Interruptions

My first novel is done.  The third revision of it is almost done and I want it to be on the market next month.  However, it seems as soon as I sit down to work on it, after I've performed all the tasks I 'have' to do and can turn to the thing that I 'want' to do, I get interrupted.  I'm sure everyone shares this experience.  We all have things we enjoy doing, whether it's our job or a hobby, and we all get frustrated when those things are interrupted, especially at times when we're so close to finishing a project.  So, how do we deal with that situation, accept that it is going to happen and that we will be able to return and eventually finish it off as we had planned?  The Runes gave me a wonderful answer to this question.

 

Of course, the overview was Hagalaz, the Rune of Hail and Disruption.  We've talked about Hagalaz a few times before and the ways in which hail can be interpreted.  At first, it is seen as a destructive force, because it destroys crops and can damage buildings.  It disrupts our lives, just as interruptions disrupt our flow when we are doing something we enjoy.  However, hail is a form of precipitation, bringing water, nourishment to crops.  Knowing that the interruption may create some form of nourishment for us or our project, let's consider how that might play out.  Once our task is completed, perhaps it is that much sweeter, for example because we finished it despite the disruptions.  Or maybe the disruptions nourish our sense of dedication to completing the task, creating a greater focus on fruition.  For me, it's a little of both.

 

Kenaz, the Rune of the Torch, exemplifies the challenge of Hagalaz's hailstorm.  Think of this as the light at the end of the tunnel.  We have something that we want to finish; we can almost see the end, then, bam! Hagalaz.  We are interrupted, thrown off our trajectory.  Our challenge, then, is to stay focused on the light, to address the distractions, but keep moving toward the end goal.  But how?

 

Interestingly, the action required to move past the interruption and complete our desired task is found in Ansuz.  This is the Rune of Communication and Inspiration.  For one is not possible without the other.  New age interpretations broaden this idea by including looking for signals.  On some level, whether with a deity, a force of energy, or something more mundane, we must pay attention, search for the positive in the interruptions.  It may be acknowledgement by another for giving them our time (helping them do something) or our own revelation through performing the required act to address the interruption so that we can return to our project.  By seeking out the positive, we open ourselves to a much more pleasant experience and reduce our stress.

Our project will get done, but the line from A to B is rarely a straight one.

Leap, Jump, Step... Just Move

Last week, I had tea with a friend of mine.  She is struggling through some personal issues right now.  On top of that, or possibly because of it, she is very troubled over what to do with her life, what she really wants to pursue, and where her life, especially her professional life, is going.  She seems stuck, not knowing which way to go and afraid to step in any direction.  I assured her that I have been there more than once.  I shared with her three major hurdles I've come up against in my adult life and realized that, in each instance, I jumped blindly into the next phase of my life.  However, while I am prone jumping off cliffs in leaps of faith (and I should point out that my faith in this instance lies within myself, my abilities and the kindness of others; it's tangible even if unseen in the present), I know that not everyone can do that.  Some people need to strap on ropes and special climbing shoes and ease their way down the cliff.  That's okay.  We all take different paths to get where we need or want to go.  The point is that, whichever way we go, we go.

My questions for the Runes this week, then, are what advice works for everyone in this circumstance?  How can we look at this overwhelming situation and be willing to jump off a cliff or strap on as much safety equipment as we can find and lower down its side?  The answer they gave me  - Kenaz/Kano, Othala/Othila, and Eihwaz.

Kenaz (Kano) demonstrates perfectly how the situation should be perceived.  It is the Rune of Light, represented by a torch.  This Rune indicates a time of enlightenment.  The more light we shine on something, the easier it is to see.  In a sense, it offers us a moment of clarity in which we can see the right path.  Now, we just need to acknowledge it.  Once we do that, we need to be willing to set aside any fear or doubt we have and step onto that path.  Our instincts know it's the right one for us.  Of course, that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy path to follow, but it is the one that will get us where we want to be.

