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![]() "According to tradition the Ogham alphabet was invited by Ogma, god of eloquence and fair speech. The first message he wrote in the alphabet was a message on a birch rod, consisting of seven strokes. For this reason, birch is the first letter of the Ogham alphabet." Ellen Evert Hopman Representing new beginnings, the birch tree is often the first tree to grow after the ground has been disturbed. When the ice from the Ice Age melted, the birch tree is said to have been the first tree to fill forests. This fast growth, strong trunk, and flexible limbs made birch ideal for various building and crafts. With the wood being so ideal for building a crafting, it was the popular choice for building things like handles, bobbins, spools, and reels. Traditionally, drawing on the symbolism of new beginnings, birch is used to make cradles. According to the Welsh tradition, building a cradle of birch wood invoked the protective power of the Goddess into the nursery. In Scottish tradition, birch was hung over the cradle as protection. Today, birch is used to build log cabins which do not require a heavy roof and furniture. Many artisans prefer to use birch wood in their craft because it is so fast growing, resilient, and smooth. In Celtic tradition, birch is used as the ritual tree during Samhain (Halloween). Samhain is the Celtic new year which meant purification before the winter was an important part of ritual life. Birch symbolizing new beginnings and purification was used to light the communal fire, drive out the spirits of the old year, and purify the garden before its winter sleep. The iconic "witches broom" is made from birch and originally symbolized the tool Celtic shamans would use during their flight to the Upperworld. Birch is also celebrated during Beltane/May Day due to its strong connection to new beginnings and fertility. As the tree is the first to leaf, it is the obvious choice to represent the emergence of spring. In spring, the birch is associated with love and fertility as well as purification and new beginnings. As a result, many goddesses became attached to the symbolism of birch. Goddesses such as Northern European Frigga and Freya, Anglo-Saxon Eostre (from whom we derive Easter), Venus, and the cross cultural goddess Brigid. In shamanic understanding, birch is known as “the way shower” because it shines so brightly under moonlight. This brightness in the forest holds spiritual meaning to shamanic practitioners. For example, Siberian shamans use birch as a sky ladder, using trance to travel up the birch trunk into the Sky World to retrieve information. The shamans would then return to their world by allowing the birch’s flexible branches gently place them back on the ground. Shamanic traveling is not the only mystical use for birch. In Scandinavia, birch was used to carve runes on the bark for divination practices. Birch held such an importance to the people's every day life, folklore and tales were created to share the wisdom and use birch held for generations to come. Often Bards would tell these tales in great halls and during communal gatherings. Each tale, entwined with tales of the gods and goddesses, ensured the knowledge would be remembered through time. Today, many modern day bards still share this ancient folklore. You can find one example of a wonderful Bardic tale about birch from the Woodland Bard on his YouTube channel - Here Across cultures and continents, birch is a powerful herbal remedy. The leaves are diuretic and antiseptic as well as an effective remedy for cystitis and other urinary tract infections. Leaves can also be used to dissolve kidney stones and relieve rheumatism and gout. The sap of the birch tree prevents kidney and bladder stones, treats rheumatism and can be used to treat skin complaints. The bark is said to ease muscle pain if applied externally. Native American tribes would use birch as a remedy for all sorts of ailments. Anything from sensitive teeth to lung inflammation was treated by the use of birch. Birch is a Goddess tree and uses her energies to remind us to keep in touch with our feminine side. She tells us to honor the feminine piece of our dual nature by being vulnerable, life-giving, and nurturing. If we follow the birch and learn her wisdom, we can learn how to care more deeply for our world and all creation. Today, you can find different varieties of birch all over the Northern Hemisphere. Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment is a great resource to use when foraging birch and trying recipes for the first time. Resources: Trees for Life Ogma Trees A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine - Ellen Evert Hopman
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AuthorCaitlin is a full-time special education teacher with a penchant for the wyrd. When she isn't hanging out with the coolest kids, she's out in her garden tending to her herbs or frolicking with her 2 goats, 40 chickens, 6 ducks, 2 turkeys, 2 dogs, and 6 cats. She understands it's a hoarding situation at this point, but life is too short to worry about boring things like that. Archives
May 2024
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