Excerpt:
Betula has been on this earth since before the dinosaurs went extinct.  She takes many forms and lives in many environments: arctic tundra, temperate rainforests, mountain valleys, forests.  A thin leaved, short lived, slender hardwood, she is one of the most iconic trees of the northeastern United States.  Paper Birch, with whom we created this score, lives from coast to coast in North America, stretching up into the entire circumboreal region. Their role in their local ecologies is multifaceted and powerful; they colonize cleared land, and are able to regenerate in tiny canopy gaps. Their fallen leaves remediate acidic soils.  They are pioneers that create a welcoming world for other species: trees, bushes, grasses, as well as wildlife who depend on them for food and homes….
Their characteristics of being highly adaptable, of being the first to colonize cleared land, of being able to withstand adverse conditions make birch a surprising ally for new beginnings, renewal, and adaptability.  In one ancient Hellenic practice of phyllomancy, or divining by way of rustling leaves, birches in sacred groves were visited to help make decisions and show the path forward.