Berkano: Spring Is Sprung

Berkano: the Goddess, Spring

Meaning: Children, Growth, Plants and Trees, Sanctuary, Spring

Affirmation: I am divinely protected and loved.

Associations: Divine Feminine, Goddesses

Berkano or Berkana is the energy of the Goddess and Spring. When observed with an open mind, it even resembles a pregnant belly and breasts. It carries with it all the warm and radiance of the sun clearing away the final snows of winter, thawing the frozen earth, and rousing the seeds and bulbs from their sleep. This abundant rune also carries with it the joyful, optimistic energy of childhood, and the wisdom necessary to raise that child into adulthood.

Berkano implies that something is coming or is growing into the next stage of its being, whether this something is entirely new or reborn from our past. It can also indicate a child or young person, or the need to nurture and parent oneself or another. It may suggest a time of peace or plenty, or a "spring," time is due to enter our lives. Berkano is also a good rune for gauging timelines, and for communicating or connecting with Goddess energies, especially those who are also correlated with spring, such as Brighid or Persephone.

When I look at Berkana, the first rune I see is, not surprisingly, Laguz. Laguz gives this rune its emotional and loving nature, and the capacity to provide and receive unconditional love, a necessary ingredient in growth of any kind. Laguz teaches us to be compassionate and to take the time to care for ourselves and others in a loving and emotional fulfilling way. This ensures that what we grow or create is coming from a place of love and goodness. It is from the waters of the womb that we are born, as well, with both the concepts of childbirth and sanctuary being contained by the essence of Berkano.

I also see Kenaz, another Goddess energy. Kenaz looks into the stillness of the self, back out, and then towards the self again, reflecting the areas that need the most nurturing or growth by analyzing our current role (or the role of our children) in the garden of the world around us. In order to grow at the fastest and best rate, it is important to not only be equipped with knowledge and wisdom, but also to be able to see where and how we need to grow the most, what knowledge and wisdom we lack, and how to best accomplish and fulfill these goals, or gain what else we need, with what we currently have.

Sowilo is also within the energy of Berkano, mostly to warm the ice of Isa (who we'll talk about next for fully!). While steadiness and stillness are important aspects of all things, as we're learning working with rune energy, Berkano heralds change, growth, and lessons. Spring and children both are full of light, warm, and energy, which Sowilo exudes! Without the light of the Sun, which Sowilo represents, and the energy it generates, the plants of spring could not grow or flourish. Winter would never give way to spring. In another physical and more biological sense, as well, a child cannot be conceived without male and female energies uniting. There also needs to be a balance between masculine and feminine energy in order for true wisdom to be had, after all.

Lastly, Isa is the backbone of Berkana. As said above, this energy represents the winter that is thawed away to create spring. It also creates a certain steadiness that can be relied on, an important characteristic in a parent and in parenting, which Berkano can sometimes represent. While the energy of this rune mostly involves defying the stagnancy of Isa, it is the nature of this rune's steadiness that creates space for the gestation periods and other times of growth necessary to provide Berkano it's full ability.

This spread is called, "Spring in the Garden," and is one of many spreads featuring the wisdom of the runes in my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom. This spread asks what energies are being revitalized and rebuilt in our lives at this time, and what all that might entail for us. If you use this spread and enjoy it, please let me know! I'd love to hear about or see your results, as well. Just use the hashtags #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomBerkano on Instagram, or comment below, to make sure I see!