Pine
The Pine tree, so central to many gatherings and much lore this time of year, is actually a family of trees with many varieties that share the quality of being evergreen. In the dark and cold of winter, when many trees lose their leaves and display a barren look, evergreens remain green and lush, reminding people for centuries of the perseverance of life and hope in times of constraint. There are many myths, and even more folk associations related to Pine. The Spirit of the Forest is said to dwell in the oldest, largest tree in the forest, and is often associated with a Pine tree. The thyrsus that Dionysus carries is made of a fennel stalk, on which Pine cones hang from the end. In the myth of Cybele and Attis, when Attis dies and is lost to her, Zeus turns him into a Pine tree, so that he will have eternal life and beauty. In the Noh theatre of Japan, wherein ghosts and demons tell their stories and are thus purified from the emotional attachments that transfigured them, Pine trees on the stage always line the path of their journeys, representing the immortal and the spiritual themes. In Orthodox Jewish culture, the Pine is the only tree considered suitable for the making of coffins, and fresh Pine boughs are placed on top. Northern Europeans brought branches of Pine into the home, during the Winter Solstice season, to remind them of the flourishing of life, even in Winter, and of the coming Spring. Romans made wreaths for inside festivities, and decorated trees outdoors with ornaments. From these, and many more world traditions, we have inherited the custom of the ornamented Christmas tree, so Pagan in nature, and a consistent reminder of the endurance of life.
Pine trees have many medicinal applications, in addition to their folkloric legacy. There are variations between the different species, but in general Pine is antiseptic, expectorant, strengthens the blood vessels, stimulates the skin, and supports kidney and bladder function. These qualities make it an excellent remedy for many of the physical complaints of elders, and a tea of Pine, or an herbal bath with the same infusion of needles, are simple and effective ways to access its medicinal support. The tea can also help to reduce fever. The distilled resin, as a tar, can treat lung conditions or parasites, when used internally. Chewing the resin is also said to help a sore throat. Used externally, as an ointment or liniment, it can help skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, as well as bruises, sprains and rheumatism. If the resin is dried and powdered, it can be warmed and spread on a cloth, as a plaster, to treat lung issues, sciatica, and sore muscles. Finally, the flower essence of Pine can help with self-reproach, guilt, despondency and depression, all common maladies in Winter and holiday months.
In magical practice and folk ritual, Pine is is used for protection, healing, fertility (especially the cones and pine nuts), exorcism, and money spells. Burning Pine needles in Winter months purifies and cleanses the home. The burned needles exercise area of negativity, sending it back to source. Burned needles can also reverse or send back spells. Alternately, for energetic clearing, the pine resin can be burned on a coal, or an incense can be made of the sawdust, adding Juniper and Cedar for best effect. There is a folk custom of scattering the needles on the floor, as another means of driving away evil, or even making a cross of the needles before a fireplace to keep negative energies from entering. In Europe, Pine branches were used to sweep the forest floor or home before a ritual, hung over beds to keep sickness away, and In Japan, hung over doors to ensure joy within. Pine cones have been carried for fertility, and for vigor in older years, and the nuts are prized in spells of fertility and abundance in both Europe and Mexico.
Ways of working with Pine:
• Simmer fresh needles and twigs into olive oil, or another high quality oil, and strain for an excellent massage oil.
• Make an infusion of fresh needles for tea and for an herbal bath, to sooth muscles, lift spirits, and stimulate the skin, blood vessels, kidneys, and bladder. This is especially helpful for elders, but can benefit anyone in the colder months.
• Burn Pine in your hearth from November to March 21 to purify the home.
• If you have a Christmas tree, make use of fallen needles and scatter them on the floor in the shape of a magical symbol, or burn them to reverse any mental curses you have unconsciously place on yourself, or absorbed from the collective this year. If you can, cut up the tree trunk, burn the logs in a fireplace or wood stove, and/or save the dust for making incense.
• Create an herbal remedy for coughs and lung congestion to support you this Winter.
Selenite
One of the most magical aspects of the Winter Solstice time of year is the brightness and clarity of the moon and stars in the night sky. This is especially true this year, with the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, which has created the appearance of an abnormally bright star, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for some 800 years, and which ushers in the Age of Aquarius. While many stared at the sky in hopes of seeing this special cosmic event, the wonder of the cosmos, in the form of twinkling Sirius, the constellations, and our beautiful moon were also there in full display. To access this special light and the purification and elevation that it feeds us here on earth, there is Selenite. Named for the Greek moon goddess Selene, Selenite is a beautiful translucent white stone, a form of gypsum, with a relatively fragile consistency (similar to salt and soluble in water), but a powerful energetic impact. Selenite has strong amplification powers, like quartz, but goes further. It activates the third eye, crown and Soul Star chakras, creating a link to the celestial forces, especially the moon and stars. As such, like the moon, it has the power to create and to destroy. It can help to clear and transmute heavy energies, fatigue, stress, emotions, cleansing the auric field, while amplifying the intuitive sight and energetic centers. It can be used as a magic wand, and tends to grow in long strands, making it naturally disposed to the wand shape. Selenite is excellent for creating a clearing and protective grid for ones home or ritual space, and can also clear other stones, jewelry, or objects, just by physical contact. Many people use a selenite bowl or slab for cleansing sacred tools or often used jewelry overnight. It can clear blockages in a person’s energetic field, while also revealing the origin of issue, making it a special tool for healers. It has the ability to give one a push towards actions in line with the higher self, while dispelling stagnation and illusion, like a spirit guide. In this time of transition to what in the ancient Mexican tradition, we call the Dawn of the Sixth Sun, and what is also known as the Age of Aquarius, Selenite is an excellent ally. It can ground the light essence, and the higher energetic body into the physical reality and support the rebirth of humanity into the next phase of our spiritual evolution, as empowered beings of the sixth sun, able to access the gifts of spirit, dreaming, and magic that are now becoming more supported by the dream of the earth and cosmos. Powerful and gentle at once, Selenite also has a special affinity for protecting pregnant mothers and their unborn children, as well as all of those in deep growth and spiritual transition.
Suggestion for working with Pine and Selenite together:
1. Wear Selenite for protection and to empower your highest self and spiritual evolution.
2. Create a Winter home cleansing ceremony by burning pine needles for smudging and then setting a grid of Selenite, placing one wand on the floor in the center of each wall of a room. Repeat this for each room in your house, but especially for areas where you sleep and practice ritual or meditation.
3. Bring in the essence of light, enduring life, and hopefulness by adorning your home with fresh Pine boughs, branches, or wreaths, and the glowing white Selenite stones.
4. Dispel Winter despair by allowing your intuition to open and dreaming your highest possibility into reality this season. Fill the your home with the clearing sent of Pine incense or diffused essential oil and gaze into a selenite crystal sphere or wand. Ask for the help of the celestial and earth forces.
May your Winter home be a bright and clear place to inhabit.
Sincerely,
the eleventh house
-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez. For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com