As the days shorten and the dark of night greets us earlier and earlier, I pivot from my summertime, outward expression, like the flowers of summer, and turn inward, exploring my inner landscape and feeling called to slow down. While navigating this inward expression, one plant that I am especially grateful towards is the Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata.
Salish names for Western Red Cedar include “Long Life Giver”, “Rich Woman Maker” and “Mother.” The leaves are a wonderful choice to burn in your space - its energy is considered protective and purifying. It is often used to cleanse a home when first moving in, inviting unwanted spirits to leave and protecting a person, place or object from unwanted influences. At The Herb Shoppe, we enjoy a very small amount of Cedar Medicine in our blends geared towards assisting in dreamwork and ceremonial work. For these reasons, I really cherish the allyship of Cedar at this time of year.
Additionally, Cedar is a powerful antimicrobial and antifungal. Thuja is a common topical wart remover, applied as a strong tea or an essential oil. Cedar stimulates the immune system, and has an affinity with the lungs. It can also be inhaled as a steam for respiratory conditions, which is really wonderful if you reside on the West Coast of the United States and find yourself in need of some respiratory support after the smoky summer we've had.
You can find Cedar in the following THS Blends:
↟ Cedar Smoke Wands
↟ Immune Boosting Essential Oil Blend
↟ Lucid Dream Cordial
↟ Lucidity Dream Tea
↟ Lucidity Essential Oil Blend
↟ Rooted Grounding Ceremonial Mist
↟ Serenity Oil Blend
↟ Soothing Protection Flower Essence
↟ Ursa Major Immune and Sore Throat Elixir
Photo by Shannon Trubatch @bornbotanical