BIRCH TREE. Betula
The silvery moon and the birch both carry the ways of magic in the folds of their silken tresses, ask nicely and they both will show you their secrets...
Birch Tree Identification:
We approach the Spring bend in the path and enter a tall stand of Birch trees. Some of you will know them from your time in the Sacred Grove and for others this may be your first intimate meeting. Either way, Birch is a threshold tree, a holder of initiatory space and new beginnings. Stand beneath their silver beams and listen to the rustling of spirit through their shimmering leaves.
Birch trees are the first tree to populate an area after any kind of clearing, whether flame, ice, or even toxic waste. They have a powerful ability to cleanse and purify. Their lifespan is relatively short compared to other trees and they further complete the rejuvenation process by enriching the soil through decomposition. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth is held in the arms, roots and cells of Birch.
There are over 40 species of Birch trees and they grow all over the Northern Hemisphere. They are in the same family, Betulaceae, as hazels and alders. Their unique bark colors give them their common names such as silver birch, black birch and gray birch. There is even a paper birch tree, whose bark is especially good for, you guessed it. . . making paper. The tree truly comes to life in Spring as the dancing leaves unfurl and the tree awakens once more to sway and whisper the old songs in the forests and avenues.
Leaves:
Most birch leaves grow 2 to 3 inches long and have an oval leaf and saw-toothed edges. Birch trees have both male and female flowers called catkins that grow on the same tree. Male catkins are long and drooping, forming in the fall and remain on the tree through the winter, never opening until late April or May. Female catkins grow in the Spring along with the baby shoots. They are upright and a little smaller than the male catkins. Female catkins elongate and form hanging catkins that contain hundreds of tiny seeds, which are scattered on the wind.
Birch trees are the first tree to populate an area after any kind of clearing, whether flame, ice, or even toxic waste. They have a powerful ability to cleanse and purify. Their lifespan is relatively short compared to other trees and they further complete the rejuvenation process by enriching the soil through decomposition. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth is held in the arms, roots and cells of Birch.
There are over 40 species of Birch trees and they grow all over the Northern Hemisphere. They are in the same family, Betulaceae, as hazels and alders. Their unique bark colors give them their common names such as silver birch, black birch and gray birch. There is even a paper birch tree, whose bark is especially good for, you guessed it. . . making paper. The tree truly comes to life in Spring as the dancing leaves unfurl and the tree awakens once more to sway and whisper the old songs in the forests and avenues.
Leaves:
Most birch leaves grow 2 to 3 inches long and have an oval leaf and saw-toothed edges. Birch trees have both male and female flowers called catkins that grow on the same tree. Male catkins are long and drooping, forming in the fall and remain on the tree through the winter, never opening until late April or May. Female catkins grow in the Spring along with the baby shoots. They are upright and a little smaller than the male catkins. Female catkins elongate and form hanging catkins that contain hundreds of tiny seeds, which are scattered on the wind.
The Folklore and Magic of Birch:
Birch trees are very important culturally and spiritually to many peoples in the Northern Hemisphere. They are the national tree of both Finland and Russia and play a huge role in much of their folklore. In Russia, Birch trees are considered part of the divine feminine and represent grace, beauty and a rooted connection to the land and the nature spirits. Baba Yaga, the famous forest-dwelling crone, uses a birch broom to sweep behind her travelling mortar. Many Slavic and Scandinavian cultures agree that witches ride on birch brooms. Birches have long been used in exorcism and purification rituals with the long leaf covered branches gathered in spring and used dried through the year.
In both Norse and Germanic Runes and the Celtic tree Ogham {pronounced O-am}, Birch is one of the named trees with both symbol and meaning. Runes and Ogham are an old ways form of divination and communication used by Celts and Scandinavian/Germanic peoples of early Europe. Beith is the word for Birch the Ogham, which represents the springtime, new beginnings, fertility and initiation. In the Elder Furthark and Futhorc runic systems is known as Berkanan or Beorc and represented by a ‘B’ shape. Here Birch represents growth, wisdom, rebirth and new beginnings.
