Berkana - Protecting your Growth
Berkano: Birch Goddess
The Berkano Rune (also called Berkana) literally translates to “Birch Goddess” and it is associated with Birch Trees, Motherhood, Fertility, Pregnancy, New Beginnings, Birthing, Protection, the cycle of Death and Rebirth, Renewal, Regeneration, Prosperity, Secrecy, and Purification.
While there are times that the Pregnancy association of Berkano might be literal, more often it will relate to the beginning of a new cycle or a new phase of life. Beginnings are delicate and require protection and nurturing. In the same way that a fetus is nurtured and protected by a womb, the beginning of a new phase in our life must be nurtured and protected. This is not necessarily something that is yet ready to be brought out into the public - it is something new and fresh and requires some discernment about who or what comes in contact while it is in this delicate new state. Just as we do not tell everyone about a new pregnancy right away - the new thing represented by Berkano might need some sheltering and secrecy at first. Additionally, a newborn is usually sheltered during its first few weeks of life - it needs more protection when it is in this very vulnerable state at the beginning of life.
Regardless of our gender identity or sex, we all have the ability to create something new, and nurture ideas or potentials into stronger states of existence. We can all take something that is vulnerable and new, and protect it and help grow it into something strong and resilient. This is easier when we have the support of others whom we trust.
Birch trees are known for their resilience and their ability to grow in harsh landscapes - but part of the ability of the Birch to thrive is in its tendency to grow in families. You will rarely see a single birch tree growing by itself, and you will more often see a Birch Grove - a group of Birch trees growing together. In this way, Berkano is also about Family - but specifically about the protection and resilience that a family offers. (This does not have to be a “Traditional” Family structure or even your genetic family line - it can also refer to any group of people with which you find support and safety) A Birch Grove offers a protective habitat for many species of plants and animals, and it is considered to be a sacred place often associated with Goddesses and Benefic spirits that will help you heal and rest.
While no two sources seem to agree on the astrological association of the Runes, I personally enjoy the correspondence of Berkano with Cancer season - specifically with the Full Moon of Cancer Season and the waning moon period of Cancer Season. The Mothering, nurturing, and “pregnant” associations of Berkano seem to me to align with the time of the Full Moon in Cancer Season - which will be a Capricorn Full Moon - and this also aligns with the Protective, Fertile, and Prosperity associations of Berkano. Personally I think this is an ideal rune to meditate on with the Capricorn Full Moon and the waning moon for two weeks after the Capricorn Full Moon. This Rune seems to embody both sides of the Cancer-Capricorn axis; it is both nurturing and protective.
At the time of the Capricorn Full Moon, six months have passed since Capricorn Season and Yule. While Birch trees are often associated with Beltane, Samhain, and Yule, I think that this early-summer Full Moon in Capricorn is a good time to reflect on the strength and beauty of the birch trees and the Berkano Rune. Birches are sturdy and create shelter - yet they are known to be a flexible wood. Wood that bends is less likely to break under pressure, so this is a resilient tree. Birches are also known to have properties of purification, and the leaves have antiseptic properties to help protect from infection or illness. Birch branches are traditionally used to make magical brooms - known as a Besom - because they are ideal for helping us cleanse away unwanted energies, purifying our homes or magical spaces. Cleansing and banishing unwanted energies is associated with the energy of the Waning Moon, which begins after the Full Moon and lasts for two weeks (until the next New Moon)
What is new, vulnerable, and sacred in your life?
What are you being called to nurture and protect while it is in this fresh new beginning?
Where is your metaphorical Birch Grove where you can feel safe, nurtured, and protected? Or who is your chosen family that is your Birch Grove?
What do you need to purify or cleanse away and release so you can focus on nurturing this new growth in your life?
How can you be more flexible, so that you do not break under pressure?
Sources:
Berkano Rune
Birch Tree
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