Runes for the Equinox

Equinox Skies

At the end of last week, we celebrated the Equinox (spring up north, and autumn down south), a time of year with which I have long been fascinated.  Twelve hours of daylight and darkness everywhere on the planet.  Balance.  I find this to be an incredibly important time for us to pause and think about the balance in our own lives, about what it means, how we find it, and what we can do to maintain it.

To that end, I asked the Runes for their guidance in understanding balance in our lives.  I drew - Sowilo, Raido, and Othala.  This response gave me pause to sit with the Runes for a while, so that I could fully understand the wisdom they offered.

Sowilo is a powerful first Rune to draw, especially given that our launching point is the equinox, which implies balance between light (the sun/day) and dark (the night). However, the message here relates to energy, specifically the feminine energy that the sun holds within Germanic cultures.  Sowilo reminds us that in a world dominated by masculine energies - assertiveness, aggression, and personal drive - the feminine gets relegated to the periphery.  It is those feminine features - caring for others, artistic creativity, time for relaxation and reflection - that balance the masculine.  Sowilo's Rune poem (Old English version) also makes clear the importance of navigating the seas using the sun.  I find this to be an incredibly powerful metaphor for society today.  As we navigate our world, we must be guided by the feminine aspects of it.  Notice I did not say ruled.  However, that does not mean that we should be ruled by masculine powers either, rather that the two must balance each other.

I find Raido, in second position, to be quite intriguing.  In general, Raido relates to riding or travel, but it implies doing so on a horse's back. What this suggests is that, to find balance, sometimes we need a new perspective or to have a new experience.  Both of these ideas fit very well with the notion of balance.  If you are doing something that is throwing you off balance, you have two options - try to do it differently (look at it from a different perspective) or try something new, something completely different.  Raido assures us that it is easy to theorize about things, about how things could or should be, but it is quite another to climb on the metaphorical horse and let it take you in a new direction or reconfigure your current path.  In this way, Raido tell us that something has to change in order for balance to be realized.

The final Rune is Othala, which gave me the most pause in trying to discern how it relates to balance.  Then, it became very clear for two very important reasons.  First, why do we need balance in our lives, to have a "happy home", to be content .  Othala as the homestead and inheritance Rune reminds us that, if we are out of balance, it affects all aspects of our life and all those in our lives, especially the people to whom we are closest - our family.  Second, our children (those who inherit from) inherit not only our finances ( money, property, and the like), but our morals/values and, in general, our actions.  If we teach them that masculine aspects of the world are more important than the feminine, we are passing on our own imbalance to them.  If we never teach them to try something new, that it's okay to make mistakes or how to learn from them and gain a new perspective, we pass on our imbalance.  Changing the imbalance or, more appropriately, focusing on finding balance, begins now, with us.

Runes 403 - Rune Interpretations - Time

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a friend about time and Runes.  When she arrived at my house, I was just putting away my Runes.  She was curious about them and how I found time to do anything besides the big three - working, taking care of the kids, and cleaning the house.

To that end, I posed this question to the Runes for her: How can we best manage our time?

The response from the Runes was more than I had anticipated.  It focused on the true intent of the question which, on a basal level, was how can we spend time doing things we enjoy without feeling stressed, like we should be working or cleaning or doing something else?

The Runes pointed out that time is a special gift, showing us Gebo, the gift Rune.  Gebo does not mean only a physical gift, rather the act of giving.  With respect to our question, Gebo refers to both, because time is a precious gift and, when we give it, whatever or whomever we give it to is receiving that important aspect of us.  This begs the question, who or what appreciates my time?  Following on that, if I am giving my time to someone or something that doesn't appreciate it, why am I doing it?  The second question matters not necessarily because our time has to be appreciated directly when we give it, but more so that we understand why we give it to that person or thing.  For example, we may not feel appreciated at work, but we work so that we can provide financially for our families.  So, when considering how you manage your time, consider why you're doing what you're doing and how is it appreciated.

The second Rune is the hail Rune, Hagalaz.  Hagalaz reminds us that, no matter how much planning and effort we put into managing our time, it will not always be smooth sailing.  Things will happen that will disrupt our schedule.  When something interrupts our schedule, it can have the frustrating effects of throwing us off our mark.  That is the first part of hail; it damages things.  However, if, instead of fighting the disruption, we accept it and are open to the fact that we may be a little behind in other things for a while, we find that we are less stressed about the storm and more able to get back in the swing of things once it passes.  This is the second part of Hagalaz, because while hail causes damage initially, it is also a source of moisture.  Applying that idea to today's world, we can use interruptions as opportunities to look at how we use our time.  this relates to one of the biggest problems I find my coaching clients dealing with.  They are simply trying to do too much at once.  Hagalaz simply breaks down that precarious situation and says, "Reassess what you're doing," to which I would add... and the time frame in which you're trying to accomplish it.

