Birch
Betula alba
Folk Names
Beithe, Bereza, Berke, Beth, Bouleau, Lady of the Woods
Gender
Feminine
Planet
Venus
Element
Water
Deity
Thor
Powers
Protection, Exorcism, Purification
Magical Uses
Birch twigs have been used to exorcise spirits by gently striking possessed people or animals, since the birch is a purificatory or cleansing herb.
The tree is also used for protection, and Russians used to hang a red ribbon around the stem of a birch to rid themselves of the evil eye. The birch also protects against lightning.
The traditional broom of the Witches was made of birch twigs, and cradles were once manufactured from birch wood to protect their helpless charges.
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs
Scott Cunningham
ISBN 0-87542-122-9