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.

Life on the Fringe

Since high school, people have tried to fit me into a given group or set of people.  While I think I am pretty easily defined, that definition falls, in parts only, into various groups.  Lately, I  found a group to which I am very drawn by its openness, acceptance, and peaceful approach to life.  Still, there are aspects to this group about which I remain ambivalent.  I decided to seek guidance form the Runes on this issue, because I think this is something that many of us face or have faced in our lives.  How do I join this group as fully as I can and embrace it, while maintaining my individuality?

I was caught off-guard by Isa, the Rune of ice or a standstill.  However, after some contemplation, I realized that this Rune is a fair representation of my current situation.  For am I not looking at something I find beautiful and tempting, but exercising caution, because of potential risks yet to be revealed?  Still, I wonder about ice as one of the primal elements, which is another aspect to this Rune.  Could it be this question is asking about some primary thing I need to create my world the way that earth, air, fire, and Isa (ice) created ours?

As interesting as Isa is to contemplate, Eihwaz, as the challenge in this instance, peaks my curiosity even more.  This Rune of stability and the yew tree presents a tough situation, a test in a sense.  I believe this means that I have made my choice; I stand with and support this new group.  The next step is to stand my ground on the issue.  If I commit to this, I cannot turn tail when questioned about my choice.  Luckily, I find this new group quite welcoming and inspiring, so demonstrating my commitment to it to others will be easy.

I must confess, the Rune for the action around this question is quite pleasing - Sowilo, the Rune of the sun and wholeness.  Drawing this Rune lifted my spirits, just as it is intended to do.  Further, it allowed another opportunity for me to contemplate my question and how I will address it personally.  Becoming part of a group doesn't require me to give 100% of myself, rather to give 100% of the part I give to the group.  This is great advice, in general.  If you are going to participate in something, do it completely or don't waste your time and the time of others who are committed to it.  If you are going to engage, engage completely, but don't not feel like you have to engage always.

That's a good way to start this week.  I hope it helps you too.  Next week, I'm cutting my Rune staves, so stay tuned!

Moving Forward

There are some people who map out their life before they enter college.  Others are in their forties and still not sure of their path.  Of course, there are those who know what they want to do, but aren't sure how they will get there.  When an opportunity presents itself, and it just feels right, how can we follow it as a positive stretch of our path?  How do we stay on that track and make the most of it?  I pulled three Runes that I don't draw very often, but which address this question very clearly.

Nauthiz, the Rune of need and necessity, explains the situation.  Despite these potentially negative connotations (need, necessity) Nauthiz also brings hope, for because we have a need, a requirement, we must practice discipline.  At the very least, through discipline comes relief, at best, comes rewards beyond what was expected.  When we have a requirement in our lives, it must be met and sometimes that need gives us the motivation required to acquire the need.  Perhaps even, it is the motivation we need to change course.  In support of this idea, contemporary interpretations of this Rune ask us to examine the obstacles we present for ourselves.  If an opportunity presents itself that offers a positive step forward, we must find a positive way to take that step, instead of building barriers to it.

The challenge in this situation comes from Sowilo, the Rune of the sun, good fortune, and wholeness.  Traditionally, this Rune represented the sun, feminine energy and light, and hope to lift the spirit.  Today, it is it a sign of wholeness or the search for it.  That challenge seems obvious.  We know what we want, we see a good and uplifting way to get it, yet we hesitate.  The hesitation creates the challenge, because it stops us from lifting our spirits, following our opportunity and getting closer to recognizing our personal wholeness, allowing ourselves to be that which we are already.

Eihwaz is the Rune of the yew tree, defense, and protection.  This is an interesting Rune for our action, because while the yew tree represents stability, it includes aspects of patience and perseverance.  The indication here is that through patience, we will persevere, which will create stability.  Just because the path has opened, do not leap onto it an run.  Consider your steps before taking them, move wisely, and, once you've made positive progress, stand your ground.  Taking a new or unexpected path can be frightening, but if you approach it with a thinking mind that doesn't over-think and an emotion (passion or excitement) that is not over-emotional, you will do well on this path.

As you think about all of the aspects of your life, I hope you can see where this fits into it.  The fit was immediately obvious for me.  For two decades, I have been an environmentalist.  For thirty years, I have been intrigued by Germanic culture, languages and landscapes.  Now, in an interesting twist, they are coming together.  In a sense, I have been on two paths for many years and now they are joining into one to carry me to the next level, the next part of my life.  I will walk wisely and enthusiastically forward on that path.

No Powering Through

I have been working on another installment of Runes 101 - Runes in Mythology, but it's not quite ready yet.  I'll plan on that one for next week, so stay tuned.

This week, I realized that, very soon, a couple of the major projects I started this year will be coming to an end.  This got me wondering what we do at this point in a process.  When we realize things are almost over, how do we finish them off in an appropriate manner?  How do we keep up the level of attention and detail they require?  The "final push" with a project at work or to complete a class or deal with guests who have over-stayed their welcome can be challenging, especially when we know that, once these things are over, we can move on to something new or something that we enjoy or is more fulfilling.  However, simply powering through the process is not a healthy approach.  There must be a way to get through this circumstance without getting stressed, ignoring our own emotions and possibly creating conflict.  How do we stay composed, maintain quality and not become a giant ball of stress?

Perthro/Perth provides the overview for this situation.  Traditional and contemporary interpretations of this Rune do not seem to align very well.  Still, they complement each other in this instance.  Traditionally, this Rune is referred to as the Rune of Friendly Competition and socializing.  New Age definitions call it the Rune of Initiation or hidden secrets.  If we look at this situation as a game, a coming of age in some way, we can see how it is an initiation.  Where do the hidden secrets come into play?  Again, there is a link in the definitions.  Through this process, we are cultivating relationships (potentially even friendships) and their wyrd (fate or destiny) affects ours and that is where the secret lies if we are not aware of it.  A positive outcome from the class or project or visit will affect what happens next.  This is why we must figure out how to finish this situation with the same quality or hopefulness under which it began.

Of course, there is a challenge in every situation and in this one our challenge is Sowilo/Sowelu.  Sowilo is the Rune of the Sun, good fortune and wholeness.  In Germanic tradition, the sun is feminine and its light a sign of victory.  In today's world, Sowilo is aligned with wholeness and the search for what we are already.  To me, this means that our challenge is to be ourselves in this final stage, to continue what we have been doing, for that is what will bring us victory or satisfactory completion and help us to recognize the wholeness.  With regard to the Sun and feminine qualities, this is a very timely distinction, for it addresses our goal perfectly.  The idea of powering through is a masculine quality, so Sowilo serves as a good reminder that powering through is not what we need to do here, rather our challenge is to disregard that instinct and maintain a consistent pace to finish our project.

But how?  Honestly, when this question came to me, I thought I would draw Uruz, the Rune of Strength and the wild ox.  I thought, if not, which one would I draw?  I drew Teiwaz/Tiwaz, the Warrior Rune, Týr's Rune.  This Rune requires self-sacrifice and mindfulness.  We must focus on and commit to finishing the project strong, because that will work to our favor, if not immediately, then in the long run.  We're almost done.  We can do this and do it well.  Perhaps then, we will draw Othala and/or Gebo and be able to enjoy the fruits of our efforts.

What project or situation are you finishing soon?