Why should you collect pine cones in june?

Female Pine Cone

Pinus spp.

Gender: Masculine
Element: Air
Planet: Mars

You are probably wondering why I’m mentioning “midsummer celebrations” when the first day of summer was only a few days ago. Midsummer is calculated from May Day, so the days are around this time of year are considered Midsummer. And what does Midsummer have to do with pine cones?

Pine cones gathered during Midsummer have magical properties. Actually, they are infused with magic all year long - more on that later - but if you find a pine cone on Midsummer’s day, and it still has its pine nuts, you will have the ability to become bullet proof! Simply eat one a day until they are gone.

I was in elementary school when I first learned about these powerful protections, but I always felt safe and didn’t see the need to gather them. Times have changed. I’m appreciative of any protection available, and have gathered pine cones today. Pine cones are sensitive to light and open in the sunlight to release their seeds. Be certain to find cones that are not too green, so the seeds will be developed and ready, and not open, so the seeds won’t have fallen out. 

These pine cones are at the perfect stage. Seeds will be developed but they won’t have fallen out yet.

Pine cone with tiny pine nut. Eat one daily until they are gone.

Too early. This pine cone is too green and seeds aren’t developed yet.

Too late. Pine cones have opened, and dropped, their seeds.

Look for pine cones in areas that are cool and don’t get direct sunlight.

Pine cones have other powers. They will increase fertility (I have no interest at all in this, and even if I did, at my age, it would be miraculous, and exhausting.). They also possess the ability to ensure that we live a long, robust and healthy life, and they are very effective in attracting money! Both of these are appealing.

Did you know pine cones have genders? The firm, hard cones we typically think of (as pictured above) are female. The males, called catkins, are soft, and produce pollen. Mother Nature isn’t always predictable and she has a sense of humor. 

Pine cones have been associated with enlightenment, perception, and awareness for centuries, and are associated with the pineal gland, which is actually shaped like a pine cone. The pineal gland has been called ’the third eye chakra’, the ‘seat of the soul’, or ’the mystic seed’. It is a small gland at the center of the brain, between the two cerebral hemispheres. Like the pinecone, it is also associated with light. It produces melatonin, regulating sleep-wake cycles, bone metabolism, mental health and mood regulation. 

The pineal gland has also been affiliated with another chakra, the crown chakra, and is said to have an interconnection to all aspects of a human being, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The history, legends. lore, and gods, goddesses, and religious affiliations of the pine cone and pine tree are abundant. There are over one hundred species of pine, and they are estimated to have been in existence for one hundred and fifty million years. Follow my blog for more on these miraculous plants, as well as others. We are surrounded by, and immersed in miracles! ​