Birch is often referred to as the lady of the woods, and as a tree of enchantment; when the white of the birch tree is seen by moonlight; it looks silvery and gleaming as beguiling as the moon and the goddess. As a springtime tree, it reminds us to sweep out the old to make way for the new. In many parts of Europe and Britain, the birch was used as a living maypole at Beltane, which is one of the spring festivals celebrating fertility and the goddess. Traditionally, because of its white color, birch was thought of as being a purifier, and small rods from the tree were used to drive out unwanted spirits.
The ancient Celts loved the luminous silvery tree, so much so that they often referred to it as the goddess Brigid, and women would go often to the birch tree, asking for fertility and the blessing of a pregnancy. They would do this by making offerings of small pieces of fabric tied to the branches of the tree.
Of course, the birch is the first tree in spring that is said to “put her spring-time dress on”; as she is the first to get her leaves back and become green and full in her wondrous glory. She signals to farmers that the weather is warm enough to begin sowing their precious life-giving seeds, which once again demonstrates the fertile, feminine power of the birch tree.
It is said that in the spring-time, every village would keep a birch tree near its center, firstly so that they could see when the spring had arrived, and secondly, to have a sort of "village charm" and use the fertile powers of the tree in many different rituals. One such ritual involved the men of the village chasing the women of the village with twigs of the birch tree, in hopes of bestowing fertility on those it touched, and perhaps winning that woman over as a love interest.
Of course, the birch was not just viewed as a tree of fertility, but also as a talisman that would protect against daemons and other entities that were out to cause peril or destruction. It is said that birch twigs, placed over the doors of the house and barn, would protect against spells and curses, as well as daemons and other beasties that lurk. In the Fall the birch tree's twigs made perfect brooms for sweeping out the old energy as folks prepared for the inward time, and these brooms were hung on the doors until they fell apart to be made again the following season.
The birch also has many healing properties, as well as a high nutritional value, and was often referred to as famine food. The sap can be made into a wonderful, sweet syrup, similar to maple syrup, but also can be drunk on its own as a nutrient-rich source of water, and the inner bark can be scraped out and ground into a flour, used for making small cakes or bread. It was this bread or mush that was often eaten in times of famine.
In Russia and Siberia, the birch tree has a sacred and symbiotic relationship with the Fly Agaric mushroom; they tend to like to grow alongside one another. The local, sacred Reindeer love to eat these mushrooms, just as much as Siberian shamans do; the mushrooms are considered a sacred food, as they give the shamans access to the spirit world. Once a year, the shamans would spend days fasting and preparing to journey shamanically with these sacred mushrooms that grow so close to the birch tree. So it was that the birch tree became closely associated with the shamanic journey, and that both the tree and the agaric mushroom have become shrouded in mystery and sacredness to the Siberian shamans.
Some legends say that the birch tree is a manifestation of the Goddess, who offers her milk to the shaman as an elixir of life, while many scholars regard the sacred mushrooms as the Goddess' breast, and perhaps even the source of the fabled Soma, the sacred elixir of life and the nectar of the Gods.
One of my favorite stories from Eastern Europe/Russia about the Birch tree is the one about the young goat-herding girl.
The story goes that her mother sent the girl into the woods with wool to spin and goats to herd. The child meets a beautiful woman with a crown of birch who convinces the child to spend the day dancing together. At the end of the day, the girl is upset because the wool is not spun and her mother will be angry. However, as she gathers the goats to return home, the woman gifts the girl with a magic spindle that quickly completes the task. This is repeated for three days in a row with the girl dancing from dawn to dusk with the mysterious silver woman and finding the wool magically spun. Finally on the last day, the woman gives the girl a gift of a basket filled with autumnal dried birch leaves. When the girl returns home she discovers the yellow leaves have turned to real gold.
Here is a link to a fuller version of the story with some gorgeous illustrations:
http://www.tresbohemes.com/2016/11/the-wood-fairy/
Native American tribes also have a close relationship with this tree. In some cases, like the Ojibwa believe the tree to be sacred to Wenabozho/Nanabozho, and use the bark to wrap their dead as a form of protection. The tree was also used to line canoes, map making, basket weaving and medicine.
If possible, spend some time finding a birch tree in your area. If you're able to, perhaps you might try doing a journey to meet the Birch spirit while actually leaning up against one, or you might ask the tree for the gift of one or two of its sacred branches. Make sure to leave a small offering of herbs or seeds.
