24 December - 21 January
In the Irish Tree Lore calendar, the Birch tree covers the period December 24th - January 21st. The Birch, as one of the first trees to bud after the winter, was considered to be a symbol of rebirth. It was the tree opposing the Elder, each on either side of the “Nameless day”, 23rd December. Here we see the sun, its daylight in the ascendency, illuminating the river of time and dividing the darker world of the Elder winter on the left from the promise of Spring, symbolized by the Birchm on the right. We see the female spirit of the Birch rocking the cradle made from birch wood. On the far bank a fairy watches, not daring to approach as Birch wood was a powerful talisman against evil. In the background, overlooking the scene, the figure of the ancient Irish hero, Cú Chulainn, holding the sun as a shield, his braided hair described as being like the yellow tops of a Birch. The Ogham (ancient Irish writing) for Birch is one horizontal line on the right of a stone.
Illustration from an original by Margaret McKenna