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Western Herbalism
In winter, the world goes quiet.
Sap retreats into the earth, plants pause their outward growth, and nature invites us to follow her lead; slower mornings, deeper breaths, long exhalations. While many plants die back or rest under snow, the evergreens remain. Pine. Cedar. Spruce. Fir.
They stand in their green resilience, not by fighting winter, but by knowing how to belong to it. For herbalists, conifers are winter’s medicine chest. Especially for the lungs.
Conifer needles are rich in:
These compounds help:
If you’ve ever taken a deep inhale in a pine forest and felt something inside you lift, that’s the medicine.
Energetics: Warming, drying, opening
Actions: Expectorant, antimicrobial, decongestant, restorative
Pine is one of the most accessible winter medicines rooted in folk tradition across northern cultures. It was used historically to help address:
Fun fact: Pine needles contain more vitamin C than lemons, and Indigenous peoples have long used pine needle tea to support immunity and ward off scurvy.
Best form in winter: Pine tea or steam inhalations
Ingredients
How to
You’ll get a gently citrusy, resinous tea that opens the lungs and wakes up the senses.
Safety Tip: Not all evergreens are safe. Avoid yew (Taxus spp.) flat needles + red berries. When in doubt, ask a local herbalist.
Energetics: Cooling, drying, clearing
Actions: Antimicrobial, expectorant, lymphatic mover
Where pine brings clarity and uplift, cedar brings clearing and protection.
Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island use cedar for purification, in both the physical and energetic sense.
Cedar supports:
Cedar is best used short-term and in small amounts. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients
How to
Perfect for: Heavy chest and post-viral stuffiness
Use as needed for coughs and congestion.
Ingredients
Melt beeswax into the infused oil, pour into a tin, let cool.
Rub into chest and back before bed.
Evergreens model resilience, not force. They don’t push toward growth when the environment asks them to rest. They stand rooted, steady and patient. They remind us that inner vitality doesn’t come from constant movement. It comes from deep roots.
Winter lung medicine is really heart medicine.
Breathe in the forest. Let the plants steady your rhythm.
If winter plants are whispering to you…
there’s a whole world waiting.
Inside our diploma programs and herbal courses, you’ll learn:
Study at your own pace, From anywhere, With community
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