 No situation is without a challenge, but some seem more difficult to surmount than others.  When we are struggling and find ourselves in a really tough place, Othala (Othila), the Rune of Benefits and Inheritance, helps us in two directions.  Before moving forward, Othala reminds us to look back and be grateful for the things we do have in our lives, for the accomplishments we've made so far and for the sacrifices made by others (our ancestors and those around us).  Being grateful is not always easy, but once we start to recognize all of the good things in our lives, dealing with the hard things becomes a little easier.  The other direction this Rune helps us with is as we move forward.  We walk down the path we choose by trusting our instincts so that we can receive benefits.  However, although this Rune represents benefits, with those benefits may come personal sacrifices.  That is to say that, to get what we want or where we want to be, we may have to give up something else.

To accomplish this leap of faith (or to scale down the cliff side) and follow a new or enlightened path requires a bit of toughness and stability.  These aspects are demonstrated by Eihwaz, the Rune of Defense and the Yew tree.  We've already established that, just because we choose the correct path, it doesn't mean the path will always be easy to traverse.  Still, we have to stand our ground, demonstrate our faith in ourselves on this path, the correct path.  Eihwaz reminds us that, not only do we have the strength or toughness to do this, but that through the challenges we face on this road we will grow.

No matter how we enter the next phase of our lives, whether by leaping or taking small steps, the process is  the same.  Trust yourself to choose the right path.  The light shining on it comes from you.  Be grateful for the things in your life and the sacrifices of others.  Realize you will have to make sacrifices.  Finally, be strong.

Runes 101 - Runes In History 3

It's back to business today and our focus is on Rune Poems.  If you are not familiar with these, let me assure you that these are not poems written in Runes, rather are poems written about the meaning of the Runes of the Elder Futhark.  Remember that, there was an increase in the number of Runes in the British Isles (from 24 to 33), while there was a reduction in Scandinavia (to 16) over time.  These poems return us, as close as we can get, to the original meaning of the original twenty-four letters.

These poems are important historical writings, but they serve a contemporary purpose too, as they have been used to determine the meaning of each Rune for the purposes of "reading" them.  With that, it's important to realize two things.

First, there are three "versions" of the Rune Poems, in Old English (OE), Old Icelandic (OI), and Old Norwegian (ON).  What's truly fascinating about these poems is their general agreement around the meaning of the Rune, with minor exceptions.  Let's use my favorite Rune, Jera, as an example.  The following is quoted from Sweyn Plowright's book, "The Rune Primer".  The Old English version is also available in Stephen Pollington's, "Rudiments of Runelore".

OE – Year/harvest is men's hope, when god, holy heaven's king, let's the earth give shining fruit to the warriors and the poor.

OI – Harvest is men’s bounty and a good summer and a full grown field.

ON – Harvest is men’s bounty.  I guess that generous was Fródhi.

One quick note, in the Old Norwegian version, it is believed that the second lines are largely irrelevant to the Rune's meaning and are there for rhyming purposes.

Second, some books of Rune interpretations and Rune readers do not use these poems for their basis, while others begin with them and build or add additional information around the main idea of the poem's meaning.

When I began doing Rune readings for friends and family, I relied on Ralph Blum's interpretation of them.  While he has ignored some key aspects of the historical information around Runes, such as their order, most of his explanations are fairly accurate.  Here is what he has to say about Jera.

It is the Rune of the Harvest, Fertile Season, One Year.

Following the idea of the process of the harvest, Blum expands on this Rune's interpretation.  He warns that no immediate results can be expected when this Rune is drawn, that the issue has a process through which it must go and you cannot make it move any faster than is required for it to be completed properly, in its own time.  In support of this, he tells the story of the farmer who tried to pull up the shoots of his plants to make them grow faster and reminds us that no one can push a river.  He stresses patience if you draw this Rune.  Although Blum's interpretation drifts away from the specific goal of harvest and bounty, it remains true to the process involved in achieving a good harvest and bounty.

In contrast, the Rune Kano or Kenaz holds a greater mystery.  This is one instance where the poems do not agree.  The OE version calls it a light or lamp, while the OI and ON refer to it as a children's sore.  Blum calls Kano the Rune of openings, but also uses fire and torch to describe it.  Again he diverges, but approaches it from the perspective of renewed clarity and dispelling of darkness, which light does; it allows us to see things we couldn't see before.

