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| Virginia to the Left and Harold to the right. Two of my favorite Junipers that create the herb circle where we live. Photo by Jamie |
Like many people I love the smell of crushed Juniper needles. The variety we have here is Juniperus
virginiana. They are a tall,
dense, fine looking pyramid shaped tree and I discovered recently that the
oldest tree of this kind was from our state of Missouri at 795 years old! Not only do they make great wind breaks, but
we use them in a variety of ways.
When the needles are crushed, it releases one of my favorite
smells. I make a breast massage oil from the fragrant needles by chopping and
filling a quart mason jar with them, then covering with olive oil, letting
it sit for 6 weeks, and then straining. Make
sure to place the jar on a rag because it can weep out. Just
rubbing the oil on your hands, cupping near your nose and smelling deeply can
transport your mind to the dark, green woods. To me, it smells like liquid
Christmas. But more importantly, the
infused oil is “superb for regular breast
self-massage, especially for those troubled with painful or lumpy breasts. Evergreens
contain compounds clinically proven to kill cancer cells. The most powerful in this respect are arbor
vitae (Thuja occidentalis) and cedar (Juniperous virginiana). But all evergreens contain antiseptic, antifungal,
antiviral and anti-tumor oils. Using
infused herbal oils is an easy way to keep your breasts healthy, prevent and
reverse cysts, dissolve troublesome lumps and repair abnormal cells. Breast skin is thin and absorbent, and breast
tissue contains a great deal of fat, which readily absorbs infused herbal
oils.” – Susun Weed
