Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Raido

Yes, I know it's been only three weeks since I wrote about another individual Rune - Uruz - but Raido insisted that this week was its turn.  No matter what question I posed, Raido would be part of the draw and it was usually first.  I could not deny it; besides, it feels right to consider Raido today.

I'd like to begin by looking at its relationship to Ehwaz, the horse.  In the post I wrote about the horse Rune, I pointed out what I see as its main features - loyalty, relationships, pilgrimages, and modes of transportation of journeys.  Simply put, Ehwaz (and its attributes) carries us on our journey and Raido is the journey.  Through Ehwaz's attributes, our journey is made easier.  It reminds us that we are not doing this alone.  Even if we feel we are, we must remember the support of and partnerships with friends and family.

With that support in mind, Raido is the voice inside of us beckoning us to get up and live life.  The first line of the Old English Rune poem warns us that it is easy to sit around telling tales, but much harder to actually step onto the path and take a chance.  It also implies that doing so is worthwhile.  As my dad used to say, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Which ever way we say it, Raido represents change, which is a requirement for progress.  On some level, it signifies a physical change, such as in location - a move or a new job, maybe even both - but more specifically, it means a major and intentional change in our lives.

We will never get where we want to be if we don't consciously undertake the challenges life presents.  In other words, Raido 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."  Yes, there are times when we need to sit and contemplate our next steps and make plans, but now is not that time.  Raido tells us the time has come to follow the path we envision for ourselves.  We must take the reins and move or we will be moved in a direction we do not wish to be carried.

We must remember, however, that though this is our journey, you we are not alone and we must be kind to our horse (family and friends who are supporting you) along the way if our ride is going to be successful and smooth, and to make the hills easier to climb.

Set Goals; Don't Make Resolutions

It's the second full week of 2013; how are your resolutions coming?  I decided long ago that I wasn't going to make any new years resolutions, because I rarely followed through on them.  However, I found that if I changed the idea from a resolution to a goal, I fared much better.  It is to that end that I asked the Runes how we can be successful in accomplishing our goals for 2013.

For the draw, and in practice for my soon-to-be new set of Runes, I tried a different approach.  Instead of reaching into the bag and pulling out the Runes, I held them all in my hands above (but not directly over) my head and began dropping them not one at a time, but let them fall as my hands moved back and forth.  Going forward, this is the likely method I will use, because I did this once, then tried a different approach that didn't work, then tried dropping them again and got the same three Runes as I did the first time.  I took the first three that fell face up.  They were Fehu, Jera, and Raido.

 

Fehu was an interesting first Rune, because its core meaning is cattle or money.  However, given the line of questioning, I take this to represent something that will make you wealthier, not necessarily in the financial sense.  For example, I have writing goals this year and one of the main reasons I write is because it makes me happy and, happiness is a form of wealth in our lives.  I believe that this is what Fehu in the first position is telling us.  If we expect to be successful in accomplishing our goals, we must set goals around things that will bring some form of wealth into our lives.

 

My favorite Rune, Jera, was next.  The Rune of the harvest and process is the best reminder that the goals are not going to happen over night.  Success comes from applying ourselves every day and committing to bringing the goals to fruition.  It means dealing with set backs and staying focused so that we can move forward.  Create a plan with some manageable steps will help too.  For example, don't just say you're going to get a new job, set metrics like how many resumes you're going to send out a week, how many cold calls you're going to make, and how many sources you have for finding work.  Whatever your goal is, realize that there is a process related to it, have patience, and work with the process.

Finally, Raido, the Rune of travel and journey.  This journey can occur in any state - physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.  What is represents primarily is the idea that you must keep things moving forward and, in this way, it supports Jera's focus on process.  You cannot make progress toward your goal if you don't move forward.  Simply put, Raido takes you from where you are to where you want to be.

What are some goals you've set for 2013?  How will you accomplish them?

Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Berkana

This week, I entered into a business adventure with a very good friend of mine.  I chose to say "adventure" rather than simply "venture", because she and I have worked together before and we did amazing things.  It was a great adventure and I am certain this time will be too.  To acknowledge this partnership, I wanted to look at Berkana, the Rune of birth and the birch tree.  This Rune symbolizes beginnings and beauty and is linked to fertility, creativity, and, of course, goddesses.  My question for the Runes this week is how she and I can make the most of this beginning.

