Yule Wishes

Whether you celebrate Yule or Christmas or Hanukkah or another holiday at this special time of year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog.

I celebrate multiple holidays between now and the end of December, some with friends and some with family.  But it is Yule, which occurs on the solstice, that is the holiday I link to my spirituality for many reasons.

I did a three-Rune draw for the solstice and want to share it with you along with my best wishes for the coming year!

Please remember that you can always email me if you have any questions or would like your own personal reading.

 The Runes I drew were Laguz, Perthro, and Berkana.  They address the simple question: What Runes will you give me to share for the Solstice?

I like these Runes, because they answer the question as simply as it was asked and lend themselves to moving into the new year in a thoughtful and positive way.  They seem to say relax and enjoy yourself.  Have fun with friends and family and prepare for the new year to begin.  Perhaps, most importantly, in this draw there exists a strong sense of optimism, which I hope we can all carry with us into and throughout the new year.

Laguz has always been a bit perplexing to me, because as the water Rune it represents fluidity and flexibility (go with the flow), but it also beckons the mysteries that lie within the depths of the water, which may also be advice to look deeper into things and into ourselves.  This may be great chance to take some time to reflect, think more about what we want for ourselves and how we might get it, and prepare to go into the new year strong, happy, and committed to your goals.  At the same time, this time of year can be very festive and a good opportunity to enjoy time with friends and family.

I think that is why Laguz is followed by Perthro.  For me, Perthro represents social gatherings, the perfect Rune for this time of year.  It is a time to gather with loved ones, to relax and have fun, play games and eat and drink.  Plus, being with family and friends can provide support to make looking more deeply at our hopes and dreams easier and more productive.

Berkana as the last Rune is quite encouraging too, because it signifies beginnings.  It can represent the fact that a new year is starting and with that new year comes hope and maybe optimism about what we can accomplish in the next twelve months.  It can be a fresh start or a chance to begin again.  How ever you decide to approach 2017, I hope you have a wonderful year!

Remember, the Runes are always here for you!

See you next year.

Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Fehu

Fehu is interpreted as the Rune of money.  However, strictly speaking, the Rune's original meaning was cattle, because cattle was the first form of money.  It was how wealth was measured.  Of course, today, we have numerous ways by which to measure wealth and wealth does not always refer to financial riches.  How ever you measure your wealth, this week's question is - how can you use Fehu to gain that richness in your life?

I've grown attached to my temporary set of Runes (the picture of which is now included in last week's post), so I used them to answer this week's question and help us to better understand the Rune - Fehu.  They seem to have worked quite well, giving me Wunjo, Dagaz, and Ehwaz.

The Rune of Joy, Wunjo, fits well with this situation, as we are seeking something that aids in our joy or improves our situation.  However, Wunjo also reminds us to be grateful for the things that we possess already, to be thankful for the basic necessities we have in our lives, such as food, shelter, water.  Beyond that, we must remember friends and family and the luxuries of modern life.  When our basic requirements are satisfied, we can begin to look at those things that bring us joy, things that make our lives richer.  In other words, our "cattle" can be money, but money is simply the tool we use to acquire some things that make us happy.  That said, there are plenty of things that require no money, but still give us the feeling of wealth, such as being able to read or write a book, watching a sunrise or sunset.  All of these things are wealth that we pursue.

Every situation faces a challenge and, in the pursuit of wealth, a primary challenge is recognizing that which we consider to be truly valuable.  That is why our challenge is represented by Dagaz, the Rune of day or light.  This translates to the idea of clarity or hope.  Once we see things clearly, gain a greater awareness, our priorities, likewise, become clear.  To me, Dagaz is a strong Rune, because finding your own clarity around important issues is critically important.  Once we make and accept the priorities that we, ourselves, have defined, only then can we begin to follow a true path to the wealth we seek.

Ehwaz, the Rune of the horse, offers the steps we must take to accomplish our pursuit of finding and enjoying those things that enrich our lives.  The horse was sacred to many Germanic tribes and, I believe that, drawing this Rune as the required action to address the question of how best to utilize Fehu, indicates a level of intense commitment.  Unlike Raido, which signals a physical journey, this Rune symbolizes a either spiritual one or the formation of a special partnership, akin to that between horse and rider, or friendship.  If we expect to see the light, to have our epiphany, and live enriched lives, we must take our pursuit of those answers seriously, but realize that what we perceive as wealth may not be perceived so by others.  That does not make us wrong, just of different points of view.

Fehu offers us a way to enrich our lives, to fill our lives with a variety of experiences and, once we realize what truly matters and focus on those things, we will understand Fehu.