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Historically
The “Biörk” or B- and P-Rune According to Friedrich Fischbach (1900)
The Biörk or Birch-Tree Rune serves for both B and P. It leads us back to Fire-Worship, because the first ancient-greek Rune indicates the Purpose of the Birch-twig.
Since the Birch-twig was pliable like the Willow (which was used for winding or twisting), it served for the turning of the Fire-Drills [Feuerbohrers ]. (see Plate IV, Figure 3 [to the left])
-Paraphrase from Origin of Gutenberg’s Letters [Ursprung der Buchstaben Gutenbergs] (1900)
by Friedrich Fischbach
The “Bar, Beork, Bïork” Rune According to Guido von List (1907)
bar, beork, bïork, Birth [Geburt ], Song/Chant [Gesang ], Stretcher [Bahre ], etc.
A Thirteenth I call, I moisten the Son
of a Noble in the first Bath (pre-christian Baptism);
Thus he goes into Battle, and he cannot fall,
No Sword strikes him to the Ground.In the Spiritual-Life in the Universe, the eternal Life (in which Human-Life between Birth and Death means but one Day) is opposed in the Bar-Rune by this One-Day-Life [Eintagleben ] in the Human-Body, which goes from “bar ” (Birth) through “bar ” (Life as a Song) to “bar ” (Stretcher, Death), and which is consecrated and celebrated through the “Water of Life” in Baptism.
This Life (symbolized as a Day) is limited by Birth and Death [Geburt und Sterben ], and even if Destiny has not at once appointed a Death-Sword for the person who has been Born, then they are nevertheless exposed to this and many other Dangers. This is because, in spite of Determination and the Fate of Destiny, dark Chance/Accident [dunkle Zufall ] rules in the free Will of the People, and thus the Consecration/Blessing [Weihesegen ] is employed to work against such Chance/Accident-Coincidences [Zufallsfügung ].
What is Chance/Accident [Zufall ] ? Actually there is no such thing, since all Events without Exception are all well ordered in the great Fabric-of-Destiny (as “Warp and Woof” * ).Even for Clairvoyants, however, what concerns Woof (the cross-weave) is only visible with difficulty. The recognizable straight Warp (of the effects of earlier causes) are always in turn other causes that trigger coming effects (which again form causes that trigger effects, in an unending genetic series) being visible and calculable to seers and initiates.
The oldest Nordic mystics already recognized this, and therefore therefore portrayed the Rulers-of-Fate [Schicksalswalterinnen ], the three Norns, as “Weavers-of-Fate [Schicksalsweberinnen ]”. The Norns, out of the Warp and Woof, weave the raiment of time, that is, Fate [Schicksal ]. Yet, this Fate is based on the free Will of the People.
The Ancients did not recognize any “blind Faith”; but they did believe in a Predestination [Vorbestimmung ] along general Lines, but they intuitively saw in it that many Impediments (Chance/Accident!) stand in the Way of the Execution and Fulfillment of Predestination. This occurred for the purpose of strengthening [stählen ] the Power [Kraft ] needed in order to fulfill them.
Without this Chance/Accident, for example, every Pine-Tree would have to be strictly symmetrical in all its Parts. Each one would have to resemble the other, and it would have to be exactly the same in Human-Life: all indiscriminately uniform and equal.
Therefore, the Newborn should be consecrated with the “Water of Life” against impending Chance/Accident. The Church too, in a clear reference to this Water of Life, is supposed to use so called “living Water” as Baptismal-Water, that is: Spring or flowing Water, and rejects standing Water from Ponds or Lakes.
Therefore: “Thy Life is in God’s Hands; trust God in Thyself!”
-Paraphrase from The Mystery/Secret of the Runes
[Das Geheimnis der Runen] (1907) by Guido Von List
* NOTE: “Warp and Woof” means the threads in a woven fabric, therefore symbolizing the ‘fabric’ of a thing. The ‘warp’ are threads running lengthwise and ‘woof’ (or ‘weft’) are threads running crosswise. These create the texture of a fabric and, by extension, can refer to the fundamental structure of any process, system, or concept/thing.
The “Bar, Beork, Biörk” Rune According to Ernst Tristan Kurtzahn (1924)
Exoterically: Becoming [Werden ], Birth [Geburt ]
Esoterically: earthly/terrestrial Life in its Entirety (or Earth-Life [Erdenleben ])
Generally: Birth, to give birth, Uterus [Gebärmutter ], to carry, Stretcher, as well as Song/Chant [Gesang ].
