Runes 402 - Rune Dialogues - Transitions

Transitions create curves, inclines, bridges,
and crossroads on our life paths

One of the most often asked about situations from people who ask me for readings has to do with transitions.  The largest percentage of transition questions are work or career related, but romance and moving are close seconds with a similar number of inquiries each.

No matter what kind of transition you're going through, it seems there should be a standard set of tools that will help you navigate those transitions and get you through the twists and turns, hills and valleys, and over those dreaded bridges.  That was my line of thinking when I began my latest dialogue with the Runes.

Me:  What tools do we need to help us through transitions?

Runes:  Hagalaz, Raido, Perthro.  Hagalaz serves to remind you that transitions are part of the ongoing process of life.  When they begin, they upset the normal processes that have been in place, but going and getting through them is essential for growth.  Raido reinforces life's journey.  Life is a series of transitions of different duration and intensity.  Perthro offers insight on two fronts to manage transitions.  First, Perthro alludes to challenges, games of chance.  These are key parts and the point of any transition.  Transitions challenge you; transitions provide opportunities to take risks (games of chance).  Second, transitions are easier when you have support.  Perthro speaks directly to support from friends, community.  Don't do it alone if you don't have to...and chances are that you don't.

Me:  This is very helpful.  Can you offer more insight into each?  Being aware of the tools is one thing, but how can we best use them?

Runes:  For Hagalaz, you can find help with Othala, Ansuz, and Thurisaz.  When you face the hail Rune, it is important to remember Othala, for it is fluidity in time.  It represents not only your heritage, but your current family and your legacy.  When these two Runes face off, a lot is determined.  Othala informs how you approach the transition and what you gain or lose by going through it.  Ansuz is simple.  Throughout the transition, communication is vital.  You will gain and use knowledge, and learn lessons.  Growth.  Thurisaz is strength, the power you need to get through.  Call it drive or determination.  Your intention is to not only survive the transition, but thrive.

Me:  That is a lot more depth into how to manage the onset of and get through the transition.  What about Raido?

Runes: Raido is more about navigating when you are in the throes of the transition.  This is when you can use Ehwaz, Laguz, and Gebo.  In this instance, the aspect of Ehwaz that is used is loyalty.  Loyalty is a foundation and, loyalty here is to the intent of the journey.  It means staying true to successfully completing this phase of the journey.  Laguz is another Rune that has two parts that oppose each other, but that are equally important.  You have to know when to relax and go with the flow and when to go into the depths to gain greater understanding, because sometimes its a push and sometimes you just have to ride portions out. That can be hard, but Gebo's gifts can come from unexpected places.  A challenge successfully met is a gift.  The underlying message in Gebo is to look for the positive and build on that.

Me:  That is important guidance for managing the twists and turns and even the unexpected when going through a transition.  And Perthro?  What deeper information can you give us on that?

Runes:  I give you Wunjo, Jera, and once again, Ehwaz.  As always, the ultimate goal is joy - Wunjo.  When you go through a transition, you do it either for the joy that awaits on the other side, essentially because going through the transition is going to make you happy, or because you hope to find joy somewhere along the way.  In the case of the latter, sometimes the best first step is the perspective that Gebo offered with Raido.  A challenge, which is part of Perthro, that is a real struggle usually turns out making us feel a lot better in the end.  Jera is always a good Rune to have.  It serves as a gentle reminder that everything is a process.  How do we get to a bountiful harvest?  Sometimes things are sunshine and butterflies and sometimes you have to spread a lot of manure (and not the deceitful bullshit kind, but rather the actual get your hands dirty, smell it in the air stink kind).  Things aren't always going to be easy, but if you do what needs to be done for good or bad, and don't try to cut corners, it will be worth it.  And, last is Ehwaz.  In this position, we focus on partnership and relationship, even the teamwork aspect of Ehwaz and transitions.  As much as you might think you're doing something alone, you don't live in a vacuum.  What you do affects and impacts others in ways you may not realize, so when you're going around a particularly sharp bend or up an steep incline, remember, you are not or do not have to be alone.  There is always someone there who will help.

Me:  Thank you for this wonderful advice.  Jera reminded me that sometimes transitions take longer than we expect, but we have many tools at our disposal to manage them.  So, whether we are dealing with romance or trying to decide our next career move, we should take stock in those tools and utilize them as best as we can.

Runes 401 - Rune Rituals - A Rune for 2018

Welcome to 2018!  This is my third year selecting a Rune for the year.  Two years ago, I chose Thurisaz to reconnect me to the power within me that I had had let slip away through the daily routines of life.  Last year, I countered the masculine energy of Thurisaz with Sowilo.  It was a nice balance.

