LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here's a brief mythic history of the birch tree,
according to Philip Carr-Gomm's book *Druid Mysteries.* The birch used
to be called the pioneer tree because it was often the first tree planted
on virgin soil, and so in a sense gave birth to the forest. The word "birch"
is derived from a root meaning "bright" or "shining" in Indo-European
languages. In Britain, birches were made into maypoles, which celebrants
danced around during the fertility feast of Beltane. Siberian shamans, at
the climax of their initiation ceremonies, climbed a birch tree, circling its
trunk nine times. In the spirit of this rich folklore, Libra, I nominate the
birch to be your tree of power as you begin a phase of bright beginnings
and exuberant fertility.