JUNIPER
Botanical name: Juniperus communis

Also Known As (AKA):  Common Juniper

Therapeutic Benefit - Mind:  Juniper is clearing and restoring.

Therapeutic Benefit - Body:  Juniper is analgesic, antiviral, and antiseptic. It is beneficial for oily skin, acne, eczema and seborrhea of scalp. Juniper is a diuretic and it aids the kidneys, liver, arthritis and gout. It relieves muscular pain and prevents infection of pressure sores. Juniper is a tonic to the liver and rids the body of uric acid. It can also be used for cellulite, hair loss, hangovers, obesity, cystitis, herpes, flu, prostate, liver disorders, and urinary stones. Juniper is an appetite stimulant and promotes sweating.

Therapeutic Benefit - Spirit:  Juniper is used in purification and protection ceremonies and for patience.

Application Method:  Dilute 10 drops in 1 oz carrier oil, massage oil, or lotion and apply to skin or bath. Use 4 drops in 2 cups of hot water for a steam.

Action Word:  Detoxifying

Color Energy:  Gold - Revitalizing

Fragrance:  Fresh, pine-like, woodsy, earthy, herbaceous, balsamic

Note:  Top-Middle Note

Color of Oil:  Clear

Major Chemical Constituents:  alpha-pinene, limonene, myrcene, sabinene

Common Adulterants:  Sharp terpenic oils, distillate of fermented berries, juniper branch oil, alpha-pinene (synthetic or bioidentical), delta-3-carene (synthetic or bioidentical)

Blends well with:  Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Cypress, Elemi, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Fir, Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Lavandin, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Marjoram, Melissa, Myrrh, Orange, Pine, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Botany:  An evergreen shrub and though cultivated to a height of six feet, it spurts to another thirty in the Scandinavian wild. Juniper thrives easily in arctic conditions, though it is of course found in many parts of the world. It has a reddish stem, with needle-like leaves, supporting small yellow flowers with blue/black berries.

History:  Juniper has played a major medicinal role in many contagious diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever. The 15th and 16th-century herbalists praised it highly not only for its effect on the plague but also as a cure for bites. Juniper and Rosemary twigs were burnt for a long time in French hospitals to clear the air and it was looked upon as a cure-all in Yugoslavia.

Warnings:  Avoid during pregnancy.