sinister smiles on their faces. Pumpkin carving has become something of an art, but I am rather "old school" when it comes to the ones I carve.  I stick to variations of the classic Jack O'Lantern face.  Below are pictures of my pumpkins from the last couple of years.  This year I plan to try something a bit different.

The carving of 'Lanterns' started many moons ago in Ireland.  The difference between the lanterns then and the ones we carve today, is that the Irish carved faces in turnips, beets, and potatoes.  The Irish and Scots both had their own versions of carved lanterns, and the English carved beets.  The carved vegetable lanterns would be placed in windows, or near doors.  They were believed to frighten away wandering evil spirits, and are the subject of an old myth...'Stingy Jack'.

(An early 20th century turnip lantern ~ Museum of Country Life, Ireland)

There are different subtle variations of this myth, but what follows covers the basics:

The Legend of Stingy Jack

There once was a man named Stingy Jack. Everyone for miles around knew him.  They knew him as a con artist, thief, and a drunkard.  Jack was so infamous that the Devil heard about him, and decided to pay Jack a call. Heavily in his cups (drunk), Jack was stumbling down the road on his way home one night.  It was then that he happened upon the Devil's evil countenance.  The Devil was grinning broadly.  It took a moment, for Jack to realize that the silent stranger was the Devil.  Jack knew that the Devil wanted to claim his soul.  Thinking quickly (something he was quite good at) Jack said he would go willingly, if the Devil would allow him one final request.  He asked the Devil to join him for a final drink.

The Devil thought about it for a moment, and seeing no harm in granting Jack's request, the Devil accompanied Jack to a nearby tavern where they drank until morning.  When the time came for them to settle their bill, Jack made another request.  He slyly asked the Devil to turn into a coin to pay the bill.  Once the barman took the coin, it would disappear as the Devil would switch back to his true form, and Jack would be allowed to experience one last trick.  Always one to enjoy a bit of trickery here and there, the Devil agreed.  Once the Devil changed, Jack grabbed the coin, deciding that he would keep it.  Plunging it into his pocket, the Devil found himself in a tough spot.  Jack had a silver cross in his pocket, as well.  The cross prevented the Devil from changing back into his true form.  Jack said that he would free the Devil under one condition. Jack's demand was that once freed, the Devil couldn't bother Jack for ten years. Even if Jack died during that time, the Devil couldn't claim Jack's soul. With no means of escape, the Devil had no choice.  He made the deal.  He wouldn't call on Jack for ten years.  

(Various types of gourds ~ pumpkins are in the gourd family)

The years passed quickly, and before he knew it the ten years had come and gone.  True to his word, on the exact anniversary of Jack's deal, he found himself looking at the evil countenance of the Devil once again.  Thinking quickly, Jack told the Devil that he would go with him willingly if he would just climb a nearby tree to get Jack an apple.  Jack feebly told him that he was to old and frail now, and couldn't do it himself.  After the Devil jumped up and climbed into the tree, Jack quickly scratched some crosses into the tree's bark, trapping the Devil once again.  In a last ditch effort to save himself, Jack made the Devil promise to never take his soul when he died to ensure his entrance into heaven.  Faced with no choices once again, the Devil agreed.

A few years later, Jack died.  When he reached the pearly gates, God stopped him.  God refused to let such a man with sinful ways and an unsavory past into heaven, and sent Jack to hell.  After being refused admission into heaven, Jack went down to the gates of hell where he approached the Devil to let him in. But the Devil stayed true to his word.  The Devil refused Jack's admission, and turned him away.  Faced with a future of being damned to wander the Earth in darkness forever, Jack fell to his knees pleading with the Devil to let him in.  Full of malice, the grinning Devil tossed Jack a burning ember from the depths of hell, and told him to go.  Jack would not be admitted into hell, either. Jack took the ember filled with the heat of hellfire, and left.  Finding a turnip along a path, Jack hollowed it out and dropped the ember inside creating a lantern.

After his death, Villagers began seeing the eerie flame of Jack O' the Lantern wandering in the darkness.  If someone was unfortunate enough to happen upon the ghost, they would be tricked out of their lives and at times even their souls would be taken.  The legend says that every year on Halloween night, Jack wanders the night disguised as an old man, a mangy dog, or even as a silver coin dropped onto someones doorstep.

To protect themselves and ward off Jack the malevolent spirit, people carve faces into turnips and pumpkins, place a flaming candle inside, and place the carved lantern on their front porches.  Some say that these carved lanterns are to remind Jack of his penance.  Others say that the glowing grins are to remind Jack of the Devil's evil visage and send him fleeing with terror into the night.

The End

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,

May luck be yours on Halloween.

~ Author Unknown

The four pumpkins above and below are designs created by a carving method I haven't tried as of yet.  Leaving the pumpkin flesh intact, and shaving off outer layers to make the design...sounds rather tedious.  I have a few friends who use this method on their pumpkins, and they are quite good at it.  They have all said that a key requirement is to have patience.

I especially like the 'Wizard of Oz' one below, and the one above that has the 'Greenman' on it.  Very impressive.

