Red Cedar and the Spirit Problem

Juniperus virginiana - often referred to as cedarwood and always confused with the biblical cedar, whether as an essential oil or an incense plant. 

Anyone who writes this or passes it on in lectures and seminars has already proven one thing: To have zero knowledge about plants, their biochemical orientation and history.

I cannot understand why there is still confusion in the use of Juniperus virginiana and the two Cedrus species - Cedrus atlantica (Atlas cedar) and Cedrus deodora (Himalayan cedar).

People - you have a smartphone - no matter where you are in the world, you have it with you. Not only can you use it for social media, phone calls and photos or videos - no, you can use it to quickly find out which plant is behind which botanical name on the internet. Finally try it out and act accordingly.

Essential oils always have a botanical name on the label, but it's a bit more difficult with incense plants if you don't know them.
What is the difference between cedar and cedarwood or red cedar?

For a better understanding of the plant spirit, think about this

Red Cedar - Juniperus virginiana comes from the culture of the indigenous North American peoples. What traditions, legends or myths can you think of spontaneously? The plant was first brought to our culture by ship in 1664 and then planted in some botanical gardens.

The cedar originates from the culture of the Orient and has been used there since the beginnings of mankind in Mesopotamia and the ancient centers of Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is part of the oldest surviving incense recipe in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the famous biblical plant. The botanical name for the Atlas cedar is Cedrus atlantica, the Himalayan cedar is Cedrus deodora. The much older biblical plant - the Lebanon cedar - Cedrus libani was already eradicated in biblical times, apart from a few protected specimens.

Incidentally, there is also no historical evidence that the ancient centers of Egypt, Greece and Rome had a lively timber trade with ships across the Atlantic. The discovery of America is still attributed to Christopher Columbus in 1492, but by then the biblical times were already history. Red cedar or cedarwood was never used in Europe as a substitute for cedar wood in a Christian context.

This should finally make it clear that the spirit carried by the red cedar is something completely different from the biblical cedar wood.

If you now use Juniperus virginiana in the context of the biblical cedar, this does not work on the energetic side. A plant does not change its spirit. Every plant carries its own identity, DNA, energy, spirit and plant deva. You are setting something in motion here that does not work because your intention and the spirit of the plant are moving in two different energetic directions.

This is why plant adulteration, whether on the physical, emotional or spiritual side, is so harmful.

After all, you have recognized the spirit problem, you know who is honest with you and so you are no longer subject to the deceivers and charlatans who do not focus on your well-being but only on your money. And you can check this quickly and easily with your smartphone - you wouldn't have guessed now, would you?

Red cedar in medicine

Nothing is known about it among the indigenous peoples. Although the essential oil has been around for a long time, it is still neglected because we aroma professionals prefer the cedar oil from Cedrus atlantica. Juniperus virginiana is best known as the wood from which pencils are made or the wooden balls used as mothproofing for wardrobes. Hence the name red cedar, because the wood is reddish in color.

Smoking with red cedar

It carries its very own energy, powerful, cleansing, encouraging and centering. Its orientation is entirely dedicated to the elemental and very strong juniper plants. The botanical name part Juniperus, which comes first for all juniper plants, also refers to this.

Red Cedar carries the spirit of the great spirit - the creator to whom all indigenous North American peoples look back. It is the sacredness of creation, not only of humans, but also of the earth, plants and animals - which are animated. Ruled by good spirits or the evil ones who ride the winds and determine fate. Every indigenous tribe has found its own direction and history.

It is respect and appreciation for life and death. Everything is animate and everything is sacred. A view from which we can learn a lot, but which also shows us the limits. Because living this way is more difficult than it seems at first glance. Seeing every part of the existence of ourselves and others, animals, plants and landscapes as a sacred part of the cosmos is overwhelming. Nevertheless, everything is in balance and harmony when we have made our inner peace.

