Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been writing guides to all my favourite magickal herbs and plants, like this guide to the magickal properties of dandelion, one about chamomile, another about vanilla and a guide to lemongrass. I’ve also written an overview of a whole lot of plants in my botanical witchipedia. Continuing in the vein, today I want to share my guide to the magickal properties of pine with you.
Pine is an extremely long-living tree which is held in great esteem by many cultures. Its magickal properties include longevity, fertility, protection and joy among others. It can help to fight colds and coughs as well as potentially improving memory and preventing scurvy due to its high vitamin C content.
Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tried before.
History of Pine
Pine, which refers to any conifer in the Pinus genus, belongs to the Pinaceae family. There are around 120 species of evergreen conifers distributed around the world however most of them are native to the Northern Temperate regions.
Conifers have been around for an extremely long time. They evolved around 300 million years ago and pines evolved around 153 million years ago. The Pinus genus of the family diverged from other pines around 95 million years ago.
Pine trees are evergreens, meaning that they don’t lose their needles during the winter. The are rather large, with most trees reaching between 15-45m at maturity. They generally have a very long life span, with most reaching at least 100 years of age and many getting significantly older. The longest living pine is a “Pinus Longaeva” which is based in the White Mountains in California. It is counted as one of the worlds oldest living organisms and is thought to be around 4,600 years old. There is one tree which was older, coming in at 4,900 years or more when it was cut down.
The felling of this tree, named Prometheus, is extremely controversial. Donald Rusk Currey was an undergraduate studying climate dynamics during the Little Ice Age and needed a core sample of trees from this era. Unnecessarily, he chose the oldest tree around and tried to take a core sample of it. He broke his instrument (maybe even two of them) and couldn’t get a new one before the end of the research season so chose to take a chainsaw and cut the tree down instead.
He went to the district Forest Service ranger and asked for permission to cut the tree down so that he could examine the full cross-section of it. He was granted permission after he convinced the Forest ranger that the tree was not a notable landmark. He was well aware that the tree was far older than any other he had studied. The absolute idiocy of some people amazes me. Imagine cutting down a 5000 year old tree because it’s easier than waiting another season to start your research. In my opinion, he should have been barred from any future academic positions but instead he went on to have a successful career and defended his decision till the end.
Pines are often mentioned and referenced in literature and art for various cultures all over the world. China, in particular, has an affinity to pine and it’s a common motif in painting and poetry. Japanese painters also often use pine trees as a motif for longevity and health.
Fun Facts About Pines
- The spiral growth of a pine tree may be arranged in Fibonacci number ratios.
- The new spring growth of pines is sometimes called a “candle”.
- Pine cones are gendered, with most trees carrying both male and female pine cones.
- Male pine cones are smaller and only stay on the tree for one season. Female pine cones are larger and will stay on the tree for 1.5-3 years.
- Some species of pine require fire to regenerate.
- Most pines prefer acidic soils and require good drainage although a few species are able to grow in wet soils.
- The ink used in many Chinese paintings and texts uses pine soot as one of its main ingredients.
- White Pines are called the “Tree of Peace” in some Native American cultures due to a legend about a conflict between 5 nations that ended when they buried their weapons under a white pine tree. According to this legend, the Great Spirit sent a messenger to the 5 warring tribes who convinced them to unite and make peace. The 5 tribes still carried their weapon however so the messenger pulled out a white pine and…
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