Berkana represents the B in the runic alphabet and is the eighteenth rune of the older Futhark. Its names are Old Norse bjarkan, Old English beorc, and Gothic bercna. It stands for birth. Literally, the name Berkana means goddess of birth. Her esoteric meanings are birth and sanctuary. The tree associated with her is the birch.
Career development or business success is also associated with the Berkana rune and can indicate increases in wealth and a promotion and improvement in profits.
Overall, the appearance of the Berkana rune can be seen as a very good omen.
The rune, like the birch, represents the birth and growth of life. It is also associated with birth and motherhood. It is not only about the first moments of life, but also about growing and thriving later. A mother does not drop her baby after birth, but ensures that conditions prevail for the child in which healthy development is possible.
Berkana, in a sense, represents the Great Mother, who was worshipped by the Celts, among others. This archetypal image is a symbol of the eternal feminine.
It can be seen as a counter-model to the male god who proceeds rationally and subdues the earth. In contrast, the Great Mother is more intuitive, forgiving and gentle.
In the Tarot, she is represented, among other things, by the Queen of Cups, a card that symbolizes the infinite and rich depths of the subconscious. Berkana, however, should be considered only peripherally as a symbol of the subconscious. The Laguz rune can do this much more aptly.
Berkana is the maternal, defying even the forces of nature in both spiritual and material reality to provide her charges with the needed conditions for growth. Man learns to trust his mother in early childhood. A child senses that there is one or more people close by to provide for it. And that it can rely on them.
Berkana can be compared to Mother Earth. Humanity is the child that has learned to trust its environmental conditions. One relies on the flourishing of food sources and the security of living conditions.
Just as the child is normally not afraid that it will suddenly be left on its own, man does not need to fear that suddenly no more water will come from the earth or that the present harvest will be its last.
The meaning of the reversed Berkana rune can signify a setback in development, mood feelings and lack of creative fertility. In the field of business, it can show a lack of growth.
It can also show an inability to conceive a baby or a business idea. In the area of romance and relationships, the meaning of the reversed Berkana rune can bring stagnation and failure to the next level.
Setbacks in health are also indicated by the meaning of the reversed Berkana rune.
Theft, dishonesty, and failed investments are also found in the Reversed Berkana Rune Meaning.
