For vitality. Popular beliefs and signs about birch

At all times, birch, as well as oak, enjoyed respect and worship from the local population. According to legend, it was the birch that hid Holy Friday from evil spirits, and another time, it hid the Mother of God and little Jesus from the weather in its branches. Therefore, it is believed that the birch is under their protection.

What can signs about birch tell about - a pure and living symbol of Russian culture? The Slavs have long observed the growth of a tree, its properties and features, and have learned to read the signs that the white-trunked beauty gives to people - now you can learn about them!

According to ancient beliefs, oak symbolizes masculinity, and the birch is female. Not without reason, when a child fell ill, the boys were taken to the oak to be treated, and the girls to the birch. The disease seemed to be passed from child to tree.

When bathing a sick child, they tried to pour water under a young birch, so that with water, the disease would pass to the tree.

At the same time, it was necessary to utter some kind of conspiracy against the disease. For example, with angina pectoris, it was necessary to say: “I will throw the toad under the birch bush, so that it does not hurt, so that it does not ache.”

Asking a birch for healing, they bowed and twisted birch branches over the patient, threatening that they would not let go of the branches if the disease did not leave the patient.

Often, hoping for a recovery, a sick child was spanked with birch branches.

Birch is a tree of "happiness" that protects from evil. There is even such a Russian proverb: “There is a tree: cry calms, light instructs, heals the sick.”

However, birch can also bring evil, because according to legend, it is associated with the souls of dead people and evil spirits. This dual position of the birch is also displayed in folk signs oh and beliefs.

In some areas, a birch was deliberately planted in connection with the birth of a baby, and a birch planted next to the house was supposed to protect from lightning, scare away evil. In others, on the contrary, they were afraid to plant a birch near the house, believing that the birch “weeps a lot”, and that again it can attract lightning. The northerners believed that it was impossible to put new house where birches used to grow. This place was considered unlucky.

And yet, the use of birch, as a talisman against evil forces, prevailed. Its branches were stuck in the barn, field, vegetable garden to protect the crop; in a wedding cake, so that everyone will be healthy; birch branches left in the attic protected the house from hail and lightning; to protect animals from the machinations of witches and sorcerers, birch branches were stuck over the barn door.

For most people, birch is a donor that feeds them with vital energy. Communication with birch will help relieve stress, increase vitality, and relieve fatigue.

Birch amulets are mainly used to solve family problems. Most often they are suitable for young women and mothers with children no older than 3-4 years, as well as for the children themselves.

It is very good to give gifts made of birch for a wedding. They can be either bought in a store or specially made for the celebration. Such gifts will serve to preserve marriage ties and family ties.

Pay attention to your date of birth. If you were born on June 24 or during the days of the summer confrontation, then according to the horoscope of the druids, the birch is your tree. More details can be found in the article Birch Druid Horoscope.

Folk omens about birch

The leaves on the birch turn yellow from above - by the cold and early winter.
If a birch tree opens leaves, you need to plant potatoes in a week.
If you put a birch wreath on the horns of your cow for the celebration, the magic of witches becomes not terrible.
If the birch blossoms earlier than the alder, summer months will be cool, with plenty of rain. If the alder blossoms before the birch, the coming summer will be hot and dry.
If you cut the birch bark, and the juice flows profusely, the spring will turn out to be warm.
If birch leaves did not fall in early October - to late snow.
If you touch a birch, you will get rid of negative energy and restore your strength.
However, you should not touch a tree with growths, as they are believed to be the result of witchcraft.

Meteorologists use scientific methods to make their forecasts. The scientific approach obliges to look at things from a different perspective. Do meteorologists believe in folk omens? Of course not. After all, in fact, by signs it is impossible to predict the future. They tell about the past and about the trends that have developed in the weather and nature to present moment. In this sense, the so-called phenological signs about the behavior of animals and plants are of value.

There are many interesting folk signs in autumn. One of the most curious signs of September: if the leaves on the birch begin to turn yellow from the top - wait cold autumn and winters, and if from below, then autumn will be late and warm. This sign has a scientific explanation. The trees begin to turn yellow when average daily temperature drops below +16°. Under such conditions, chlorophyll ceases to be produced in the leaves, and yellow pigments - carotenoids appear. Thus, the yellowing of the leaves illustrates the change in temperature with altitude. If the leaves turn yellow at the bottom of the tree, it means that at night there is a strong cooling near the surface of the earth, characteristic of anticyclonic weather. During the day in such conditions, on the contrary, it is warm. And, if an anticyclone sets in in the fall, then it will most likely last for a long time. But if the top of the birch turned yellow, the air above is colder than below. This most often occurs during the invasion of cold air masses, which usually bring inclement cyclones.

Spiders can also give their forecast. There is such a sign: if in September there are a lot of cobwebs in the forest, and it is woven into balls, this is by cold autumn, but if the web is rare, stretched across the grass, it means to be warm. Entomologists, by the way, are sure that spiders are real weather forecasters: if bad weather is expected, rains, colds, precipitation, spiders do not build their webs and do not repair them, they understand this by some changes atmospheric pressure but exactly how is not known. Thick tangles of cobwebs on grass and bushes appear in bad weather. These are insulated cocoons - shelters. Their animals build, anticipating bad weather in 2-3 days.

Our ancestors believed that moles also knew how to predict the weather. If the entrance to the wormhole is located to the north, then autumn and winter will be warm, and if to the south, then cold. This behavior of animals is easily explained. When at the end of summer the moles lack heat, they tend to make their way out of the hole to the warm south side. And vice versa, if it is too hot in the hole, they make an exit to the north.
Watch these phenomena in your region and make your own forecast for the fall!

When the days become shorter, and the sun no longer generously shares its warmth with the earth, one of the most beautiful seasons of the year comes - autumn. She, like a mysterious sorceress, changes the world around and fills it with rich and unusual colors. Most notably, these miracles occur with plants and shrubs. They are among the first to respond to weather changes and the onset of autumn. They have three whole months ahead of them to prepare for winter and part with their main decorations - leaves. However, at first, the trees will certainly please everyone around with their play of colors and the frenzy of colors, and the fallen leaves will carefully cover the earth with their veil and protect its smallest inhabitants from severe frosts.

Autumn changes with trees and shrubs, the causes of these phenomena

In autumn, one of the most important changes in the life of trees and shrubs occurs: a change in the color of the foliage and leaf fall. Each of these phenomena helps them prepare for winter and survive such a harsh season.

For deciduous trees and shrubs, one of the main problems in winter time year is a lack of moisture, so in the fall everything useful material begin to accumulate in the roots and core, and the leaves fall off. Leaf fall helps not only to increase moisture reserves, but also to save them. The fact is that the leaves evaporate the liquid very strongly, which is very wasteful in winter. Coniferous trees, in turn, can afford to show off with needles in the cold season, since the evaporation of liquid from them is very slow.

Another reason for leaf fall is the high risk for branches to be broken under the pressure of a snow cap. If fluffy snow fell not only on the branches themselves, but also on their leaves, they would not withstand such a heavy burden.

In addition, many harmful substances accumulate in the leaves over time, which can only be eliminated during leaf fall.

One of the recently uncovered mysteries is the fact that deciduous trees, placed in a warm environment, and, therefore, not in need of preparation for cold weather, also shed their leaves. This suggests that leaf fall is associated not so much with the change of seasons and preparation for winter, but is important part life cycle trees and shrubs.

Why do leaves change color in autumn?

With the onset of autumn, trees and shrubs decide to change the emerald color of their leaves to brighter and more unusual colors. At the same time, each tree has its own set of pigments - "paints". These changes are due to the fact that the leaves contain a special substance, chlorophyll, which converts light into nutrients and gives the foliage a green color. When a tree or shrub begins to store moisture, and it no longer reaches the emerald leaves, and the sunny day becomes much shorter, chlorophyll begins to break down into other pigments, which give the autumn world crimson and golden tones.

Brightness autumn colors depends on weather conditions. If the street is sunny and relatively warm weather, then autumn leaves will be bright and colorful, and if often it's raining then brown or dull yellow.

How the leaves of different trees and shrubs change color in autumn

A riot of colors and their unearthly beauty autumn is due to the fact that the foliage of all trees has different combinations of colors and shades. The most common purple color of the leaves. Maple and aspen can boast of crimson color. These trees are very beautiful in autumn.

Birch leaves become light yellow, and oak, ash, linden, hornbeam and hazel - brownish yellow.

Hazel (hazel)

Poplar quickly sheds its foliage, it is just beginning to gain yellowness and has already fallen.

Shrubs also delight with the variety and brightness of colors. Their foliage turns yellow, purple or red. Grape leaves(grape - shrub) acquire a unique dark purple color.

Crimson-red hue stand out on general background barberry and cherry leaves.

Barberry

From yellow to red, rowan leaves can be in autumn.

The leaves of the viburnum turn red along with the berries.

Euonymus dresses in purple clothes.

Red and purple shades of foliage determines the pigment anthocyanin. An interesting fact is that it is completely absent in the composition of the leaves and can only be formed under the influence of cold. This means that the colder the days, the more crimson the surrounding leafy world will be.

However, there are plants that, not only in autumn, but also in winter, retain their foliage and remain green. Thanks to such trees and shrubs, the winter landscape comes to life, and many animals and birds find their home in them. In the northern regions, such trees include trees: pine, spruce and cedar. To the south, the number of such plants is even greater. Among them, trees and shrubs are distinguished: juniper, myrtle, thuja, barberry, cypress, boxwood, mountain laurel, abelia.

Evergreen tree - spruce

Some deciduous shrubs also do not part with their emerald clothes. These include cranberries and cranberries. On the Far East there is interesting plant wild rosemary, the leaves of which do not change color in autumn, but roll up into a tube in autumn and fall off.

Why do the leaves fall, but there are no needles?

Leaves play an important role in the life of trees and shrubs. They help create and store nutrients, as well as accumulate mineral components. However, in winter, when there is an acute shortage of light, and, therefore, nutrition, the leaves only increase the consumption of useful components and cause excessive evaporation of moisture.

Coniferous plants, which most often grow in areas with a rather harsh climate, are in great need of nutrition, so they do not shed their needles that act as leaves. The needles are perfectly adapted to the cold. The needles contain a lot of chlorophyll pigment, which converts nutrients from light. In addition, they have a small area, which significantly reduces the evaporation from their surface of much-needed moisture in winter. From the cold, the needles are protected by a special wax coating, and thanks to the substance they contain, they do not freeze even in severe frosts. The air that the needles capture creates a kind of insulating layer around the tree.

The only coniferous plant that leaves its needles for the winter is larch. It appeared in ancient times, when summers were very hot and winters were incredibly frosty. This feature of the climate led to the fact that the larch began to shed its needles and it was not necessary to protect them from the cold.

Leaf fall, as a seasonal phenomenon, occurs for each plant at its own specific time. It depends on the type of tree, its age and climate.

First of all, poplar and oak part with their leaves, then the time of mountain ash comes. The apple tree is one of the last to shed its leaves, and even in winter, it may still have a few leaves.

Poplar leaf fall begins at the end of September, and by mid-October it completely ends. Young trees retain their foliage longer and turn yellow later.

Oak begins to lose its leaves in early September and completely loses its crown in a month. If frosts begin earlier, then leaf fall occurs much faster. Along with oak leaves, acorns also begin to crumble.

Mountain ash begins its leaf fall in early October and continues to delight with its pink leaves until November 1. It is believed that after the mountain ash parted with the last leaves, dank chilly days begin.

The leaves on the apple tree begin to turn golden by September 20. By the end of this month, leaf fall begins. The last leaves fall from the apple tree in the second half of October.

Evergreens and shrubs do not lose their foliage even with the onset of cold weather, as ordinary hardwoods do. Permanent leaf cover allows them to survive any weather and keep the maximum stock nutrients. Of course, such trees and shrubs renew their leaves, but this process occurs gradually and almost imperceptibly.

Evergreens do not shed all their leaves at once for several reasons. Firstly, then they do not have to spend large reserves of nutrients and energy to grow young leaves in the spring, and secondly, their constant presence ensures uninterrupted nutrition of the trunk and roots. Most often, evergreen trees and shrubs grow in areas with a mild and warm climate, where the weather is warm even in winter, however, they are also found in harsh climatic conditions. These plants are most common in tropical rainforests.

Evergreens such as cypresses, spruces, eucalyptus, some types of evergreen oaks, rhodendron can be found in a wide area from harsh Siberia to the forests of South America.

One of the most beautiful evergreens is the blue fan palm, which is native to California.

The Mediterranean oleander shrub is distinguished by an unusual appearance and a height of more than 3 meters.

Another evergreen shrub is gardenia jasmine. Her homeland is China.

Autumn is one of the most beautiful and colorful seasons. Flashes of purple and gold leaves, preparing to cover the ground with a multi-colored carpet, coniferous trees, penetrating the first snow with their thin needles and evergreens, always pleasing to the eye, make the autumn world even more delightful and unforgettable. Nature is gradually preparing for winter and does not even suspect how fascinating these preparations are to the eye.

September 6th, 2015 , 09:43 am

There are many interesting folk signs in autumn.

One of the most curious signs of September: if the leaves on the birch begin to turn yellow from the top, wait for a cold autumn and winter, and if from below, then the autumn will be late and warm. This sign has a scientific explanation. Trees begin to turn yellow when the average daily temperature drops below +16°. Under such conditions, chlorophyll ceases to be produced in the leaves, and yellow pigments - carotenoids appear. Thus, the yellowing of the leaves illustrates the change in temperature with altitude.

If the leaves turn yellow at the bottom of the tree, it means that at night there is a strong cooling near the surface of the earth, characteristic of anticyclonic weather. During the day in such conditions, on the contrary, it is warm. And, if an anticyclone sets in in the fall, then it will most likely last for a long time.

But if the top of the birch turned yellow, the air above is colder than below. This most often occurs during the invasion of cold air masses, which are usually brought by inclement cyclones.

Entomologists, by the way, are sure that spiders are real weather forecasters: if bad weather, rains, colds, precipitation are expected, spiders do not build their networks and do not repair them, they understand this by some changes in atmospheric pressure, but how exactly is not known exactly .

Thick tangles of cobwebs on grass and bushes appear in bad weather. These are insulated cocoons - shelters. Their animals build, anticipating bad weather in 2-3 days.

Watch these phenomena in your region and make your own forecast for the fall!

Original entry and comments on

What did birch mean for ancestors

Even in the times of paganism, the ancestors paid much attention to observing the flora, realizing that any change with a flower, bush, tree does not happen just like that, that one event will surely be followed by another.

An important role among the trees that help to find out what the weather conditions will be like in the near future is assigned to the birch. Many signs and folk customs are associated with it.

The ancient Slavs considered birch a special, sacred plant with magical powers, a symbol of resurrection and new life, as well as the transition from winter cold to the warmth of spring.

The sign that a birch tree planted near the house protects the dwelling from lightning strikes into it did not arise from scratch. The people noticed that lightning never strikes in a place where birches grow, and the inhabitants of cities and villages began to plant a tree on their porch in order to protect the monastery from the elements and fire.

Even if the owners of the house did not have the opportunity to grow a birch in their yard, they broke out several twigs from an adult tree and kept them in the attic, sincerely believing in the magical protection they gave. People endowed birch brooms with the same properties. Therefore, if you want to avoid negativity, follow the signs and choose the right household accessory.

Planting a curly folk favorite in their yard, connoisseurs tried to place it away from the building, as evil spirits settled in birch roots. The Slavs were afraid that the devils living in the rhizome would be able to enter the house, so they assigned a place near the gate to the seedling.

Birch was also considered an assistant in matters of the soul. A person who could not get rid of longing and bad thoughts for a long time could simply go up to a tree, hug it with her arms, and stand like that for a while.

It was believed that the plant will take away the negative from a person, and in return endow him with pure positive energy. Only a healthy tree could be touched. If growths were present on the birch, it was clear sign the fact that a negative magical effect was made on the tree.

Perhaps a sorcerer, magician or witch transferred someone's damage or illness to a living object through a black ritual.

Lonely growing birch trees were also considered dangerous. According to legend, the remains of a murdered person are buried under such a tree, whose soul now lives in a birch trunk. They didn’t even collect juice from a loner, and they were afraid to approach her once again, so that involuntarily not innocently killed.

The place where the murder of a man was once committed could also be considered the area where the birch grew, twining itself with another tree. It was especially bad sign if it was alder or aspen. Such points are still considered unfavorable today, and it is better not to approach them unless necessary.

Nowadays, it is not difficult to find out the weather forecast. But even the modern equipment that weather forecasters have is sometimes wrong. You can understand what summer and the rest of the year will be like by looking more closely at a birch growing not far from your home. There are many trees available.

There is a very useful sign for gardeners - in the spring a lot of juice flows from a birch - to be a rainy summer. This belief exists thanks to the observation of our ancestors.

Many centuries ago, the Slavs noticed a pattern: if in April, when the plants are filled with moisture after the widespread flood, it is possible to collect large quantities of birch sap, in summer the sky will often be covered with rain clouds.

Another sign about nectar: If you cut the birch bark, and the juice flows profusely, the spring will be warm.

But the dry, sultry period from June to August promises an earlier pubescence of a birch than a maple. An identical forecast will be, and when she dissolves her leaves before the alder. This is confirmed by the opposite sign:

Alder will show leaves earlier than birch - summer is expected to be quite wet and cool.

Flower growers judge the full onset of spring by the buds of a tree, predicting that after they open and the leaves appear, lilacs and bird cherry will bloom in exactly a week.

AT autumn time Russian "beauty" tells when to expect heat after winter. If the birch leaves begin to turn yellow from the top, spring will be early, and if the first yellow leaves appear from below, it will be late. Evenly yellowed foliage predicts the timely arrival of spring.

The beginning of leaf fall will tell you how severe the coming winter will be:

birch and oak leaves fall at the same time - the coldest season promises to be mild and relatively warm;
these types of trees are not exposed at the same time - the winter is expected to be severe;
birch leaves did not fall in early October - to late snow;
Curly sheds all leaves on time - a long thaw will be at the end of January or the beginning of the last winter month.

Well, if the leaves are still tenaciously holding on to the birch, but suddenly turned yellow - expect frost.

The age-old question tormenting farmers: what kind of harvest to expect? Judge by the birch, as observant and wise great-grandfathers teach descendants through the centuries - it will tell you how much space in the bins the edible gift given by nature will take:

In spring, birch has three cones - you can safely sow oats.
When there are a lot of buds on a tree in spring, millet will spoil.
If you notice a lot of earrings on a birch, this is a good sign, portending a high pea crop.
Birch buds blooming from below portend grain-rich bread. Also, a rich grain harvest promises a good lobe on birch and aspen in the spring.
With an abundance of summer moisture, the leaves of the beauty are thick and have a dark shade - to tall bread and a good harvest.
The appearance of the first yellow leaves with spots signals that it's time to sow winter bread.
The hour when it is time to sow the field with bread is prompted by the favorite jewelry of young fashionistas - birch earrings. As soon as they burst, you can sow bread.

Don't know when to sow rye? Look again at the leaves of the birch.

if they start to turn yellow from the top, you can use the period of the first sowing for land work;
in the middle the first yellow leaves appeared - sow when the second sowing is announced;
closer to the bottom, the foliage turns yellow - sow in the last, and then your rye will spoil well.

Spring culture - oats - must be sown only after the birch leaves begin to bloom. Our ancestors noticed that as soon as the birch is dressed in green leaves, there will be no more cooling, which means that you can start sowing.