holyghoste

[holyghoste]

semi-conscious vibes

coming out of the theater after an enrapturing film

turning the last page of a good book that you finished in a single sitting

finishing a creative project that you toiled over for what feels like forever

getting into the car at the end of a trip to the water park or beach

riding the airplane on the way home from an eventful vacation

the still of the choir/band/sports bus when everyone gets sleepy on the way back from a successful performance

waking up from an impromptu cat-nap in the sunbathed afternoon

the way your house feels after a cherished visitor leaves to return to their own home

completing a long session of studying and taking personal notes

(feel free to add your own!)

#things #text

[holyghoste]

“September tastes of ashes. And yet it insists. Softly. But it insists”

— Julia de Burgos, from Song of the Simple Truth: Poems; “Autumn Psalm,”

#words

[holyghoste]

green magick for the home

an apple can be used for a simple house blessing; cut an apple in half, and eat one half in your home. place the other outside, in the backyard or front porch, as an offering to good spirits for protection and warm energy.

bay leaves can be placed in the corners of a room to banish evil from it and protect those within it.

a cactus can be grown near a house to offer strong protection; even stronger protection is gained by planting cacti at all for corners of the home.

planting catnip in the garden, or hanging it above your door, will attract good spirits and good luck.

chamomile can be sprinkled about in the home to break curses and unwanted spells cast on or in the home.

cilantro brings peace and harmony to a home.

clover can be sprinkled around a home to banish unwanted spirits.

garlic can be hung in a home to bring its inhabitants closer together.

ivy plants can be hung to deter unwanted guests.

lavender can be burned and its ashes sprinkled about to cultivate rest and tranquility within the home.

orange peel can be placed in windowsills to bless the house with angel and sun energy.

peppermint can be burned as a smoke cleanser to remove illness and negative energy from a new home.

a sprig of pine can be hung in the home to bless it and its inhabitants.

sachets of saffron can bring happiness to the home.

thyme burned or hung inside brings good health to its residents.

[holyghoste]

What do you like to do when you have itchy witchy fingers?

Magical Fuckery!! I love magic that’s basically nonsense, or really low-stakes results. Lots of lists say to check your wards or do a cleansing or whatever when you want to witch something, but sometimes that just sounds so boring, you know? So I love love love doing that low-stakes “magical fuckery”. (That’s my tag for nonsense spells, btw! On mobile, just search ‘#magical fuckery’ on my blog).

By low-stakes magic, I mean stuff like the Cobblah Spell, or this Spell Not To Suck At Dark Souls. Stuff that has tangible results I can look for, but that doesn’t really matter in the long run. Recharging my wards doesn’t give me a moment of saying “Haha, look, that spell WORKED!” Doing a healing spell for a sick family member would give tangible results, but it’s something that takes significant emotional investment, and is a little too high-stakes for my “lol I’m bored let’s witch something” moods. But doing a candle spell to summon peach cobbler, and then finding that your family has bought peach cobbler mix completely unprompted when they have never brought home peach cobbler before? [chef kiss] That’s the stuff.

Additionally, I might look for something in the Book of Problems. It’s basically a notebook where I write down things I’m bitchy about, no matter how big or small, and then when I want to magic something, I’ll go through it and pick a problem to solve. (This is where it’s handy to write down small problems like “I’m craving a bubble tea” or “I don’t like my handwriting” so you have low-stakes fuckery to do when bored. Also high-stakes stuff is nice to have if you ever find yourself in a group of witches who are looking to solve a larger-scale problem!)

tl;dr - my best way to solve itchy witchy fingers is to do some low-stakes magic with tangible results that will manifest in a short amount of time

[holyghoste]

Top 5 Best Goetic Demons for Beginners

(No particular order)

•Stolas

Stolas is great for beginners mainly because he is genuinely kind and helpful. He enjoys partaking in in-depth intellectual conversations. Another thing about Stolas is he has knowledge of all stars and planets. Along with this he teaches the properties of stones and the uses of herbs.

•Vassago

Vassago is probably going to be one of friendliest if not the friendliest demons you will come across. Like many other demons he has the ability to look into the past, present and the future. However he is the most well known for this ability, I think that he may be able to actually see/understand the past, present and future in more detail, or just willing to tell you about it more so than other demons. Along with this he has the breathtaking ability of finding anything that has been lost.

