Pine Meaning and magickal uses

An evergreen of steady life through winter, for cleansing, renewal and prosperity.

• Intentions: Cleansing, Prosperity, Protection, Healing
• Element: Air
• Planet: Mars
• Day: Tuesday
• Parts used: Needles, cones, resin, wood

Safety: Do not brew or eat pine needles unless you are sure of the species. Some, such as ponderosa pine, are harmful to cattle and can cause miscarriage, and the deadly yew is sometimes mistaken for a pine. Avoid pine needle tea during pregnancy. Pine sap can irritate skin, and pine oil is toxic to cats and dogs.

How to use it

• Yule cones. Gather pine cones for your Yule altar or hearth as symbols of life and fertility waiting to return with the sun. Add a few to a bowl with cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices for a simple, fragrant centerpiece.
• Needle sweep. Bundle a few pine boughs and sweep your floor toward the door to clear stale energy at the start of winter. Finish by opening the door for a moment, then closing it and lighting a candle.
• Money cone. Dab a pine cone with a little gold paint and keep it near your workspace as a reminder of steady, evergreen prosperity. Touch it each morning as you name one thing you are working toward.

Works well with: Yule, Green Candle, Air, Moss Agate, Jera

Folklore

Pines are among the oldest living trees, and their evergreen needles made them symbols of life that survives the dark. Romans linked the pine to the gods Attis and Bacchus, and pine cones topped the thyrsus staff of Dionysian rites. Across Europe evergreen boughs were brought indoors at midwinter. Pine resin was used to seal boats and torches. Witches turn to pine for cleansing, protection, healing and steady prosperity, especially around Yule.