(Compare Richard Wagner’s The Master-Singers of Nuremberg Act 1: “A Bar consists of two Studs, which should have the same Melodies…”)If we look at the text of the Rune-Song corresponding to this Rune, we readily recognize that (like the previous Rune) it is also about Rebirth, as a result of which no one who had sealed their conscious Reconnection with God [bewusste Rückverbindung mit Gott ] through the Bath of the pre-Christian Baptism could be permanently destroyed by a Weapon, such as a Sword, etc.
This act, similar to Baptism, however, was performed only on Adults; in the case of small Children, the Reconnection was reasonably assumed to readily exist.
Since the earthly Life, which begins with Birth, is only dedicated to the Fight for Existence, then it is obvious that this Rune belongs to the warrior Planet Mars (
), especially since Mars’ Symbol consists of the Procreator-Rune Tyr and the circle, Symbol of the feminine Womb [Schoßes ].
One could also understand the Mars-Symbol in such a way that a Child’s-Body has wrestled itself from the (eternal) Mother’s-Womb [Mutterschoß ], one would then have the full Interpretation: Birth with the subsequent Struggle-for-Existence.
The Bar-Rune itself is as its Glyph shows, which reminds us of a woman’s Womb, quite feminine, and I would like to also refer to the old german Word for ‘Uterus’: Bärmutter .
-Paraphrase from The Runes as Salvation-Signs and for Unbinding-Fate
[Die Runen als Heilszeichen und Schicksalslose] (1924) by E. Tristan Kurtzahn
The “Bar, Birk, Björk, Bor” Rune According to R.J. Gorsleben (1930)
Letter B and Number 13.
The Bar Rune, the Mountain [Berg ] that conceals and protects the Birth, the Child, but which also gave birth to it. Pregnancy, birth, load, life task, occupation/profession.
Dr. Friedrich Teltscher’s Ur-word is Lenkung meaning “Fecundity” as well as Impregnation, Fertilization, Implanting, etc.
“A Thirteenth I name, if I Wet the Son,
The Noble One, with holy Water [so that]
When he Stands before the Enemy he cannot fall
And no Sword will Strike him to the dust.”Bar means Birth [Geburt ], Life, Pair [Paar ], Both [Beide ], to give birth [gebären ], to carry [tragen ], Garb/Uniform [Tracht ], as well as barduit = Folk-Song. Born = the Fountain as female Symbol, the eternal Spring-of-Humans, but also the Stretcher/Gurney [Bahre ] and ‘bar ’ (as in “bar none”; here ‘bar ’ means nothing left, empty). This also reminds us of “Bar-run”, a run to the end!
Bar means Life, which gives birth and is itself born. The Rune Bar symbolizes everything that has to do with Life: Being-Born, Living and Dying, as well as all Hopes and Wishes, all Fear and Joy, which are associated with it. The Loaf of “Bread” is a Symbol of Man everywhere, and of Birth: Hundreds of Shapes-of-Bread and of Types-of-Bread show such relationships. Bread, symbolically, is also the “Body of the Lord”. Bread is composed of bar-od = Life-Spirit.
If we look at the tipped-over dual Bar-, Paar-, Pairing-Up-Rune [Paarungsrune ], then we recognize two Mountains being emphasized on the Tel- or Teil-Rune (which is the female
Sie-Rune), therefore we see the double symmetrical Bursting-Forth [Hervorbrechen ], but also that which is Protected [Geborgene ], Concealed [Verborgene ], the Mountain [Berg ], the Womb or Bärmutter as the Uterus still called in old high German. This Raising-Up is a “Bursting-Forth” in the true Meaning of the Word, a Lifting-Out or Highlighting [Herausheben ].
We are inevitably reminded of the Process of Cellular-Division, and of the Origin of Mountains, that contain something, that conceal, likewise we are reminded of the Pairing-Up, of the Two from the maternal One.
This Bar-Rune is the symbolic Representation of Budding [Knospens ], whether we want to think of the Budding of Leaves or Blossoms, or the Budding of the Fruit in the Mother’s Womb [Mutterleibe ]. It is the Bar-mouth, that holds the Bud, the Blossom still in the Mother’s Womb, holding it [bergt ], sheltering it [birgt ], and which is then revealed at Birth.
