Runes 202 - Bind Runes - Powering Through

We all want to focus on our dreams and passions, figure out and pursue those things that we identify as our priorities, and we want a smooth path to accomplishing them.  A smooth path or a smooth part in our paths can be hard to find at times.  Sometimes, we are staring at a huge pile of poo that we just have to power through, even though we have no interest in doing so and our heart is not in it.  This is different from letting go of things beyond our control.  This has to be done.

This necessity of powering through has been an occasional theme in my life and in the lives of many of my friends.  As with the other bind Runes I've linked to (above), I felt that this situation deserved more than just Rune wisdom; I wanted to take that wisdom and give it the extra strength of a bind Rune.  I asked the Runes for insight into powering through when no other valid option exists and they gave me Jera, Uruz, and Laguz.

Jera, Uruz, and Laguz placed
together to form a bind Rune.

Jera is always a good Rune for me.  In this instant, it tells me that, even though powering through is not a method I would choose to do on a regular basis, it is necessary and that it is part of something bigger.  This moment of powering through is not all there is to what I am doing and Jera provides an important reminder of that.  I placed Jera first and centered in the bind Rune, because of this and because this is what will carry me through this part of my process.

Uruz, the Rune of the aurochs, came next.  At first, I thought this somehow represented physical strength, like I must be strong to power through what I am facing.  But, Uruz means more than just the physical strength of the aurochs ox.  The aurochs represents not something that is wild, rather an animal that is free from the influences of society (not domesticated).  As part of society, what this means to me is having a critical eye towards my situation or going into it with open eyes.  In essence, Uruz is saying, "Take heart.  You are conscious of the fact that powering through is not who you really are and you see this moment for what it is, just an unpleasant moment that will pass."  With this perspective, I can approach the situation with mental and emotional strength, something I need to help me power through.  Uruz provides me this strength, so I placed it at the bottom of the bind Rune, to support it.

Laguz, as the third Rune, accomplishes two things for me.  First, it is yet another reminder that powering through is part of something bigger.  This is represented in the depths of the sea and everything that determines waves, currents, marine life, and flow.  Just as a storm at sea is sometimes part of the sea's process, so too powering through is part of mine.  Second, is the comforting part of this Rune, which recommends relaxing and rolling with what is happening.  Since I have decided that powering through is the best option at this point in time, I might as well make the most of it.  Therefore, I placed it front and center in the bind Rune to reinforce the mental and emotional strength allotted by Uruz and as a way of managing the moment identified by Jera and bringing me to the next phase from a place of positive flow.

These explanations give me the completed bind Rune, a bind Rune that says I have made the conscious choice to power through my current situation; that it is just an uncomfortable moment in something bigger in my life; and that recognizing this allows me to power through from a position of mental and emotional strength, so that I don't come out the other side drained, depressed or unsure of what is next.  Given this consciousness, it also affords me the opportunity to embrace and learn from the process.

I hope that, if you ever find yourself in a "power through" situation, this bind Rune will hep you.

No More Procrastination

Through procrastination, we simply put off one of two things - the inevitable (ultimately having to complete the task we keep delaying) or failure.  Either way, in the end, we never feel satisfied.  Failure certainly makes us miserable, but there is little gratification in doing something we don't want to do or don't enjoy doing either.  Sometimes it's not even about that; sometimes there is just a lingering fear that we can't quite place or fully understand.  It's time to work on overcoming procrastination.  But how?  I will preface this by prompting you with Jera, the Rune of the harvest, which reminds us that everything is a process.  With that in mind, we can create a plan to get from A to B, but then focus only on one step at a time.  Now, we know some steps are harder than others, so what will it take to complete each step?

Interestingly, Jera was my second Rune in this line of questioning, so let's look at it in relation to the other two Runes I drew - Sowilo and Uruz - the Runes of the sun and aurochs, respectively.  These three Runes not only link and work together well, but they create a strong united force.

