Berkano Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Berkana, Beorc, Bjarkan
The rune of the birch tree, new growth, nurture and gentle beginnings.
- Intentions
- New Beginnings, Healing, Love
- Letter
- ᛒ
- Sound
- b
- Meaning
- Birch
How to use it
- Spring blessing
At Ostara, draw Berkano on paper and bury it in a pot as you plant seeds. Ask that whatever you are starting grow strong with care, and tend the plant as a living reminder.
- Nurture yourself
When you need gentle care, draw Berkano and list three small kind things you will do for yourself this week. Keep the page by your bed and check each one off as you go.
Works well with
History and folklore
Berkano means birch, one of the first trees to green in spring and quick to grow on cleared land. The Old English rune poem describes a tree with leafy branches reaching high into the air, and the Norse poems call the birch the greenest-leaved of limbs. Our view of it comes from these medieval poems and modern interpretation. Today Berkano is read as birth, growth, nurture, family and the fresh start of a new season.
The rune of the birch tree, new growth, nurture and gentle beginnings.
- Intentions: New Beginnings, Healing, Love
- Letter: ᛒ
- Sound: b
- Meaning: Birch
How to use it
- Spring blessing. At Ostara, draw Berkano on paper and bury it in a pot as you plant seeds. Ask that whatever you are starting grow strong with care, and tend the plant as a living reminder.
- Nurture yourself. When you need gentle care, draw Berkano and list three small kind things you will do for yourself this week. Keep the page by your bed and check each one off as you go.
Works well with: Birch, Ostara, Moonstone, Green Candle, Waxing Crescent
Folklore
Berkano means birch, one of the first trees to green in spring and quick to grow on cleared land. The Old English rune poem describes a tree with leafy branches reaching high into the air, and the Norse poems call the birch the greenest-leaved of limbs. Our view of it comes from these medieval poems and modern interpretation. Today Berkano is read as birth, growth, nurture, family and the fresh start of a new season.
The Witch's Cabinet is a free reference for your practice. Correspondences are traditional associations, not medical advice. Always follow the safety notes, especially with herbs and essential oils around children, pets and during pregnancy.