ᛒ · sound “b” · Birch
Berkano (ᛒ) is rune 18 of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, in Tyr's aett. Its name means birch.
The birch: new growth, fertility and nurture. A project, a family or your own health can begin again, gently and with care.
Stalled growth or trouble at home. Something needs tending and is not getting it. Anxiety or neglect stunts a fresh start.
Tend it patiently.
Berkano is the birch, one of the first trees to leaf in spring, which gave it associations with beginnings and with fertility. The name survives in the Old English beorc and the Norse bjarkan. The shape is like two loops stacked on a stave and is close to the Latin letter B, the sound the rune represents.
Berkano stands for growth that needs care: a new project, a family, a healing process. In a reading, ask what you are nurturing and whether it is being given what it needs. Reversed, it can suggest stalled growth, worry about home or family, or a beginning that is being smothered.