Agarwood or Oud is the most rare and precious wood on the planet, prized for its rich, wonderful and healing fragrance. Agarwood is extremely rare and often difficult to obtain. It's value is greater than pure gold, often far greater!
Agarwood has many names, above are a few for this resinous, fragarant and highly valuable heartwood produced by Aquilaria malaccensis and other species of the Indomalesian tree genus Aquilaria. The wealth of names for this dark and heavy wood (its Chinese name literally means ‘wood that sinks’) reflects its widespread and varied use over thousands of years.
Agarwood calms the nervous system, expels negative energies, brings alertness, relieves anxiety, invokes a sense of strength and peace and enhances cerebral functioning. It eases neurosis and obsessive behaviour and helps create harmony in your home.
Agarwood is highly psychoactive. It is used for a spiritual journey, enlightenment, clarity and to bring the deep peace necessary for meditation. It is recommended by experienced practitioners for providing motivation and the necessary devotion for meditation. It brings communication with the transcendent, refreshing the mind, body and spirit. It is said that prayers arise with the fragrant smoke of agarwood incense carry the prayer to the Creator.
Buddhists use agarwood for transmutation of ignorance. Tibetan monks use it to bring energy to calm the mind and spirit. The Sufis and Japanese Shaman use agarwood oil in their esoteric ceremonies. It enhances mental clarity, opens the third eye and all of the upper charkas while calming the entire system.
What is Agarwood ?
Aloeswood is the resinous wood from the Aquilaria tree, an archaic tropical evergreen tree native to northern India, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southern China and Vietnam. Its scientific name is Aquilara Malaccensis or Aquilaria agallocha. The Aquilaria tree grows up to 40 meters high and 60 centimetres in diameter. It bears sweetly-scented, snow-white flowers. The trees frequently become infected with a parasite fungus or mold, phialophora parasitica, and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. The resin of a tree from a natural fungal attack and immune response is commonly known as agar #1.
- Agar Leaf
The fungus and decomposition process continue to generate a very rich and dark resin forming within the heartwood. Thus, agarwood develops very, very slowly over time, typically several hundred years! This produces the earths most valuable and sacred oil.
An inferior resin is created by the deliberate wounding of an aquilaria tree; leaving it more susceptible to a fungal attack by using a forced method. This is commonly called agar #2 and found in commercially grown trees. Kacha Stones does not use oil from this forced method.
Agarwood - Interesting Facts:
Lord Buddha was to have said that the smell of agarwood burning "is the scent of Nirvana". It is also a favourite of Lord Krishna, aguru being mentioned throughout the oldest written texts - the Sanskrit Vedas.
"The men and women of the city, arrayed in spotless raiment and anointed with fragrant sandalwood paste, wore precious necklaces, flower garlands and jewelled ornaments, and their opulent homes were filled with the aroma of aguru." (Bhagavata Purana 10.53.8-9)
Although the southern Arabian Peninsula has been long identified with aromatics, few Westerners are familiar with agarwood. This obscurity is partly due to agarwood rarity and cost.
Agarwood has also been used in nearly every religious tradition around the world and revered for thousands of years by many cultures as the most treasured incense ingredient. It was agarwood and Myrrh that was burned at Jesus' burial ceremony.
Ayurvedic, Arabic, Sufi, Unanai, Tibetan and Chinese physicians have all used agarwood in their practice to treat various diseases including mental illness.
King Louis XIV of France had his shirts washed in rose water in which agarwood had been previously boiled.
Samurai warriors scented their armour with agarwood smoke for luck before going to battle.
This is the legendary "tree from the garden of Eden" where Adam and Eve were only allowed to take cuttings from the agarwood tree.
Agarwood Uses
Medicinal
Tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, relieves epilepsy, antimicrobial, carminative, anti-asthmatic.
Useful in nervous disorders, digestive, bronchial complaints, smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, fevers, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer, colic, diarrhoea, nausea, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, shortness of breath, chills, general pains and cirrhosis of the liver. It also acts as a director or focuser for other medicines. It has been used as a treatment for lung and stomach tumours.
Perfumery
The resin is also used in perfumery. Yves Saint Laurent and Amouage use agarwood as a base in their most exclusive perfumes.
Culinary
Used in Malaysia to flavour curries and Taiwan uses agarwood as an aromatic ingredient in their local wines.
Aphrodisiac
Agarwood is the most potent aphrodisiac of all the essential oils.
- Agarwood Oil
Insomnia
Valerian is a natural component of agarwood resin and functions to relieve insomnia and calm the nervous system before sleep, allowing one to have a deeper, longer sleep.
Wicca
In Wicca agarwood is used for love and spirituality and is called for in many of the most powerful magical formulas to draw a lover near.
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