Berkano
Sound: “b” Meaning: Birth, Fertility, Nourishment, The Birch Tree
In the far North, the birch tree is the first deciduous tree to bloom in the springtime, and the first growth to colonize after devastation such as fire or logging. Birches grow fast and bring with them new life, both flora and fauna.
Therefore Berkano, meaning “birch goddess” and looking like a B, is the Rune of babies, birth, and becoming. The reverse of Berkano is insecurity, deceit, or infertility. Questions answered by Berkano: Who? a Mom; a mother figure; a grandmother figure; mother earth What? A garden Where? Mom's house; a garden; a rocking chair When? When the baby is born (literal or metaphoric); End of March; Spring; Easter/Ostara Why? “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~Anne Bradstreet Yes or No? Yes Reversed? No What should I clean?
Where are my missing keys?
By this Spring I'm hoping my new dog is trained and I'm a pro dog Mom. I'm also hoping to sprout like a Birch tree and start a Master's program. I paid the deposit on it yesterday so at the minimum I can now say "I'm a grad student," which is something I've always wanted to do. So things are looking very Berkano for me this Spring! More info about Berkano can be found in Applied Runes:
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 Tiwaz Sound: “t” Meaning: Justice, warrior, Tyr the war-god Tyr was the Norse god of treaties and justice. His Rune resembles an arrow, and when upright it points to the North star, both symbols that are representative of his warrior spirit and guiding light.
Plenty of other Runes indicate a warrior mindset, as the Vikings were a war-prone people. However, Tiwaz is less about violence and battle, and more about responsibility, justice, and self-sacrifice. The reverse of Tiwaz is injustice, defeat, tyranny, or mental paralysis. Tiwaz as: ...an action?
...a place in the world?
...a movie theme? Sacrifice, Justice
...a new career?
I am taking Tyr's responsibility into consideration and attempting to make a go of raising this new puppy we have. It has been a challenge, as he's obstinate, free-spirited, obtuse, and refuses to potty train even when presented with rewards, treats, and love. Actually he kinda sounds like me. I guess I'll keep him. Applied Runes seems to be doing really well in the UK this week, thanks UK. One of Tyr's "place in the world" suggestions is Eyam, England, where in 1665 the entire village locked themselves away to prevent a strange plague from hurting anyone else. They stayed isolated for 14 months while the illness ravaged them. Thanks, Eyam! It seems a plague is back, so keep up the good work, UK! Stay well.  Sowelo is another Rune that looks exactly how it means – it is an S, for Sun, representing happiness, joy, and success. It is also a lightning bolt, representing a flash of inspiration or an instance of victory and excitement!
Sowelo also cannot be reversed, as the sun does not hide when it is out, and the lightning cannot be tamed when inspiration hits. To find its negative interpretation, you would have to place it with other Runes. Questions answered by Sowelo: Who? A child at play; the happiest person you know What? The Sun; sudden inspiration Where? A sunny location When? The end of February; A sunny day; A lightning storm Why? "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." – J.M. Barrie Yes or No? YES! What should I clean?
Where are my missing keys?
Great card today. My new puppy is destroying my will to live and ruining my production, creativity, and mental state. I will try to harness the victory of Sowelo and win against this pupper. My next three books are delayed while I do some more harnessing. Maybe I will achieve victory by the End of February, as Sowelo prescribes! A gal can dream. While you await my future releases, pick up a copy of Applied Runes - only 9 Euros in Italy! 
Algiz is another Rune that kind of resembles what it is – A great-horned elk or a Valkyrie, standing by to either guard or charge.
Like Thurisaz, this Rune is about protection. Like Ansuz, this Rune is about a divine message. Algiz combines these two forces into one and gives us a message about our higher self, and of being courageous in the face of fear. If we engage in right action, the Valkyries will defend us. The reverse of Algiz is fear, or a loss of connection to divine messages. I am pulling a reverse Algiz this week. I adopted a puppy whom I believe to be a radical terrorist, and I haven't slept in days. Then my cat needed surgery today and everything went wrong there, so he's doing okay now but it was touch and go there for a second. So combine fear with a loss of connection to my familiar, and I am living reversed Algiz. Algiz as: ..an action?
...something to eat?
...a color? Gold, purple, green ...a gemstone? Amethyst ...a movie theme? Courage
...a new career?
I am playing mercenary and peacekeeper this week while I try to keep this dog under control. My posts will be sporadic and random for the next few weeks while I try to adjust to the tornado. For a much calmer vibe, buy the book - now available at Amazon. 
Imagine a set of dice in a cup, ready to be shaken up and released. Perthro is that cup, now turned on its side. It is the moment of the unknown, or the gamble you took at the craps table. The dice have the answer, but the Perthro cup itself retains the mystery. If you see the cup, remember “Per throw” to recall the name. This is a great and powerful Rune, although not the most helpful. Any answers you seek are shrouded in mystery. The reverse of Perthro might be bad luck, addiction, or delusion. Perthro as: ...a movie theme? a gamble, a mystery
...a new career?
