Know Thy Self

One of the first readings I did for a friend was a single Rune draw.  This friend is in his mid-20s and, at the time of the reading, had been in a relationship with the same girl for about a year.  He had just finished his Master's degree and started his first job as a "professional".  He had a weekend gig, too, that allowed his creative side to flow.

When he asked me to do a reading for him, he was struggling with all of these aspects of his life, but knew that he wanted to focus on himself for a while.  I asked him to tell me what was going on and he assured me that he wanted to be free to experience, more fully, the opportunities that were presenting themselves to him.  Essentially, he really cared for his girlfriend, but felt he was too young to be in a committed relationship and he wanted to build his career before he settled down.  Still, he was unsure what to do or how to address the situation.

After he explained everything to me, as his friend, I suggested that he did, indeed, already know what he wanted and needed to do.  He looked at me with a fear that said he didn't.  So, I had him reach into the bag and pull out a single Rune, which he fumbled in his hand and dropped.  He picked it up before it landed solidly on the ground and set it on the table.  Immediately, he realized it was upside down and, not realizing that Runes can be read from a reversed position, spun it very intently to its upright position.  I could feel my own eyes growing large, because I knew what he had just done.

Which Rune did he draw?  Mannaz - the Rune of the Self.  However, by switching it himself to its upright position, he also gave himself a very different reading.  More specifically, it struck me that, unconsciously or intuitively, he knew Mannaz reversed calls for unblocking of the self and being clear.  Reversed, Mannaz points to the self as the source of the problem, advising that he must look to himself to resolve his current issue.  By turning the Rune to its upright position, he accomplished just that.  Unknowingly, he was clear with himself and taking a step toward breaking an old habit - looking outside for the source of his troubles.

In its upright position, Mannaz serves as a starting point to build a correct relationship with yourself, which must happen before you can build one with others.  What did this mean for my friend?  It meant exactly what he told me, that he needed to sort out himself, get his career in order and gain some life experience before he could settle down.  By spinning Mannaz, my friend put himself at the starting point of change and gave himself the opportunity to fashion the next phase of his life into what he wanted it to be.  Mannaz says to live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way.  Still, he must balance what he knows (the Self within) with what he does and how he does it (the external self).

This moment represents the beginning of a time for major growth for him and I wish him all the best in accomplishing it.  Of course, if he approaches everything as intently as he turned that Rune for himself, he will be just fine.