BLACK SPRUCE - JANUARY

Coming home to ourselves. This is the energy of black spruce, or picea mariana. Because being in a grove of old conifer forest is an experience of deep soul restoration.

These trees connect us to the great energy it takes along the journey of our own long-term evolution. They remind us of our ties to the ancients-the footprints of our familial lineage, ancestral wisdom and collective past.

Black spruce speaks to our own forgotten reservoirs of endurance, courage and confidence. In its presence our sacred spines become more upright, our roots wet, nourished and plunging deeper.  

In this way, it holds a light of hope in our most exhausting, challenging, and depressing times of life- a reminder of our own wellspring of inner strength. It is an excellent remedy for adrenal dysregulation, hormonal imbalances and fatigue- connecting us to our own inner healing principle so that we can always discern what we really need.

Conifer forests also hold the special quality of acting as planetary lungs. We have evolved biologically to mirror these trees, our own lungs their holographic image. Our breathing cycles in sync- the tireless cycle of our carbon dioxide being transformed into fresh oxygen.

Unsurprisingly, black spruce holds a talent for supporting all respiratory conditions. Its oils hold immune supportive qualities, its bark having had to develop excellent antifungal, antibacterial properties to keep itself alive. It has saved me many a times when I have had a weak, relentless, spamy cough- the kind that keeps you up all night. Think of black spruce for colds, coughs, asthma, especially in conditions of depletion.

How to use black spruce:

• Using this oil in a diffuser is best, even on an ongoing basis throughout the winter. Because of its immune enhancing qualities, it is great to use if you have a cold or cough. You can even place a few drops on a tissue and place it by your face for a night time cough.
• You can also create a mixture in your hands of 3 drops black spruce to 6 drops carrier oil (such as olive oil or apricot seed oil) and you can rub on your chest, through the spaces between your ribs and along your breast bone.
• You can place 1-2 drops of oil neat at the acupuncture point KD3 (located near your inner ankle, at the midway point between the peak of your ankle bone and the tendon on the back of your leg.)

This point’s name translates as “Great Stream” and it is an excellent point for supporting exhaustion, overwork, adrenal fatigue, thyroid imbalances and to connect with your own inner strength and confidence.