{NOTE: Tobacco, which is a common offering, is quite acidic to the soil and actually does more harm then good. My suggestion is to make an offering such as seeds, corn, cornmeal, lavender or other non-acidic things. Often, if I find myself without an offering, I will leave a few strands of my hair; feeling the small tug of them reminds me that I too have pulled out the "hair" of the tree or plant that I took from the forest.}
In both Norse and Germanic Runes and the Celtic tree Ogham {pronounced O-am}, Birch is one of the named trees with both symbol and meaning. Runes and Ogham are an old ways form of divination and communication used by Celts and Scandinavian/Germanic peoples of early Europe. Beith is the word for Birch the Ogham, which represents the springtime, new beginnings, fertility and initiation. In the Elder Furthark and Futhorc runic systems is known as Berkanan or Beorc and represented by a ‘B’ shape. Here Birch represents growth, wisdom, rebirth and new beginnings.
Birch is often referred to as the lady of the woods, and as a tree of enchantment; when the white of the birch tree is seen by moonlight; it looks silvery and gleaming as beguiling as the moon and the goddess. As a springtime tree, it reminds us to sweep out the old to make way for the new. In many parts of Europe and Britain, the birch was used as a living maypole at Beltane, which is one of the spring festivals celebrating fertility and the goddess. Traditionally, because of its white color, birch was thought of as being a purifier, and small rods from the tree were used to drive out unwanted spirits.
The ancient Celts loved the luminous silvery tree, so much so that they often referred to it as the goddess Brigid, and women would go often to the birch tree, asking for fertility and the blessing of a pregnancy. They would do this by making offerings of small pieces of fabric tied to the branches of the tree.
Of course, the birch is the first tree in spring that is said to “put her spring-time dress on”; as she is the first to get her leaves back and become green and full in her wondrous glory. She signals to farmers that the weather is warm enough to begin sowing their precious life-giving seeds, which once again demonstrates the fertile, feminine power of the birch tree.
It is said that in the spring-time, every village would keep a birch tree near its center, firstly so that they could see when the spring had arrived, and secondly, to have a sort of "village charm" and use the fertile powers of the tree in many different rituals. One such ritual involved the men of the village chasing the women of the village with twigs of the birch tree, in hopes of bestowing fertility on those it touched, and perhaps winning that woman over as a love interest.
Of course, the birch was not just viewed as a tree of fertility, but also as a talisman that would protect against daemons and other entities that were out to cause peril or destruction. It is said that birch twigs, placed over the doors of the house and barn, would protect against spells and curses, as well as daemons and other beasties that lurk. In the Fall the birch tree's twigs made perfect brooms for sweeping out the old energy as folks prepared for the inward time, and these brooms were hung on the doors until they fell apart to be made again the following season.
The birch also has many healing properties, as well as a high nutritional value, and was often referred to as famine food. The sap can be made into a wonderful, sweet syrup, similar to maple syrup, but also can be drunk on its own as a nutrient-rich source of water, and the inner bark can be scraped out and ground into a flour, used for making small cakes or bread. It was this bread or mush that was often eaten in times of famine.
In Russia and Siberia, the birch tree has a sacred and symbiotic relationship with the Fly Agaric mushroom; they tend to like to grow alongside one another. The local, sacred Reindeer love to eat these mushrooms, just as much as Siberian shamans do; the mushrooms are considered a sacred food, as they give the shamans access to the spirit world. Once a year, the shamans would spend days fasting and preparing to journey shamanically with these sacred mushrooms that grow so close to the birch tree. So it was that the birch tree became closely associated with the shamanic journey, and that both the tree and the agaric mushroom have become shrouded in mystery and sacredness to the Siberian shamans.
Some legends say that the birch tree is a manifestation of the Goddess, who offers her milk to the shaman as an elixir of life, while many scholars regard the sacred mushrooms as the Goddess' breast, and perhaps even the source of the fabled Soma, the sacred elixir of life and the nectar of the Gods.
One of my favorite stories from Eastern Europe/Russia about the Birch tree is the one about the young goat-herding girl.
