Jewels in the Dirt
Juniper resin sustainably gathered with care.
A recent camping adventure in the desert with two dear friends brought up the theme of belonging. With the current astrology it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was such a potent message. Uncomfortable, challenging, yet revealing and bringing gentleness in the end.
The first day of arrival there were a few times my friends walked to the car together, me staying at camp. I would see them, their sweetness with one another and an old, familiar voice would crop up. “They like each other more than you. Why are you even here? They don’t want you here. You were only invited because they felt like they had to. YOU DON’T BELONG!”.
I kept these things to myself. I knew it was unreasonable. Why should seeing my friends connect bring about such awful feelings? If I don’t belong with them, where DO I belong? Do I not fit anywhere? It was a nagging mental loop running in the background. Seeking examples and evidence that I didn’t fit.
Along the Deschutes River, we were surrounded by Juniper trees and Sage brush. We hiked, cold plunged in a luscious waterfall, journeyed with the medicine of Juniper and took time to collect resin from the Juniper trees.
Each of us went our own way, from tree to tree. Being careful to ask permission and collect responsibly, looking for little gems of resin that had fallen off the trees into the dirt.
As I sat at the base of a Juniper, sifting through the sandy soil, I felt my loving ancestors connect, bringing the tender message of Juniper with them; “Your mere existence is evidence you belong. We celebrated your arrival. Your connection with Earth and her elements proves you belong. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t belong.”
This shifted my perspective and brought ease to my heart. I allowed myself to enjoy slowly searching for the little shiny resin bits, the jewels in the dirt, releasing the rumination and mean inner dialogue. When we sift through the soil, beautiful things can be revealed.
Following was a message that joy does not always have to look a certain way. Celebration can be found in quiet connection. It doesn’t always have to be loud and big.
Later around the fire, we sat and talked. As I voiced the ruminations I had been holding alone, we found we had all been having these feelings. Speaking them aloud allowed us to release the feeling of separateness. All 3 of us had felt like this in one way or another. In sitting with the feeling of not belonging, we all belonged!
I hold gratitude for time to slow down, connect and let these emotions run through. How often do we run on autopilot, unaware of the mental loops controlling our actions? Stuck in the hustle and grind, there’s little time to identify and honor the themes and messages our allies are trying to bring through.
Your loving, healed ancestors want to feel your connection. Sweet Mother Earth wants you to commune with her and WE, your Embody community, want you with us. Together, we belong. Together, we find the jewels in the dirt and the medicine of interrelatedness.
-Bree
Embodiment Practice;
Use the above meditation to connect with plant spirits and listen to if you venture out to collect tree resin.
About tree resin and how to collect it-
Tree resin is a natural substance produced by conifers and pine trees when it is wounded. It is antimicrobial, antifungal and helps to protect the tree from disease. It has been used in folk medicine for centuries as a healing agent and can be used to help fight harmful bacteria and fungus on our bodies as well. You can work with resin in many ways. It can be used to make a healing salve, incense, soap, lip balm and rubs for aches and pains.
How to harvest sustainably-
When sustainably harvesting anything in the wild, it is important to only take what is abundant, and to harvest sparingly—leaving as much as possible for the ecosystem to maintain balance. Because a tree will produce resin to heal itself and protect its vitality, it’s essential not to over-harvest the sap that remains on the tree.
If you harvest resin, do so with reverence. Resin is like a bandage over a tree wound, protecting the tree from infection and decay. It is a critical part of a tree’s healing process, so do not rip or dig it off of the tree; instead harvest resin when chunks of it have fallen to the ground or if you find some dripping further down the trunk, past the wounded area. Better still, harvest the pine resin from fallen trees and branches whenever possible.
A butter knife is an excellent tool for scraping off cold chunks of sap or removing softer bits from a fallen tree. Place the collected resin in a paper cup, piece of parchment paper, or jar dedicated to resin collecting.
When to harvest-
Tree resin can be harvested year-round. However, the cold of winter is the best time for harvesting it. During the winter, one can find many fallen branches and trees that have been broken by snowfall or strong winds. These fallen trees and branches are the preferred source for collecting pine resin because taking it from them does not harm the tree in any way. The cold weather also helps the resin to harden and become easier to collect.