Welcome back Novices! This week we are talking about pine oil. Besides being a holiday favorite and a prickly friend, the pine tree and its parts have many various uses. It is believed that the pine tree originated in Austria and Russia, and from there spread around the world. In some Japanese households, a sprig of pine is placed over the front door to keep joy within the house. If a cross is made of pine needles and set before the fireplace, it is said that evil cannot then enter the household. In order to make oneself immune to bullets, one may try collecting pinecones on midsummer’s eve, then eating the nuts from the pinecones daily—maybe don’t try this one… But let us narrow our focus on the oil from the pine tree.
Medicinally, pine oil is said to speed healing if inhaled after a treatment or operation—pine needles may even be placed in the sickroom for this purpose. According to Scott Cunningham, one of the great explorers in the mystic and natural arts, Pine oil is said to increase bioelectrical energy, useful in physical and magical pursuits (for more about bioelectrical energy, check here and here). And for the skin, pine oil knows few equals: to treat psoriasis, itching, pimples, eczema, skin diseases, poor skin, scabies, sores, and fleas, and to give your skin a healthy balance and shine, consider adding a drop of pine oil into your face wash.
In magic, pine oil is renowned for its abilities to purify and renew, especially during brutal winter months—consider burning the oil or some pine needles while walking through the house. For a spiritual protection, simply inhale pine oil’s scent. If you feel that you have been cursed by someone, inhale the scent while visualizing the curse returning to its sender—then bring them some soup, just to keep your karma even. Pine oil may also be used to attract money: Simply rub a drop or two on a 20, 50 or 100 dollar bill and visualize your money multiplying exponentially.
I hope you’ve learned something about pine oil that you didn’t know before! Next week we will be discussing a mystery topic, and though I won’t be giving anything away, I will say that the topic was specially requested by our editor Greta deJong. See you then!
Z. Smith is a cookie connoisseur, moonlight meanderer, and aesthete at large. His work has appeared in 13 Experiments, Folio, Stone Soup Review, SLUG Magazine, Salt Lake City Weekly, and CATALYST Magazine. He earned his BA in English from The University of Utah and currently writes from a room with many plants.
Resources:
askwaltstollmd.com/archives/energy/344990.html
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cuningham
www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/pine-essential-oil.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioelectromagnetics