Dear pagan readers,

Today I will introduce you to a tree parasite just as important as the mistletoe for the pagans living close to the arctic circle. The documentation about this sacred tree parasite regarding mythology in ancient times is almost non existant. For the pagan tribes using it had a very strong oral tradition but an almost non existant written tradition. But I did my best to gather the available knowledge on the subject. The host tree I already discussed in an earlier article: the birch tree.

The Celtic birch, or ‘Beith’, played a spiritual role in the lives of our Gaelic ancestors, symbolising renewal and purification. ‘Beith’ was the first letter B in the early medieval Celtic tree alphabet or ‘Ogham’ and also represented the first month of the Celtic year.

The birch was part of the celebration during the festival of Samhain (what is now Halloween) held from…