As with a lot of creative projects, sometimes simplicity can have big impact.  I really like the twig design on the white pumpkin.  I wish they also had a shot of it in the dark with a candle in it.  By the design, it looks as though it could resemble lightning.  Very cool.

I first saw the carriage design above during Halloween of last year.  I think it's really adorable, and a great idea.  Seeing designs like that can really get your own creative juices flowing.  In the month of October, there are pumpkins of varying size from tiny to huge, and there is a variety of gourds available.  The produce stand near my home has all kinds of interesting and peculiar gourds and squashes that one could get really creative with.

There are all kinds of fake pumpkins on the market (Michaels carries several), and many of them are carvable.  I personally have never worked with a fake pumpkin, so I don't know how realistic they look when you cut into them.  I don't know what the cut edges look like.  I included the craft project above as I think it's another great idea.  Actually this Halloween diorama reminds me of the egg dioramas you can find at Easter.  Looking at this picture is making me think of ideas as I type this...moving right along...

This mega-pumpkin was grown in Minnesota, by Mr. Chris Stevens, and last year (2010) it was named the Guinness Book's heaviest pumpkin at 1,810 lbs. 8 oz.  That's a whole lotta pumpkin!

For the past few years, I have caught bits and pieces of the "Punkin Chunkin" competition when it has aired on the Discovery Channel.  Hosted by the guys from "MythBusters", the goal of the competition is to 'sling', 'fling', or 'shoot' a pumpkin the farthest distance.  Some of the 'chunkers' the competitors make cost well into the thousands of dollars.  I find it kind of a pointless activity to hurl pumpkins through the air.  I think the interest lies in the characters who compete, and their huge contraptions.  I think that's where the spectator draw is.  When I watched it last year with my boyfriend, it was a good thing that the 'MythBusters' were hosting because they made things a bit more entertaining because they found it entertaining.  I am not sure when this year's "Punkin Chunkin" will air, but since it's 'punkin' season, I would assume it to be soon.  If you want to learn more about "Punkin Chunkin", here's the link.

As my last addition to this pumpkin themed post, I am going to share a recipe I make every year around this time.  "Pumpkin Bread".  All recipes are similar, but this one has served me well...it's really good!

Pumpkin Bread

• 2/3 Cup Shortening
• 2+2/3 Cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Can (16 oz.) Pumpkin
• 2/3 Cup Water
• 3+1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1+1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• Nuts &/or Raisins

Heat oven to 350.  Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans.  Mix shortening and sugar thoroughly, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, pumpkin, and water.  Sift dry ingredients together, and blend into wet mixture gradually.  Add nuts and/or raisins.  Bake about an hour and ten minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool slightly, loosen sides, and remove from pans.  Cool completely before slicing.

Just a note...I usually leave out the nuts, and just add raisins.  A number of people have nut allergies these days.  Also, I prefer it without nuts.  *grin*

Mischievous Spirit...

It feels wonderful to say that today was an Autumn day, and for it to be true.  There was an ever present breeze teasing it's way through the air.  It wasn't blustery, nor was it a whisper.  It was lovely.There was a constant underlying breeze, but there was a second layer to it that would rustle through a tree over here, or a bush over there.  It pulled my gaze, like it was playing hide and seek. Autumn's spirit making mischief.

We still have several days until the Full Aries Moon.  I had intended to take an afternoon walk to take some photos once the bright sun had gone down, so I could take advantage of the waning day into the evening.  I waited a bit too long not taking into account the current shortening of days.  I went out for some photos anyway, and I'm glad I did.  It may not be full, but I was able to get some shots of the almost full moon that I'm quite happy with.

Sandalwood...

Relaxing is something I love to do, yet don't do nearly enough.  For the times that I do need to engage in some stress relief and relaxation, there are certain things I like to use to help create a proper atmosphere.  Candles are one (pine or cedar scents, preferably), and incense is another.  I have burned incense for years.  My favorite scent?  Sandalwood, by far.  It creates such a sense of peace, and motivates me creatively.  Sandalwood is also used for protection, and is quite useful in ridding a space of negativity.  It is a handy thing to have around.

Sandalwood is...well, a wood, so it would stand to reason that Sandalwood comes from trees.  There is an ancient Buddhist Scripture, the Moho chi-kuan, that states, "None but the Mali Mountains contain Sandalwood."  We can safely say that that is not the case, but it is known that Sandalwood is one of the oldest incense materials, dating back at least 4,000 years.

(Marayoor, South India ~ the only place in Kerala where there is natural growth
of Sandalwood trees)

(Sandalwood tree)

(Sandalwood)

It is a fragrant wood.  Yellow, fine grained, and heavy, once cut it can retain it's scent for decades.  A slow growing tree of medium size, it is 'hemiparasitic' which means that like mistletoe, it gets some nourishment from a host plant.  However, Sandalwood is a little different in that it also photosynthesizes.  It can live either way.  The wood and essential oils produced from the tree are in very high demand these days, which has caused widespread over-harvesting.

