Beith (bay-th) is the first fid (letter) of the ogham alphabet and it is the first fid that was ever created. The God Ogma wrote “b” seven times to convey a warning to the God Lugh about his wife. It was a warning that she would be carried away into the Otherworld or another country unless birch guarded her. The letter for beith is written with one vertical line and one horizontal line on the right side only. I’ve included a picture at the bottom of this post so you can see.
This moreover is the first thing that was written by Ogham, >-,-,- i.e. (the birch) b was written, and to convey a warning to Lug son of Ethliu it was written respecting his wife lest she should be carried away from him into faeryland, to wit, seven b’s in one switch of birch: Thy wife will be seven times carried away from thee into faeryland or into another country, unless birch guard her. On that account, moreover, b, birch, takes precedence, for it is in birch that Ogham was first written. (The Ogham Tract)
The Birch tree itself is a hardy tree. There are actually over 30 different species of Birch - many of them native to both European and North American places. Since the Ogham comes from Ireland, the feda (tree) that the Irish most likely saw was the Betula Pendula - also known as the Silver Birch.
The silver birch is a hardy tree, a pioneer species, and one of the first trees to appear on bare or fire-swept land. Many species of birds and animals are found in birch woodland, the tree supports a wide range of insects and the light shade it casts allows shrubby and other plants to grow beneath its canopy. It is planted decoratively in parks and gardens and is used for forest products such as joinery timber, firewood, tanning, racecourse jumps, and brooms. Various parts of the tree are used in traditional medicine and the bark contains triterpenes, which have been shown to have medicinal properties. – Betula pendula - Wikipedia
For figuring out what Beith means in divination, I look at many different things. First, we can look at the story of Beith’s creation. Ogma created Beith as a warning to Lugh. Seven Bs carved and sent to him to protect his wife. It is my own belief that beith is connected to protection and warnings, though I haven’t been able to find this connection anywhere else.
Next we can look at how the birch tree itself. It is silver or white in color. The bark on the outside easily peels back to reveal what is underneath. The Birch tree is one of the first trees to appear on land that is barren or has been swept by fire. This lends to the meaning of purification and resilience. New growth can happen once the old is cleared away.
When this symbol is used, it is representative of new beginnings, change, release, and rebirth. In some traditions, it also has connections with purification. – Celtic Ogham Symbols and Their Meanings
Birch was also traditionally used for cleansing and purifying the home and body. Birch twigs were used for brooms and the oil extracted from birch is a mild analgesic used for relieving pain. This further lends to the ideas of purification and cleansing.
If you are reading Ogham staves and Beith makes an appearance, something new is happening. A new beginning. Clearing out the old so new opportunities can be brought to you. It is also an Ogham of purification and cleansing. The silver/white color is definitely symbolic of purity, but also of rebirth. The way the bark peels back on the tree makes me think of peeling back layers of an onion. What we see on the surface is not always what lies beneath.
Here are some keywords I’ve come up with in my studies for beith in regard to divination.