Birch Torch



Birch Torch

The torch holds the Kenaz that burns the Birch.
For Berkano is the wood that feeds the flames.
It’s dry bark is used for ember’s birth
And the written enlightened word.
Both lights capturing the illumination of the mind.

The estate is built by the Birch.
Well sought are it’s gentle groves.
A signal of water-born earth -
Harvest comes wherever Berkano thrives.

The greening wood becomes red-gold flame,
The seedless harvest is turned to burning,
And yet, what is cut does not stop growing,
Where roots do hold fast.

The estate needs Birch to build and adorn the hall
With fuel for fires of the Hearth.
For without Birch, there would be no warmth, no light,
No illuminating heat.
No shared minds, nor warmed heart.

The Birch is the greenest of trees
The seedless mother,
The nursemaid of fire.
The green home illuminating
Fehu’s Byre.

- Christina Marvel

Popular posts from this blog

SAMHAIN

Image
Samhain is a time for gentleness. There is a tenderness to this turning of the wheel, a surrendering into the transition between life and death. It is a time for mindfulness and openness to one's spirit. Consequently, this is a time for mystics to also discover more of their abilities. Surprises come from the Spirit realms as the death happening in nature holds open a portal for all of us to stare into those realms. Many of us forget that the land determines what happens to us. We are shaped by nature around us. We can fight against it or we can learn to dance with it. The land and her spirits can train us to walk with nature and not against her. As she transitions between the fecund life-force of summer to the waning death throes of Autumn and Winter, she leaves a portal to the underworld open for us. If we are empathetic to her and open to her teaching, we can walk through those portals and find more about who we are and what we can do. If we see her as beneath us in arrogance
Read more

Letter From Your Disir

Image
To my beautiful child, Long have I sat here by Urd’s well, watching you live your life. Long have I yearned to brush your hair off your brow and kiss you sweetly while you slept. Long have I waited in the shadows to shower you with loving words. As I sit here in the mists of Hel, I long to hear even your gentle breath or your sweet laughter. I have watched every moment of your life. I have cried with you in the nights you felt all alone. I have whispered into the ears of others, urging them to hold you with arms I have not and giving you sweet words with a voices I have not. I have flown into your dreams to encourage you and show you that you are not alone. I have rejoiced with every one of your triumphs and cried with you at every one of your defeats. On the rare times, I can find a person close to you who will allow me to channel my love to you, I shower you with radiant unending love. I can tell you how proud I am of you and how much I am so honored that you came from
Read more

Karl Munr

Image
 ( The Gleaners by Francios Millet) Munr Karl Many years ago, I was talking with my Romanian friend at a little donut shop we would meet to talk about philosophy. That day he was unusually sad and he confided in me. His wife had just left him and he was contemplating leaving the country to find adventure and healing. I asked him what he thought brought the end of their relationship and he said, “she didn’t have the capacity to deal with the wounded parts inside of myself that I couldn’t mend yet”. That phrase has always stuck with me since then. I have a tendency to love people a lot, but I also have a lot of quirks. I was terribly abused as a child: starved, beaten, and treated as a dog. I had very little joy when I was young and most of my memories are the stuff of nightmares. I have since learned to hold onto the happy memories for comfort and solace and I strive every day to make up for my childhood by making lots of happy memories now. I want to get to the end of my life and see m
Read more