As this new year opens, I find myself drawn into a rhythm that feels both ancient and alive — a rhythm of trees, moons, and quiet connection. My dear friend recently invited me to join a group exploring 13 trees and 13 moons, each cycle bringing us into relationship with a different tree spirit. For this first moonth, we begin with Birch — the gentle pioneer of new beginnings. What unfolds when we consciously connect with nature, our intuition, and one another? This is the beginning of my journey with Birch.
We met online for the first time on Saturday 17th Jan, the day before the Capricorn New Moon. It felt like an auspicious time to begin—Capricorn grounding us in commitment while Birch invites fresh beginnings.
As I sat with these people, most of whom I didn’t know, I drew with my non-writing hand (see image below). The act of drawing helped me listen more deeply, while also tuning into Birch’s gentle, awakening energy.
Birch is a beautiful tree, the first to arrive to begin a new woodland. I’m going to get to know Birch more deeply as the moonth unfolds. But already, I feel her quite strongly.
I felt very at home in the group, which is unusual for me, and left reluctantly at the end of the call. We’d shared ideas of how we might connect with Birch and also our intentions. The session left a quiet afterglow. I found myself wondering how Birch might show up in my everyday life.
The next day, before setting out on a walk, I set the intention of connecting with Birch if Birch wanted to. My partner set his intention and off we went into a part of the woods at Stanmer that we don’t know well.
We followed the mountain-bike trails with glee, one eye on the fading light, wondering if we’d make it back before dark. I found myself singing as we walked — and then suddenly turned to see a circle of Birch!
I moved toward them, singing louder, offering my song in gratitude. Their white bark was luminous — smooth and papery, broken by rough eruptions of crust. I longed to take a twig for tea but didn’t have my knife for a clean cut, so instead, I gave thanks and left offerings for their beauty and presence.
Later, at home, I looked again at my drawing from the group session and added a touch of green for Ivy. To my surprise, the shapes mirrored the circle of trees I’d met on my walk — as if Birch had already been whispering through the image. Moments like these remind me how intuition can sketch reality before the mind catches up.
I sometimes find it hard to balance the magical and the mundane. My rational (Aquarius Sun) brain still wants to make sense of everything, even when the universe delivers moments that defy logic.
A few days later, another synchronicity unfolded. I went for a walk first thing in the morning. I followed my intuition, and ended up at a sock shop (Sockopus). I bought 3 pairs. The first pair I was attracted to had an image of a Woodpecker on the ankles. I have never seen a Woodpecker in Brighton.
On my way home, by two Birch trees near my block, a Woodpecker lands on the grass in front of me and pecks at a nut. My mouth fell open. The bird matched the colours of the bird on the socks I’d just bought. My rational brain goes, “WTF?!”
The last few days have had lots of magical happenings and triggers. It has felt intense. I’m being stretched in mundane and magical realities. I sometimes have difficulty ‘choosing’ which to focus on: the magical or the mundane? When that happens I get stuck or frozen so I gave myself some kind self-talk.
“It’s okay to have a foot in the mundane and a foot in the magical,” I reminded myself. “You can still do your routine. It’s okay to do your exercises as you normally would.”
When I talk to myself with compassion, it unfreezes me and I can go about the mundane with more soul presence.
As Birch continues to accompany me through this first lunar cycle, I sense she’s teaching me about renewal — about meeting each experience, rational or magical, with curiosity and kindness. The boundaries between the everyday and the enchanted don’t need to be rigid; they can dance together. Each intuitive nudge, each unexpected sign, becomes part of that dance.
If you’ve ever felt called to explore how intuition shows up in your life — or how to weave your inner and outer worlds more harmoniously — I’d love to explore that with you. You can book a free 20–30 minute chat with me here.