5 questions

I picked these up over at Of Petals and Wool and thought I’d play along.

1.What's your favorite kind of tree?

Hmmm, have never really given this much thought, but I do love a birch tree…..that peeling white bark….pretty in spring and ghostly in the fall. We have a birch in our front yard.

If you want to know about the Celtic symbolism of the birch tree read this from What’s Your Sign…..

The Celtic meaning of the birch tree deals with:

• Growth
• Renewal
• Stability
• Initiation
• Adaptability

Listen closely and you will detect whispers of transformation and growth in the midst of the birch groves within your soul.

The birch is highly adaptive and able to sustain harsh conditions with casual indifference. Proof of this adaptability is seen in its easy and eager ability to repopulate areas damaged by forest fires or clearings. Bright and beautiful, the birch is a pioneer, courageously taking root and starting anew to revive the landscape where no other would before.

This is a powerful metaphor for our lives. The birch asks us to philosophically go where no other will go (voluntarily or otherwise). The birch asks us to take root in new soils and light our lives with the majesty of our very presence. The birch sings to us: "Shine, take hold, express your creative expanse, light the way so that others may follow."

Paradoxically, while the birch is a brilliant symbol of renewal, it is also symbolic of stability and structure. The druids also held the birch as the keepers of long-honored traditions.

Associated with the sun, the birch is a solar emblem, and facilitates passion, energy, as well as growth. This solar association is paralleled when we learn the druids carried birch bark with them as kindling. Birch serves as a perfect igniter as it will start to burn even when damp. This makes it a prized fire starter over most other wood types.

Here again, this makes for a perfect analogy. The birch asks us to serve our fellow man with a fire in our hearts. In this respect, the birch reminds us that even if our spirits are dampened by the set backs in life, we can always catch fire from the spark of passions that drive us to divinity.

2. How did you celebrate the New Year?

New Year’s eve, we stayed in and had steak and potatoes and watched movies. My husband was asleep before midnight, but I woke him up to give him a New Year’s Eve kiss anyway!

3. Do you have any family traditions for the New Year?

no

4. I'm so glad I (fill in the blank) found yoga in 2011.

5. Did you have a nickname as a child?

Yes, still do. Tambo