•Ipos

I personally haven’t invoked Ipos as of yet. However, Ipos can make people more….whole? He basically can help shy people become more confident, average joes (intellect-wise) seem incredibly intellectual, help you become more charismatic and bold, along with helping you keep/ make friends. Another noteworthy thing about Ipos is that he is believed to be the Egyptian God Anubis.

•Paimon

Paimon is very friendly and quite the “colorful” character to say the least. Paimon gives good familiars and bestows honor. He can reveal anything about Earth to you along with share the secrets of one’s mind. Paimon is good for beginners because he has a loud voice and a very strong presence. This is good for beginners mainly because, more than likely, beginners are not in tune with their psyche enough to see, hear, or feel the demon. So starting with someone like Paimon could make you more aware of how a demon’s presence feels like for the future.

•Bune

Bune is a very friendly demon. She can help you acquire wealth, wisdom, and a degree of sophistication. She has the ability to make even hobo joe a high-society figure through bestowing wealth and wisdom. Also a fun history note: she is believed to have helped ancient Egyptians build their first society through helping them acquire wealth and wisdom. This may be why she regularly appears as a Pharaoh she kind of resembles a Hollywood style Cleopatra.

A more in-depth post on each of these demons will come soon :-)

Best regards,

Zack

POSTED: January 2018 (I think)

(This post because of its age I feel is becoming obsolete to say the least. I’ve seen a few reblogs that are very true! These are literal demons y’all…. in no way are any of them inherently friendly nor are they stagnant in personality. They are often different for everyone who interacts. To address a few things: I have officially talked to all demons on the list, the use if the word “friendly” is in terms of comparison to the other members of the Goetia. I understand yeah none of them Are friendly, but in comparison I believe they’re more willing than others to interact. Also the word “beginner(s)” I use this word as in beginners in practice with the Goetia. The Goetia are /IN NO WAY/ something a beginner in spiritual work should start with, and in my opinion not many people period should work with; but if you are to work your way and feel ready to interect with the Goetia this list is of those I recommend to those ready. It’s been a while since reading this post over, so here’s the much needed edit it has been needing)

EDITED: 12/3/2018

#text

[holyghoste]

The Folklore & Superstition of Tea and Cake

The superstitions revolving around teas and their rituals, along with certain aspects of cake are at times forgotten.

Tea

The supernatural use of tea:

Protection - dry tea leaves were sometimes scattered on the front-door step of a new home to protect it from evil spirits.

Tea can be used to predict strangers - If a single stalk floats on top of a cup of tea, it means that a stranger is coming - a hard, woody stalk indicates a male visitor and a soft stalk, a female. The length of the stalk tells you whether he or she will be tall or short. To find out when they will come, lay the stalk on the back of the left hand and hit it with the right. However many hits it takes to knock it off tells the number of days before they will stand at your door.

Fortune telling with tea leaves - To tell fortunes from tea cups, the tea must be brewed with loose leaf tea and poured into the cup without using a tea strainer. The person whose future is to be divined must turn his or her cup three times in an anticlockwise direction. To do this the cup should be held in the left hand and turned by the handle. Then it is tipped upside down to drain off the last few drops of tea. It is a bad sign if there are a lot of leaves left in the bottom of the cup. But it is a good sign if the leaves are scattered evenly over the bottom and sides. The fortune teller then analyses the pictures and images that are visible in the leaves in order to foretell the tea drinker’s fate. If the leaves are deposited in the bottom foretell the distant future. The sides of the cup represent the not-too-distant future, and leaves that lie near the rim predict imminent events.

Common tea herbs & their properties:

Chamomile - It is connected to the element of water. It helps cleanse the throat chakra. It promotes calm and tranquil energies, as well as a peaceful sleep.

Vanilla - It is connected to the element of fire. It is used for confidence, love, and prosperity. 

Thyme - It is connected to the element of air. It is thought to help evoke the ability of clairvoyance, as well as psychic development.

Tea superstitions:

It is a bad omen if boiling water was poured into an empty pot - that is, if the tea-maker forgot to put in any tea-leaves.

If the tea was weaker than intended, a friend will turn away from you; but if it came out too strong, a new friendship was on the horizon.

It is unlucky to stir the pot prior to pouring - it will result in a quarrel. It is also ominous to stir tea with anything other than a spoon.

