Showing posts with label disruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disruption. Show all posts

Monday, April 29, 2013

Runes 403 - Rune Interpretations - Time

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a friend about time and Runes.  When she arrived at my house, I was just putting away my Runes.  She was curious about them and how I found time to do anything besides the big three - working, taking care of the kids, and cleaning the house.

To that end, I posed this question to the Runes for her: How can we best manage our time?

The response from the Runes was more than I had anticipated.  It focused on the true intent of the question which, on a basal level, was how can we spend time doing things we enjoy without feeling stressed, like we should be working or cleaning or doing something else?

The Runes pointed out that time is a special gift, showing us Gebo, the gift Rune.  Gebo does not mean only a physical gift, rather the act of giving.  With respect to our question, Gebo refers to both, because time is a precious gift and, when we give it, whatever or whomever we give it to is receiving that important aspect of us.  This begs the question, who or what appreciates my time?  Following on that, if I am giving my time to someone or something that doesn't appreciate it, why am I doing it?  The second question matters not necessarily because our time has to be appreciated directly when we give it, but more so that we understand why we give it to that person or thing.  For example, we may not feel appreciated at work, but we work so that we can provide financially for our families.  So, when considering how you manage your time, consider why you're doing what you're doing and how is it appreciated.

The second Rune is the hail Rune, Hagalaz.  Hagalaz reminds us that, no matter how much planning and effort we put into managing our time, it will not always be smooth sailing.  Things will happen that will disrupt our schedule.  When something interrupts our schedule, it can have the frustrating effects of throwing us off our mark.  That is the first part of hail; it damages things.  However, if, instead of fighting the disruption, we accept it and are open to the fact that we may be a little behind in other things for a while, we find that we are less stressed about the storm and more able to get back in the swing of things once it passes.  This is the second part of Hagalaz, because while hail causes damage initially, it is also a source of moisture.  Applying that idea to today's world, we can use interruptions as opportunities to look at how we use our time.  this relates to one of the biggest problems I find my coaching clients dealing with.  They are simply trying to do too much at once.  Hagalaz simply breaks down that precarious situation and says, "Reassess what you're doing," to which I would add... and the time frame in which you're trying to accomplish it.

What is the point of recognizing that time is a precious gift and that no matter how well we try to plan the ways we use/spend it something will go awry?  Othala, the Rune of the homestead and inheritance holds the answer to that aspect of this situation.  Simply put, do you live to work or work to live?  This is where priorities come into play.  Everyone has different priorities and sees different benefits in the same situation.  What is important to remember is that everything has good and bad components, trade offs if you will.  If you work 60-80 hours a week, you aren't at home as often as you might like to be, but maybe working that extra time allows for very special family vacations.  Neither is right, nether is wrong, but only you can decide which is the best way to spend your time.

After my friend and I did this draw and I interpreted what I believed the Runes were telling us, she said it made sense, but she didn't feel like the Runes were really giving her any details.  I smiled and reiterated that the Runes were telling her that her time is a precious gift and that when her time gets disrupted, it is an opportunity to evaluate how you spend your time.  More over, only she could determine how to use it or where to spend it, but that what was important in determining how to spend her time was figuring out where her priorities lie.  She already knew her personal details; she just needs to sort them out.

In honor of her question, later today, I will be creating my own weekly schedule to help me make the most of my time.  How about you?  What do you use to manage your time? 

*This post was written with the permission of the friend to whom I refer.  I never use any Rune readings without consent of the person for whom the reading is undertaken.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Wunjo

What is the secret to happiness?  Because so many people are overwhelmed by today's fast-paced life, I thought I would pause and ask this question.  I hear people claiming regularly that they are miserable or unhappy or frustrated.  Life seems to be beating them down instead of lifting them up.  This is hard for me to witness, because the world is full of simply amazing things from sunrises and storms to smiles and stars.  It would be great if we would all take time to focus our energy on the beauty in this world instead of the negativity.  So, I ask the Runes this week how to bring happiness into our lives, how to work with Wunjo, the Rune of joy.
This draw provided some truly fascinating answers, starting with Berkana, the Rune of the three Bs in a sense - birth, beginnings, and beauty.  What a wonderful overview and the perfect place to begin our quest for happiness, with birth.  Berkana is also related to the birch tree, which, in turn, is associated with fertility.  In essence, the ground is fertile for our pursuit of joy.  Moreover, we are starting this quest at the beginning, with a birth or rebirth of ourselves and our focus and commitment.  Our first step from here is to notice and appreciate the beauty that is all around us in unlimited form.
I had hoped Hagalaz would not be our challenge, as it has been revealing itself often lately.  However, the Rune of Hail and disruption is our challenge.  It makes sense that, to find our joy, we must overcome whatever it is that is disrupting us and preventing us from having joy right now.  Whatever is making us feel frustrated, unhappy, and miserable is our Hagalaz.  Thankfully, we know that, just as the hail melts and turns into nourishing water, the things we allow to make our lives unhappy will melt away too and, through our experience with them, we will be stronger and, perhaps, appreciate more the things that bring us joy.
As I was posing today's question, I couldn't help but think that Sowilo had to be one of the Runes.  How could it not?  It is the Rune of the sun, good fortune, and wholeness.  When we are happy, our lives seem brighter, good things come to us, and with joy in our hearts, we begin to feel whole and strong.  So, of course, Sowilo is the action required to have happiness fill our lives.  We must allow ourselves to focus on and experience wholeness and the brilliance of the sun, and accept good fortune.

