• The birch tree symbolizes many sacred concepts.birch image by smarty from Fotolia.com
  
  Trees have long held a place among the sacred myths and folklore of human beings, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations consultant, Judith Crews. Crews observes, "Even lone trees, particularly in a barren spot, may have appeared miraculous if they provided food." The birch is among the species that have been considered miraculous. Birch trees are entwined with many sacred traditions and ceremonies, especially those of the ancient Celtic people.
  
  

Fertility

• The birch tree has strong connections to the Celtic holiday of Beltane, a celebration of the earth's fertility. Scottish Beltane fires burned birch wood and maypoles, a Beltane custom, were often made from birch. Scottish folklore suggests that herding a barren cow with a stick made from birch will cause it to become fertile. Celtic goddesses of fertility and love such as Freya and Eostre are closely associated with the birch tree.
  
  

Purification

• Birch is the first tree in the Celtic "Ogham," an alphabet based on trees. As the first "letter," it relates to the first seasonal celebration of the Celtic year, known as Samhain. Samhain was revered as a time of purification to prepare for the new year. Brooms or "besoms" made from birch twigs were used in sacred purification ceremonies to symbolically cleanse the environment of unwelcome spirits.
  
  

Renewal

• According to the website Whats-Your-Sign.com, the birch tree's ability to adapt to a variety of conditions and repopulate quickly after a fire made it a sacred symbol of renewal to the Celtic people.
  
  

The World Tree

• Early Siberians hailed the birch as the all-sacred "world tree," according to information published by the website Sacred Earth. The concept of a world tree exists in many cultures and symbolizes the tree of life, which meets all possible needs. Birch trees provided food, medicine, textiles for clothing and shoes and material for building a shelter. In addition, a toadstool called Fly Agaric was often found growing within groves of birch. Fly Agaric was considered sacred by the Siberian people because it was a favorite food of the deer, their collective spirit animal, and because of the toadstool's hallucinogenic properties.