To spill a little tea while making it is a lucky omen.

To put milk in your tea before sugar is to cross the path of love, perhaps never to marry.

Tea spilling from the spout of the teapot while being carried indicates a secret will be revealed.

Undissolved sugar in the bottom of your teacup means that there is someone sweet on you.

If the tag falls off the teabag while it’s in your cup, you will lose something within a week.

Cake

Birthday cakes:

The Ancient Greeks were the first to write Happy Birthday on a cake in edible writing - relating to the worship of the moon goddess ‘Artemis.’ Her birthday was celebrated by eating moon-shaped honey cakes with candles on the top. It was said that bad spirits were attracted to celebrations so it was very important to wish a person a ‘happy birthday,’ blow out the candles and read any wishes inscribed on the cake as a kind of magical protection.

Many believe that candles blown in order to make a wish are only fulfilled if they areblown in one breath. It is said by some, that the smoke from blown out candles carries their wishes to the Heavens.

Wedding cakes:

The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers broke a loaf of bread over a bride’s head to increase the chances of fertility.

Legend says single women will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a slice of groom’s cake under their pillows.

Eating the crumbs of a wedding cake will bring you good luck.

In the 18th century, newlywed couples would try to keep the cake until their first anniversary to prevent them from marriage problems in the future. This is one of the reasons why cakes in the 18th century were made of fruits and blended with wine.

Christmas cakes:

People tend to save a piece of Christmas cake for New Year because not doing so is said to bring bad luck in the subsequent year.

Cutting a Christmas cakes before Christmas Eve is said to cause bad luck.

The dumb-cake was made at midnight on Christmas Eve is prepared in complete silence by the bachelors and spinsters. One who made it left their initials on the upper surface of the cake. If the silence remained unbroken, the future partner was believed to come and leave their initials on the cake. If one walked backwards to bed after eating dumb-cake, a dream about a future spouse was sure to visit them.

Other cake superstitions:

A Victorian superstition states that placing a piece of fruit cake under one’s pillow will cause a dream of their future spouse.

If food is being served at tea-time, the person to take the last piece of cake from the plate will be the first to get married.

Tipping over a slice of cake while serving a guest is said to bring bad luck.

The ancients gave cakes away on days of new beginnings and celebrations, believing they had some magical way to guarantee fertility, good luck, riches and drive away evil.

[holyghoste]

Magical Rituals without Tools

I’ve been too strict with myself throughout my witching career. I convinced myself that rituals are most effective with a ton of preparation and picking just the right tools. While magic certainly works this way, it can also work if I perform them spontaneously. This year, I’m focusing more on spontaneous, simple rituals performed with little or no tools, that are still effective in their own right.

To clarify, when I say “no tools”, I’m talking about a situation where you wish to perform a ritual but have none of your witchy supplies on you (divination sets, magical herbs, candles, instructions etc.). In most cases, you may be outside or traveling. Say you went to the beach, or a park, or cemetery, and wish to honor the spirits or cast a spell. How would you do so?

Recently I’ve been brainstorming these methods using outdoor rituals I’ve performed in the past as reference. As a disclaimer, these correspondences (for lack of a better term) are highly personal to me. Since these rituals are usually spontaneous, you’ll have permission to alter the significance of these as you see fit.

Gestures 

Hands on the ground can ground you, stabilize your energy, and focus on your energy mingling with the energy of the earth.

Raising your hands towards the sky helps you harness and absorb energy from the sky, and celestial powers. You can also just face your palms towards the sky if you want to remain inconspicuous.

Pointing is a powerful gestures used to direct energy. If you want to charge an object, for instance, you can point at it or tap it. 

Your palms facing away from your body can act as a protective gesture, cutting you off from outside forces. You can also sweep your hands across areas to isolate them, brushing unwanted energies away from the space.

Your palm pressed to the ground or an object directs energy into it. Not only can this ground you, but it releases a lot of energy, activating a spell. You can also raise your own energy by pressing your hand to your heart, or even hugging yourself. 

Grabbing helps you pull in and trap energies.

In the same vein, opening your hand releases energy.

Extending your hand, as if to give a handshake, is a welcoming gesture that invites forces to come to you. This signals to spirits that you welcome them, and that you request to work with them.

Sitting still allows you to listen and meditate. If you want to hear a response or a sign, it is best to remain still.

