Birch Besom Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings.

And there’s no tree more connected to this energy than Birch.

Birch is the tree of new beginnings.

The word Birch comes from Proto-Indo-European root bhereg which translates as “shining.” (Fun fact: Björk’s name has the same meaning!)

Beith is the Celtic Ogham that embodies the Birch and these associations.

Berkana/Berkano is the rune in the Elder Futhark.

But in order for the new beginnings to come, we need to let go of the old energies. It’s time to sweep away the dust of the winter, let go of the past and emerge on the other side of death as a newly hatched seedling, shiny and new!

I love how the Death card from the Motherpeace deck by Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble takes on this theme (notice the Birch trees growing out from the fertile dark Earth).

Here’s a fun way to craft a ritual for release the old, unwanted energies of the last season… make a besom! A besom is a kind of broom that you can use like a regular broom or for energetic cleansing. Watch the following video to see how I make a very rustic besom using River Birch (Betula nigra) twigs that I found on the ground.

If you enjoyed this video, you’ll love INFUSE, a monthly immersion to deepen your relationship with healing plants. We work with one plant each month, connecting through meditation, wildcrafting, medicine making, ritual, and other creative collaborations with the Wise Green Ones.

Inner Sun Meditation With Dandelion

We are within the darkest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Although our shared modern culture does not always honor it, this is a time of going within and rest. It is a time to reflect, to dream, to create inner landscapes and plant inner seeds to be birthed with the return of the light.

And though the daylight hours are less, the intensity of light seems concentrated as the Sun dips down closer to the horizon. Hat brims seem useless. It’s almost as if the Sun is lowering down to look us straight in the eye, to remind us that that giant star is always there for us, even in the midst of the approaching winter.

If you can get outside to greet the Sun at this time of year, I recommend it. Go on a walk to your favorite park, get to a hiking trail, find yourself at the edge of a river, or just open a window and let the sunlight stream in unfiltered. (I also lead plant walks in Prospect Park every month on the third Friday via MINKA Brooklyn. Come on out if you are in the area!)

Whether you can get outside or not, we all have a Sun within us to connect with. In this following meditation, we meet with the Dandelion flower, a rooted embodiment of the Sun. Journey to your innermost dreams and desires and let the seeds be carried on the wind to manifest your vision.

Dive deeper into the Magic & Medicine of Dandelion in INFUSE, a la carte, a month long immersion with this wonderful plant ally!