The Bar-Rune is the only female Rune in the Futhark (if we do not consider the Is-Rune, which can be regarded as both male and female depending on if it is standing or lying down). It shows the Image of the expectant Mother in its Silhouette. Thus, sometimes the Bar-Rune
is referred to as the Mother-Rune. The Child in the Mother’s Womb is something that is also “Sheltered/Protected” in a Mountain [Berg ], in a Hideout [Berge ], until it is “born”.
The Root-Word bar thus essentially denotes that which is Earthly, the Incarnate/Carnal, that which is of an animal Nature in Humanity, the Animal-Human. With the Birth the Human-Being enters the Struggle for its Existence/Being, and therefore we are not surprised that this Rune is attributed to the war-like Planet Mars, whose Symbol ♂ is divided into the phallic Procreation-Rune Tyr
and the Ring, the ovum, the Egg ○ .
If we omit one of the two mountains of the BAR Rune
, then a new Rune emerges: the Child/Son-Rune with the name of Pard
[also called Wunjo or Wynn ]. The Pard Rune
is obviously similar to the THORN Rune
(both being from the same Runic origin); it is the Rune of the Child/Son, who hangs on the cross of the world. Here we may remind you once more of the “son of man”, the “Christ”, who is called in Aramaic language “Bar-hvarn ” (similar to Bar-man).
Human-Life goes from the Bar of Birth, over the Bar of the Song-of-Life, to the Bar of the Stretcher/Gurney [or Death]! Consequently, the Bar-Rune is also the Rune of the Bards, the Singers, who teach the Bar-duit , the Folk-Song, to the People and who sings it to them. The Bards sang the Folk-Songs [Bar-d-wit ], which conveyed to the People the ancient indigenous Wisdom which was preserved in its Imagery.
The Larynx as Seat of Language, of the Voice, has been recognized anatomically as an Organ-of-Procreation, as a Procreative-Ur-Passageway, for a long time now and it has amazing Connections to all sexual Processes-of-Development.
The Bar-Rune often appears in Coat-of-Arms, but almost always as the known Mountains and Hills, therefore in the tipped-over shape, twice and three times, therefore with two and three “Mountains”. Most of the time there are three Mountains with three Towers, Churches, Trees or other Symbols. In every case the three mountains conceal the divine Trinity, Runic-graphically the threefold Bar-Rune:
to Emerge, to Be, to Pass-Away
-Paraphrase from The Peak-Time of Humanity [Die Hoch-Zeit der Menschheit] (1930)
by Rudolf John Gorsleben
The “Bar” Rune According to S.A. Kummer (1932-1933)
(B) The B-Rune, Bar , Stretcher, Birth, bearing Life. Bar = Song, Bard = Singer; Minstrel (a type of medieval German Poet). Revelation = Birth of the Spirit. – Numeric-Value 13.
Bar , the Breasts; the Womb of the Mother [Schoß der Mütter ]. The Bar-Mother-Rune of Birth and Procreation, Rescuing [Bergung ], and the Feeling-of-Security. Bar = conceal, hidden, to give birth, safe for the Birth-Mother.
Mountain [Berg ], the Shelter/Lodging [Herberge ] in which one is safe.
Fountain of Springs; Wellspring-of-Health as a feminine Symbol; but also a Stretcher, Death-Bed, bar-run [barlaufen ], to run-out/run-off/set-sail [auslaufen ], to run-dry.
Bar , the Rune of all Lives and Deaths (which have been born/created).
Bar-bar-baren = three-times bar, that is, the thrice Reborn [die dreimal Wiedergeborenen ] ; to be Reborn three times in Spirit, Soul and Body.
You too, dear Readers, should listen to the Voice of your Hearts & Blood. You are born again three times in the Embers [Gluten ]. “Trust All-Father, recognize Him in thyself, and be ye Faithful.”
The Bar-Rune also contains the Thor
and the Pard , or W-Rune
, we find in it the Trinity of Spirit-Soul-Body, as well as Past-Present-Future.
The Bar-Rune reveals to us the Birth from the Ur-Bar-Becoming/Growing [Ur-Bar-Gewordenen ].
The Demonic of the Bar-Rune is the Descent into the Darkness of the Ur , Barung , Giving-Birth in the lower, under World.
Kummer’s Full Body Rune Exercise(s):
From the Ich-Rune-Position (Military “At-Attention”), the Practitioner places the left Hand on the left Hip, creating an angled left Arm. At the same time, the Heel of the left foot is placed above the medial malleolus, and the left knee is angled sideways (pointing the same direction as the elbow of the left Arm).
