When a Little Extra Strength is Required

Strength comes in many forms - physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual.  This week, I have a very dear friend who needs a little extra mental and emotional strength to address a family crisis, so I asked the Runes how to accomplish this.  What guidance would they offer to my friend (or anyone else), who needs some additional support and focus over the next several days?

Let's begin with the crisis itself and the toll it takes on people, the way that it drains their strength.  Of course, the Runes gave me Mannaz, the Rune of Humanity, the self and higher self.  It reminds us of the circumstance of being human; we are flawed.  We all have strengths and weaknesses with which we must deal and manage.  It is during these times of crisis that our strengths and weaknesses are challenged.  We give into our weaknesses and that requires other to compensate by using their strengths to help us.  The struggle within this situation is to maintain that strength while helping our friend or family recover from the results of giving into their weakness.  But, how?

 You must trust yourself.  You know what must be done.  That is why the Runes showed us Laguz, the Rune of the sea and intuitiveness, for when we use our intuition, we can move the situation forward, toward healing and resolution.  This does not mean that what must be done is easy to accomplish, rather only that the required solution is easy to see.  Following through on that recognition is quite hard and that is where strength is both required and challenged.  Interestingly, Laguz is regularly related to mental health.  We must focus on maintaining our mental health, while helping another to recover theirs or another form of strength.  Now, we know that to heal this crisis, our strength will be challenged, but in the long run, we must trust our decisions and bring them to fruition.  Still, we must ask why.  Why must I do something that I really do not want to do or, more appropriately, that will challenge me (be hard)?

Algiz, the Rune of self-defense and protection, answers that question.  Surviving a crisis is one thing, but recovering, healing from it, is something entirely different and the ultimate goal.  It is the latter that must be done to preserve the "self", whether that refers to healing you, the person you're helping, or the entire situation.  When you care about someone, you do not want to see them suffer and, although you want to do whatever you can to help them, you must be willing to do whatever it takes all the way and not settle for a situation that approaches "close enough".  Why?  Because the situation will just repeat itself.  By trusting yourself and following through on the solution to the problem, you don't only protect the person your helping, you preserve them in a healthier state.

No one said this was going to be easy, but the long-term gains will make it a worthwhile investment.  This week I send out positive energy to support my friend and all of you who need a little extra strength to manage a crisis.

A Window Opened

Two weeks ago, I felt frustrated, because a number of opportunities that I hoped would grow into bigger things were doing the opposite.  In fact, a lot of doors were closing.  I found myself rethinking almost everything I've done over the past year; then, a window opened.  The saying may be cliche, but it's true.  When a door closes, a window opens.  When I made the relieved comment that "a window has opened", one of my nephews said that he needs that to happen for him.  So, this draw is thanks to him and asks the question - how can I get a window to open?

The draw?  Algiz, Laguz, Mannaz  Here's what they mean.

 Algiz is the Rune of self-defense and protection and serves as the overview for this situation.  This makes perfect sense, because the reason we want the window open is to provide opportunity for ourselves, whether it be for happiness, relationships, or financial security.  It's self-defense and protection at its core.  Traditionally, part of the meaning of this Rune relates to the idea of letting an opponent create his/her own downfall.  In this sense, I think it is similar.  The message is do not compete with others or try to do things the way that they do them.  You are an individual and you must do things in your own way, without worrying about others.  Your time will come.  To complement this, contemporary interpretations note the importance of emotional control.  That is part of protecting or defending yourself - to maintain your cool.  It also allows for consistency in message and action, which is the best way to lay the ground work; for you see, you have to build your own window and it will open when you have completed it.

Our challenge here is represented by Laguz, the Rune of water, the sea, the intuitive side of you.  I could not survive without my intuition; I rely heavily on it.  However, I know that is not the case for everyone.  Why is intuition the challenge?  Because it is hard, sometimes, to trust that what we are doing is the right thing to do, especially if it is non-traditional or if we have a large contingency of family and friends questioning or criticizing what we are attempting to do.  The deep sea is a mystery and, for some this creates fear, while for others it creates a chance for discovery.  Perhaps that is what your sea does to others; where you see opportunity, they see unsafe risk.  Therefore, the challenge is to maintain your flow in the direction you see, in spite of the questions from others.

What action does this circumstance require?  It requires a quest to know and be true to yourself.  We are human; we are not perfect.  We all possess different strengths and weaknesses, and acknowledging what ours are is a huge step toward accomplishing our goals.  This is why Mannaz, the Rune of humanity and the higher self or true self is the Rune for this action.  There is a great line in the fourth Harry Potter movie, when Mad-Eye Moody is helping Harry to decide what he's going to do when he faces his dragon.  Moody says, "You have to play to your strengths."  If you want to open a window, you have to know your strengths and play to them.