Magickal

Birch is associated with inception, fertility, and sometimes with purification. (Birch has natural antiseptic properties.) Birch is traditionally used for the Witch’s besom, Beltane fires and Maypoles, and Yule logs. “Birch into the fire goes/In a sign of what the Lady knows,” goes the traditional Wiccan rhyme.

Medicinal

Birch is a natural diuretic, and some people drink Birch tea it to cleanse and detoxify the urinary system. It is also used externally as a skin tonic and remedy for sore muscles. Birch extract has a fresh, wintergreen aroma. Birch sap is a reliable winter food source for native peoples of Siberia and North America.