The Bar-Rune-Position has the following Sound-Formula: “ba-be-bi-bo-bu”.
Kummer’s Hand Rune Exercise (‘Mudras’ or “Rune-Grips”):
The Rune Practitioner should take up the Ich-Rune-Position (Military “At-Attention”); this is followed by a deep Breathing-Exercise three times, with thoughts directed toward physical and spiritual purification; which must be observed with all the Rune-Grips. The Bar-Rune-Grip is preformed with the Arms raised above the Head, as Figure 13 shows.
Its Sound-Formulas are: “B-a-r” and “ba-be-bi-bo-bu”.
Remember that each Rune-Grip must be repeated three times (for 3 Minutes each, followed by a short Pause in the Ich-Rune-Position between sets), since otherwise no satisfactory Collection of Subtle-Force [Feinkräfte ] can be reached in the Hand-Centers.
The inner Thoughts are directed towards the Birthing of the Spirit and towards accumulating higher magical Forces [höhere magische Kräfte ].
Here the Practitioner, when well Internalized, will observe a slight wave-like Sensation [wellenartiges Gefühl ] in the Hands, which may also be noticed after it is Circulated in the Body by conscious-willpower [willensbewußt ]. This is the Birth of the higher Spirit and higher magical Abilities [höherer magischer Fähigkeiten ] caused by the Subtle-Force [Feinkräfte ].
Often the Sensation is more noticeable after weeks of Daily-Practice. Persistence leads to the Goal.
The astral Color is light-blue by Day, light-violet by Night.
-Paraphrase from Holy Runic-Power [Heilige Runenmacht] (1932)
& Rune Magic [Runen-Magie] (1933) by Siegfried Adolf Kummer.
Rosicrucian and Gnostic
The “Bar” Rune According to Huiracocha
Beloved Disciple:
The BAR rune reminds us of the name of the Earth, “BAR”, which at the same time means Son (or Child) in Syrian. Thus, we can translate BAR as ‘SON OR CHILD OF THE EARTH’.
This also brings to our memory BARA or the primitive measurement equivalent to a ton. We have already said that “AR” is the name of the Sun and by placing a “B” in front of “AR”, we bring that Sun to the Earth.
AR-BAR-MAN is the primitive name of Abraham. Baron (BAR-ON) is son or child of the Earth, of the native land.
This Rune’s shape is like an M sitting obliquely on a vertical beam and also encloses in itself (in the same way) the SIG or Victory Rune.
On the other side is seen a certain resemblance to the symbol of AQUARIUS and this symbol in Mayan or in Egyptian. This was copied by Plongeon from the Monuments of the Yucatan and by Bunsen from the Pyramids of Egypt.
These symbols are something like two mountains that we find among the Mexicans in the rituals of the afterlife when the soul has to necessarily pass between these two mountains, remembering the pair in the famous picture of Duero entitled: “Between God and the Devil.”
This Rune is similar in structure to our letter B.
While TYR (which is high, elevated) is the Macrocosmos; BAR, on the other hand, is the Microcosm.
The PAR-PARIS Rune from Latin, means that it is even or equal or coupled with the TYR. Hence also comes the etymology of parting and parturition (giving birth), that is, making pairs, halves or doublets.
Christ, in Aramaic, is consequently BAR-HAM, that is, Child or Son of Man, Child or Son of Earth and of Heaven.
The students of Oriental Theosophy will remember the MANAS or Superior Spirit. BAR-MANAS is, without a doubt, the Son or Child of the Superior Spirit of the Earth.
The most curious thing is that, in the primitive language or tongue, the word BAR is used also for ‘to be born’ as well as ‘to subsist’ and ‘to die’. It was, therefore, as we have already mentioned: the Past, Present and Future, the three enigmas of time.
The trinity in the solar mysteries is called TRI-BAR. In this consists also the initiatic teaching that death signifies a new birth or rebirth for the Initiate. When Jesus said, “LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME,” he meant these newly born or reborn persons.
BAR ends with the dark significance of death.
History must be greatly corrected and when we are no longer slaves of Romanism, it will be done. The greeks and romans called foreigners “BAR-BAR-OS” and for this reason, over time, it was believed that only in the greeks and romans existed true culture and civilization. For them the Nordics were ‘Barbarians’ who worshiped the Sun when the greeks and romans had forgotten this rite and had lost the key, confusing their symbols and their Gods with the facts and the laws themselves.
