Quisco Cactus 10 Inch Rainstick-L8

Rainsticks are musical and ceremonial instruments used from ancient times to present day. Their name is descriptive of the soothing rain-like sound that the instruments produce. This Rainstick was made by an artisan in Chile, where rainsticks are used in ceremonies to bring badly-needed rain to the regions of the Atacama Desert. Rainsticks are made from the wood skeleton of a dead Quisco or Copado cactus plant. The wood is called Normata. NO LIVING PLANTS ARE USED. The plants grow in large quantities in extensive desert areas of northern Chile and die after about 70 years. The exterior thorns and flesh then fall off leaving the skeleton (Normata). Rainsticks are a widely recognized folk art item. People find the Rainstick sound to be very calming, peaceful, and nurturing, and rainsticks have become very popular for entertainment, enjoyment and relaxation for people ages 3 to 103. They are gaining widespread use as a musical instrument as people learn to both hear and feel their rainstick, and for many people they are a toy and a conversation piece. For everyone, they help make life more fun and complete. Because of their uniqueness, many uses, and appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, and professions, Rainsticks make the perfect gift. Instructions: To maximize the length and evenness of the rain-like sound, hold the Rainstick at about a 60 degree angle and slowly rotate the stick, allowing the tiny stones to roll and trickle down over thorns that have been pounded into the interior of the stick in a spiral formation.