Berkano and Four of Vessels - Get up and get going!

Today´s rune is Berkano (Birch). It is the rune of creative energie and the femine principle: The Empress of the Elder Futhark. The challenge of Berkano is to take care better of ourselves and to try to improve our  well-being; not only physically but also emotionally. Besides being a strong nurturing energy, Berkano also encourages us to give birth to our creative ideas. We can only gestate them for so long before they wither and die within us, which will cause us maybe more pain than the birthing process itself.

So what energy will help me to embrace the spirit of Berkano today? From the Wildwood Tarot I pulled: Four of Vessels- Boredom. Well this is a crystal clear advice. The only thing I have to do is to get up and to leave this energy devouring state of inactivity. 

While the traditional Four of Cups sometimes might be interpreted as meditation, nobody will belief this applies to the woman in the Four of Vessels. She obviously feels disconnected, stuck, sorry for herself, and she has created a black hole of despair inside of her. But holes can be filled,  if we only let the energy flow again. The only one who can begin this process is us. We have to ignite  that first spark. We have the key to open doors to new opportunities. So let’s get up,  turn around and step through the portal behind us. It may be scary but we already have everything we need to take this next step in our journey.

NB Perhaps this portal connects to the one from in the Yew tree of my previous post?

Berkano and the Nine of Pentacles - Time to leave the nest?

Today’s Rune is Berkano, the equivalent of The Empress. This is the rune of abundance, creativity, fertility, nurtering, and of course the symbol of the Divine Feminine. My card for today is the Nine of Pentacles from the Wild Unknown Tarot.  Immediately I  felt so safe when I saw this depiciton: nine pentacles are symmetrically arranged in a diamond shaped nest. They are shielded from the outside world with white soft feathers. These feathers give  a very motherly feel to the nest.  The Nine of Pentacles is all about being content with what you have achieved and received so far. It is a card of accomlishment and gratitude. This card is related to the Hermit. Al the nines share an energy of solitude and reflection; of discovering who we truly are. But they also encourage us not to stay to long here but to move forward in life and trust we will have the tools and the wisdom to do so.

Personally for me today this means I want to trust and embrace my ability to make art. Considering my nine pentacles in the nest, this is not a strange thing to do. I’ve come to this Nine of Pentacles  through a lot of practice (Eight of Pentacles) but after having ""reveled in my success" it is time to spread my wings and leave the nest.

What is helping me a lot to move forward lately, is the notion that I don't have to be super creative all the time. Copying pictures is a very good practice and a lot of fun too. It is also a good way to warm up our creative muscle. The results are rewarding and it is very relaxing thing to do. 

Affirmation: Today I am grateful for the gift of creative abundance

P.S  I've added yesterdays drawing of a little gnome. M. noticed it looked like The Hermit. Now I like it even more. J

Berkano and the Five of Pentacles – Self-care is so important

Today's Rune is Berkano (Birch), the rune of the Divine Feminine, the archetypal  mother, creativity, fertility and growth. The corresponding tarot card is of course The Empress. But this is not the card which I drew for myself today. That would be the Five of Pentacles. This is almost the opposite of Berkano: poverty and stagnation, insecurity about ourselves and about our circumstances.

So what is the message for today? Berkano urges us to wrap ourselves in a warm soft cloak of self-care when we feel low. I suppose a lot of us, including myself, are a bit worn out by the enduring cold, wet and grey weather. When I feel like this, I  do have a tendency to neglect myself and focus even more on the welfare of others. There is just not enough energy for me left.  Maybe it should be more the other way around. First get myself back on my feet and when I feel good about myself, I would be so much more able to be there for others. Sometimes it only takes a rune and a tarot card to show me what is really important for me now:

Ways to take care of myself:

Take a long shower with soft scented lotions

Make a nice hot cup of coffee

Light some candles

Listen to music

Eat milk chocolate with hazel nuts

Flip through my favorite deck

Meditate

Moisturize my skin

Take a walk

Make art

Read a fantasy novel

Watch a movie

Apply some, (not too much) make up

Any more idea’s???