Its thin twigs were used for thatching, and when correctly burned , its resulting charcoal was used in gunpowder. Betulin, obtained form the bark of the white birch tree is currently under investigation for its potential in the treatment of skin cancers. Illustration by the wonderful dutch artist Rien Poortvliet - see some of his wildlife painings here
Making wild teas is a slow, meditative process. $15.31. In the famous Russian fairy tale, the witch Baba Yaga lives in a birch forest and sweeps away any tracks that she may leave with a silver birch twig broom
Silver Birch Bark is edible, and is actually used in Japanese Tea ceremonies. The best Birch Tar Oil is still largely produced in the great birch forests of Russia. * To make a perfect, blonde-white, faery birchen wand, harvest the wood at the Birch Full Moon ( between Dec 24th and Jan 20th) or at dawn on the day of Imbolc (Feb 1st) or Candlemas (Feb 2nd) as the very first light of spring returns to warm the earth. When you buy Foraging in Summer, you can join the Eatweeds Learning Community.. In Scotland it is burned as fuel in the whiskey distilleries. Get access to the private Facebook group. Silver Birch Bark Tea, or twig tea, is a pure, refreshing tea which is packed with terpenes and other beneficial compounds. The White Goddess, The Lady of the Woods, The Ribbon Tree, The Silver Maiden and The Birchen Maiden are all well known. Silver Birch Bark is edible, and is actually used in Japanese Tea ceremonies. Best time to tap is in early March. The sap â when made into a wine or beer is fermented with yeast. The white bark is very unusual, thin and loose it can peel away from the tree like pape. (See video left). In early spring the small male flowers develop into long catkins (pictured right) and the female flowers grow into tiny cones (pictured left). Robert Graves states in
Ask questions, learn from each other, discuss topics, share what you have discovered, or simply bounce ideas around. Batsford 1994, * Write a promise or a wish on birch bark with the charcoal-like tip of a burned birch twig. Itâs easy to see the impact she must have made in pagan times, her white bark shining in torch and firelight or on full moon nights, her earliest of leaves rustling and shivering as the peopleâs hopes grew with the greening and the coming of spring. Famously, we think of the native indian birch bark canoes, made more waterproof with pitch from the pines, light and strong. Originally published 1976, Element: Water Ruling Planet: Venus Gender: Feminine. They are powerful faery, light bringers. View abstract. Members of a Parish would walk the âboundsâ of the village, beating various landmarks along the way to mark out the boundaries. r. Even the layers can be carefully peeled apart and itâs thought that the name Birch came either from the Sanskrit word âbhurgaâ, which literally meant 'a tree whose bark is used for writing uponâ, or from âbherâ â meaning âshining whiteâ. * A cradle, toy or decoration made from birch wood will protect the baby against bad spirits, and against faeries who are intent on turning the child into a changeling. Roasted Silver Birch Twig Tea. Illustration by, My picture is from a 'Besom Broom Making' day at. The best Birch Tar Oil is still largely produced in the great birch forests of Russia. At Samhain ( All Hallowâs Eve), some of the pagan new year festivities use birch to beat out the old or malign spirits from the hearth, as the symbol of returning light and rebirth. There are plenty of place names in the Britsh Isles with the prefix Berk or Birk for Birch and Biethe, the gaelic name occurs quite often in Scotland. If this isn't possible, take something of birch in your hands and sit alone and quiet. The earliest I can find, is a mention in the writing and lists of 'Herbs of New England' by John Josselyn, 1672 who states that â âbark of birch is used by the Indians for bruised wounds and cuts â¦. It contains betulin and a small amount of tannic acid, giving leather durability and protection from damp mould. Even the layers can be carefully peeled apart and itâs thought that the name Birch came either from the Sanskrit word âbhurgaâ, which literally meant 'a tree whose bark is used for writing uponâ, or from âbherâ â meaning âshining whiteâ.