Remember, through Jera, we recognize that we are somewhere in the middle of a process.  To complete the process successfully, we create a plan.  Within that plan exists a series of steps to lead us to point B.  Rather than keeping our focus on B, we keep an eye on it, but focus instead on the individual steps in front of us.

Building on Jera as each step in the process needs to be completed, we gain support from Sowilo, the sun - a feminine energy to brighten our spirits and guide us with light and energy - and aurochs, the ox - a symbol of slow and steady strength, of courage and determination.

Another way to think about this is from the perspective of the farm field.  What do your crops need to grow?  The sun is a key ingredient.  How do you get the crops planted and harvested?  Through the strength of the ox that carries and pulls your plow, your wagon, and your other tools.  It's a simple example, I know.  But, think of how it applies to your life. 

What do you need to finish your project?  Use the strength of Uruz to find your own strength or tool to finish the job.  Find the light and energy offered by Sowilo to end the procrastination and feel good about finishing the task at hand.  As you go through this process and let these Runes of light and strength guide your progress, empower yourself and let your confidence grow.  You can do this and  do it well, then enjoy the satisfaction of overcoming procrastination.

I would wish you luck, but you don't need luck, you have the wisdom of the Runes to guide you.  Let me know how it goes; I have a few things to finish off myself this week and now I  know how to do it.

Is it an Opportunity Worth Taking?

Sometimes an opportunity comes our way that causes us to pause and give lengthy consideration to it.  Weighing the pros and cons seems to balance out, leaving us unsure or indecisive about what to do.  This happened to me a few days ago, but consulting the Runes helped to clarify whether I should pursue this opportunity or let it pass without acting.  First, I asked the Runes how I know if this is really an opportunity.  The response was Thurisaz, Hagalaz, and Jera.  While these Runes did answer that question (and were almost frightfully accurate), I realized that I needed to refine my question to determine if this opportunity was one worth taking.  Making clarifications like this became especially important to me a few months ago when a friend was pointing out that I wasn't taking advantage of an opportunity.  I realized my reason for not taking action was simply because, at that moment in time, it was not an opportunity that was worth taking.  However, not all opportunities are so clearly 'yes' or 'no', black and white.  So, for those gray scale opportunities, I ask for guidance to determine whether or not I should pursue this opportunity.  I got three different Runes from the previous question - Uruz, Othala, Nauthiz.

Uruz, the Rune of the aurochs (wild ox), tells me that making this decision is going to require strength.  While we usually relate this Rune to physical strength, I believe in this instance, that it refers to mental strength.  I say that, because of the nature of the question.  Because the answer to this gray scale question is not clear to me, I have to think longer and harder about my decision.  Moreover, I would be wading into new water, potentially entering a current that is going to carry my life in a different direction from its current trajectory.  In this case, caution and thoughtfulness are the required strength I must possess to be successful.

The second Rune added to the difficulty around this situation, by highlighting the key aspect over which I am conflicted.  Othala is the Rune of inheritance.  It speaks of appreciating the gifts of our ancestors.  I was not sure if this meant I should pursue the gifts that have been given to me or if I should ensure that my children can do that as they grow up.  After pondering this for a few minutes, I realized that one does not negate the other and that the point is to create "a stable foundation on which to build".  To me, that is my challenge.  I must determine if this new opportunity allows me to create that foundation better than my current path or situation does.

To address that conundrum, the Runes gave me Nauthiz, the Rune of need and necessity.  This is a core issue when confronting any situation - is this something I want or something I need?  The follow up to that is how badly is the opportunity wanted or needed.  Next, comes the question of whether there are other similar options available that would allow me to stay on my current path.  Essentially, is this opportunity available somewhere else, in another form?  Many times, we know the answer to this.  We would not be considering the present opportunity if it didn't have the potential to improve our current state.

However, taking that first step onto that new path can scare us into inaction.  This is what was happening to me, so after asking the Runes several more questions that kept giving me (more or less) the same six Runes in various orders, I stopped.  I took a deep breath and said, "Give me a decisive Rune."  I love the Runes!  I drew Raido.  Let the journey begin...

