BERKANA
( BEORC )
(Birch)
Renewal Healing,
physical or spiritual regeneration, , Fertility and mothering
in all aspects
Berkano is
related to Nerthus, the Great Mother, the Earth Goddess
and is also linked to Hel, Goddess of the Underworld and
daughter of the trickster God Loki. The original Nordic
earth mother was Nerthus and the tradition continued with
Frigg, wife of Odin who was associated with fertility
and motherhood and was evoked by women in labour.
This rune thereby
contains the concept of birth, death and rebirth. Indeed
the birches were the first tree to recolonise the land
after the retreat of the ice-cap at the end of the last
Ice Age. According to the old poems, the birch `puts forth
shoots without seeding.'
Birch Trees
were planted in front of a dwelling in the Northern countries
to invoke the protection of the Earth Mother and the custom
spread to America with the settlers.