PINE TREE

Pine needle tea is high in vitamins A & C. Fresh green needles have 5 x the amount of vitamin C found in one lemon.

Pine needles are especially useful for afflictions of the respiratory system, such as sore throat, hoarseness, persistent cough, catarrh & bronchitis.
The green needles of the Pine tops can be boiled as a tea & taken to relieve menstrual cramping.
Old, but still green needles can be boiled with Pine gum & taken as a remedy for severe colds & fevers.
Pine needles are strongly aromatic & even just inhaling the vapors from the tea may break up mucus in the lungs.
Pine needles are also antiseptic & may help heal infections in the respiratory & urinary systems.
It is used for asthma, respiratory infections, bronchitis & tuberculosis.
Mattresses can be filled with pine needles for treating rheumatic ailments such as arthritis & gout.

Pine kernels & cucumber seeds can be taken with sweet wine to cleanse the blood & kidneys.
Pine kernels are very restorative & fortifying.

The pine nuts also have a longstanding reputation as an effective aphrodisiac.

Pine buds prepared as decoction act as an expectorant & antiseptic.
This same mixture can be used for inhalation for head colds, although it is easier to toss some needles in hot water.
The whitish new shoot at the tip of a Pine branch can be boiled into a tea that can be used as a substitute for coffee.
Added to the bathwater it stimulates the circulation & acts soothing on the nervous system.
Pine oil is both refreshing & relaxing & makes one of the best counter remedies for stress & fatigue.

Green cones & needles can be added to bath water to ease muscle pains & swelling.
Externally, its antiseptic & anti-inflammatory action also makes it useful for cuts & sores.
Bath will also reduce the discomforts of joint pain, helps in soothing aches from neuralgia & rheumatism & reduce overall soreness.
Due to the warming qualities of pine, it will stimulate circulation & invigorate, so it is best to take it as a morning bath.
In addition, it aids skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema & open sores.

PRECAUTIONS:

Wood saw dust & resin can cause dermatitis.

RECIPES:

Pine nuts added to muesli or baked into cakes.

Pine needle tea:

Pick a handful of pine needles.
Remove the papery brown coverings at the ends & chop the needles into 1/2 inch pieces.
Pour a cup of very hot but not boiling water over a 1 tbsp of chopped needles.
Let the infusion steep for 10 minutes.
Strain & drink.

Pine decoction:

Add 4 handfuls of needles to 1 liter of water,
bring to the boil & simmer gently for 15 min.
Be sure to cover the pot, as the essential oil of pine is very volatile & likely to escape unless restrained.
Strain & add to the bathwater.
Externally a strong decoction of the needles can be used as a bath additive for aching muscles, rheumatic pains & neuralgia or as a steam bath for respiratory conditions.
It is soothing & refreshing, stimulating yet relaxing.
Especially recommended for burn-out syndrome, stress, nervous conditions, headache & all congestive respiratory conditions especially when these are accompanied by fever.
The same decoction can be applied as a liniment directly to sore muscles, aches & pains.

Pine Honey:

Boil 1 kg fresh pine or fir shoots in 4 liter of water.
Leave covered to stand for 2 days, strain through a linen cloth.
Add 500 g sugar & 1 jar of honey to the liquid & simmer until thick.
Fill into jars while it is still warm.
Strengthening, restorative sweetener that helps to loosen coughs & respiratory catarrh.

Cough Syrup:

Put 1/2 cup of coarsely ground white pine bark in a mason jar & cover it with 2/3 cup of boiling water.
When cool add 1/2 cup of whiskey, seal the jar & let it sit over night.
Shake the jar vigorously a few times to make sure the contents mix.
The next day, strain the bark & add 1 cup of honey to the liquid.
Shake the jar thoroughly to make sure the honey dissolves.
The dose is 1 tbsp for adults & 1 tsp for children as needed.

Cleansing Tea for Thyroid Problems:

Take 4 tbsp of young pine needles, crushed
2 tbsp of crushed rose hips
4 tbsp of onion peels
2 tbsp wild raspberry leaves
At the evening place all herbs into the 1  liter thermos, pour over hot boiling water & leave to stand over night. Strain at the morning & drink up to 0,5 liters over the day instead of the water. Increase the amount you drink slowly to 1 liter.
Drink this tea 3 - 6 months.

Pine Nut Pesto:

120 g of fresh basil leaves
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
6 cloves of garlic
30 g pine kernels
olive oil
Place the basil & garlic into a food processor & grind into a paste.
Add olive oil & Parmesan cheese & stir till smooth.
Lightly toast the pine kernels & add them to the mix.
Add salt to season.

Pine Bath:

Gather several large handfuls of fresh pine needles.
Boil them in a large pot of water for 10 minutes.
Stain with cheesecloth into another pot, retaining the pine water.
Add the pine water directly to a warm bath.
Tie cheesecloth with pine needles inside & throw into the bath.
Soak for 30-45 minutes, breathing in the wonderful aroma of pine.
Do not rinse, let the oils stay on your skin throughout the day..

A pine-needle bath is excellent for soothing skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema & open sores. It will also reduce some rheumatic pain & other forms of joint discomfort.
A pine needle bath is considered stimulating to the body, thus it's not good to soak at night before bed.

Pine Bath Salt:

Pine needles
Epsom salts or rock/kosher salt

In a dish or jar with a lid, layer pine needles stripped from a branch with epsom salts or rock or kosher salt.
Cover & store in a dark place for 3 weeks.
To use, pour 2 tbsp of bath salts under running water as the tub is filling.

BEAUTY:

It has long been practiced by geisha women to refresh & tone their skin with pine & was thought to be the most auspicious bath to welcome in the New Year.

MAGIC:

For magic, pine is best suited for its aromatic qualities of bringing one back into balance & enhancing connection with the natural world.
Pine is a spiritual cleanser.
Mix the dried needles with equal parts of juniper & cedar & burn to purify the home & ritual area.
The cones & nuts can be carried as a fertility charm.
A good magical cleansing & stimulating bath is made by placing pine needles in a loose-woven bag & running bath water over it.
To purify an outdoor ritual area, brush the ground with a pine branch.
Because it is evergreen, it also draws steady money.
Resin as an incense when moving into a vacant house, to drive out spirits. Mixed with camphor gets stronger results.
The scent of pine is believed to attract money; it is stronger when mixed with cinnamon, bayberry or nutmeg

Pine needles may be dried & ground to be used as incense.
The wood can be powdered or the resin dried & added to magical workings.
Pine has the ability to cleanse a space of negative energy & send dark forces back to their source.

Pine has a history giving it an affinity for today's male priesthoods. It lends itself to male sexual energy which has been removed from the procreative purpose. This sacred tree is ideal for those men seeking to bring their sexual drive under control & channel it toward sacred goals.