Dancing releases energy and raises the vibration of the energies around you. You can collapse to the ground when the energy has reached its peak, and needs to be released.

Breathing techniques are a staple in magic, but since I’ve already made a post about them, I’ll link that post here.

Music / Sounds

Certain words and sayings hold great power when stated and chanted. I won’t list any because there are too many to count, but memorizing a hymn or repeating whatever persists in your mind can have great effects.

Similarly, singing raises the power of these words. It can be used to conjure, harness and build energy, sanctify and invite.

Clapping, or otherwise banging objects together, creates a lot of energy. This can cleanse ritual spaces, raise power, and release power.

Whistling and humming helps you resonate with the energies around you. It can also help you attain a meditative state, and attract spirits.

Silence allows you to listen and inspect.

Handling the Ground (Such as Dirt or Sand)

Drawing or marking a circle gives you a designated ritual area. Although this isn’t necessary, I find it useful to mark an area that I can raise energies in. You can draw it in the dirt or sand, or mark the area with stones, flowers, leaves or sticks.

Drawing symbols in the dirt can drastically change the energy of a ritual area. It can be part of a spell or an offering. Hearts, sigils, words and phrases–your options are flexible here.

Burying objects releases it from your control and your sight. This can be done for offerings, banishings, and letting go spells.

Sticking objects into the dirt or sand allows the object to absorb the earth’s energy, without being entirely released from your control.

Concerning Objects Available to You

If you’re performing a ritual outside, chances are you have some natural items available to handle, such as stones, grass, leaves and perhaps water. What you do with these objects depends on the purpose of your ritual. Rituals without tools tend to be spontaneous, meaning that you’ll have to determine the use of each object on the spot. 

If you’re conducting a ritual with no tools, that most likely means that you won’t have a grimoire or correspondence list with you. You’ll have to use what you know about that object, and what you feel is best by speaking to it. In fact, I almost didn’t include this section because unprepared rituals are so uniquely you that I cannot instruct them.

I’ll list some things I’ve done in the past as examples. But remember that your intuition will guide you the most. When it’s your turn, you won’t have this post to guide your actions.

Stones stabilize energies and provide a focal point. I’ve place stones in the middle of my ritual circle as a centerpiece. I’ve also held them to ground myself and meditate. You can also make noise and music by banging said stones.

Leaves have multiple uses, but I often use them as energy directors. They can outline a ritual circle, be used to make symbols, and point to objects. They can also be infused with energy, and then crumpled, buried or ripped.

Sticks direct energy, similar to wands. They can draw symbols, mark circles or outlines, or funnel energy into a specific point.

Water cleanses, blesses, and invigorates with life. Use on yourself or your makeshift ‘tools’.

Wind cleanses, releases, and sweeps away energies, whereas celestial bodies such as the sun and moon charge things with energy.

I won’t include anymore, because these kinds of rituals rely on your good judgement. But hopefully this gave you some ideas on what you can do if you’re ever out somewhere without your tools. 

#text

[holyghoste]

Overview

Alphabet

Hebrew Pronunciation Dictionary

Basic Info

Courses & Grammar

Ancient Hebrew Resources

Bliubliu

Clozemaster

FSI Basic Hebrew Course

Hebrew-Language.com 

Hebrew Vocabulary

HUJI Course

In Hebrew 

Learn Hebrew Easily 

Morfix Dictionary

Teach Me Hebrew

Ukindia

UT Austin: Hebrew Materials

Verbs

Verb Conjugator

Books

Assimil Hebrew

A Textbook of Israeli Hebrew 

Colloquial Hebrew + Audio

Everyday Hebrew

Grammar of Modern Hebrew

Hebrew from Scratch

Linguaphone Hebrew

Modern Hebrew Grammar

Modern Hebrew: Intermediate

Pimsleur Modern Hebrew

Teach Yourself Hebrew

Media & Youtube

HebrewPod101

Learn Hebrew with Maha

Memrise

Mondly Languages

Mango Languages

Radio

#languages #hebrew

[holyghoste]

           A COMPLETELY IMAGE-BASED MASTERPOST. 

                                               WIP since 01|14|19

This is updated very often as it is a work in progress, so please go here for the most updated version! Links will become available as I complete the artwork for each topic! I also highly appreciate topic suggestions/requests! Please join me on this exciting (and very lengthy) journey! 

