Evergreens & Conifers: The Living Memory of the Earth
In the stillness of winter, when much of the land sleeps beneath snow and silence, the evergreens remain. These resinous trees—pine, cedar, spruce, fir, juniper, and their kin—stand as quiet witnesses to the turning of time. With roots deep in the earth and crowns brushing the sky, conifers are more than just forest dwellers. They are ancient allies, bearers of continuity, and messengers of breath, clarity, and protection. At Inseyet Projects, we honor evergreens not only for their physical presence, but for the deep, spiritual intelligence they carry—reminding us to remain rooted, resilient, and receptive through every season of change.
Conifers belong to a lineage of plants known as gymnosperms, a group that predates flowering species by hundreds of millions of years. The fossil record places them as far back as the Carboniferous period, making them some of the oldest living beings on the planet. Unlike deciduous trees, evergreens keep their foliage year-round, offering a steady presence and color even in the harshest climates. For this reason, they have long been symbols of longevity, immortality, and spiritual strength across cultures. From the sacred groves of ancient Greece to the medicine bundles of Indigenous North America, evergreens have been honored as sacred plants—keepers of fire, breath, and boundary.
Conifers are found on every continent except Antarctica, with the greatest diversity occurring in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Pacific Northwest, coastal forests are dominated by the towering Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and Western red cedar. In the dry plateaus of the Southwest, juniper and pinyon pine hold space under sun-scorched skies. The high altitudes of the Rockies are home to Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine, while Europe reveres the Scots pine and the ancient yew. Each species is uniquely adapted to its environment, yet all share the conifer’s essential signature: resilience, clarity, and a deep-rooted connection to the land.
Traditionally, evergreens have been used in medicine, ceremony, and daily life. Pine resin was burned in Roman temples as a purifier and an offering to the gods. Cedar smoke has long been used by Indigenous nations to cleanse and bless spaces. Juniper berries and branches are used to protect and ground, often burned before rituals or woven into charms. Spruce tips and fir needles, rich in vitamin C and aromatic oils, were brewed into tonics to clear the lungs and support winter vitality. The trees’ resins have been burned for millennia to lift prayers, seal space, and invite communion with the unseen.
Beyond their historical uses, evergreens offer both physiological and energetic benefits. Science has caught up with what forest people have always known: walking among conifers reduces stress, regulates the nervous system, and improves immune function. Volatile oils like alpha-pinene, limonene, and camphene support respiratory health and mental clarity. Energetically, these trees are known to create containers of safety. They help establish boundaries—both spiritual and emotional—while also inviting us into deeper stillness, presence, and remembrance. They are the elders of the forest, and when we slow down enough to listen, they teach us how to endure, how to release, and how to remain clear.
At Inseyet Projects, we work with evergreen and conifer botanicals in alignment with the cycles of the Earth and the intentions of the heart. Whether it’s needles or resin in incense blends, pine-infused spagyrics, or hand distilled essential oils for moment of olfactory satisfaction, these offerings are made to support clarity, protection, and connection to the ancient memory held in trees. In working with these allies, we don’t just engage with plants—we participate in a lineage of reverence that reaches back through firelight, forest, and breath.
Throughout history, evergreens and conifers have been woven into the daily lives, myths, and medicines of many cultures. In ancient Celtic traditions, trees like yew, pine, and fir were seen as sacred gateways—symbols of immortality, protection, and connection to the ancestors. The Druids often conducted rites within evergreen groves, believing these trees held the wisdom of the Otherworld. In Norse mythology, the World Tree Yggdrasil—sometimes imagined as a great ash, but often associated with fir and yew—connected the nine realms, anchoring the cosmos. Among many Indigenous nations in North America, evergreens are considered elders and protectors. Cedar, in particular, is used to bless, cleanse, and guard the spirit, often carried in medicine bundles or burned in purification ceremonies.
Evergreens and conifers are more than botanical allies—they are living teachers. Their enduring presence across climates and centuries speaks to a kind of wisdom that doesn’t come through words, but through quiet, embodied presence. When we approach these trees not just as resources but as elders, we begin to enter into a deeper relationship—one that teaches us how to root, how to breathe, and how to remember.
