Sandalwood is a female tree, it is associated with the moon and the water element. Traditionally, it is used for its properties related to protection, healing and spirituality.
It is native to the highlands of southern India, where it is found at altitudes between two to three thousand meters. The name Sandalwood comes from Greek, and the epithet of its scientific name, album, means white.
In India it is considered a sacred tree, and its seeds are used to make yapa mala, a traditional bead rosary used to recite mantras in Hinduism or Buddhism.
The Indian government has declared the sandalwood tree national property to preserve it from deforestation, and they only allow its felling when it has reached more than thirty years of age, at which point its natural decline begins.