I hope you will take some time to find joy this week.  I will be cutting my Rune staves, which is my commitment to joy, for working with the Runes, especially making my own set, fills me with satisfaction and, yes, joy.

Monday, May 28, 2012

I'm Overwhelmed

Everyone feels overwhelmed at one point or another and it can happen for any number of reasons.  A single thing or lots of little things at once can overwhelm us.  What I ask the Runes this week is how to manage this feeling and get back on our feet.  Two of the Runes from last week made a follow up appearance today, joined by a Rune I don't draw very often.

Hagalaz sets the stage.  This makes perfect sense.  The Rune of hail and disruption is the perfect representation of being overwhelmed.  Hailstorms leave everything they hit looking beaten and ragged.  Similarly, we certainly feel like our lives have been disrupted when something overwhelms us.  The second part of the picture painted by Hagalaz is that, once we find our footing again, we feel better and more energized, nourished by our ability to repair the initial damage of the hail.  This second part is what's coming.

Our other Rune from last week offers this week's challenge - Algiz, the Rune of self-defense and protection.  Somewhere along the line, we stopped doing this, stopped looking out for ourselves.  Perhaps we have taken on too much, because we can't say 'no'.  Maybe something caught us completely off-guard and knocked us to our knees.  Any number of things could have put us in this situation, but the ultimate reason we are here is because we left ourselves open to whatever is overwhelming us right now.  We need to alter our situation so that we feel empowered and able to put ourselves back into a manageable situation.  But how?

Thurisaz, the Rune of giants or thorns is the required action.  New Age interpretations relate it to Thor and call it a gateway.  If this is so, we must think of Thor - fierce temper (easily lost, but just as easily regained), strongest of all the gods  - and ponder what it means to have such power as he possesses.  Contemplating this puts us at a gateway which requires thought before action, thought before stepping through said gateway.  Our traditional interpretation of this Rune is less clear, as the Rune poems don't agree on the meaning of this Rune and there is no mention of Thor in them.  Despite the different meanings in the poems, the bottom line agreement around Thurisaz is that it is a Rune of focused power, standing in contrast to our current situation.  Presently, the overwhelmed sensation we're experiencing makes us feel powerless.  What Thurisaz says is that it is time to take the reins and unleash the focused power that we possess, but have lost site of.  Doing this allows us to overcome the things that have created our sense of being overwhelmed.

I am ready to unleash the power if you are.  Shall we do it together?

Monday, May 21, 2012

Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Jera

Welcome to Runes 201, the third series I'm starting on my blog.  Runes 101 discusses the Runes in History and Mythology, and Runes 301 walks you through the process of making your own set of wooden Rune staves.  Runes 201 talks about individual Runes in a little more detail or looks at how to work with a Rune.  I begin this series with the latter and look at how to manage Jera, the Rune of harvest and process.

Jera is my Rune, the Rune of the harvest, which, by extension, is about process.  For the harvest to occur, there is a process which must be followed.  While some of us are very good at planning, others, "wing it", "play it by ear", "fly by the set of our pants", or simply "go with the flow".  In other words, some people don't plan or don't plan much.  Whichever category suits you, the question remains - How do we deal with things that require a process, whether planned of not?  How do we manage Jera?

The meaning for Perthro is one of the most questioned and debated of the Elder Futhark.  Of the Runic Poems, only the Old English poems include this Rune and a key word is missing from that poem.  I think this makes Perthro the perfect Rune to provide the overview for our question related to managing Jera.  The answer is that there is no easy answer.  What is reasonably clear is that Perthro relates to camaraderie, "play and laughter" and warriors sitting happily together in a beer hall.  Despite the missing word, what I take from this Rune in this circumstance is that, when dealing with a process (getting a job, planting a garden, building a deck, getting someone to notice you, planning a party...etc.), it is a far easier thing to manage when you do it with someone else or confide in someone else.

The challenge within this question is clear.  Rarely does a process go from A to B without some sort of disruption, so of course, I drew Hagalaz to represent the challenge of managing Jera.  The Rune of Hail is very timely here.  As we know, it's initial impact is one of destruction, but it's aftermath is necessary water to grow.  This could be interpreted in many similar ways, but essentially, we need to be challenged by disruptions so that we can grow as people.  There is a saying, "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."  Though most disruptions are not life-threatening, any obstacle we overcome can make us stronger, more well-rounded, better able to handle adversity and other challenges going forward.

