Alt. Herbs for Smoke Cleansing: Juniper
There has been a lot of buzz going around in the spiritual community about what herbs or words should or shouldn’t be used in relation to the practice of smoke cleansing. Instead of adding to the confusion, we wanted to start this series to help provide alternative options for you to use. We are not here to be the morality police, at the end of the day, you decide what resonates with your craft. If it works for you, IT WORKS. Don’t let anyone invalidate your practice.
That being said, we like to advocate for people to go out into their environment and see what local plants they can utilize in their practice. It helps provide a deeper connection with the land & its spirits, and you can be sure the materials were harvested sustainably and responsibly. These materials will not only be more powerful and willing to help aide your magick, but you can also leave offerings and thanks for the spirts and plants directly at the source. You don’t get the same power from herbs you've bought, and you don’t know if the plant was properly collected. Get yourself a good local field guide and get out and explore!
Juniper
Planets: Mars & Sun | Elemental : Fire | Zodiac: Aries | Chakra: Solar Plexus | Gods: Loki & Balder | Goddess: Hel, Astarte & Ashera
Parts used: Branches & Ground berries, resin & oil can also be used
Smoke: Sweet, Calming, Uplifting, Piney, Warm
Properties: Removes only negative energy, good for blessing. Good for protection and love, aides clairvoyance and protects against black magick.
Lore: Burned during times of plague along with Rosemary & Thyme to dispell illness. Juniper planted at your front door helps to dispell thieves and prevent evil from entering your home. Said to have protected baby Jesus and family from harm. Used in the Shamanic practices of Siberia and Pakistan. If a secret is told next to a juniper tree, the secret will be known within a week.
To Harvest: Bring offerings to leave to the spirits (such as sweets, nice rocks, bones), gloves, a basket & clippers or a ritual knife. Find a healthy-looking tree. Once you have chosen, lay a hand on the tree and ask permission to remove a few small branches. Let the tree know your intentions and ask for its spirit to help aid your workings. After meditating and receiving the blessing, cut a few low branches from the tree. Be aware of the spikey nature of the tree. Try to prune the tree in a way that does not harm its future growth. Only collect what you need, leave your offerings and don’t look back. Bind small bundles with cotton or hemp string to use in smoke cleansing, or strip the leaves to use in loose incense.
Here is a page for you to print off and add to your Grimoire, for future reference. Juniper is one of my absolute favorite herbs to use for smoke cleansing because of how lovely it smells. I actually keep a bundle on my desk, so I can quickly remove any negative energy. I live in West Texas and Juniper grows so heavily out here, its considered noxious. One of the oldest industries in my town is cedar harvesting, we have two mills that go all the way back to the 1800s. You can still see trucks loaded to the brim (higher than legally allowed) driving down main-street on their way to the mill.
I hope you can find value in this powerful plant, like I do. Let me know if you decide to give it a try as an alternative to some of the more traditionally used herbs!