My 2018 Rune began calling to me in December...in no uncertain terms.  It is Ansuz.  Ansuz represents many things for me, but the main thrust of this Rune is as it relates to language, wisdom, and communication.  Ansuz came to me in December, because I had hoped to finish the draft of the sequel to my novel, The Son of Nine Sisters, by the end of 2017.  Due to year-end family commitments, it became apparent in mid-November that that was not going to happen, so I gave myself until the end of January, another deadline that will be missed, though only just.  I believe Ansuz came forward to remind me not to lose focus even though my two soft deadlines would pass unmet, and to remind me to stay focused on completing the sequel draft, regardless of missed self-imposed deadlines, and to continue to the next writing project after that.

Even though I have known for more than a month that Ansuz would be my 2018 Rune, I still wanted to perform a ritual to recognize it.  Last year, I sat with my Runes, holding each one individually in my hands, narrowing it down to Sowilo. When I considered this year's ritual, I saw myself painting Runes.  The result is the image above and the process clearly was not about quality painting so much as it was about the process of connecting to my Rune for the year.  It's a spatial thing, but it was also a flowing trance-like process.  I had a vision in my head that looked very similar to the painting, though I could not see the entire painting in my head; I could see only where individual Runes belonged on it.  The ritual was about placing the each Rune in its space as I drew it from the bag.  Sitting in my Bay window on this snowy January morning, I drew the Runes, one at a time.  (The image below shows the order in which I pulled them.)  And, as I drew them, I chose a color that represented that Rune's energy to me and painted the Rune where it was in my image.  There was almost no pause during the entire ritual.  The resulting visual will serve as my reminder for me this year to not lose focus on the commitment I made to my writing.  I will be curious to see how the placement of the other Runes around Ansuz will impact its role as my Rune for the year.

Runes 202 - Bind Runes - Life's pursuits

I began a line of questioning with the Runes today that I intended to relate to job searches, changing careers, and the like.  However, as I contemplated and interpreted the meaning of the three Runes I received - Kenaz, Laguz, and Fehu - I realized that I was limiting them to a single parameter in life, when they applied easily to many pursuits.

Not only could I not confine these Runes, but I wanted to strengthen them by binding them together.  The final product may not look pretty, but it is a powerful reminder of a positive mindset as we endeavor into life's pursuits.

 

Although it's not the prettiest or most balanced bind Rune I've made, I love it just for the open visual.  This Rune looks like it is open to so many possibilities.  Beyond the visual, the Runes that are bound here are very uplifting.

I drew Kenaz first and its simplicity is revealed in this position.  Commonly referred to as the Rune of the light or torch, Kenaz represents human made fire, made using human creativity and knowledge.  This indicates to me that we should pursue those things that come naturally to us or that we have worked hard to learn and master.  That is where we will find satisfaction.  Even if it is not possible to undertake these things to earn a living, they must remain an active part of our lives, for they feed our joy.

Laguz was next.  Though I often say, "go with the flow" when this Rune appears, it is not simply a matter of kicking back and letting things happen to us.  We must still be active, preferably proactive in life's pursuits.  While we should try not to let things stress us out, we must also realize that life does not flow directly from A to B.  In other words, it's not going to be easy, but if we follow Kenaz (doing the things that come naturally or that we have worked hard to master), it will be worth it.  The thing to remember is that, like the depths of the sea, life is full of mysteries and, like the river making its way across the floodplain to the sea, life is also full of twists and turns, calm waters and rapids.  If we sit back and do nothing, those aspect's of life are going to kick our asses.  We have to navigate these parameters consciously.

I laughed a bit when I saw the final Rune - Fehu.  It seems to be counter to the implication of the first two Runes.  Where they suggest guiding our lives toward joy and contentment, Fehu is the cattle Rune' money; suggesting that money is the happiness we seek.  However, two points stand out against this idea.  First, whereas cattle used to be a form of 'money', in broader terms, it represents wealth and today wealth cannot be measured in terms of financial prowess alone.  The second point ties directly into that idea, because the Rune poems claim that those who have money should dole it out in abundance, essentially share the wealth, and that money is the source of a lot of arguments with loved ones.  In essence, don't put all your eggs in one basket - don't make financial wealth you're only goal.  Good health, good friends, a loving family, work that you enjoy or that allows you to do the things you enjoy, these are all aspects of wealth.  So, Fehu is not counter to Kenaz or Laguz; rather it reinforces them by making you consider the types of rewards you want to achieve through Kenaz and Laguz.

Separately, these three Runes offer important guidance in the pursuit of life.  Together, they unite our natural talents and acquired knowledge with our abilities to proactively navigate the twists, turns, and mysteries of life, and realize that money is only a single goal within and along that path; we will be far richer in the end, if we pursue good health, loving relationships, and activities we enjoy as we pursue financial security.