Purify & Protect With Cedar
Does the above picture of an entrance framed with the delicate foliage of CEDAR TREES entice you to visit this place? And would you feel perfectly at ease exploring where such a gateway might lead to? After looking into the protective properties of the Cedar tree, I believe I would!
Folk traditions credit many plants and trees with providing spiritual protection from all sorts of negativity, so what is unique to Cedars that distinguish them from the others?
It is said that these trees have been considered the sacred protectors of entire forests, and that's a pretty tall order! The wood is especially resistant to decay and insect damage which provides one reason why ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and the Japanese used the wood of this tree in and around their temples. The most historically famous of these is the legendary King Solomon's Temple said to have been constructed with stone and Cedar wood around the 10th century BCE.
It's important to point out that there is a tendency today to confuse Cedars and Junipers (and sometimes Cypress) trees.
Both the Cedar and the Juniper are evergreen, coniferous plants that belong to the same botanical category Pinales, but they have differing physical characteristics. Here in Arizona (USA), I have a large Juniper "bush" growing in my front yard still showing some of the blue berries that distinguish it from a taller "true" Cedar tree that might be growing somewhere in the Himalayas. Arborists point out that there is a difference between true and false Cedars which makes it even more confusing!
One reason that it's easy to mix them up is the similar aromatic nature and properties of these trees. I doubt such practices are still popular these days, but when I was growing up, owning a Cedar chest was quite in vogue for preserving and saving household items or family heirlooms. After World War II, these large pieces of furniture referred to as "hope chests" were purchased to hold things that would eventually be used to (hopefully) create a future household. I no longer own one myself, but I do have a small cedar box that still emits the unique, earthy scent of the wood that I find pleasantly grounding.
On such a spiritual level, this tree is used for ceremonial smudging and may be purchased in dried bundles and as an essential oil. Cedar is part of the smudging mixture that I'm especially fond of which also includes other sacred medicine plants: sage, sweet grass and tobacco. The most available essential oil steam distilled from the trees is from the Cedrus atlantica species, (labeled Atlas Cedar). Two others are Western Red Cedar Thuja plicata, popular in the Pacific Northwest US and Virginia Cedarwood or Juniperis virginiana . They each have topical and aromatherapy uses, and their scent is described as "woodsy" with a bit of sweetness.
Cedar wood has been traditionally burned in Native American sweat lodges for both protection and purification. In the same way as the ancients used Cedar in the structures and entrances to their temples, smudging with Cedar when moving into a new home is a good way to dismiss any residual negative energies and ensure a fresh start. It can also be used regularly for continued cleansing, and I urge you to take a minute to watch the following short and inspirational video that shares the spiritual benefits of such a mindful practice.
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:
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For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!
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