Opportunities in the New Year

With the new year beginning, I know it seems cliché to ask what this new year holds for us, but I couldn't resist.  So many of us see January 1 as a new beginning, a time to wipe slates clean, start fresh.  It incites optimism in a daily life that tends toward the opposite end of the hopeful spectrum.  Maybe the start of a new year even strikes an encouraging cord within us.  Therefore, for all of us sappy souls, today I asked the Runes - What opportunities might the new year hold?

Sadly, the Runes have given their usual realistic answer - it's going to be a tough year.  The overview of the year is Algiz, the Rune of self-defense and protection.  Tiwaz/Teiwaz, the Rune of the god Týr, the god representing self-sacrifice, gives us the challenge.  Thankfully, the action is something we know we all possess, strength in the form of Uruz, the Rune of the wild ox.

Do not despair, despite this initial interpretation, because this is our preparation for a tough year; it doesn't mean we won't succeed.  It means simply that our successes will be worth the trials we go through to attain them.

Algiz tells us to be careful, to make our actions in a timely manner, not too soon, not too late.  Although Algiz assures us we have what we need to defend ourselves, it does not tell us that we must do that.  Instead, we protect ourselves by making good choices and thinking things through, not by jumping feet first into icy or muddy water.  If we play our cards right, our opponents will create their own downfall.

That doesn't mean that 2012 will be a walk in the park though.  There will surely be battles and injustice.  That is why Tiwaz, the Rune of the god Týr is our challenge.  As you may recall, last month I drew this Rune and explained how Týr (Tiw) was the only one among all the gods that was brave enough to put his hand in the mouth of the wolf, Fenrir, when the wolf was being bound by the other gods.  Týr sacrificed his right hand to ensure the beast, Fenrir, could not harm the gods. Surely this is a sign that we will be making sacrifices this year.  There are two bright sides to this though.  The first one may not make you feel any better about making sacrifices, but it is important to remember that, through sacrifices, we grow on many levels.  The second is the action Rune we drew with Týr's challenge - Uruz.

Our action calls for courage and determination and, with Uruz, the Rune of the wild ox and strength, to accompany the protective measures of Algiz and the fearlessness of Týr, we have a good draw here.  Uruz is the final piece of this puzzle, assuring us that we possess the strength we need to accomplish our goals in 2012.  We need be only convinced of our own strength and to remember that strength comes in many forms, not just from within us, but from the love and support of our friends and family.

Here's wishing you a happy and prosperous year!  Feel free to let me know how things are going, to ask for guidance or simply enjoy my weekly posts.

What is the message?

Today, I had hoped to write the fourth installment of Runes in History from the Runes 101 series.  However, I need to do a little more research on the initial story I found before I share it with you.  Until then, I hope you will enjoy today's draw.

Though not a random draw like the last draw I did where I asked the Runes what they wanted to show me; for this draw, I did ask a similar question, "What is the message?"  This was in reference to my own writing.  As many of you know, I am revising my first novel and have started my second.  I wish I could spend all my time writing; I love doing it so much.  However, reality tells me otherwise and insists, out of necessity if nothing else, that I balance my passion with my basic needs.  If you have a passion and need to balance it with other aspects of your life, maybe this reading will help you too.

My draw was Dagaz, Nauthiz, and Uruz.

Simply put, Day exemplifies the overview of this situation.  Dagaz is the Rune of Day, clarity.  When light is shed on something, what it is becomes clearer.  Silhouettes take solid form and scary shapes become everyday objects.  This implies that my view of my current circumstance is becoming clearer.  With this understanding, finding a balance between spending every waking hour writing and researching that about which I want to write and doing things that are required (like working in a more traditional setting to bring in money) should become easier or more acceptable.  I should see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I must still focus on what is at hand and try not to race directly to the light.  If I do, I will miss something that needs to be done along the way and the light will either move further away or disappear, because I have created more obstacles for myself.  By moving toward the light and addressing the things that arise along the path to the light, I will move closer to the light and accomplish my ultimate goal.  For me, that goal is writing.  What is it for you?