Questions answered by Perthro: Who? The secret keeper; a woman What? A gamble; a guess; an omen or prophecy Where? Hidden; downtown at night When? January; A new moon; The darkest days of winter Why? “It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed” - Thomas Moore Yes or No? Unknown, roll the dice Want to learn more? Applied Runes is exclusive on an Amazon near you. 
Happy New Year!
I'm back from my holiday hiatus. Over the break I adopted a puppy and I'm thoroughly exhausted. I do not know up from down and I completely forgot I have a blog to update. I am only here because the doggo is currently sleeping. I wish I was, as well. We begin our venture into Runes with Ihwaz. Technically this is the exact middle stone in the three aettir (the categories of Runes), and I'm starting with it because it is the Rune of the New Year. And what an Ihwaz year this will be. As we fight our way through the poisonous spikes of the Covid-19 pandemic, how fitting that the Rune of the New year represents the poisonous and everlasting spikes of the yew tree. I hope the Coronavirus is not as persevering as the Yew. I hope we're the ones who persevere through it. Direct from the book, these are some of the details about each of the stones. The rest, of course, can be found in the Applied Runes book, now in stores! The link is below. Let's begin.
The Yew tree is one of the world’s oldest evergreens. It lives for thousands of years and possesses poisonous needles that affect the central nervous system.
In that regard, we can picture the Rune as a stick representing the Yew, with poisonous needles on each tip. As the Rune cannot be reversed, it is about unchanging perseverance, what happens when we die, and immortality. Ihwaz can not be reversed, as the mysteries surrounding death and eternity are not for us to solve. Ihwaz as: ...an action?
...a place in your house?
...a place in your city?
...a place in the world?
...a movie theme? Perseverance, immortality
A new career?
Buy the book via your country's Amazon site. The US link is here: I'm willing to bet every Tarot reader has a card that they just don't like. The Four of Swords is mine. It's not a bad card - in fact, it's one of the more positive swords cards! - but the problem I have with it is that it's a card about rest, waiting, delay, and contemplation. I'm a go-getter. When I get a bright idea I like to act on it immediately. So, when the Four of Swords shows up and tells me to wait, sleep on it, or think about it some more, I become unreasonably angry and frustrated! Maybe the Four of Swords is something that will work better for you. Let's find out!  After the dark and upsetting three comes a period of rest and contemplation. The four of swords is about withdrawal and retreat, perhaps temporary, so you can recover. When the four does not follow a painful experience, it might indicate that there is a delay in plans, or that things may not be going quite as expected. Questions answered by Four of Swords: Who? The sleepiest; a therapist What? A nap Where? A bed When? The middle of October; Afterwards; Four days from now Why? Requiring rest is not a weakness. Yes or No? A mild yes Four of Swords Before any card: meditate on (card) After any card: nap, rest, serious consideration The Four of Swords as: ...an action?
...a place in your house?
...a place in your city?
...a place in the world?
...something to eat?
...something to clean?
...where to find the missing item?
...a color? grey, yellow ...a movie theme? Rest, mental work
...a new career?
Four of Swords combinations With Chariot: Restore yourself by maintaining control of your thoughts. With King of Wands: A great leader overcomes challenges through retrospection and patience. With Three of Cups: A restorative getaway vacation with friends, such as a camping trip or retreat. With Seven of Swords: Taking a nap feels devious but may be exactly what you need to think of new strategies. With Queen of Pentacles: A practical and secure person needs to contemplate an idea a little while longer; Mom needs a nap. One thing I refuse to meditate or wait on is the next book in my series, Applied Runes. I have a tentative release date of January 1st, 2021, so I'd best get a move on. In a strange coincidence, earlier I was working on the Rune Isa, which is about - you guessed it - waiting, delays, and meditation. It's a Four of Swords and Isa day. Nothing will get accomplished, so I might as well take a nap.  Pictured is the Four of Swords from the Sasuraibito deck, and Isa, a cold and unmoving Rune.  Spiritual divinatory specialists will tell you that carving your own Runes binds your personal energy into them, making them one with their person.
As a practical divinatory specialist, I just think it's kinda fun and crafty! I've carved the stones and painted them in with acrylic, and today I'm sealing them with Mod-Podge. I'm doing this all in a small spot on our home office desk. The other, craftier room is being used by my son, who has started remote school for the Fall. We all have to make sacrifices. I'm surfing the web while I paint rocks.  There are no weekends off in the occult sciences; magic happens whether you want it to or not.
Today I was awoken by a trio of crows yelling at each other just on the roof overhang just outside my window. I went out on the balcony to see what the fuss was about, and it appeared as though they were trying to repair my bent eavestrough, or gutter. One would hold the base and the other would try to twist the bent part back into shape. The third crow seemed like a manager, standing by and barking all the orders. Is that magic? I think so. You may not, but you can't deny that crows fixing my roof is a practical use of perplexing things, something I try to do every day finding applied uses for divinatory tools. I made the crows some popcorn, then got started bending my own material things. I'm carving and painting garden stones into a set of Runes, which I'll use as I write the next book in the Applied Divination series. |
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AboutEmily loses her keys and uses divination tools to find them. Sometimes it works! Archives
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