'From its lofty position above the tops of most other trees, the pine reminded ancient peoples of the importance of taking the overview, encouraging objectivity and farsightedness. We are advised to cleanse ourselves of negativity, neither dwelling on mistakes nor appointing blame. Pine is a symbol of the elevated mind and the birth of the spiritual warrior.'
-Jane Gifford in The Wisdom of Trees
Wildcrafting pine resin and sap a couple weekends ago reminded me how fucking sticky that shit is.
But it's gone be OK.
Pine is a powerful addition to any Witch's materia magicka.
Warding off malicious influences and evil, protection, cleansing & purifying, hex breaking, healing, attracting money, love, fertility, joy & peace- this tree is a badass.
Mostly we pay attention to Pine at Saturnalia and Yule time, or when the Wheel is in Winter. But since Pine is an evergreen, there's no cause to put Baby in the corner. We can take this plant out on the dance floor all year round.
Pine isn't just for decoration and beauty around the holidays. Ohho no sirree.
There's medicine and magick to be had everyday if we desire it.
You can walk outside right now in the middle of this hot and sweaty Summer and harvest excess sap and resin from trees while they are 'wet' and 'soft'. In the Winter, the sap and resin can be brittle and hard, and while sometimes that might mean it's easier to pop off a piece or two, it also can mean it's a real bitch to get at. The bark is especially easy to remove right now, too, and depending on the species, the pine cones are still largely closed and green, which I find beautiful.
These pictures are of me collecting resin. You'll find excess resin and sap from where trees have been cut or damaged. It's their way of sealing off wounds to protect against malodorous junk. I collect only the excess. Some trees do not have excess or the wound is not fully sealed yet. I leave these ones alone to do their thing in peace. I recommend using proper care and respect when gathering so as not to disturb this process unless it is your wish for that tree's spirit to come after your bitch ass. Keep it correct, now.
It's probably wise to set aside dedicated tools for collecting pine parts. Most parts will have resin on then including the cones and branches. Things will get sticky. While soap and water won't do much but make you curse the gods that created sticky shit that don't wash off, the good news is pine resin is oil and alcohol soluble, and you can use a little cooking oil to clean up without much fuss.
Ways you can use Pine in your magickal practice:
Pine Cones
-hung or placed around the home wards off evil & negativity & shit
-placed on your altar provides a lovely fragrance and protection to all your workings
-burn in a ritual fire or fireplace to protect your home
-carry to increase fertility and prosperity
-put in a pouch and use as an amulet to draw money
-add a cone to the tip of a wand to make a priapic wand for fertility and blessings
Pine Needles
-added to bathwater for a spiritually cleansing bath and to break hexes
-burn as an incense to smudge and purify the home or ritual space, and drive out spirits
-wet a bundle with water and 'sweep' the outside ground of your home to sanctify
-use the sharp fresh needles in healing or baneful poppet magick
-add to hot wash water for magickal floor washes to dispel negativity & sickness
 |
| Pine cones on my hearth stay all year round as this space serves as one of several altars in our home. These work for protection and keeping evil, negativity and malicious spirits at bay. |
Pine Wood, Branches & Twigs
-wands of pine ward off evil and malicious influences
-hang a branch or bundle in the home or over the front door to protect and bring peace, healing & joy
-hang a talisman made from the branches above a sick bed to speed healing
-anything made from the wood of pine (boxes, furniture, shelves) will offer protection
- bundle twigs for a ritual broom to sweep out negativity, purify and create sacred space
Pine Resin
-use in place of other resins for incense
-substitute for copal and black copal
-burn over charcoal disc to purify a space and raise the spiritual vibration
-burn to remove evil spirits & break hexes
-add to oil make an infused oil for ritual use
-add to alcohol (like brandy or vodka) to make a tincture or elixir
Pine Tree
-meditate under or near a tree to alleviate dark moods
-sit under to renew energy
-breathe in or walk among to help release emotional congestion
-spend time with a pine to receive blessings of patience and longevity
-with its conical shape, they are especially suitable for 'cone of power' workings
'The pine tree seems to listen, the fir tree to wait: and both without impatience-
they give no thought to the little people beneath them devoured by their impatience and curiosity'
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Home & Ritual Purification
Use any combination of of tree parts,
including needles, chipped wood, cones, resin.
1 part pine
1 part cedar
1 part juniper
Burn the mixed dry ingredients together as a smudging incense
to purify and cleanse your home or ritual space.
~Solaris Moon
Etsy
Blog
Contact