Spending time with evergreens invites us into stillness. Whether it’s a cedar standing guard at the edge of a clearing or a pine spiraling skyward from rocky soil, these trees exude a calming, grounding energy. Sitting beneath them, we are reminded that strength doesn’t need to be loud. Their presence gently coaxes us into coherence. A simple practice is to sit with one, breathe with it, and attune your body to its rhythm. Let go of needing an answer—just listen. Wisdom may arrive in sensation, image, or subtle insight.
Throughout history, the resins of coniferous trees have been burned in sacred fire. Cedar, pine, fir, juniper, frankincense, and copal have long been used to sanctify space, lift prayers, and cleanse energy fields. These resins carry the spirit of the tree—offering protection, elevation, and clarity. Burning even a small piece on a charcoal disc can open ritual space or assist in personal clearing. The scent itself holds memory and medicine, calling the body and spirit into presence.
Conifers also share their essence through breath. Their volatile oils—like alpha-pinene and limonene—are known not only for physical respiratory benefits, but for their ability to awaken clarity and heighten awareness. Breathing in the forest is more than a calming activity; it is a form of communion. Crushing a fir needle or holding a piece of pine resin up to the nose can serve as a small but powerful exchange. We inhale their breath, and in offering our own, participate in an unspoken dialogue with the plant world.
Creating an altar with evergreen elements is another way to engage with their spiritual gifts. Cedar branches can be placed for purification and ancestral connection, juniper for protection and psychic boundaries, pine for resilience and renewal, and fir for clarity and heart strength. Their cones, twigs, and resins carry the memory of their ecosystem and can serve as anchor points for intention, meditation, or ritual work.
Conifers also play a role in dreamwork and journeying. In various traditions, juniper smoke was burned to protect the dreamer and guide the spirit safely through the night. Pine resin has been used to support clarity during visionary states. You might place a pinch of resin near your bedside or burn it lightly before sleep, setting an intention to connect with the spirit of the tree during your dreamtime.
On a deeper level, evergreens hold ancestral memory—not just of human lineages, but of the Earth itself. These are ancient beings, surviving mass extinctions and climate shifts, holding within their rings and resins the story of time. When we connect with them spiritually, we are tapping into a field of remembrance that extends far beyond our own lifetimes. In this way, they help us align with legacy, responsibility, and the greater rhythms of the living world.
To walk with the evergreens is to engage in a quiet apprenticeship—one that teaches through breath, boundary, and rooted resilience. Whether through smoke, stillness, scent, or song, these trees invite us to reconnect with a way of being that is enduring, clear, and sacred.
These trees haven’t just been honored spiritually—they’ve sustained communities through their resins, needles, seeds, and bark, often when other foods and medicines were scarce. In the boreal north, pine needles were boiled into teas rich in vitamin C to ward off scurvy during the winter months. Fir and spruce tips, soft and citrusy in the spring, have been used as tonics, syrups, and infusions to soothe the lungs and invigorate the system. In the American Southwest, juniper berries were chewed or brewed to support digestion and urinary health, and the ash from burned juniper branches was added to cornmeal as a calcium-rich food source. Some Pacific Northwest nations traditionally steamed food with cedar boughs to infuse dishes with a warming, aromatic essence—an act that was as ceremonial as it was culinary.
Conifer resins were also regarded as precious. Pine pitch was used as a wound dressing and sealant, applied to cuts and boils for its antiseptic properties. Spruce gum was chewed by both Indigenous peoples and early settlers—not just as a primitive chewing gum, but for oral health and respiratory relief. In colder climates, resin salves were prepared to draw out infection and seal cracked skin. Beyond the body, resins like copal, frankincense, and pitch have been central to fire-based rituals around the world—burned to clear energy, sanctify space, and invoke spirit.
In all these forms—food, medicine, offering, and lore—evergreens teach us how to be nourished by what endures. They offer their medicine quietly, withstanding the cold, the weight of snow, and the long dark, all while holding their vibrant green. To work with them is to remember that strength can be steady, scent can be sacred, and healing can come through the breath of trees.