We have five silver birches (Beith, in Gaelic) in our garden at the Opening Space Retreat, all of them of the weeping variety. We even have three planted in a triangular formation, an ancient custom, the reasons for which are now shrouded in mystery. Silver Birches are known as 'Lady of the Woods' in ancient Irish folklore and also as a result of a poem written about them by Samuel Colerdge. Silver Birches are said to have a protective influence and to be symbolic of new birth and fertility. They have a strong connection to the celebration of Beltane or May Day.
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| Artist: C. Present |
And hark, the noise of a near waterfall!
I pass forth into light--I find myself
Beneath a weeping birch
(most beautifulOf forest trees, the Lady of the Woods).
Samuel Coleridge
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