November 29, 2023

"It is delightful to come across a wild juniper in the winter months, with her sweet and pine-scented berries and her delightful sprigs that offer friendship and hope through the darkest times."
–TheDruidsGarden.com

Friends,

Today, I’m looking out my window at a juniper tree (often called “cedar”), whose clusters of dark purple-blue “berries” (botanically very small cones) I noticed several weeks ago. I wondered why I hadn’t noticed those berries last year or the year before and subsequently discovered that these trees produce berries every 2-3 years, so perhaps my spotting it only this fall does not indicate a lack of observational prowess.

As you may have noticed, I love my office window. (That view, by the way, is shared through the sanctuary windows–so you could look for those juniper berries next time you’re here.) When I sit in my office or our sanctuary, I feel held by the land that surrounds me/us and am inspired and intrigued by all the beings I see going about their lives just beyond the glass. On many days, it is a great comfort to know and to be reminded that the hawks circle, the berries ripen, the leaves bud/grow/change/drop, the birds take shelter under our eaves, and the sun passes in regular patterns over it all–no matter what havoc human beings create in the world, no matter what pains or griefs we suffer, no matter even what joys and accomplishments we celebrate.

After a bit of research, I now know much more (most of which I’ll spare you) about juniper trees, some of it botanical, some herbal or medical (do not, warns WebMD, consume more than 10 grams of the berries at once!), some magical/spiritual, and some historical. To summarize very broadly, I think it is a fine thing to have a juniper tree positioned on the north side of our sanctuary. Among many people around the world and across time, juniper has been associated with warmth and preparation for winter, with defining and defending boundaries, with healing and regeneration of both animals (it’s antibacterial and antiviral) and the land (it de-acidifies soil and heals damaged landscapes), and with hope in dark times. The smoke of burning juniper has been used in many spiritual traditions for protection and connection to wisdom and the holy.

So today I send you blessings of the Juniper!

Yours in well-boundaried connection, warmth, healing, and hope,
Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org