Like the Queen of Swords in the tarot deck, cypress’s personality is swift, concise, and uncompromising. Aligned with both the planet Mercury and the element of air, she is especially suited for magical work involving communication, thought, and healing the emotions through purifying and releasing old wounds.
Technically, cypress is the name of a large family of conifers that includes junipers, sequoias, and redwoods (each of which possesses its own section in this book). Here, we’ll specifically discuss those trees of the family Cupressaceae with the word “cypress” in their name, such as the Monterey cypress, Leyland cypress, and Italian cypress.
Magical Uses
Clarity
With such a meticulously clear energetic signature, cypress can help when we desire clarity on any given issue or challenge or just a greater level of mental clarity in general. Simply sitting in quiet contemplation with a cypress tree would be an excellent way to receive this benefit. Bring along a fluorite crystal for added intensity.
Emotional Healing
Long recognized as an ally for those who are grieving, the cypress tree indeed cleans and clears grief and other emotional wounds in an uncommonly potent way. Once we’ve acknowledged and felt our feelings fully, cypress’s detached wisdom allows us to simply release them and dissolve them into the sky, like morning dew drops in dry summer heat.
Cypress Deep Emotional Detox
When the waning moon is in an air sign (Aquarius, Gemini, or Libra) and the sun is shining visit a cypress tree. Sit comfortably with your spine relatively straight and take some deep, conscious breaths. Relax your body and center your mind as you gaze at the cypress and come into alignment with it. Pour clear water into a glass bowl and hold the bowl in both hands. Still relaxing, get in touch with the feelings that you’d like to detoxify from your system. Feel them as fully as possible, and mentally direct the energy of them into the water. Cry if you need to, or just get into the flow of the feelings as best you can. When you feel that you’ve poured your feelings into the water as completely as possible, stand up and pour the water around the base of the tree, setting the intention to fully release all attachment to these feelings as you do so. Finally, touch the trunk of the cypress and allow yourself to tap into her deep wisdom and strength. Inwardly thank her from the bottom of your heart.
Longevity
Some cypresses can live for up to a thousand years, and many varieties can withstand harsh and extreme weather conditions. Energetically speaking, cypress possesses a wise and Zen-like disposition, teaching us through example to adopt a healthy and sustainable relationship with the unavoidable stresses of life. These qualities combined make cypress an excellent magical ally for intentions related to longevity and sustained physical health. For this purpose, spend time in quiet contemplation with cypress, plant cypresses in your yard, or bring a small potted specimen—such as a lemon cypress—into your life. A potted cypress would also be an excellent gift for a convalescing loved one.
Writing and Speaking
The gift of language falls within cypress’s domain. As such, magical intentions related to writing and/or speaking with clarity and power can be greatly fueled by cypress’s clear vibration. For example, for public speaking, or before anytime when you desire for your words to be particularly resonant and persuasive, lightly brush your throat and third eye (forehead) with a sprig of cypress (provided you are not allergic). Similarly, you can enhance your writing efforts by tapping your keyboard and both hands (or your notebook and writing hand) with a sprig of cypress before you begin.
Magical Correspondences
Element: Air
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Mercury