BERKANO

Berkano embodies the nurturing aspects of the mother. It also symbolizes birth, protection, love, and the cycle of life and death. Berkana harmonizes physical and mental strength and promises peace and fertility. It is also the rune most closely connected with creativity and the need idea to receive attentive care to be fully realized.

Jord is the Norse goddess of Earth, mother to Thor and associated with fertility. She is the personification of the earth and the daughter of night. She is the symbol of the fertile ground that holds the seeds of life and gives birth to all. Jord is completely wild like the uncultivated earth, and her raw energy makes her a powerful goddess. She's described as independent and focused on her own fertility, not conforming to traditional wifely roles. She is the Berkana rune in all of its roles, as life-giver, protector, lover, and creative force.

The birch, which is the plant most closely connected with Berkana, symbolizes regeneration and growth. It can sometimes be considered unruly as it grows in thick, dense patterns. In Norse lore, birch serves as a portal between life and the afterlife, illuminating paths even in darkness.

Among the trees, and in the wild, highly generative hares lurk who do not obey the laws of gods or man. They are the animals of trolls, which are the embodiment of untamed forces in Norse mythology. Not unlike Jord, the trolls represent the element of earth. Trolls use hares to do their bidding among civilized society as they stay hidden among the rocks and trees. Hares, birch, and Jord are as symbols closely related to Berkana for their qualities of fertility and raw earthly energy.