Runes 401 - Rune Rituals - Face Fears

Last month, I experienced one of the most traumatic moments of my life.  I was confronted by a fear whose depth I had not fully realized.  To some, it may sound silly to say that I had a panic attack driving over a big bridge, but that is where I found myself.  I am still not sure how I managed to get across it and it still seems as though the three to five minute drive took an hour or more.  What's worse, the experience began snowballing the week after the event and I found myself becoming fearful of driving over any bridge, big or small and, like it or not, I have to cross a big bridge on a fairly regular basis.  I knew I needed help, guidance; so, I turned to the Runes.

When dealing with situations of facing deeply felt fears, we need something that will make us feel calm, instill a bit of confidence, and maybe give us the slightest sense of empowerment or ability to succeed or overcome.  In essence, we need something that will give us the strength to face our fears and some of you may know what that is for you.  I had no idea what it was for me, but the Runes offered me the best chance of finding something.

The first step of my ritual was contemplation.  Lying in bed, I relaxed and thought about all the Runes and their meanings.  Through that process, I narrowed it down to five Runes - Jera (my guiding Rune), Uruz, Wunjo, Thurisaz, and Eihwaz.

Next, I took each of these Runes and held them in my hand one by one and focused on what they represent.  Jera is about process and getting from point A to B, which is a big part of what I needed to do driving across a big bridge.  However, I did not feel the courage I needed to have as the other part of it.  Uruz represents physical strength and freedom, but I needed mental and emotional strength.  Wunjo, though a strong emotional Rune, did not offer quite the right emotion for this situation.  I really thought Thurisaz would be the Rune, but when I held it in my hand, I felt the power behind it would turn to disaster, because the great power that comes out of this Rune has to be controlled and I did not believe I could control it in this situation.  Then, I held Eihwaz and, immediately, I was calm.  This was my Rune.

It has been a year and a half since I wrote about Eihwaz, where it served as a symbol of bravery and a reminder to be mindful.  The fact that it represents a tree, firmly rooted to the earth (as opposed to being suspended high over a large body of water) resonated well with me too.

Finally, two weeks later, I had to cross another big bridge.  I carried Eihwaz around with me for a few days before having to drive over another big bridge. As I carried it, I thought about its meaning and it helped calm me down, so that I could focus. When the time came to cross the bridge, I held Eihwaz in my left hand and chanted "Eihwaz offers me strength.  As a tree, it is rooted and as a tool its arrows shoot straight from its bows."  I needed the reminder of the tree being rooted to the ground, but I also needed the focus of the arrow being fired from the bow and following a straight path to get me over the bridge without acknowledging one side or the other.  Thank you, Eihwaz.

What Rune would you use to help you get through an anxious experience?