pale lady riverside
beckoning down narrow trails
to where soul & spirit dwell
carved of wood &
filling of stone
A poem prompted by a randomly selected Elder Futhark rune.
Today’s rune is berkana, which translates to “birch”. Birch are associated with earth-mother and maternal energies. Because birch is a “pioneer tree” which tends to grow in advance of other tree growth — especially after forest fires — berkana is associated with renewal and rebirth. Additionally, berkana has ties to liminal thresholds of all types, especially those paths to the underworld.
Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.