Balance Runes for the Equinox

When major changes happen in our lives, we get pulled in the direction of the energy causing the change; sometimes we can feel like we are living a completely different life from that which we lived only a week or a month before.  Dramatic shifts like this can create the sense of being out of balance.  Given that we are approaching the equinox this week, a time of worldwide balance, I asked the Runes how we can find balance when a life shift makes us feel like we are on the verge of losing our balance.

The response I got was not what I was expecting at all.  The image above, of a stream swirling through a calm forest is what I was thinking about; taking time, even a moment, to relax, regroup, and move forward calmly.  That was my image.  The Runes had other thoughts entirely - sometimes things take over our lives and we must embrace them.

Yes, I know that Thurisaz is considered a power not to be reckoned with and carries with it negative connotations and warnings, but that is not what this Rune represents for me.  In fact, I don't think of any Rune as being good or bad and I see Thurisaz as a Rune of great power.  What matters is how we channel that power.  If any warning comes with it, it is to be careful to properly manage it so that it doesn't overtake you or worse, someone else.  Perhaps that is the warning that comes with my question; however, I tend to believe that Thurisaz is telling us it is okay to be out of balance sometimes; that being a bit out of balance, giving more weight to one aspect of your life for a while, can actually be quite empowering.  Don't back away from the change, but manage its force positively.

If I doubted that interpretation, Gebo as the second Rune, reinforces what Thurisaz is saying.  Although we like to feel like we have balance in our lives, no one does, not all the time.  Being out of balance or feeling close to it can be a gift.  For example, I just started a new job and, though I am enjoying it very much, it has meant that other parts of my life, like this blog, don't get the same amount of my time as they used to and it feels out of balance.  As we approach the equinox, that feeling is becoming more obvious to me.  But what the Runes are telling me is that this shift in my life is a gift to embrace, for if we don't get out of balance once in a while, how will we grow and change?  Evolve and experience new and exciting things?

I believe that is why Berkana came third in this draw.  Moments spent out of balance, experiencing things outside of our comfort zone or that we haven't experienced in a while bring out our creativity.  They inspire and energize us.  Without these out of balance moments, we would not have beginnings, the beginnings that Berkana represents.

So, as we approach this equinox, if you are feeling a bit out of balance, do not fear.  Embrace the energy that is pulling you and turn it into something positive, a growth experience.  Consider it a gift that is leading you to new paths or helping you develop new skills, but in some way offering you a positive beginning.