Many countries grow Sandalwood:  Australia, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, Sri Lanka, and a chief producer is Southern India.  Indian Sandalwood (Santalum Album) is indigenous to Southern India, and looks to be the most sought after. It is also endangered.  The trees are owned by the government who try to monitor the harvesting of the trees, but illegal tree chopping is a huge problem, many trees getting the axe well before their time. One source said that Sandalwood is not commercially valuable until it's at least 8 years old. Another source said that trees are being harvested at age 14, before they are mature. Going by both accounts, it sounds like Sandalwood is commercially valuable well before it has fully matured which is creating a problem with tree crops, and even though some harvesters are waiting until the trees are 14 to cut them, they are still not fully mature...and none of that really matters anyway because shady tree thieves are sneaking in and cutting down trees illegally no matter how old they are.  The bottom line is that prices are ever increasing because legally harvested supply can't meet demand.  It's all such a shame. The thought of a possible future world without Sandalwood...I think I will move on from the sad stuff.

(Quandong fruit)

Australia also produces quite a bit of Sandalwood.  Australian Aborigines eat the seed kernels, nuts, and fruit of local trees, such as the Quandong, one of two Australian Sandalwood trees.  It is a smaller tree of the Sandalwood family.

(Essential Oils)

In addition to the wood of the Sandalwood tree, there is also the production of essential oils from the tree's bark, and also from the heartwood which is the most precious part of the tree.  These days the oil is extracted by a steam distillation method.  Super heated steam is passed through powdered wood. Steam helps unlock and carry away the oil held within the cellular structure of the wood. Once the steam is cooled, you are left with hydrosols (a.k.a. floral waters) and essential oil.

(Old drawing of essential oil distillery)

The traditional method of extraction is hydro-distillation.  Although rare these days, this method is said to yield an oil with a superior aroma.  The wood powder is allowed to soak in water in a hydro-distiller.  A fire underneath the reservoir/vessel heats the water, and carries off steam which is allowed to cool.  The Sandalwood oil is removed from the top of the hydrosol.

(Sandalwood Essential oil)

An Australian Sandalwood tree known as Santalum Spicatum, produces a heavier concentration of essential oil, and is most used by perfumers and aromatherapists.  In the 1840's, Sandalwood was Western Australia's biggest export.  The first oil to be distilled was in 1875, and by the turn of the century Australian essential oil was intermittently produced.  Of course, today production is much higher and it is highly sought after for it's woody and warm aroma.

(Ganesh Aarti)

Now, onto some of the spiritual and metaphysical uses of Sandalwood.  Hinduism uses Sandalwood in a paste form as an integral part of spiritual ceremonies and rituals.  Used to decorate the icons of deities and to mark religious utensils, preparation of the paste is only done by Priests to retain the purity.  Religious devotees apply it to the forehead, or neck and chest.  It is used as an alternative medicine to bring the taker closer to the divine.

(Hindu Priest making Chandan)

The steps in making the paste are to grind Sandalwood by hand on granite slabs that are specially designed for that purpose.  Next, water is added until a thick paste is formed.  It is then mixed with saffron to create 'Chandan', or Sandalwood paste.

(Different types of Sandalwood Incense ~ from right to left:  stick incense, coil incense, and a type of
cup incense that I had not seen before)

(Amitabha Buddha)

(Padma Lotus)

Attributed to the Amitabha Buddha, Sandalwood is considered to be a part of the padma, or lotus group.  It is believed to transform the individuals desires and maintain alertness during meditation.  Sandalwood is one of the more popular scents when presenting an offering to Buddha.

(Sandalwood chips)

In either a chipped or powdered form, Sandalwood is used in the creation of talismans.  It works with the energies of the Moon, and is very powerful when burned and worn during Full Moon rituals.  For spiritual purification and cleansing, mix it with Frankincense.  Sandalwood enhances both spiritual and physical well being.  It has the highest vibration levels of any essential oil that resonates with aspects of our individual selves.  It attracts the highest spiritual vibrations, opens the highest spiritual centers, and aligns the Chakras to enhance spiritual awareness and allow healing energies to flow.  Sandalwood is an enhancer of receptivity and assists us when contacting our Guardian Angels, and our higher selves.  To focus the mind, help the dream state, or promote visions, place some oil in the center of the forehead.  Sandalwood is associated with protection, banishing negativity, meditation, and astral projection.

(The Chakra System)

Sandalwood has uses beyond the spiritual and metaphysical.  The wood is also used for carving, which it is well suited for.  The oils are used to make soaps.

(Sandalwood Soap)

(Antique carved Sandalwood box)

Personally, I enjoy all Sandalwood incense variations, but I really like the Japanese Morning Star brand.  The sticks are small, burn completely to ash, and each box of incense comes with a little ceramic tile with a hole in the center ~ an incense burner.  Also, the aroma is really nice.  Over the years I have been known to burn white candles and Sandalwood Incense to dispel negativity.  Only positive vibes for me.  In my post entitled 'Spirited' where I relate a Table Tipping experience, I talk about my usage of candles and incense to cleanse my apartment.  The environment created is so peaceful, and energizing at the same time.  Perfect for meditating.