Tiwaz provides the overview for our adventure and, for me, this is a reassuring draw.  I am strongly aligned with Tiwaz, Týr's Rune.  Not only is Týr the left-handed god (I am left-handed too), but he is the warrior god.  To me, Týr's left-handedness, represents bravery, because Týr lost his hand, because he was the only one among the gods with enough courage to put his hand in Fenrir's mouth while the other gods bound the wolf.  This signifies the necessity of bravery and self-sacrifice in this undertaking.  We must be brave and unafraid to take some risks.  Coupled with this is the warrior, who is someone who does just that - takes risk and is unafraid.  As warriors, we are not afraid to work hard or fight for what we want to accomplish.

As my friend and I live 4,500 kilometers apart, Raido symbolizes what is, perhaps, our greatest challenge in this endeavor - travel or progress.  It is the Rune of riding or a carriage, and reminds us that we must move, literally and figuratively, to advance and achieve our goals.  This means not only can we not allow the physical distance between us to hinder our progress, but we must find a way to use it to our advantage.  Interestingly, travel is a component that she and I have discussed to some degree already and we see it as an important factor to addressing our aspirations and being successful in this endeavor.

 Finally, I was quite pleased to see Sowilo as our action for this question.  Sowilo stands for the sun and symbolizes good fortune.  For me, the sun, in in rawest form, is energy and that is what we need to make our adventure together successful - sheer energy.  One other key aspect to point out about this Rune is that in Germanic traditions, the sun is feminine.  For two women to draw the sun as their action for a working relationship reinforces the notion of the warrior's strength.  Together, we will be a strong force of positive, creative energy.  Look out world!

While this week's draw is more personal for me than my usual posts, I hope that you have gained some insight into either dealing with a new situation in your life, making the most of a beginning, or understanding how the Runes offer guidance.  I am always available to offer you personal readings or to answer questions you have about the Runes.  Just leave a comment on this post or email me.  Have a great week!

Taking Control of the Situation

So often, we let life happen to us and feel we are helpless in a given situation, but what if we say, "No more!"  What if we take control of the situation or, better still, of our own destiny, of our own happiness?  In general, I am a take-charge kind of person, but lately, I have given in to views that we must follow a mundane path, work for "the man", waste away in a job or multiple jobs that make us miserable and take us away from the things that should be our priorities, things that make us happy.  I decided to ask the Runes what would happen if I decided to take back control of my path.  They did not disappoint in their guidance.

I could draw no better Rune to represent the overview of this line of questioning than Raido, the Rune of Riding, taking a journey.  If we expect to progress, we must move, preferably forward.  That is part of the traditional meaning behind this Rune.  It also highlights a change from where we are either physically or mentally.  New age meanings say this journey is one of healing and removing obstacles.  Both interpretations play a role here.  We are, as traditional meanings suggest, on a mental journey, which is complemented by new age meanings of healing and removing obstacles.  After all, we are seeking a shift in our mindset from doing what we are told we should do to one where we are taking control.  We must remove the ideas that others have placed in our minds to get a fresh perspective and consider new possibilities.  To do that, we must be strong in this commitment.

That is why Tiwaz/Teiwaz, Týr's Rune is our challenge.  We know this Rune well, having drawn it now four times in the last three months (State of the World, Opportunities in the New Year, The Role it Plays).  This is the Rune of Strength and, though it serves as our challenge, by challenging us, Týr's Rune lends us strength, because we love a challenge.  We will take control of the situation, each of us in our own way, and we will be strong through this process, because we must be to break the cycle of frustration that we live in trying to fulfill someone else's image of what our role should be.  We are warriors in this pursuit.

Othala/Othila, the Rune of Inheritance and Home gives us our required action.  This Rune is interesting in that its traditional and contemporary interpretations don't seem to align, yet they do and very well.  You see, while traditional interpretations focus on appreciating the gifts we receive from our ancestors, whether property or skill, contemporary ones lean more towards acquiring a benefit after giving up something to which you're accustomed.  In other words, to reap the benefits from and truly enjoy the gifts bestowed on us by our ancestors, sometimes we must give up something else.  In this case, it is being strong with Tiwaz providing us with the strength we need to break away or separate from the path we are on currently and find the path that will make us happy and allow us to make the most of our inherited gifts.

Don't get me wrong.  I am not suggesting total abandonment of your current life in one fell swoop, unless you have the capacity to do it.  I am suggesting conscious rerouting in such a way that, if disruption occurs, it doesn't negatively impact your family or livelihood.  Sometimes slow breaks require more strength than immediate ones, but they are worth the struggle to get to a place where you are in control of your own life.