 
It is not surprising that the action to address this question is Algiz, the Rune of self-defense and protection.  Again, the only Rune Poem for this Rune is the Old English version and it talks of elk-sedge, a plant that takes quite good care of itself.  Therefore, I would argue that as we make our way through our process to get from point A to point B, that we realize we undertake these things for these primal reasons, either self-defense and protection or defense and protection of another.

So, how do we manage Jera, the process and the harvest?  We must remember a few things.  First, most things that we undertake are made easier by friends who support us.  I could use any number of clichés for the second thing, but I’ll say this instead; we must learn from each step along the path, whether the step takes us forward or seems to divert us from our planned path.  Finally, everything we undertake is an opportunity for personal growth and we should take advantage of it, because it is in our best interest.

Monday, April 9, 2012

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.

Monday, January 30, 2012

For Friends and Strangers

I had hoped to return to my Runes 101 series this week, but as my plate is full (overloaded, actually) at the moment, I will hold off for a while more.  However, I promise to return to it the first moment I can.  I realize I want to return to it just as much for my readers as for myself.  I like doing things for other people.  In fact, on Saturday, I held a small retreat at my home for a few of my friends, because they needed it (and so did I).  I can't help myself.  I am just compelled to help others and I know so many of you are too.  So, what is it that makes us want to help friends and strangers?  What are the benefits of helping others?  How can we compel others to do the same?

Interestingly, though not surprisingly, the draw begins with Mannaz, the Rune of Humanity, the Self, culture, even the higher self.  As contemporary interpretations suggest, everything begins with the self, and what we are talking about here are the characteristics that make us human.  Traditional references indicate that the meaning behind this Rune is "know thyself".  The claim is that Mannaz refers to a spiritual quest, which, in many ways, this is.  In any spiritual journey, we examine how we fit into the larger scheme of things.  We want to know what drives us to act in a given way - in this instance our action is our desire to help or please others, make them happy.  However, we cannot let that which drives us make us arrogant.  Remain humble and don't let your actions go to your head.  That is the overview for this line of questions though, not the challenge.

Perthro/Perth the Rune of friendly competition or initiation signals the challenge here.  Perhaps this suggests that our challenge is, in some way to initiate a challenge.  My suggestion is that we lead by example.  If, instead of focusing on outcomes, we focus on our own actions, not only are we truly present, but we achieve a state of being that attracts others.  For those of us who thrive on helping others, friendship and loyalty are hallmarks in our relationships.  Cultivating them is important to us and we accept that our fate is tied to those friends.

If we are to lead by example, we recognize that our actions may not always fall within the realm of "acceptable norms".  That is why Hagalaz, the Rune of Hail and Disruption is our action draw for this question.  Hail, on one hand, represents a natural destructive force.  However, it is also a form of water, that supports new growth.  In many ways, this Rune symbolizes an agent for change.  If we lead by example, doing what comes naturally to us, whether it is giving our seat on the bus to a parent with a small child or standing up against an injustice against someone's rights, we are natural agents for change.  We do what we do, because it is how we are wired and, if we have to stir up things a bit, so be it.

Given this draw, I challenge you this week.  Go out and do something for someone else, a complete stranger or a friend in need.  Then, think about how it makes you feel to help someone else and let me know.  I am confident that your actions will put a smile on your face and on those you help.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Inspire Us

I had planned to continue with the Runes 101 series today, but I've decided to wait until next week for that, so please stay tuned.  Instead, today I want to focus on energy and inspiration to get our week started on the right foot and to embrace the changing seasons.  Therefore, I asked the Runes what guidance they would offer all of us so that we can feel energized, inspired and excited about this moment in our lives.  Here are the three Runes I drew:  Dagaz, Hagalaz, Raido

Dagaz is the Rune for Day, a time when things become more clear, when we can see things clearly.  This Rune may represent a moment of clarity, a breakthrough in understanding, or even a sense of safety or comfort.  The darkness is gone and, through the light we now see, we can look at the untapped potential that is waiting for us and both externally and that lies within us.  Day gives us energy.  Being able to see things clearly or understand them, should (or could if we choose to allow it to) inspire us.  Are you excited yet?

Hagalaz, Hail, is another one of my favorite Runes.  This Rune of destructive and creative force, of disruption, is very powerful.  It liberates us in the sense that, although it is a storm and may destroy some aspect of our lives, in its wake it leaves the requirement for creativity and perseverance.  The storm may also serve to nourish us if we see the hail as water.  Either way, Hagalaz signifies a new phase beginning in our lives.  How we choose to engage in it is up to us.

Now that we can see the new phase of our lives beginning, what do we do?  Raido tells us it is a journey, which all new life phases are.  At the beginning, these journeys can culminate in anything our minds can create.  They exist as nothing more or less than pure potential.  Visualize your potential and take this journey to bring that vision to fruition.  The power is within you.  Good luck!  Have a wonderful week and let me know how things work out.