Runes for You

After a completely crazy week and the need to let go and forget it over the weekend, I realized that I could not write the post I had planned, because I did not have the time to finish the book I'm currently reading to review.

However, because the Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld always have wisdom to share, I called on them through the Runes and asked them what knowledge they would like to tell me about your past, present, and future - 'you' representing both you personally and the larger societal you.  Yes, a Norn cast for you.  Here is how they lined up:

Urd, representing your past, showed Laguz.  In this instance, the water Rune represents your past and and you must consider that past as part of your life going forward.  Just as water nourishes you, so too does your past, though in a very different sense.  Where water provides for your physical existence (by drinking it, using it water food, and for cleanliness among other things), your past provides mental nourishment.  Your past experiences have taught you lessons and prepared you for each step forward that you take.  Coupled with this are the mysteries held in a deep or stormy sea.  They can be scary, but you cannot be afraid to try new things; remembering that all of your life experiences up to this point have helped to prepare you for the next challenge you face, the next choice you make.

Verdandi gave me Fehu, the cattle Rune, which symbolizes your present and equates generally to finances.  The Rune poems for Fehu are quite interesting, for while they all clearly call it money, the Old Icelandic and Norwegian poems point out that it causes quarrels among kinsmen, and the Old English poem almost counters that with the suggestion of sharing your good fortune with others - keep things somewhat equitable (perhaps to avoid quarrels and conflict).  I think this is indicative of our current society, where the wealth is being concentrated among the few.  Now is the time to take the lessons from your past and apply them to your current situation.  There are any number of sayings I could call on here to make this point.  How about Margaret Mead, who said. "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world.  For, indeed, that's all who ever have."  This calls the idea of personal responsibility to the fore.  Add to that, "It is better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction" (by Diane Grant), and you have a very powerful opportunity presenting itself.

Skuld offered Raido, the riding Rune.  Having just looked at Raido a few weeks ago, it is fresh in my mind.  Following on Verdandi giving us Fehu, Skuld showing Raido signifies change - a journey.  Essentially, your future should experience a change, it should be different from your present.  However, as we know, this is not a done deal with the Norns.  This is what should be, but only you can make it so.  You will never get where you want to be if you don't consciously undertake the challenges life presents.  You must take the reins and move or you will be moved in a direction you do not wish to be carried.  I will end with a quote from my Raido post, because it flows perfectly with the wisdom we have received from Urd and Verdandi.  In support of her sisters and through Raido, Verdandi says, "Don't just sit there while life happens to you; don't allow yourself to be a victim of your circumstances.  Take charge of where your life leads you." 

The Norn Cast

Many authors of Rune books and websites mention the Norns, linking them to the Runes.  Some of those authors and websites, as well as Rune practitioners, even use a Norn cast.  In The Runes in 9 Minutes, Odinsson explains what a Norn cast is.  Although he represents the Norns using past present and future, which, to me, is an oversimplification, Odinsson does make a point of saying that "our ancestors did not believe the future was predetermined."

What he is alluding to is the idea that I mentioned last week, when I summarized the Norns. While the past and present are certain, we cannot know the future.  We can know only what the future should be based on our past and current actions, experiences, and choices.

That said, we can still engage with the Runes and ask about our past, present, and potential future.  That is the Norn cast.  Draw three Runes.  The first represents Urd (the past); the second represents Verdandi (the present); and the third Skuld (what should be).  I like the idea of this kind of draw, because essentially what the Runes tell us in this case is, "Here's where you've been, which has brought you to where you are.  If you stay on this path, this is where you should end up."  Then, the choice is up to us to decide if that potential future, that 'should be', is where we really want to go and, if not, we can take steps to change direction.

With that understanding, I decided to attempt a Norn cast.  I chose to ask about the young readers series that my daughter and I are writing.  We've completed the first draft of the first book and have plenty of ideas for more, but things have stalled a bit.  So, I want to know where it is going.  What is its potential?

As I drew the first Rune, I asked Urd what she would like me to know about the past life of this series.  Likewise, I asked Verdandi and Skuld what they would like to tell me about its current situation and potential future, respectively.  I have to say the first two Runes I drew were very fitting and the third made me feel optimistic.

Drawing Ingwaz, a great fertility Rune, to represent the past assures me that the time was right to begin writing the book.  The idea was well-formed and the story was ready to be shared.  It also reminds me of the writing process.  I spent about 90 minutes every Saturday for several months working on it and, each time I sat down to write, the words just flowed.  They were ready to be picked from my mind.

Thurisaz is an interesting Rune from Verdandi.  It's the Rune of giants and thorns and it signifies potential trouble, but also great potential power.  I believe this almost mixed bag is true of the current situation.  Things have slowed on the writing front for the moment, but about half a dozen of my daughter's friends are reading the completed first draft and their feedback has been great!  So, thorny writing, but powerful or empowering feedback. (If you'd like to read a couple of sample chapters, they are up on my website.)

I think I will choose to stay on the path I began with these books, given that Skuld gave me Sowilo, the sun Rune.  As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Sowilo is a hopeful sign, representing good fortune.  It also carries feminine energy, which I take to represent the partnership with my daughter and our targeted readers - girls aged 7-13.  Of course, if I do plan to stay on this path, to make this potential future my eventual present reality, there is work to be done - more writing, contacting agents/publishers, editing and so on.  I need to bring it off the back burner and get it moving again.  You see, that's the thing about the Runes; even when they give you good news, it doesn't mean you get to sit back and rest on your laurels.  You always have to step up and put in the effort.

This was a great introduction to the Norn cast.  I think I will use it again, knowing that I can always ask for additional guidance or extend my dialogue with the Runes or the Norns if Skuld gives me a "should be" that I don't want to have be.

Runes 101 - Runes in Mythology - The Norns

Wyrd Sisters
Image courtesy of Bifrost and Beyond

We know the Norns' basic story as signifying past, present, and future and that Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld are responsible for our wyrd or fate.

While their names are readily applied linguistically to define them (Urd=past, Verdandi=present, Skuld=future), their story in the Norse Mythology makes them much more interesting and complex.

Urd represents the past, but that past is not just our life.  It means everything that happened leading up to the present state of our life.  In other words, our life is shaped by our choices and the influence others have had on it through time.  It also includes our ancestry and the ways in which our heritage or cultural background place us in the world.  A huge infrastructure, of good and bad, worked to make us who we are.

Of course, Urd, representing all of that past experience, brings us to Verdandi, the present or, more specifically, what is happening now.  Just as everything we've done to this moment has made us who we are now, in the current moment, we make choices that affect who we are and which direction we will go as the future arrives.

A very interesting thing occurs at this point in Völuspà , verse 20, where the Norns are introduced. The line immediately following "the second Verdandi" does not introduce Skuld, rather refers to "they" carve on  sticks or cut Runes - Skáru á skiði.  To me, this implies that Urd and Verdanadi cut Runes, which result in Skuld.

The message that I take from this is that our past (all of the parts of the past mentioned above) made us who we are today and that, in turn, will guide us into the future.  Still, Skuld isn't exactly or simply future, rather relates to should or shall be.  Of course, the only things we can know for certain are those things that have happened already and which are happening now.  The future is a mystery.  So, mysterious Skuld may represent what "should be", but as we move into the future, we still have the option to change that path or direction through our choices.  Although the Norns hold our ultimate destiny in their hands, how we arrive there is up to us through our choices and the experiences we make for ourselves.

Going back to "skáru á skiði", think of it like this.  We know our Urd; it has been carved.  We live in our Verdandi; it is being carved.  Although our Skuld is a mystery, our past and present will carve it.