✦ THE BASICS

Glossary Brief History “How It Works” Types of Magic (Ongoing) Types of Witches (Ongoing) Cleansing Your Space Casting/Closing A Circle Writing Your Own Spells Law of Correspondence  Familiars  Spirit Guides Making An Altar Keeping A Journal

✦ MAGIC(K) CORRESPONDENCES

Elements Colors Cardinal Directions Days of The Week Moon Cycles Alchemical Herbs (Ongoing) Trees (Ongoing) Floral (Ongoing) Aroma Crystals (Ongoing) Runes Symbols  Major Sigils  Seashells Water (Includes Rain Types) Deities (Ongoing) Animal Energies (Ongoing) Magical Alphabets (Ongoing) Deities In Magic

✦ PRE-WRITTEN SPELLS 

NOTE: Need a spell not listed here? Just contact me! Also, alterations are available for all spells if need be, just shoot me a message.

Love  Luck  Money Health  Cleansing   Banishment  Protection  Glamour  Curses

✦ PRE-MADE MAGIC(K) WORDS 

NOTE:

Need a magic(k) word not listed here? Just contact me!

Love Luck Money Health Cleansing   Banishment Protection Glamour Curses

✦ PRE-MADE SIGILS 

NOTE: Need a sigil for a purpose not listed here? Just contact me!

Love Luck Money Health Cleansing   Banishment Protection Glamour Curses

✦ OTHER METAPHYSICS/RESOURCES

Lucid Dreaming Astral Dynamics Thought Forms Meditation  Mantras  Mudras Yoga Karma The Aura Chakras

✦ HELPFUL BOOKS 

📖  A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, & Pagans by Jeffrey B. Russel

📖 Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Phil Hine

📖 Astral Dynamics: A New Approach to Out-Of-Body Experiences by Robert Bruce

✦ HELPFUL BLOGS

NOTE: All original, unbiased witchcraft profiles of those who like and/or reblog this will be will be reviewed and will have a chance to be added to this section!

💻  N/A

✦ RITUAL MUSIC/CHANTS 

🎵 N/A

#masterpost

[holyghoste]

Travel Talisman 

Create a bundle for a safe journey by combining any of the following dried herbs and flowers in a white or red drawstring bag: rose petals, lilac (flowers or a piece of the branch), foxglove, devil’s shoestring, wormwood, orris root, and witch hazel. Place a moonstone or piece of turquoise in the pouch with the herbs. Visualize a safe and pleasant journey and a joyful return home as you tie the pouch closed with a ribbon or string, making five knots. Repeat the following chant each time you tie the string:

as i wander, as i roam, 

far away or close to home;

keep me safe along the way,

guard my journey night and day.

keep the bundle i your car or carry it with u while traveling

[holyghoste]

5 Super Easy Tarot Tricks Anyone Can Do

1. For a situation that is not going your way

Find the Wheel of Fortune in your deck, the two cards on either side are the solutions to your problem

2. To bring money to you

Pull out the 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th and 50th card in your deck. These cards will tell you how to bring amounts of money your way.

3. To find the root of a romantic conflict

Find The Lovers. The cards on either side are conflicts surrounding the relationship.

4. To Leave behind sadness

Find The Moon and The Sun. The cards in between them are the order of steps you must take to move forward.

5. To look into your near future

Find your nearest Birth Card, the first card beneath it is what is approaching soonest.

[holyghoste]

Safety tips

Do not assume ghosts are human-sized.

Do not assume mermaids are not predators.

Do not assume monsters cannot go unseen because you lack the ability to see them.

Do not assume witches fail at magic when you do not see an immediate result.

[holyghoste]

[holyghoste]

🌻 Gentle Reminder That Even If🌻

- your sigils aren’t perfect and aesthetic on the first try (or ever)… - you cannot afford to buy a shitload of crystals, herbs and other magickal items… - you have no space for an altar… - your mental health makes meditation an ordeal, not a relaxation… - your physical health prevents you from using incense or candles… - your schedule makes it impossible to sit down to witch… - you live in a place that isn’t robust, green and mystical… - you are prone to outbursts of scepticism… - you cannot find a good deity to work with…

🌻 YOU ARE STILL A VALID WITCH AND YOU ARE LOVED  🌻

[holyghoste]

♠️♣️Yes/No and Playing Cards♥️♦️

I personally do not access to a tarot deck, so instead, I use a deck of bicycles. The deck and I get along and I’ve developed a way to ask simple yes/no questions to it.

