BIRCH

Sweep out the old
For new beginnings possibility
Healer of the forest
​In winter's ghostly white
​

Beautiful, ghostly birch is the tree for December 24 to January 19 on the Celtic tree calendar.  There are a number of species of birch in the US, Europe, and Asia.  All are considered pioneer species.  Birch is usually a short lived tree that is often the first tree to repopulate an area after fire, storms, or logging.

Birch is more than just a forest healer,  It also has a number of medicinal properties and uses.  Birch is also used for flavoring drinks and sweets, and the sap can be boiled into a syrup.  The bark has been used for paper, baskets, canoes, and to cover houses.  The wood is used for flooring, construction, and crafts.  Some of the other uses of birch are dye, leather making, and broom making.

Traditionally, birch is the wood used for the yule log and for magical brooms.  Both are symbols of transition and renewal.  The burning of the yule log marks the cleaning out of the old and celebrating new beginnings.  The broom is used to sweep out the old energy so the new beginnings can take place.  Birch is used for purification and to mark those new beginnings or initiations.  It symbolizes the potential of the new year and the determination of making dreams come true.

This is a tree of both fire and the goddess and feminine energy.  Cradles were made of the wood to protect babies.  Talismans and runes are frequently made from birch.  Birch is used as protection from evil and to encourage spiritual growth.  It is one of the woods used in shamanic rituals.  

Birch is one of the trees that grows abundantly in the damp areas in my part of the world.  When I am looking for wood to do rustic construction, this is one of the trees that I look for.  Birch is a beautiful and comforting wood for creating bed frames and chairs.