Shared from my childhood, my gram used to make this tea for me when I was coming down with a cold or just feeling “under the weather”. It was also something she and I shared many cold winter evenings after outside chores were finished. I loved the taste and she said it was good for me. Pine top tea is filled with vitamin C, It can also be charged to bring protection, healing, and money into your life. I would suggest that you find a healthy pine tree away from traffic and exhaust fumes, herbicides and pesticides. This may require a walk in the woods. This time of year in the North east you may have to settle for pine needles and cones. I am lucky I only need walk into my back yard to acquire the main ingredients for these soothing healing pine recipes.
Pine Top Tea
- Pick at least 1 cup of fresh, green pine needles; the freshest ones will be bright in color, Rinse them in fresh water
- Measure 3 cups of water Pour the water into a saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a boil.
- Chop the needles into small pieces. Remove any faded or imperfect needles.
- Add the chopped pine needles to the water as soon as it comes to a boil. Stir the needles into the water with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
- Steep the tea mixture for an additional 20 minutes,or overnight. Add the juice squeezed from one lemon to the tea if you like. You may let the tea steep overnight; it will be a deep reddish color and taste stronger if you do.
- Strain the pine needles out of the tea. Pour into cups and sweeten with a teaspoon of sugar, honey or maple syrup, if desired.
- What you don’t drink hot, refrigerate for a cold, refreshing drink.Experiment with proportions of pine needles to water.
- The best tea will be a nice reddish color, and a small amount of oil will rise to the top.
Warnings:
Pregnant women should never drink pine top tea; it may cause spontaneous abortion.
Don’t over boil the tea; doing so will lessen its amount of vitamin C.
Pine Needle Bath Tea
A good long soak in a pine needle bath will help relieve the dry itchy skin that come with winter weather. It is also good for eczema and other itchy dry skin conditions.
To make this you will need to collect about 1 pound of pine needles and pine candles[the new growth on pine branches] or pine cone.
- Fill a large pot with water. Leave about five inches between the water level and the lip of the pot.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Bring needles, candles, and or cones to a boil stir with wooden spoon to keep from scorching. Boil for about 1/2 hour.
- Strain the tea into a large bowl or pitcher, discard the needles, candles, and cones.
- Bath tea may be stored in a gallon container with a good lid, Let it sit for at least 12 to 14 hours before using it in your bath.
- Add one cup to your bath water and soak at least 15 to 30 minutes to begin bringing relief to your dry skin.
Ravenhawks' Magazine Magick for Mind Body and Soul 