The Magic of Trees: A Guide to Their Sacred Wisdom & Metaphysical Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2017

Cedar
The Trees

Apowerful ally of pure divine light, when we seek spiritual cleansing, healing, or guidance, we need look no further than the cedar. Considered to be profoundly sacred since time immemorial, in ancient spiritual literature—time and time again—cedar is aligned with divinity and divine wisdom.

While there are a lot of trees that feature the word “cedar” in their name, this section focuses on the “true cedars” of the fragrant Cedrus genus. This includes the Atlas cedar, Cyprus cedar, Deodar cedar, and Lebanon cedar.

Magical Uses

Breaking Spells

Occasionally you may find that you have cast a spell that you eventually wish to undo. Because you’ve determined that it’s not in alignment with your truest good, you might imagine this unwanted spell (to employ the cosmology of Star Wars, as I love to do) as a “disturbance in the Force.” From this perspective, you can see how the cedar—which you might say is an arboreal representation of the Force itself in all its purely positive glory—can undo this disturbance and reestablish a natural harmony and flow.

CEDAR EXTRA STRENGTH SPELL-BREAKING RITUAL

To break a spell that you have cast, visit a cedar alone the night after a full moon, when the moon is visible in the sky. Light a candle or bring a lantern if necessary to see. Call on the Divine in a way that feels powerful for you, and then bring the old spell—along with all its unwanted results—to mind. Really tune in to this unwanted energy as well as its effects. Hold this in your mind as you gather forty cedar twigs (naturally fallen if possible) and then bind them together with hemp twine, then tying it in nine knots. This bundle now represents exactly what it is that you’d like to undo.

Now, cut the twine decisively with scissors as you say, “The spell I cast is now undone.”

Walk counterclockwise around the trunk of the tree, slowly scattering the twigs as you say:

Though this spell was tied up tight

I fully dissolve it on this night.

The natural flow clearly resounds

As all effects are now unbound.

Beloved cedar, all thanks to thee

The spell is broken; so mote it be.

When the twigs are all dispersed, brush your aura downward with your hands and then flick your fingers toward the ground nine times as you continue to walk counterclockwise around the tree. Finally, rest your back against the trunk and feel the cedar lending you his energy, creating a powerful, cleansing flow from your feet to the crown of your head and back down again. Thank the tree again from the bottom of your heart.

Clarity and Focus

Essential oil of cedar is quite possibly unsurpassed in its ability to relieve tension and anxiety, clear the mind of extraneous thoughts, support crystal-clear clarity, and facilitate sustained mental focus. In no small way, the scent of cedar does this through eliciting inspiration; so often it’s not that our minds can’t pay attention to something, it’s that they won’t because they’re just not inspired by the topic. Cedar helps us to uncover what’s interesting about the topic at hand, so that our minds naturally want to apply themselves. This makes cedar oil a great magical ally when it comes to learning, studying, writing, and test taking. (Of course, if you’re forcing your mind to apply itself to something that doesn’t naturally interest you in any way, cedar won’t be able to help. Incidentally, if this is the case, you might want to question whether you’re on a path that’s actually suited to you.)

For this purpose, diffuse essential oil of cedar, or put ten to twenty drops in a small mister of purified water, shake well, and mist the room.

Sacred Space

Considered to be sacred since very ancient times, one only needs inhale the scent of essential oil of cedar to understand the tree’s ability to create sacred space within and around us. Indeed, both the tree and the fragrance establish great clarity and profound alignment with the realm of the Divine through uniting the realms of heaven and earth, much like the proverbial Tree of Life. Perhaps this is why cedar was the wood of choice in the ancient world for temples and altars throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. To establish sacred space in any room or area, mist the space with water containing cedar oil (as above), diffuse essential oil of cedar, or burn cedar incense.

Strengthening the Energy Field

Cedar’s energy is extremely positive and powerful, and can lend an infusion of strength and brightness to your personal energy field. This can be helpful for anytime you feel run-down energetically, such as after a trauma or an illness, or after completing a particularly draining project or activity. Try spending time with your spine against a cedar trunk, diffusing essential oil of cedar in your space, or adding a few drops of cedar oil to your bathwater.

Wisdom

Archetypal wisdom superstar King Solomon chose to feature cedar wood prominently in the building of his temple. In ancient Sumeria, cedars were honored as dwellings of the spirit of wisdom in the form of the god Ea. Indeed, cedar is an appropriate emissary of wisdom, as he is Divinity in tree form, and all true wisdom does not come from cleverness, but rather from an infusion of divine energy and presence.

If you need divine guidance on any issue or challenge, visit a cedar and sit in quiet contemplation, allowing yourself to align with the realm of the Divine. Notice your breath and consciously relax with each breath, breathing out tension and breathing in nourishment. In time, you’ll find that you have access to precisely the wisdom you seek.

Magical Correspondences

Element: Air

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Sun