Taking Control of the Situation

So often, we let life happen to us and feel we are helpless in a given situation, but what if we say, "No more!"  What if we take control of the situation or, better still, of our own destiny, of our own happiness?  In general, I am a take-charge kind of person, but lately, I have given in to views that we must follow a mundane path, work for "the man", waste away in a job or multiple jobs that make us miserable and take us away from the things that should be our priorities, things that make us happy.  I decided to ask the Runes what would happen if I decided to take back control of my path.  They did not disappoint in their guidance.

I could draw no better Rune to represent the overview of this line of questioning than Raido, the Rune of Riding, taking a journey.  If we expect to progress, we must move, preferably forward.  That is part of the traditional meaning behind this Rune.  It also highlights a change from where we are either physically or mentally.  New age meanings say this journey is one of healing and removing obstacles.  Both interpretations play a role here.  We are, as traditional meanings suggest, on a mental journey, which is complemented by new age meanings of healing and removing obstacles.  After all, we are seeking a shift in our mindset from doing what we are told we should do to one where we are taking control.  We must remove the ideas that others have placed in our minds to get a fresh perspective and consider new possibilities.  To do that, we must be strong in this commitment.

That is why Tiwaz/Teiwaz, Týr's Rune is our challenge.  We know this Rune well, having drawn it now four times in the last three months (State of the World, Opportunities in the New Year, The Role it Plays).  This is the Rune of Strength and, though it serves as our challenge, by challenging us, Týr's Rune lends us strength, because we love a challenge.  We will take control of the situation, each of us in our own way, and we will be strong through this process, because we must be to break the cycle of frustration that we live in trying to fulfill someone else's image of what our role should be.  We are warriors in this pursuit.

Othala/Othila, the Rune of Inheritance and Home gives us our required action.  This Rune is interesting in that its traditional and contemporary interpretations don't seem to align, yet they do and very well.  You see, while traditional interpretations focus on appreciating the gifts we receive from our ancestors, whether property or skill, contemporary ones lean more towards acquiring a benefit after giving up something to which you're accustomed.  In other words, to reap the benefits from and truly enjoy the gifts bestowed on us by our ancestors, sometimes we must give up something else.  In this case, it is being strong with Tiwaz providing us with the strength we need to break away or separate from the path we are on currently and find the path that will make us happy and allow us to make the most of our inherited gifts.

Don't get me wrong.  I am not suggesting total abandonment of your current life in one fell swoop, unless you have the capacity to do it.  I am suggesting conscious rerouting in such a way that, if disruption occurs, it doesn't negatively impact your family or livelihood.  Sometimes slow breaks require more strength than immediate ones, but they are worth the struggle to get to a place where you are in control of your own life.