Silver Birch Tree Paintings
In Celtic mythology, the birch tree is symbolic of beginnings and symbolises renewal and purification. The Birch tree is sacred to Celts and revered for it's protective influence.
Birch or Beithe, is the first tree of the Ogham, the Celtic tree alphabet and first tree in the Celtic Astrology Lunar Chart.
As the birch is a pioneer species it is symbolic of rebirth, new beginnings and growth.
When the Glaciers of the last ice age (Last Glacial Period ended about 11,700 years ago) the sea levels were approximately 120 meters lower than today. Birch trees were one of the first trees to colonize the landscape, which is why they are known as a pioneer species. The Birch tree spread quickly via wind-blown seeds and grew in poor soil with nitrogen-fixing roots - allowed Birch to thrive on the newly exposed, ice-scoured terrain.
The Birch tree laid the groundwork for future forest ecosystems by improving soil and providing shelter for other plant species. The birch were the trees that would survive on the thinnest, least-nutritious soil.
Folklore and herbalism credit different parts of the birch with a variety of medicinal properties. The leaves are diuretic and antiseptic, and a remedy for cystitis and other urinary tract infections. The leaves and sap were also used to treat kidney stones, rheumatism and gout. The sap was recommended for skin complaints and the bark is said to ease muscle pain if applied externally.
Birch was celebrated during the festival of Samhain, which is the start of the Celtic year, celebrated usually from 31 October to 1 November. The religious rituals of Samhain (pronounced "sow-win", meaning summer's end), focused on fire, as winter approached. Purification was important and people used bundles of birch twigs to drive out the spirits of the old year.
Samhain or Sauin is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. Samhain also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October. This is also the earliest known celebration of Halloween.
It was believed that at this time the veil between this world and the spirit world was at its thinnest – allowing the spirits to pass through and mingle with the living. The sacred energy of the rituals allowed the living and the dead to communicate, and gave Druid priests and Celtic shamans heightened perception.