- Latin name
- Pinus sylvestris
- Element
- air
- Planet
- Mars
- Safe to eat?
- No, not for eating or drinking
How to use it
- Bring boughs indoors at Yule
- Burn resin or dried needles as a cleansing incense
- Place cones on the altar for fertility and growth
- Weave branches into a winter wreath
Lore
In Greek myth the nymph Pitys was turned into a pine to escape Pan, who wore its branches as a crown. Dionysus's thyrsus, the wand carried by his followers, was tipped with a pine cone.
Safety
Not for eating unless you are certain of the species; some conifers, such as yew and Norfolk Island pine, are toxic, and ponderosa pine can cause miscarriage in cattle. Resin can irritate skin. Keep needles and oils away from pets.
Not for eating or drinking.
Gods linked with it
More air herbs
- Lavender Lavandula angustifolia
- Sage Salvia officinalis
- Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
- Mistletoe Viscum album
- Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria