Juniper
The keeper of the cleansing smoke
Nature of the plant
The juniper grows on barren pastures, on sunny slopes and high up into the Alps. Its needles prick, its blue-black berries take two to three years to ripen. It is frugal and withstands wind, cold and drought. In the Alpine region its branches have long been burned as smoke in house and stable to cleanse and protect.
Inner attitude
The juniper is austere and tough. It needs little and stays where others give up. Its scent is clear and spicy – it clears the space without many words.
The essential qualities
- cleansing
- frugal
- resilient
- enduring
- clarifying
It frees the space for what is essential.
Meaning
The juniper calls when heaviness has gathered – in you, in your space, in your thoughts. It teaches you to cleanse and let go and to get along well with little.
Voice of the plant
«Let the smoke drift away. What remains is clear.»
Encounter & working together
You meet it on alpine pastures and on dry, sunny slopes. Carefully rub a needle between your fingers, smell it and breathe out deeply three times.
Pay attention to
- where heaviness has gathered
- where you may make room for something new
- where you can be content with less
The juniper works when you are ready to clear out and let go.
Essence
I let go of what weighs on me and breathe freely.
