Conifers: legends, uses, and essential oil recipes

December is the darkest month of the year, a period that has held profound significance in various cultures and historical epochs. The Romans, for example, celebrated Saturnalia around the solstice: these feasts in honor of Saturn or Kronos, god of time and immortality, during which a collective atmosphere of euphoria similar to Christmas was created. Saturn, the planet by which December is marked, is an ambivalent planet, governing the beginning and end of things. Masculine, cold, and arid, it is known as a reaper, a sage, and an initiator. It is no coincidence that December is the month for pruning plants; it concludes the year but already contains all the premises, desires, and seeds of the new year. Our body experiences this period of cold and lack of light with intense stress and a consequent lowering of immune defenses, a tendency towards melancholy and sadness. Conifers, particularly Scots Pine and White Fir, are plants that can help us during this month. Their essential oil revitalizes body and mind, boosts the immune response, and cleanses environments of normally present bacteria. They grow in cold climates, resisting wind and bad weather: they give us the strength of a warrior, the freshness and freedom of a mountain peak. Rheumatism, aches, and cervical pain 2 or 3 drops of Mugo Pine in sweet almond oil actively combat pain and rheumatism. A revitalizing ritual The recipe: 3 spoons of salt, two of olive oil, 10 drops of Pine and 10 of Eucalyptus, 20 minutes, a bath or a shower. Immerse yourself in a warm bath where you have poured the mixture to recharge mind and body, feeling toned and more peaceful. In the shower, the mixture can also be used as a purifying body scrub. A curiosity: the fir, the Christmas tree The Fir has always been considered a magical plant, a tool of communication between heaven and earth, and depicts man's desire to seek his inner "self" and the desire to open up to his spiritual side. For the ancient Celts, it was the divine tree protecting Yule, which is none other than the Winter Solstice. As for the Celts, for all the peoples of Northern Europe there was a link between the Fir and the solstice. In the Middle Ages, peasants had the custom of bringing a fir tree home to decorate it, giving it the meaning of "tree of light." A majestic evergreen, it is linked to solar qualities and the dichotomy between life and death: its reassuring presence in the long Nordic night had the symbolic value of something deeply vital, which overcomes all forms of sterility. Its wide branches offer protection to small mountain animals. A tall and fragrant greeting, Barbara Pozzi and Olfattiva staff*