Spirit Message of the Day – Celtic Tree Month Birch – Strength

CELTIC TREE MONTH – BIRCH
December 24 – January 20: The Birch Moon is a time of rebirth and regeneration. As the Solstice passes, it is time to look towards the light once more. When a forested area burns, Birch is the first tree to grow back. The Celtic name for this month is Beth, pronounced beh. Workings done in this month add momentum and a bit of extra “oomph” to new endeavors. The Birch is also associated with magic done for creativity and fertility, as well as healing and protection. Tie a red ribbon around the trunk of a Birch tree to ward off negative energy. Hang Birch twigs over a cradle to protect a newborn from psychic harm. Use Birch bark as magical parchment to keep writings safe.

–Excerpt taken from http://paganwiccan.about.com

BIRCH LORE

• 1st Moon of the Celtic Year – (Dec 24 – Jan 21)
• Latin name: Yellow birch – betula alleghaniensis; black birch – betula lenta; canoe or common birch – betula papyrifea.
• Celtic name: Beth (pronounced: beh)
• Folk or Common names: Beithe, Bereza, Berke, Beth, Bouleau, Lady of the Woods, Birth, Canoe Tree, Paper Tree, Silver Birch, White Birch. “Birch” is derived from the meaning “Bright” or “Shining” in Indo-European and Sanskrit terminology. Quite possibly it came from the Anglo-Saxon term “Beorgan” meaning “to protect or shelter”
• Parts Used: Leaves, bark, wood, sap, branches.
• Herbal usage: Birch leaves can be used to make an infusion that is good for breaking up kidney or bladder stones. Birch bark is an astringent and can be used to treat non-hereditary baldness. Birch tea can be made from the inner bark and leaves and this is good for rheumatism or as a sedative to aid sleep. Birch sap can be harvested the same way maple sap is, and then boiled down into birch syrup.

Magical History & Associations
The bird associated with the Month of the Birch is the pheasant. Birch’s color is white, its day is Sunday and its gemstone is red chard. The Celtic symbol of Birch is the White Stag with a rack with seven tines. Birch is associated with the element of water, is a tree of the sun and the planet Venus, and its Herbal Gender is feminine. The Birch tree is sacred to the God Thor and the Goddesses Diana and Cerridwen. Birch is considered to be a Goddess tree, the symbol of summer ever-returning. The Birch is also a special tree to the Celts (“On a switch of birch was written the first Ogham inscription in Ireland, namely seven B’s, as a warning to Lug son of Ethliu, to wit, ‘Thy wife will be seven times carried away from you into fairyland or elsewhere, unless birch be her overseer.” – Robert Graves (The White Goddess).

Birch wood is one of the nine traditional firewoods to be added to the Belfire that is burned at Beltane. It is one of the three pillars of Wisdom (Oak, Yew, Birch) and often symbolizes the first level of Druid working. Birch trees often have Otherkin spirits attached to them and the “Lieschi” or “Genii of the Forest” are said to dwell in their tree tops. The Ghillie Dhu (pronounced “Gillee Doo or Yoo”) are guardian tree spirits who are disguised as foliage and dislike human beings. They prefer birch trees to all others, and jealously guard them from humans. If the spirit of the Birch tree touches a head it leaves a white mark and the person turns insane. If it touches a heart, the person will die.

Magickal Usage
The month of Birch is a good time to do magick associated with new beginnings. Magickal work done in this moon adds strength and momentum to any new choices made. The Birch has applications in magick done for protection, creativity, exorcism, fertility, birth, healing, Forest Magic, Inner Authority/Self-Discipline, Lunar workings, love, and purification. Magickal protective uses of Birch include tying a red ribbon around the trunk of a birch to ward off the evil eye. Also, gently whapping someone with a Birch twig drives out negative energy, and Birch branches hung near a cradle will protect the newborn from psychic harm. In fact, cradles can be made from Birch wood to further protect a newborn. Many farmers plant Birch around their houses to protect against lightning. For magical parchment, gather Birch bark from a tree that has been struck by lightning (chosen by Thor) – and the Birch paper will keep the writings safe. Because Birch wood has the qualities of exorcism and protection, its twigs are traditionally used to make witches’ brooms. Brooms made of a mixture of Ash, Birch and Willow are said to be especially powerful in magick.

Birch rods are also used in rustic rituals to drive out the spirits of the old year. Birch is also perfect to use to make a ‘Goddess’ wand, since Birch is the tree known as ‘the Lady of the Woods’ and a grove of Birch trees is an excellent place to communicate with the Goddess. Birch wood is also a good choice for making rune sets to use for divination. Be sure to harvest your branch for the rune set during the waxing moon, and make sure you ask Odin or Byarka to inspire your work. Also ask the tree if it will allow you to take a branch and be sure to leave the tree an offering of thanks when you are done. Birch trees especially appreciate gifts such as pretty stones, sea shells, flowers or herbs. (Please note: never take bark off a living Birch tree, since this will kill it.)

–Excerpt taken from http://www.dutchie.org/Tracy/trees/celtic_tree_birch.html

THE MONTH OF BIRCH

Names: BETH, Birch,  Beath, Bethi, Bedw, Beithe, Bedwen, Beithi, Betula pendula
Celtic Symbol : The White Stag
Zodiac Degrees : 2º00` – 29º59` Capricorn
Ruling Planet : The Sun – Sul
Ancient Gods Associated With The Sun
Greek : Helios, Apollo ( Alson Known As Phoebus), Cynthius And Pytheus
Celtic : Hu, Beli, Taliesin, Arthur
Full Moon: Birch Moon; Moon of Inception, Moon of Beginning
Magickal Properties include Protection of children; purification; creativity
Tarot Key: The Magician

The birch is the tree of inception, representing birth, initiation, discipline and sacrifice. The time is ruled by the force of wild, un-tamed nature, and is reflected in the unconscious (inner) self and the rebirth of the Sun from winter’s solstice.  This is the first tree that takes away  the decay of  the mysterious elder.  Both the Birch and the Elder stand on either sides of The One Nameless Day.   They both represent a link between life and death, with the Birch being the beginning of all things.  It is also associated with the training of Druids, the birth of new life and is both energetic and spontaneous.Children’s cradles were made of Birch. Axe handles were also made from Birch. On the Isle of Man, off the west coast of Scotland, criminals were ‘birched’ to purify them and to drive out evil influences.

The silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) is the most common tree birch in much of Europe. It grows up to 30 m (100 feet) high, but is more often found in spreading clumps on sandy soils. It is one of the first trees to colonize an area after a mature forest is cut; this is probably a large part of its symbolic connection with new beginnings. It is cultivated in North America, often under the name of weeping birch.

Its symbols are the horned animals, especially goats and stags. Connected to pentagrams and mountains. The Magician tarot card. Symbolized by Cernunnos – the horned one, said to be the Soul of Lugh, and the Dagda – Celtic Earth god. Archetypically related to other horned gods such as Pan, the Hircocervus (sacred Goat-Stag), the Egyptian horned god Asar (Osiris), and Shiva who is lord of the animals.

Birch trees have been long associated with fertility and healing magic, and the twigs were used to bestow fertility on cattle and newlyweds. Birch is most useful for fertility and healing spells. The birch has a multitude of uses: it yields a sap similar to maple syrup; its bark can be used as flour and also make birch beer; and birch tea is said to ease rheumatism and gout. The inner bark provides a pain reliever while the leaves can be used to treat arthritis.

–Excerpt taken from http://www.crystal-forest.com/celtictreemonthBIRCH.html