JUNIPER
Live in Central Texas for any length of time and you are bound to see a plethora of what is commonly called Cedar trees. And if you are here during the months of December through February or March, you will notice quite a few people suffering from sinus congestion and the overall misery allergies. This is Cedar Fever. And as you notice the pollen haze that settles into the valleys of our low-rolling hills, you can begin to understand why so many in Central Texas detest Cedar trees. And that’s a shame, as they really are quite lovely trees. They are evergreens with red wood and a lovely, woodsy scent.
I recently had the opportunity to attend an herbal class given by local herbalist, Lauren Peterson, on a few of the uses of Juniper, or as we know it, Cedar. I was surprised to learn that Juniper is part of the Cypress family of trees, which have been around since the Jurassic period and have a worldwide distribution. They exist on every continent except Antarctica--that’s pretty prolific!
I also found it quite interesting that many cultures across both time and distance have used Juniper berries and leaves for their medicinal properties as well as their magickal ones. And, considering that they are everywhere, it seems that maybe we shouldn’t hate them so much. Maybe we need to find a way to make better use of what we have. People have pretty intense allergies to Ragweed and it can be used to fight off allergies when its aerial parts are harvested at just the right time, so it seems logically possible that the same can be said for Juniper.
Energetically speaking, Juniper is warming and drying. This means it can be used in instances where there is stagnation in the body--something isn’t quite moving right. Internally, Juniper would work on stimulating the kidneys and digestion, and it would be good medicinally for UTIs. Similarly, when used externally (in a salve or massage oil), it would be great for sore muscles because of the warming action.
During the class, we had the opportunity to make a few recipes, but the one that I found to be most interesting was the salve. After getting home I was able to see the warming in action (pun intended). My husband consented to be the guinea pig as I became the masseuse. Using the salve, I spent time trying to work out a knot in his lower back. Hours later, the area I had massaged was still quite warm to the touch. The warming action of the salve not only heated his skin, but it penetrated into the area so the muscles felt warm as well. It did the trick. I was pleasantly surprised, as was he.
I had no idea that Central Texas’ most hated tree had something so amazing to offer. I am grateful I was able to attend the class and broaden my knowledge on something so close to home, literally. I plan to add Juniper salve to our product line in the very near future.