Perhaps we should understand this to mean that we can only live well in harmony with ourselves and our environment if we have found our inner peace. Only then can we be tolerant and simply be and accept that others are different. See the holiness in other people, even in those who don't fit in with us. Not an easy topic, is it?

Red Cedar manages to bring in distance, tolerance and, above all, dignity. Dignity, wisdom and maturity - of a great spirit, that is what the Red Cedar spirit conveys.

Red cedar also expresses this aspect as the most important plant basis of the indigenous North American peoples. Its wood was used for ritual objects, such as masks or totem poles, as well as for everyday objects, e.g. canoes. It is the suspension between important and unimportant and, above all, between everyday life and spirituality. For the indigenous North American peoples, everything was characterized by spirit. From the smallest fire to the most sacred ritual act.

It is about seeing and understanding sacredness even in our smallest actions. This embodies the great spirit and magic - which is inherent in everything.
The energy of the Red Cedar

It is not only the great spirit, but also the trauma and grief that can afflict a people in this way. It is the division between mine and yours, between different ways and forms of life, and always an indication of the lack of tolerance of the other.

The indigenous peoples of North America were nomads who roamed the land with the buffalo herds and came into conflict with the newly arrived people across the ocean who took and colonized the land. While the indigenous peoples had no idea of land ownership, the settlers became more and more numerous. They saw the nomads as inferior people, found themselves superior and naturally outnumbered.

Of course, the religious orientation also played a very important role. On the one hand, the indigenous peoples' belief in an animated nature, humans and animals; on the other hand, a fundamentally pronounced Christian faith that places humans at the center, thus subordinating everything and incorporating property.

Are we now talking about the genocide of the indigenous peoples of North America or just expulsion from paradise? The indigenous peoples were deprived of their livelihood, their cultural identity and relegated to the reservation, which of course had no significant resources for self-sufficiency. Poverty, hopelessness and a lack of prospects were passed down from generation to generation.

The Red Cedar is able to dissolve trauma and get to the root causes. It is not an easy path when it comes to working through pain, loss and poverty back to the ancestors. The Red Cedar supports mourning and ancestral work very well, thanks to its anxiety-relieving, uplifting and light-giving properties. It powerfully illuminates what wants to come into the light and be redeemed.

Red Cedar in practice

Red Cedar is a wonderful incense for connecting with animated nature, i.e. the plant devas and animal spirits. It has something in its scent that makes the energies flow. In this way, many things can be dissolved, integrated and recognized. Especially when important decisions need to be made, it provides clarity and allows us to find a solution. It is also a wonderful scent companion for oracles, tarot or angel cards.

The remaining plant remains are a welcome gift of thanks to the little people who help us here. If you can't get out into nature, donate the ashes of your potted plant. Likewise, if we want to create an energetic balance, as thanks to people who have helped us but we no longer see them.

It can deepen our intuition, bring our old inner knowledge into consciousness and reveal new possibilities in visions. Christian Rätsch writes in his book "Räucherstoffe - der Atem des Drachen" (page 204): "The twigs are the most important incense in the peyo rituals of the Native American Church. Through it spreads a sublime holiness through which the visions can flow freely."

Red Cedar in the astrological classification

It is one of the incense plants of Mercury. Red Cedar supports our logical and analytical abilities, allows us to approach people and situations with an open mind and connects us with the powers of Mercury. Mercury stands for thinking, communicating with others and learning new skills. It is the symbol of the mind, reason, intellect and logic. It was not for nothing that Mercury was the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, who conveyed messages between the gods and humans. Smoking Mercury can help us to communicate better with our fellow human beings, to argue more objectively and to use what we have learned with confidence.

The Red Cedar is assigned to Gemini in the zodiac. People of this sign live in the here and now and are full of vitality and openness. They effortlessly see through even tricky situations and can immediately recognize advantages and disadvantages. They have a wide range of interests, are sociable, flexible and curious. And so a Gemini incense can help us to approach new acquaintances and people openly and without prejudice, to gain mental clarity about the many advantages and disadvantages of situations and to anchor ourselves in the here and now.