Arborvitae - a gentle healer

Arborvitae - one of the plants I used in making smudge sticks recently - is one of my favorite evergreens to work with. It belongs to the cypress family and is also known as Thuja or Eastern White Cedar in the case of Thuja occidentalis (which I grow and utilize). Thuja plicata also belongs to this mighty family of plant allies and its English name is the Pacific Red Cedar.

Its spirit and properties are soft and gentle and yet so profound in its deep healing, both physically and spiritually.

It was one of the first trees brought over from the "New World" to the "Old World". The French explorer Cartier and his crew had fallen ill with scurvy and were offered a tea by Native Americans to combat their afflictions. They subsequently brought back seeds and the rest, as you could say, is history.

Why is it called a cedar when it belongs to the cypress family? Well, the English got it wrong. The scent reminded them of the Cedars of Lebanon and so the confusion began.

Over time, the Native American names for these magnificent plants were forgotten and replaced by English, French and Spanish words.

Arborvitae are honored as "Grandmother Tree" and "Tree of Life" to this day, invoking ancestral wisdom and healing. It invites us to honor our roots, the very foundation we stand on. It also encourages us to review and reflect on what is true during these times of great change and initiation. Are our foundations we stand on firm and stable? Rooted in truth and integrity? Can we find our voice and move forward with clarity and purpose?

New opportunities arise when we plant seeds, Arborvitae can help us do so, encouraging creativity and growth, especially when we are feeling challenged, overwhelmed and unmotivated.

Harness it's power by making tea out of its soft branches (also high in Vitamin C!, great for this time of health concerns), use it in loose or shaped incense and in smudge sticks. Incorporate it into table arrangements for the holidays and give thanks to these mighty trees.