The story goes that her mother sent the girl into the woods with wool to spin and goats to herd. The child meets a beautiful woman with a crown of birch who convinces the child to spend the day dancing together. At the end of the day, the girl is upset because the wool is not spun and her mother will be angry. However, as she gathers the goats to return home, the woman gifts the girl with a magic spindle that quickly completes the task. This is repeated for three days in a row with the girl dancing from dawn to dusk with the mysterious silver woman and finding the wool magically spun. Finally on the last day, the woman gives the girl a gift of a basket filled with autumnal dried birch leaves. When the girl returns home she discovers the yellow leaves have turned to real gold.
Here is a link to a fuller version of the story with some gorgeous illustrations:
http://www.tresbohemes.com/2016/11/the-wood-fairy/
Native American tribes also have a close relationship with this tree. In some cases, like the Ojibwa believe the tree to be sacred to Wenabozho/Nanabozho, and use the bark to wrap their dead as a form of protection. The tree was also used to line canoes, map making, basket weaving and medicine.
If possible, spend some time finding a birch tree in your area. If you're able to, perhaps you might try doing a journey to meet the Birch spirit while actually leaning up against one, or you might ask the tree for the gift of one or two of its sacred branches. Make sure to leave a small offering of herbs or seeds.
{NOTE: Tobacco, which is a common offering, is quite acidic to the soil and actually does more harm then good. My suggestion is to make an offering such as seeds, corn, cornmeal, lavender or other non-acidic things. Often, if I find myself without an offering, I will leave a few strands of my hair; feeling the small tug of them reminds me that I too have pulled out the "hair" of the tree or plant that I took from the forest.}
hedgewalking with Birch:
The connection to the silver birch and the moon in undeniable and I find that working with the birch on a full moon to be really wonderful.
I am fortunate enough to have a few birch trees in my back yard and so I often charge certain sacred objects at the base of the birch tree during this time.
Offerings that the birch likes are honeywater, for the birch likes sweet things and is also a very watery tree so water is always welcome, especially when sweetened!
Good questions to take to the birch are around things like fertility and change, especially if you are struggling with many new changes and wish that there was more ease in your life.
The birch is good at understanding how to shapeshift and move with the wind and water, bending instead of breaking and often has great wisdom teachings about this.
I am fortunate enough to have a few birch trees in my back yard and so I often charge certain sacred objects at the base of the birch tree during this time.
Offerings that the birch likes are honeywater, for the birch likes sweet things and is also a very watery tree so water is always welcome, especially when sweetened!
Good questions to take to the birch are around things like fertility and change, especially if you are struggling with many new changes and wish that there was more ease in your life.
The birch is good at understanding how to shapeshift and move with the wind and water, bending instead of breaking and often has great wisdom teachings about this.
Birch/Beith Ogam:
This ogam is all about new beginnings, and new journeys, perhaps even a new relationship. friendship or partnership.
Now is the time to go forward and feel good about any new beginnings popping up in your life.
If you draw it reversed perhaps it is asking you to sit in quiet contemplation about what needs change in your life, especially if you are feeling stuck and wishing for a change.
This ogam is all about new beginnings, and new journeys, perhaps even a new relationship. friendship or partnership.
Now is the time to go forward and feel good about any new beginnings popping up in your life.
If you draw it reversed perhaps it is asking you to sit in quiet contemplation about what needs change in your life, especially if you are feeling stuck and wishing for a change.
Birch
By Jessica Rose
There is a clearing
a place where your
scars and your armor,
your stories and
your glamor
fall away,
like bark strippings.
They are peeling back layers
on Birch trees.
Like leaves and catkins alike
falling under the weight of you.
These ego parts
decompose and break down in
the truth of your essence.
Renewal only comes after
weathering the seasons
Rebirth only comes after life
and death too.
The fire, the flood, the wealth
and yes the waste
all feed the truth of the tree.
There is a clearing.
By Jessica Rose
There is a clearing
a place where your
scars and your armor,
your stories and
your glamor
fall away,
like bark strippings.
They are peeling back layers
on Birch trees.
Like leaves and catkins alike
falling under the weight of you.
These ego parts
decompose and break down in
the truth of your essence.
Renewal only comes after
weathering the seasons
Rebirth only comes after life
and death too.
The fire, the flood, the wealth
and yes the waste
all feed the truth of the tree.
