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

Spruce
The Trees

Agorgeous tree with a fresh scent and uplifting vibration, it’s apt that her name is a synonym for “enliven and refresh.” Used in healing balms for muscle aches, spruce (Picea) is also a popular choice for Christmas trees, paper, maypoles, and musical instruments.

Magical Uses

Ancient Wisdom

The oldest known living tree in the world is a spruce in Sweden that is believed to be 9,550 years old. (Flanking her are other trees of similar—but not quite so extensive—longevity.) When these still living trees were saplings, Rome hadn’t yet risen, let alone fallen. Egypt was still lush and green. And the Buddha’s great, great, great grandparents were not even a twinkle in anyone’s eye. Certainly these ancient spruces—but also spruces in general—are powerhouses of ancient wisdom. Spend time with a spruce and inhale her sweet and steadying fragrance to become aligned with this strong current of deep inner knowing.

Goddess Energy

In many ways, the spruce is the primordial Earth Goddess in tree form. To embody your own goddess energy—or if you could use the comfort and guiding hand of a steadfast, beatific foremother and sage—spend time with a spruce. Sitting with your spine against her trunk and allowing her energy to flow up and down your spine can be especially healing and supportive.

Healing

By powerfully uniting earth and sky, and being a repository of the most ancient possible wisdom and knowledge, the spruce’s energy is intensely healing in all ways: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Spend time with her if possible, or bring boughs into a healing room (provided the patient is not in any danger of allergies). Brushing the aura with a branch or a sprig can also be an excellent healing practice.

Protection

The spruce’s highly positive and grounded vibration dissuades negative influences of all varieties. A spruce on your property can be enlisted to protect your home: simply offer a libation and request that she lend her magical protective abilities. Using a sprig of spruce to sprinkle pure water across a threshold can prevent negativity from entering. (Of course, also be sure to lock your doors.)

Purification

Spruce possesses a potently purifying vibration. Sprinkling water using a sprig of spruce is a useful magical method of purifying a person, object, or place.

Spiritual Refreshment

To indigenous tribes hailing from the Altai mountains of Siberia as well as southern Canada, the spruce is a cosmological cornerstone, and represents the interweaving of heaven, earth, and all that lives. Indeed, the simple presence of spruce is a great spirit-refresher, and spruce boughs, sprigs, or bundles can be placed on an altar or brought into a space to lift and reset the spirits in winter or any other time spiritual refreshment is desired. For the same purpose, make or seek out soft drinks or beer made from the leaves, buds, or essential oil of spruce, such as spruce beer.

Magical Correspondences

Element: Spirit

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Ceres