Juniper is an interesting and often undervalued plant that needs a little love.
Don’t we all.
Traveling back to the 70’s
Way back when I was a little wild child running a muck through the neighborhood, I made potions. Didn’t most kids?
Juniper berries were a favorite to add. They didn’t squish like the red bittersweet berries. They also smelled good.
We never actually ate them. Juniper berries were on the big, danger list of POISON BERRIES that we were not allowed to eat. Besides we had other things to eat if we wanted a snack.
My mom was a bit of a hippie/ naturalist and let us know what was safe and what was not. Mulberries were safe. Honeysuckle nectar was safe. Dandelions were safe but nasty. Any other berries and toadstools were off limits.
I was too young to rebel at the time and too smart later on.
Until now.
My mother may have been misinformed about juniper. Actually, it’s more likely she realized a 6 year old wouldn’t be able to determine one blue berry from others. So no blue berries for me.
Either way I know now that most juniper berries are edible in small quantities.
Juniper in Gin
In fact Juniper berries are the main flavor ingredient of Gin. Which is what led me down this path of inquiry. I was watch some BBC shows a while back. It seemed to me that Gin was a favored drink of British people and it occurred to me that I’ve never had it.
I’m not a big drinker in general. I hate beer because I hate the taste of hops. I’m not a big fan of wine so my drink of choice in social situations was always a Cosmopolitan or some other kind of Vodka martini. Tequila gives me headaches immediately and brown liquer gives me hangovers but a little vodka and cranberry was fine.
So I mentioned that I’d like to try gin. People told me I wouldn’t like it. It had a strange flavor. I wasn’t going to take anyone’s word for it because I never do. I bought a bottle and found a recipe and discovered that I really do like it.
The flavor brought me back to those early years. It sent me back to tromping through the woods and the muck, climbing trees and making magic potions in the dog’s water bowl.
Discovering More about Juniper
That discovery led me to inquire more about Juniper. Exactly what is Juniper anyway? What else are they used for? What kind of magic is it good for? How can I grow it?
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What is Juniper?
Juniper is an evergreen/coniferous plant from the cypress family. There are over 60 species. It can grow as a ground cover, a shrub or small tree, or a very large tree. Some are over 300 year and 60 feet tall.
They’ve been around and utilized since Neolithic times and have been referenced in the papyrus of Ancient Egypt.
Common Juniper (Juniperus commonus) is obviously the most common. Some are trees growing over 25 ft tall. There are also dwarf variations that only grow up to 4 feet. These are often used in landscaping. Prostrate, carpet and creeping juniper act as ground cover in landscaping project but can be found naturally on rocky coastlines Mountain juniper is a low growing evergreen shrub used grown on slopes and in rock gardens.
Most Junipers have edible berries. The berries do contain a chemical called thujone that can be toxic in large quantities. But small amounts are okay. They have a very strong flavor so you really don’t need a lot.
These are the varieties known for edible berries:
- Common Juniper (all variations) Zone 2-9
- Syrian Juniper (junperus drupacea) Zone6-9
- Phoenician juniper ( Juniperus phoenicia) Zone9
- California Juniper (Juniperus californica) Zone 8-10
- Alligator Juniper ( juniperus deppeana) Zone 7-9
- Eatern Red Cedar (juniperus virginias) Zone 3-9
Two varieties are pegged as highly toxic. Do Not consume these: J. Sabina & J.Oxycedrus.
It’s also a good idea to avoid eating the berries of junipers that are exposed to high levels of environmental pollutants such as ones growing next to highways or near nuclear power plants.
How does Juniper grow?
Junipers grow well in the cooler climates of the Northern Hemisphere. They are very hardy and drought resistant thus, some varieties do well in arid regions. Typically, they need full sunlight and well drained soil. Immature plants have pointy needles that flatten to scales as they mature. Many of the species are deoiceus. It means each tree/bush has either a male or female parts that need to cross pollinate to produce fruit. The males have small yellow or tan cones that produce the pollen. The female produce a berry-like cone that matures the seed once pollinated. The berries of the common Juniper are made into gin.