There is a clearing.
Ceremony:
Birch Tree Paper Release
Now is the time to begin your new journey, by consciously dropping old patterns and leaving behind any old mindsets that no longer serve. The birch tree has always been used as a purifier, useful for driving out old energies that get caught in our homes and minds. Now is the time for consciously recognizing any unhelpful or unsupportive influences in your life. This is not to say that you are required to make radical changes, but rather to take note and see what is no longer serving you in your life right now.
It is easy to make birch bark paper and I especially love to use this paper in release ceremonies. Because the medicine of the Birch tree is very much about the cycle of life, death and rebirth, writing intentional release words, sharing your heartfelt grief, fears and stories with birch and then burning it can be a way to get the help of this powerful tree in your own cleansing of spirit, rebirth of self. We get to live many lives within is one life. We get to grow and change, cells expand, cells die and still we go on. Take this work with Birch forward into a way to let go of those internal stories, thought processes and perspectives that are holding you back from being the most open- hearted, truthful, visionary version of yourself.
Find a Birch tree that has bark already peeling off. You may be able to find some on the ground or some mostly detached from the tree. Please do not cut chunks from the tree trunk to do this as it harms the tree and makes for bad medicine.
It doesn’t need to be large because you can use a few small strips or pieces and you will get several ‘paper sheets’ from 1 piece of bark.
Next, using soapy, wet hands, gently massage all over the bark piece, removing any dirt and getting the bark nice and damp.
When the bark is thoroughly moist but not soaking, you should be able to peel the bark into your ‘sheets of paper’.
If the layers are chalky you can gently soap them again.
To dry flat paper, lay the sheets of bark on a paper towel and then top with another paper towel and a heavy book- kinda like when you dry flowers.
Let dry about 24 hours. Now you are ready to use in your release.
Take some time to meditate on what you are ready to let go of right now. Ask the spirit of the Birch tree to aid you in your endeavours and support the energy of rebirth in your life right now. Write down your release on the birch paper and carefully burn. You may like to bury the ashes in the earth as a further offering. They make a good gift for the tree you gathered the bark from along with some fresh water.
Whatever you choose to do, though, you must nourish yourself and be kind to yourself while you observe what is no longer serving you; change, real lasting change, is sometimes slower then we expect.
Now is the time to begin your new journey, by consciously dropping old patterns and leaving behind any old mindsets that no longer serve. The birch tree has always been used as a purifier, useful for driving out old energies that get caught in our homes and minds. Now is the time for consciously recognizing any unhelpful or unsupportive influences in your life. This is not to say that you are required to make radical changes, but rather to take note and see what is no longer serving you in your life right now.
It is easy to make birch bark paper and I especially love to use this paper in release ceremonies. Because the medicine of the Birch tree is very much about the cycle of life, death and rebirth, writing intentional release words, sharing your heartfelt grief, fears and stories with birch and then burning it can be a way to get the help of this powerful tree in your own cleansing of spirit, rebirth of self. We get to live many lives within is one life. We get to grow and change, cells expand, cells die and still we go on. Take this work with Birch forward into a way to let go of those internal stories, thought processes and perspectives that are holding you back from being the most open- hearted, truthful, visionary version of yourself.
Find a Birch tree that has bark already peeling off. You may be able to find some on the ground or some mostly detached from the tree. Please do not cut chunks from the tree trunk to do this as it harms the tree and makes for bad medicine.
It doesn’t need to be large because you can use a few small strips or pieces and you will get several ‘paper sheets’ from 1 piece of bark.
Next, using soapy, wet hands, gently massage all over the bark piece, removing any dirt and getting the bark nice and damp.
When the bark is thoroughly moist but not soaking, you should be able to peel the bark into your ‘sheets of paper’.
If the layers are chalky you can gently soap them again.
To dry flat paper, lay the sheets of bark on a paper towel and then top with another paper towel and a heavy book- kinda like when you dry flowers.
Let dry about 24 hours. Now you are ready to use in your release.
Take some time to meditate on what you are ready to let go of right now. Ask the spirit of the Birch tree to aid you in your endeavours and support the energy of rebirth in your life right now. Write down your release on the birch paper and carefully burn. You may like to bury the ashes in the earth as a further offering. They make a good gift for the tree you gathered the bark from along with some fresh water.
