Walking with Juniper: A Salve of Memory and Movement
ʔa·kuk̓pǂuǂaǂ - Juniper (to hear pronunciation)
We’re Not Experts. We’re Rememberers.
We didn't create this salve because we've mastered something. We made it because we keep showing up. Juniper was one of the first plants to say, “Keep going.” And so we did. And still do.
Our daughter watches. Our ancestors listen. Our friends gather. We put one foot in front of the other.
This recipe is just a point on the path—not the beginning, not the end. Just a breath.
We Don’t Have All the Answers. But We Keep Walking.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped trying to define where this journey would take us. We stopped forcing clarity and started listening—to our bodies, to our memories, to the land. And through all of it, Juniper has walked with us.
We’ve known Juniper as a smudge placed over hot rocks or burned over charcoal sometimes mixed with other smudge plants. We’ve seen it hanging above doorways to keep things clean—not just physically, but spiritually. We’ve steeped it in teas to calm our lungs, to ease the cold from our bones. We’ve burned it in grief, in gratitude, in ceremony, and in the quiet hours where healing doesn’t ask to be witnessed.
And now, we’ve offered it in a salve—yes, a beginner’s recipe by form, but something deeper by feeling. It carries memory, story, and motion.
Juniper Salve
What You’ll Need
Juniper berries (harvested with respect)
A carrier oil (apricot kernel, coconut, or olive oil work well)
Beeswax
Optional: Vitamin E or natural antioxidant
Mortar and pestle or clean cloth and stone
The Process
1. Harvest Mindfully
Pick berries when they’re plump, deep in color, and slightly sticky. Introduce yourself to the plant. Offer something—words, breath, tobacco, a song. You're not taking. You're receiving.
2. Break the Berries
Gently crush the berries to awaken their oils. The scent will rise like a memory. That’s how you’ll know.
3. Infuse the Oil
Fill a clean glass jar halfway with crushed berries. Cover fully with oil. Let it infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes, or ideally for a full moon cycle. Let your own timeline and instinct guide you—this is intuitive work.
The oil is ready when it smells like the earth remembered something.
4. Prepare the Wax Mixture
In a double boiler or over gentle indirect heat, melt beeswax. Don’t scorch it. Once fully melted, stir in your infused oil slowly and with gratitude.
Alternative Methods to the Double Boiler
If a double boiler isn't accessible, here are some gentle methods to infuse your oil:
1. Slow Cooker Method
Place your crushed juniper berries and carrier oil in a heat-safe jar. Set the jar in a slow cooker filled with water, ensuring the water level is below the jar's lid. Set the cooker to the "warm" setting and let it infuse for several hours, checking periodically.
2. Oven Method
Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature (around 150°F or 65°C). Place the oil and juniper mixture in an oven-safe dish and let it infuse for 2–5 hours, ensuring the oil doesn't overheat.
3. Solar Infusion
Combine the crushed berries and oil in a clear jar and place it in a sunny window. Let it infuse for 4–6 weeks, shaking gently every few days. This method is slower but deeply traditional.
4. Warm Water Bath
Place your oil and juniper mixture in a sealed jar. Submerge the jar in a pot of warm water (not boiling) on the stove, maintaining a low temperature. Let it infuse for 1–2 hours, monitoring the heat closely.
Each method allows the essence of juniper to meld with the oil, creating a salve that carries your intention and the plant's spirit.
5. Adjust & Scent
For softer balm, add more oil. For firmer balm, add more wax. To check consistency, cool a small drop on a spoon and apply it to your skin.
Add essential oils if desired—Juniper, Sage, Cedarwood, or Pine all honor the plant’s lineage. You’ll know what it needs.
6. Pour & Seal
Pour your finished blend into tins or jars. Label with the plant name, the date, and anything else you want to remember about the day. Let the salve cool fully before sealing.
What It’s For – And What It Carries
A Teaching from Juniper
Juniper teaches that true strength doesn’t shout—it roots.
It reminds us that medicine can be both subtle and steady. That sometimes the most sacred work is simply showing up with intention. That clarity doesn’t always come quickly, but it always comes.
This salve holds that teaching.
It is not just made to help you feel better.
It is made to help you feel yourself again.
This salve lives in layers. It doesn’t just soothe the skin—it brings you back to yourself.
Juniper is not a plant that demands attention. It shows up quietly. Protects without condition. Offers its medicine with humility.
This salve is your reminder that healing doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful. That what you need is already inside you, and the plant just helps you hear it more clearly.
Use it when:
Your muscles ache from carrying too much. Rub it into shoulders, joints, and tired hands—those places where you hold stress, labor, grief. Let Juniper carry some of the weight.
You’re fighting off a cold—or something heavier. Apply to your chest, the soles of your feet, the space behind your ears. Let the oils move through your body like a breath of mountain air.
Your thoughts are scattered and your spirit feels far. Use on your temples or the back of your neck to help return to center. When your energy is porous, Juniper helps restore your boundaries gently.
You need protection that goes beyond the physical. Juniper is known across many nations for its spiritual armor. Wear it on your pulse points like a shield. During ceremony. Before tough conversations. In moments of grief, or joy that feels too big to hold alone.
You feel the presence of sorrow. Whether you’re preparing for a sweat, mourning a loved one, or simply moving through a hard season—this balm carries you. It does not erase pain, but it keeps you company.
You are remembering. Your power. Your softness. Your ancestors. Your voice. Let the scent and touch be a thread back to yourself.
"I honor the medicine within me. I walk with the plants who remember me. I carry the teachings not for myself alone, but for all those who come after."
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✨ Thank you for walking with us.