Red suit - yes

Black suit- no

2 is very uncertain

10 is very certain

Ace is dead center no clue, like a “try again later”

Jacks, Queens, and Kings are 100% certain, absolutely 0 doubts

I shuffle between each question! My deck has very strong opinions on whether or not it wants to play solitaire in a given moment.

[holyghoste]

~ a tarot spread for reconnecting and communicating with your deck ~

[holyghoste]

My new house is located in a park full of birches. Do you know something they might be useful for (for spells, wards, charms, amulets, connection with spiritual, etc)? Have a lovely day and thank you 😊

Birches are incredible trees! There’s a couple of things it’s worth to know about the White Lady of the Woods.

Brittle kindling

Birches are known for their beautiful white bark and whimsical silhouettes. not a lot of people know though they are extremely brittle! Never look for safety under a birch during a storm! They grow in bunches or surrounded by other trees for a reason - they break incredibly fast and because of that rarely live over a 100 years. Because of the same reason they are great for lighting fires. If you want a natural kindle for ceremonial fires then use birch twigs or its bark.

Healing sap

Birches also hold an incredible treasure - their sap (also called birch water). Birch sap is very thin and almost transparent. It has a slightly sweet taste. It’s known for its healing as well as cosmetic properties. Its use is very well known in cultures of eastern Europe. You can even buy it commercially in many countries of the eastern block.

Drinking birch sap helps lower cholesterol. helps in weight loss and supports liver and kidney health. Cleaning your skin makes it clearer and brighter. It works as a great shampoo for greasy hair. It can even help in healing small wounds and cuts!

You don’t have to buy the sap though - you can harvest it yourself. Birch sap has to be collected in early spring before any green leaves have appeared, as in late spring it becomes bitter. The collection period is only about a month per year (Too late this year unfortunately!).You can easily harvest a few liters of sap in a quite fast time without harming the tree.

There are three methods of harvesting the sap. First one is cutting the tree in a V shape. I personally do not recommend this method simply because it leaves a very visible mark. 

The second method is simply poking a hole in the tree. You can do it with a nail, a steel or even a wooden pipe. This one is my favorite because it leaves almost no marks at all, it’s easy for the tree to heal and it also help you in harvesting because the pipe can work as a channel for the sap. It also seems to be the fastest method from my experience. 

The third method is the easiest but also the least effective one. Break one of the low hanging twigs and hang a bottle on it. It seems easy but the branch has to be low and the tree wound heals incredibly hast, leaving you often with less than a few sips. The sap is also often more bitter when obtained with this method.

Magic uses

The Druid tree symbol for the Bards  - ‘The Goddess Tree’ - ‘The Lady of the Woods’, the Birch tree is the bringer of promise, light and new beginnings. 

Because of its properties and the white bark, birch in many cultures is connected with renewal, new beginnings, purification and protection. 

In Wales, the birch is a tree of love. People from that region made wreaths out of the branches and twigs as tokens of love. 

In Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Poland people used to make brooms out of birch twigs to sweep not only dirt but also evil spirits. The famous Baba Yaga actually had a flying birch twig broom with which she swept all of her tracks.

The Irish used to create medallions out of birch marked with ogham scripture for protection and as a sign of fertility for the newlyweds.

Dried leaves can be crushed and made into birch tea, which even though terrible in taste, is high in vitamin C and works as a laxative and diuretic that helps getting rid of bacteria.

To cool down a violent passion sit down under a birch tree or at least hold onto something made of its wood. Be alone and quiet. Birch will channel into you wisdom and calmness.

Birch in the calendar

At Imbolc (Candlemas) in February, the white bark is used to symbolize the return of light along with the candles.

At Beltane (May Day) the birch was first choice as the tree to make the Maypole, cut at dawn to be decorated and danced around in old fertility rituals, later to be burned with ash logs at the Beltane fire.

At Samhain ( All Hallow’s Eve), some of the pagan new year festivities use birch to beat out the old or malign spirits from the hearth,  as the symbol of returning light and rebirth.

I hope that helps you! You’re very lucky to live near birches so use their power wisely and look out for them during storms!