Whatever you choose to do, though, you must nourish yourself and be kind to yourself while you observe what is no longer serving you; change, real lasting change, is sometimes slower then we expect.
Birch Tree Asperge Fan & Brew:
Cleaning house is another good way to make a fresh start, using clear thoughts to cleanse each room, and asking for a fresh vitality to enter the room as you dust and re-arrange. There is a reason why “spring cleaning” is done in the springtime, for it is the time of renewal and change. Birch twigs were commonly used to create small brooms for cleaning, and as the birch tree is notorious for dropping hundreds of its small twigs and branches over the winter, it's easy to gather small brooms for cleaning and sweeping in the springtime.
Another way to cleanse and nourish you is through ritual bathing. This is an ancient way to ritualize and make sacred a task that you do everyday. The Finnish use birch branches in their sauna's spring flush with soft leaves and tie them together to create a bundle that is used for the sauna ties outside the door as well as being used to scrub the body and help flush toxins out. The ritual of using the sauna and then running outside for a quick dip in freezing cold water is an ancient one and many take it very seriously incorporating it into their spiritual practice.
If you don't have a sauna but do have access to a birch tree try adding a few leaves to your bath, and asking the essance fo the tree to cleanse and protect you as you bathe.
The element of water is deeply associated with the birch tree, which makes it a perfect starting place for cleansing. Using mineral salts is particularly helpful, for they draw out toxins from the skin, and help to cleanse energetically. I find that if I'm feeling “yucky”, or feel as though I have been strongly attached energetically, I can wash this feeling off in a ritual mineral bath. Even better if you have access to a small river or stream for a strong and cold cleansing dip. The added benefits are plentiful, yet different, with this type of cleansing. It tends to feel a little less nourishing then does an indoor bath with lit candles and a sweet cup of tea, but if you want a strong bodily/somatic way to feel that you are taking charge and making changes in your life, the ritual of stepping into a cold river, ocean or lake in the spring-time can be very powerful.
Asperge is a form of purifying an area (often people) with water. You can make a solution by brewing birch leaves, twigs and bark in warm water. I recommend asking the trees permission and help in the cleansing of your home or body/aura. As you gather the twigs and leaves, see if you can find a leafy branch about 6-12 inches long or create a bundle as described above. Once your cleansing tea is brewed, simply dip the leafy branch into the liquid and flick along the area to be cleaned. For extra protective qualities you can add hawthorn or rowan to the brew.
Cleaning house is another good way to make a fresh start, using clear thoughts to cleanse each room, and asking for a fresh vitality to enter the room as you dust and re-arrange. There is a reason why “spring cleaning” is done in the springtime, for it is the time of renewal and change. Birch twigs were commonly used to create small brooms for cleaning, and as the birch tree is notorious for dropping hundreds of its small twigs and branches over the winter, it's easy to gather small brooms for cleaning and sweeping in the springtime.
Another way to cleanse and nourish you is through ritual bathing. This is an ancient way to ritualize and make sacred a task that you do everyday. The Finnish use birch branches in their sauna's spring flush with soft leaves and tie them together to create a bundle that is used for the sauna ties outside the door as well as being used to scrub the body and help flush toxins out. The ritual of using the sauna and then running outside for a quick dip in freezing cold water is an ancient one and many take it very seriously incorporating it into their spiritual practice.
If you don't have a sauna but do have access to a birch tree try adding a few leaves to your bath, and asking the essance fo the tree to cleanse and protect you as you bathe.
The element of water is deeply associated with the birch tree, which makes it a perfect starting place for cleansing. Using mineral salts is particularly helpful, for they draw out toxins from the skin, and help to cleanse energetically. I find that if I'm feeling “yucky”, or feel as though I have been strongly attached energetically, I can wash this feeling off in a ritual mineral bath. Even better if you have access to a small river or stream for a strong and cold cleansing dip. The added benefits are plentiful, yet different, with this type of cleansing. It tends to feel a little less nourishing then does an indoor bath with lit candles and a sweet cup of tea, but if you want a strong bodily/somatic way to feel that you are taking charge and making changes in your life, the ritual of stepping into a cold river, ocean or lake in the spring-time can be very powerful.