Juniper is often grown on slopes because its shallow roots spread outward and help to prevent soil erosion. The dense gnarly branches provide a home to small birds. The berries provide food for larger birds.
Harvesting Juniper
Berries can be picked when fully ripened. Most turn blue with a waxy coating. Some turn red. The leaves and branches can be collected when pruned, usually in the spring.
Preserving
Berries can be dried for later use. Twigs, leaves, and small branches can be bundled and dried for smoke clearing wands. All parts can be infused in water to make a cleansing wash.
Medicinal/Nutritional Use
Nutritionally, the berries of the common juniper are what is used to flavor gin. The same dried berries are also used as spice for brines and meat dishes, as well as for pickling and fermenting foods.
Medicinally, herbalist have used juniper berries for the treatment of UTI’s, arthritis, rheumatism, neuralgia, muscle aches, cellulitis and skim problems. It is considered a diuretic, antiseptic and antiviral.
Magical use of Juniper
Gender: Male
Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Juniper’s magical uses include cleansing, healing, purification, wisdom, spirit connection, increased visions, clarity, banishing, protection, good health, luck.
Symbolically, Juniper offers warmth and fire energy. Think passion, hope, and light.
It offers hope in dark times, as do most evergreen trees, but Juniper also has the benefit of berries which provide a staple food source for animals during the non growing season. The large tree groves provide a wind break during harsh windy weather.
As such it is also symbolic of luck and protection.
Wards against ghosts, sickness and increases male potency.
Juniper was used in rituals for blessing & purification but also to guard against ‘bad’ magic and negative energy. Due to it’s evergreen nature, Juniper was often used in magic for longevity and prolonged youth.
As a tribute to its ability to grow where most things can’t, it was hailed for it’s resilience and ability to heal the land.
How to Use Juniper in Magic
Smoke: Used in smoke wands (smudge sticks) to add masculine and energy clearing protection. Also used in funeral rites to clear any negative energy. Smoke is believed to increases psychic facilities as well as breaks hexes and curses.
Water infusion: Juniper water infusion is used to cleanse objects.
Charms: Juniper twigs where bundled and hung on the front door to ward against negative people from entering. One spell calls for 7 twigs wrapped in red thread with 7 knots to be hung on the rear view mirror as a protective car charm. (The 7 thing is not absolute. Feel free to adapt the spell and use whatever ever number feels right.)
Add twigs, leaves and berries to charm bags to carry on yourself or in your car for protection
Wood: Make magic wands and staffs from branches of juniper trees or large shrubs. It is believed that the wood itself will enhances the psychic abilities of owner.
Berries: Dried berries can be added as Beads to belts, bracelets and other decorations to add some magic to otherwise mundane items.
Plants: Planting juniper on your property is believed to protect against theft or accident. A line of Juniper trees also makes a great wind break.
Energetic Properties of Juniper
Juniper essential oil has calming and grounding energy. It also wards off negative energy. Use after an argument or after spending time in large public groups to clear yourself of any unwanted energies.
Juniper Berries Essential oil has a vibrational frequency of 98 MHz
For reference a healthy body has a vibrational frequency between 62-72.
I’m not an expert on Essential oils or Vibrational frequencies, I found this article helpful in understanding the basics: What is Vibrational Frequency?
I have dabble with creating my own oil blends for the purpose of ritual, spells and signature perfumes.
If you’d like to try Juniper blends well with bergamot, cedar, cypress, grapefruit, geranium, lavender, lime, lemon, lemongrass, vetiver, clary sage, pine, rosemary.
If you don’t have a ‘favorite’ brand of essential oils, This is the one that’s in my cabinet. I try different brands all the time and I’m happy with this company.
Finding Juniper
If you can forage your own berries and twigs go for it! There are Juniper variations all over the U.S and Canada as well as a few species growing in Mexico.
If you can’t or don’t have the time to, I do have a small supply of Juniper berries in our Etsy shop.
There is also a pdf page of Juniper information in our Book of Shadows.