The Runes have their corresponding zodiacal sign, therefore: TIR corresponds to Pisces, and BAR to Aries. This teaches us that after a year dies, then a new one is born, which is like the snake that bites its tail, as a symbol of eternity.
This union is another reason for always giving these Runes united in practice.
BAR numerically is worth 13. This number is believed by many as a figure of bad luck, but among us, we believe it is good.
BAR is the Earth (but as the Holy Land) influenced, united with the TYR (with the Zodiac), with the Sun and their respective forces.
We can not conceive of our Earth without the Sun. When the Sun is destroyed, then the Earth will, no doubt, die of cold, and this is because the Earth and the Sun are as inseparable as TYR and BAR.
For this reason the exercises should be done taking a position that is facing the Sun, with hands raised, as already described above and saying as Mantram or sacred word “T i i i i r r r r B a a a r r r r” with this we join the higher forces of Heaven with all those that are directly related to our physical conditions.
R.C.
-Paraphrase from Runic Course [Curso Rúnico] (1931-1935)
by Arnoldo Krumm-Heller (Huiracocha)
available in Gnostic-Rosicrucian Runology
The “Bar” Rune According to Samael Aun Weor
Christ, the Solar Logos, is something very profound. Certainly, the triumphant CHRISTOS or the COSMIC CHRIST is not JESUS (although Jesus incarnated Him within himself), nor the BUDDHA (but He did flourish on his fertile lips made Verb). He was not MOSES (but He shone in his face, there on mount Nebo). He was not HERMES (but He lived incorporated within him). The LORD is deprived of INDIVIDUALITY, the Cosmic Christ is IMPERSONAL…
When we study COSMIC GRAMMAR, then we can verify for ourselves that an intimate relationship exists between the RUNES TYR or TIR and BAR. TIR esoterically corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Pisces, and BAR blazes & shines in the brilliant constellation of Aries. This reminds us of the existing occult relationship between WATER & FIRE, between Death & Life.
If we place the letter B before the sacred syllable AR, then we indicate the necessity of attracting the Sun to the Earth.
To Incarnate the CHRIST within oneself is what is vital, cardinal and fundamental in order to convert oneself into the SON OF MAN. This is the only way in which to have the right of entering into the order of MELCHIZEDEK.
It is good for the Children of the Earth to know that the SOLAR RACE dwells within the JINN lands of the One Thousand and One Nights. Truly, it is URGENT, INDISPENSABLE and NECESSARY to convert ourselves into KINGS & QUEENS and PRIESTS & PRIESTESSES of Nature in accordance with the Order of MELCHIZEDEK. This is the only way to be saved.
It is beneficial to explain to people that the VEIL OF ISIS, the ADAMIC SEXUAL Veil, can only be lifted up by the intimate CHRIST. The SON OF MAN is born from the fire and the water. This is the SYNTHESIS-RELIGION, the doctrine of JANO with its three radicals: I.A.O. But the CHILDREN OF THE EARTH abhor this Doctrine, since their motto is: “LET US EAT AND DRINK, SINCE TOMORROW WE WILL DIE.”
Three types of churches exist:
1) First, the Triumphant Church, which is represented by the few Knights of the GRAIL who persisted to remain pure.
2) Second, the Failing Church, represented by those who abhor the INITIATIC STONE.
3) Third, the Militant Church, represented by the others, such as Mary Magdalene, Paul of Tarsus, Kundry, and Amphortas, who are still in rebellion against the seductive Luciferian fire.
The Triumphant CHURCH is certainly the church of the brethren who have already remounted upon the rough path of salvation (“Per Aspera ad Astra” as the Latin Motto says, meaning “Through Difficulties to the Stars”) and are the true Children of God in the most beautiful mystical sense. The Children of God and the Son of Man are synonyms in CHRISTIC Esotericism. They are the knights of the HOLY GRAIL.
PRACTICE: You must intelligently combine the exercises of the BAR Rune with the exercises of the TYR or TIR Rune. Place the arms high above the head, descending them while the hands are cupped as shells, and while singing the mantras TIR, BAR, as follows:
“TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR…………., BAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR……….”
Objective of this practice:
1. To wisely mix the Magical forces of the two Runes within our own interior universe.
2. To awaken the CONSCIOUSNESS.
3. To intimately accumulate Christic atoms of high voltage.
-Paraphrase from The Magic of the Runes [Magia de las Runas] (1969)
by Samael Aun Weor
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