On every path, there is a challenge and my challenge in this situation comes, appropriately enough, in the form of Nauthiz, the Rune of Need and Necessity.  New age interpretations of this Rune take the basics of need a step further and discuss it from the aspect of restraint or constraint.  For while I want to race toward the light, I must show restraint and focus on the needs my family and I have.  An ,given by Ralph Blum, is that when fishermen can't go fishing, they repair their nets.  Similarly, although I can't spend all my time writing... yet... I can work on my writing skills in other ways and that is what I am doing.  The work I am doing requires writing, lots of it.  Even though it's not the style of writing I'd prefer to be doing, it is writing nonetheless, and I am grateful that I get to write in some form.  If you aren't able to use some form of your passion in your job, I hope you can set aside time  to do it when you aren't working.  It is so important for your piece of mind.

Uruz, the Rune of Strength, exemplified by the Wild Ox provides this week's action.  Where day gives us clarity and and our basic needs challenge us when all we want to do is pursue our passion, the wild ox reminds us that we must be strong to accomplish our ultimate passion all the time.  In fact, traditionally, this Rune is thought to be useful for gaining strength.  I sure need it to continue to move forward toward the light, which is where I will get to pursue my passion for a living.  I find the burning desire I have inside of me to write provides me with more strength than I thought I possessed though.  At the same time, that desire fuels the challenge I have not to run directly to the light.  I hope your passion is a bit more even tempered under the same circumstance.  Now, I have to find a way to balance the strength that comes from my passion to write.  How are you doing at finding your balance in your strength?

Not Done Yet

Although I have completed the first draft of my first novel, which I did last night, I know I am not done with my novel yet.  Today, I drew Runes to help me through the surreal feeling that I mentioned last week and which has grown stronger over the past few days as I wrote the final words in my book.  There is a great challenge in completing something that doesn't feel real, that creates a sense only of floating with direction, but not being able to see the direction clearly.

The overview of my current dreamlike state gives me strength.  Uruz is the Rune of the WIld Ox, an Aurochs, which represents strength.  I drew it in its reversed position.  It has been brought to my attention that the idea of a reversed Rune doesn't occur in the historical representation of Runes.  I accept that, but it doesn't negate how fitting the first sentence of the meaning of Uruz reversed is from my book of Runes.  "Without ears to hear and eyes to see, you may fail to take advantage of the moment."  I interpret this as the surreal feeling I am experiencing right now and the fear that I have of not being able to capitalize on the process, because it doesn't feel tangible.  That line is a good overview of the way that I feel right now.  However, the idea of the Wild Ox alone, whether reversed or not, is also important to help me realize that this Rune represents strength.  I must find some form of strength, most likely mental or emotional, to take the next step in this process effectively.

Did I just say, "Process?"  I must have, because I drew my old friend Jera, the Rune of the Harvest as the challenge of my current state.  I draw this Rune more than any other and I am grateful every time to have the reminder that everything has a process through which it must travel to reach fruition, just as the soil must be tilled, crops planted and watered, before they are ready to harvest.  A lot of hard work goes into that process and the same holds true for each task we undertake.  While I have completed the first draft of my novel, if I hope to benefit truly and offer a well-written and interesting story to my readers, much work remains to be done.

Once again (just like last week), the action Rune in this draw is Inguz, the Rune of fertility, associated with Freyr, the Norse god of fertility.  I won't be redundant and simply repeat what I wrote last week, rather elaborate on the notion of fertility.  This Rune is a signal to me that things are in place for me to move forward; the ground is fertile so to speak.  The book is written, ready to be edited and reviewed and edited again.  After that, I will call on Jera again to help me complete the process and publish the book.