Asperge is a form of purifying an area (often people) with water. You can make a solution by brewing birch leaves, twigs and bark in warm water. I recommend asking the trees permission and help in the cleansing of your home or body/aura. As you gather the twigs and leaves, see if you can find a leafy branch about 6-12 inches long or create a bundle as described above. Once your cleansing tea is brewed, simply dip the leafy branch into the liquid and flick along the area to be cleaned. For extra protective qualities you can add hawthorn or rowan to the brew.
Birchwood Story
from: Sacred House by:Carolyn Hillyer
There is a story that was made
and wrapped inside a spell of herbs:
by a woman formed in birchbark
standing through the endless winter nights.
Old she-wolf passing very close,
dripping her milk onto the snow.
Birch woman held in tender amber eyes
as she leans to catch a single drop.
She tastes the rough wild ways of wolf.
She tastes the fierce and soft intense tangle of love
and she is reminded of her mother.
Another story that was notched
with tiny cuts into an ancient log
perhaps worked by an old woman
as they sat hunched around their fire:
a woman flies through ocean storms
to shelter in a distant cave.
She folds her wings around her
and rests inside the darkness
until one night awoken by a bear
who is whistling through
a hollow bone that he has found.
She hears the raw and bright awakening of day.
She hears the hopeful, pure chaotic song of love
and she is reminded of her children.
from: Sacred House by:Carolyn Hillyer
There is a story that was made
and wrapped inside a spell of herbs:
by a woman formed in birchbark
standing through the endless winter nights.
Old she-wolf passing very close,
dripping her milk onto the snow.
Birch woman held in tender amber eyes
as she leans to catch a single drop.
She tastes the rough wild ways of wolf.
She tastes the fierce and soft intense tangle of love
and she is reminded of her mother.
Another story that was notched
with tiny cuts into an ancient log
perhaps worked by an old woman
as they sat hunched around their fire:
a woman flies through ocean storms
to shelter in a distant cave.
She folds her wings around her
and rests inside the darkness
until one night awoken by a bear
who is whistling through
a hollow bone that he has found.
She hears the raw and bright awakening of day.
She hears the hopeful, pure chaotic song of love
and she is reminded of her children.
Birch bark Cookies
Ok so these delights come straight form the cookbook Bakeland, which is a fantastically inspiring book even if you never make a thing in it!
Below is a bit of an adaptation of their recipe...
Start with a simple sugar cookie recipe, and then make some royal icing, one chocolate and the other plain, lastly you will need some crushed chocolate or Oreo cookies for the bark...
Cookies
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, egg white, and water. Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, until the icing is thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. split in half and add a tbsp of dark dutch coca powder to one and leave the other plain.
Step 2
Smear each cooled cookie with some of the chocolate icing first and leave to dry for a few mins
Next add white icing on top of that and sprinkle a bit of the crushed cooking here and there, adding bits of new sticky icing with the tip of the toothpick if you like, dump the cookie crumbs over that and then shake them off.
Lastly taking a tooth pick scratch lines into the bark exposing the dark underneath and voila, birch bark cookies!
Below is a bit of an adaptation of their recipe...
Start with a simple sugar cookie recipe, and then make some royal icing, one chocolate and the other plain, lastly you will need some crushed chocolate or Oreo cookies for the bark...
Cookies
- 1 cup (250 mL)white sugar
- 1 cup (250 mL)butter
- 1 tsp (5 mL)vanilla
- 2eggs, well beaten
- 2 1/2 cups (625 mL)all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (10 mL)baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)salt
Icing: - 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg white, or equivalent amount of dried egg whites
- ½ teaspoon water
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, egg white, and water. Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, until the icing is thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. split in half and add a tbsp of dark dutch coca powder to one and leave the other plain.
Step 2
Smear each cooled cookie with some of the chocolate icing first and leave to dry for a few mins
Next add white icing on top of that and sprinkle a bit of the crushed cooking here and there, adding bits of new sticky icing with the tip of the toothpick if you like, dump the cookie crumbs over that and then shake them off.
Lastly taking a tooth pick scratch lines into the bark exposing the dark underneath and voila, birch bark cookies!