This month is primarily a time of contemplation, of looking to the future and starting to make plans for the year ahead – hence the tradition of making new years resolutions.

Birch is a lady of the woods, her silvery bark resembles of silver moon light  and gives the birch a magic look.

The Birch moon is ideal time to focus your energy on a new beginning and   purification.

This is a good time to cleanse your mind of negative thoughts or attitudes, such as anger and jealousy, or addictive behaviour such as smoking. 

A full Moon that falls within the month of the Birch Moon is called the Cold Moon. 

Cold Moon Ritual

1. Light a white candle beside a small bowl of natural spring water.
2. Stand over the water and pray for the strength to let go of your vice.
3. Write down your negative behaviour nine times on a piece of paper.
4. Fold up the paper, place it inside a freezer bag, and pour in some of the prayer water.
5. Place the bag inside your icebox to ‘freeze’ your bad habits – putting them behind you forever.

Resolution Blessing

You will need:

• Red candle
• Red ribbon
• Birch wand
• Frankincense, rose and benzoine essential oils

Go for a walk in your local park and collect a birch twig

Mix a few drops of rose, frankincense and benzoine essential oil into the palm of your hand and rub the mixture into a red candle.

Light the candle, and stand in front of it for a few moments visualising your resolution – Say your intend loudly: Like I will learn Spanish.

Holding your birch twig at one end, pass it through the candle’s flame. Then turn around, anti-clockwise, holding the twig in front of you so that you use it to draw a circle around yourself.

Repeat the words, “I manifest new chances for good fortune, clarity and insight. I open myself to new experience and allow change to manifest in my life.”

Now sit down for a few minutes and quietly contemplate your wish. Meditate on a candle light and wait until the candle is gone.

The first month of the Celtic tree calendar is associated with the birch and the sun. People believe that the birch is the first to decorate itself with leaves in the forest, marking the beginning of all things. According to legends, it was the birch twig that was the hallmark of young druids or bards who attached it to their tunics.

The Birch Moon is a time of rebirth and regeneration. It is the 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 used in magic related to creativity and fertility, as well as healing and protection. Tie a red ribbon around the birch trunk to ward off negative energy. Hang birch branches on the cradle to protect your newborn from any harm. Use birch bark as magic parchment to keep magical inscriptions.

SYMBOLISM OF THE MONTH OF BIRCH

Planet: Venus.

Elements: Air, Water.

Symbolism: renewal, protection.

Stone: crystal.

Flower: daisy.

Birds: eagle, pheasant, heron.

White colour.

Deity: Freya, White goddess Brigid, Venus, Thor.

Properties and Associations: Protection, exorcism, cleansing, new beginnings, creativity, friends and family

Key words of strength: modesty, spirituality, emotionality

Key words of weakness: Puritanism, tendency to moralize

Wood options: rose, sakura, cinquefoil

Medicinal properties: birch tar is used to treat skin diseases, as well as to repel insects. 

The juice is a natural shampoo. An infusion of birch leaves is an antiseptic.

Magical properties: the birch forest drives away evil, casts out fears and gives courage.

Associated with beauty and patience, the Birch vibration increases tolerance for self and others. 

Use a birch broom to clean the old year on the morning after the Winter Solstice, this can be done three more days after.

 Add chopped bark to protection spells or rituals, or drink birch sap if you feel like you’re under psychic attack.

Barkless birch is the traditional Yule log. 

Traditionally, birch twigs were used to light Beltane fires, and the pairs were paired in birch forests. Later, when they started to make maypoles from birch, setting them up and decorating them as a centerpiece in the villages. 

The traditional witch broom was made from birch branches, and cradles were once made from birch wood for the sole purpose of protecting helpless children.

The birch moon teaches you to see the potentials and reflects the possibilities. Like a mother about to give birth, her belly rises and she teaches you. “This lunar time will be like kneading bread and letting it rise before you cook.”

In the month of the Birch, you enter the rhythm of life, the expansion of the possibilities of your dreams and the ability to see your opportunities. The essence of Birch is to create and connect dreams and prepare for a new lifestyle. 

Use the lessons of the other Moons, look at a big picture, listen and unravel your plans with creative visualization.

Birch always stands out as a graceful, slender tree with a distinctive white trunk. White indicates purity and determination to overcome difficulties. It’s time for a fresh start. Before this can be done, all old ideas, useless influences, and bad thoughts must be discarded. When embarking on a spiritual journey with this tree as a guide, remember to concentrate your mind on the sublime subtle whiteness of the tree and the purity of the soul.

Spell for Intention: 

Gather strips of fallen birch and let them dry. Write the words of your intention while keeping the image of what you want in mind. When you say your spell, incantation or intention, pass the birch through the flame of a candle and throw it into a container or a special plate.

The beginning is always important, as is the way we approach any new challenge. Good preparation and willingness to lay the foundation on which we are going to build is as valuable as the end result. 

The wisdom of the birch is specific here: make a good start, and everything you do will end well. This means that we must pay attention to the moment of inspiration (which the Celts called “aven”) and then draw a satisfactory conclusion.

TRADITIONS OF THE MONTH OF BIRCH

Traditionally, birch has been used to exorcise evil spirits and restore sanity to those who have gone insane. 

Birch is associated with the beginning of the year and with the sacred holiday of Samhain, so it is associated with the beginning of a new path. The birch is also one of the first trees to bloom in spring. The birch symbolizes a new beginning and can bring courage and determination to those who are on the path of spiritual growth and development for the first time.

Although birch appears fragile, it is actually very hardy. Birch also promises new life and love, and is a powerful symbol of cleansing and renewal that focuses our attention on our potential for change and on considering new directions and goals to be experienced in our lives. She teaches a lesson in selflessness and caring for the needs of others in a way that will help them thrive of their own accord.

The physical goal of this month is to get rid of negativity, unnecessary thoughts, in order to achieve something, or to start something new.

The mental goal is to focus on personal desires in order to clearly form an image of the desired outcome.

The spiritual goal in the month of the Birch is to focus on new beginnings, the white birch symbolizes the desired image, clearly standing out from all distractions and obstacles.