I will probably do more on Rune Poems in the not too distant future, but for now, if any of you have an example of an interpretation that is not drawn from the Rune Poems, please let me know.

Da Vinci and the Runes

Don't get the wrong idea about this post.  This is not an article about how Leonardo da Vinci used the Runes, rather how the Runes might help us to prepare to think like him.  Several years ago, I read the book "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci" and, inspired by a creativity article I read recently, I have picked it up again.  This time, however, I am committing to attempting to incorporate the seven step process in the book into the ways in which I think and approach life.  The first of the seven steps in the book is curiosity.  As my first step, I was curious to know what guidance the Runes would offer as I begin this journey.

For the overview of this ensuing endeavor, I drew Fehu, the Rune of Possessions.  What this Rune really asks us to do is to determine what possessions are important to us.  That is to say, do we prefer material things, health and well-being, knowledge and so on?  This journey is, I believe, one of knowledge, because I am seeking to see things in new ways, uncover things I hadn't noticed before, and question what I don't understand.

So, how will this attempt at curiosity challenge me?  According to Kano reversed, the Rune of Openings, I am put on notice that some aspect of who I am now will no longer be valid.  By letting go of past ways, I will find opportunity, but it may not be as easy as I think.  There may be a time of unsteadiness as I let go of the old, adopt the new and become comfortable again.

I should have expected none other than Thurisaz, the Rune of the Gateway, for the action in this journey.  It is actually a Rune of inaction and recommends approaching the gateway, but not passing through it without much contemplation.  As a way to complement Fehu, Thurisaz is telling me to take inventory of what I know and have learned already.  Use what is appropriate and discard freely the rest.

This week, I will prepare.  Next week, I will step through  the gateway and share how well I do with  "Curiosity".  Anyone care to join me?

...Now Stand on One Foot

In today's world, we are overwhelmed with distractions and demands that we allow others to put on us.  When we take on too much - hold this, take this, do this for me, you have a free hand? do this, carry this, now stand on one foot - at one time, we lose more than balance in our lives.  We lose mindfulness and, in return, we gain stress, tension, anger, frustration and so on.  So, how do we find a balance again?  How do we stop doing more than we can manage reasonably?  How do we become mindful in our choices?

I asked the Runes for some guidance on this front and, as usual, they did  not disappoint.  The three Runes that I drew were: Nauthiz reversed for the overview, Hagalaz for the challenge, and Kano for the action.  What guidance is found in this draw?

Nauthiz is the Rune of Constraint, but, in this role, it does not mean do nothing or refrain yourself.  Reversed, it warns us that growth is not easy and sometimes must occur within certain limits or pain.  Moreover, it may be that many of us can see the light only when we are here, in the dark, a great darkness.  When we see that light from our dark place, we see our own true creative abilities and that is what we want to follow.  In essence, through this Rune in its reversed position, we must undergo a cleansing to find a balance.  If your plate is full, you must remove something before you can add something new.  Piling is not beneficial.

Hagalaz is one of my favorite Runes, because so many people shrug with disappointment when they draw it.  However, the Rune of Disruption offers so many positive things.  It allows us to break free from our stale routine.  In fact, it liberates us from it.  It may show us a change that is gradual or it may side swipe us, but through this process, Hagalaz tells us it is time for us to grow.  We are ready, whether we believe it or not.

The action in this draw, for this question of mindfulness and balance, is perfect - Kano, the Rune of Opening.  Remember that darkness that Nauthiz reversed told us about?  Well, that may well be where we are, but with our challenge being the forced growth of Hagalaz, Kano assures us that we are ready to step out of that darkness, cast off those things which are weighing us down, making us unhappy.  Kano provides two important perspectives to accomplish the step into the light.  First, Kano reminds us that, with more light, we can see things better.  This should make it easier to cast away those things which matter so little.  Kano's second point is that we must focus on our intention and make it clear.  This is how all new endeavors begin.

So, let's all take a moment to breathe, reflect and release those burdens that bring negativity into our lives.  What a wonderful way to start the week.