What is the point of recognizing that time is a precious gift and that no matter how well we try to plan the ways we use/spend it something will go awry?  Othala, the Rune of the homestead and inheritance holds the answer to that aspect of this situation.  Simply put, do you live to work or work to live?  This is where priorities come into play.  Everyone has different priorities and sees different benefits in the same situation.  What is important to remember is that everything has good and bad components, trade offs if you will.  If you work 60-80 hours a week, you aren't at home as often as you might like to be, but maybe working that extra time allows for very special family vacations.  Neither is right, nether is wrong, but only you can decide which is the best way to spend your time.

After my friend and I did this draw and I interpreted what I believed the Runes were telling us, she said it made sense, but she didn't feel like the Runes were really giving her any details.  I smiled and reiterated that the Runes were telling her that her time is a precious gift and that when her time gets disrupted, it is an opportunity to evaluate how you spend your time.  More over, only she could determine how to use it or where to spend it, but that what was important in determining how to spend her time was figuring out where her priorities lie.  She already knew her personal details; she just needs to sort them out.

In honor of her question, later today, I will be creating my own weekly schedule to help me make the most of my time.  How about you?  What do you use to manage your time? 

*This post was written with the permission of the friend to whom I refer.  I never use any Rune readings without consent of the person for whom the reading is undertaken.

Runes 202 - Bind Runes - Recovery

It's never easy when someone we love is hurting or ill or having surgery.  This week, someone I love very much is having major surgery.  To help her with her recovery and to send her a little reminder that I love her and will be thinking of her, I wanted to make her a bind Rune.  It was just a month ago, that I attempted my first bind Rune, but I was committed to the idea.

The question was which Runes to use.  I wanted to make sure the focus was on her recovery and not on the surgery itself.  Last night, I ended up dumping my Runes onto my bed and staring at them for about an hour, slowly and thoughtfully removing Runes that weren't right for this undertaking.

I got down to nine Runes, laid them out in a diamond, and the three running down the middle seemed perfect - Othala, Nauthiz, and Dagaz.  Scooping the others back into the bag, I spent about half an hour trying to sketch a bind Rune using those three, but couldn't get it to look or feel quite right.

So, I threw those three Runes back into the bag too, thinking I would start from scratch.  The Runes had other plans, a slight correction.

Reaching into the bag, I pulled out Othala; that would represent the heart of the bind Rune.  Dagaz came out second, to serve as the support.  Third was not Nauthiz, rather Mannaz, which would go on top.  I had fumbled with Mannaz when I was ruling out Runes; I actually had it in my hand for a few minutes, while I contemplated other Runes, because I couldn't see how it fit.

However, with Mannaz and my poor sketches, the bind Rune fell into perfectly balanced place.  At the bottom, rests Dagaz, the Rune of day and clarity.  In this case, I would go so far as to say optimism, because once she begins her recovery, not only will she need to have a positive mindset, but optimism provides her with a positive feedback as she begins to feel better and helps her to fight and stay focused on getting better.  This is interesting, because, as this gives Dagaz double duty, Dagaz also appears twice in the bind Rune.

Stemming from the middle, Othala represents the homestead and inheritance, basically meaning being able to enjoy those things as she begins to feel better.  In some ways, this is an extension of Othala from two weeks ago, when I wanted to make the most of the weekend with my siblings.  After all, isn't family part of the homestead?

In the top position lies Mannaz, the Rune of the self or higher self.  This is who we really are, what makes us human.  Mannaz implies that this isn't just about her recovery, but about her whole being, her truths, fears, dreams, strengths, and weaknesses.  In a way, although Othala is located at the heart of the bind Rune, it's really there to support the true heart - her, her true self - as she recovers.

Have you ever made a bind Rune for someone?  I can't wait to give her her bind Rune later today.  I hope she likes it!

Runes 201 - Individual Runes - Othala

I spent the weekend with my siblings (all six of them), some nieces, nephews, and a couple of cousins where we all grew up.  I knew it would be great to see them all again, but I also knew that there would be challenges in getting through the three day event.  Still, it got me thinking about Othala, the Rune of the homestead and inheritance and I decided to ask the Runes how to work with Othala so that I could enjoy thoroughly the time with my brothers and sisters.

I had quite a chuckle when the first Rune that I drew was Laguz, but was surprised that I did not draw Perthro as one of the other two Runes, because it is the Rune of social gatherings and games of skill, which seemed to fit into the way our family functions usually go.  Instead, after Laguz, came Ehwaz and Dagaz, the Runes related to a pleasurable journey and clarity.  Let's sort them out.

I laughed at Laguz, the water Rune, because the saying that I associate with this Rune is, "Go with the flow."  This is good advice whenever you're interacting with a large group, but especially when dealing with family.  Essentially, in this instance, Laguz reminds us that we are not going to see eye-to-eye with everyone (in the group) or everything and we can choose to get along and be respectful or fight and argue over every little thing.  This is sage advice and something I strove to do over the weekend.

Ehwaz is the horse Rune, signifying two things, travel and the relationship between horse and rider.  Travel fits in this situation, because we traveled from the northwest and west of the US and from Canada to the place where we grew up.  Although we did not travel by horse, what we need to recognize is that the horse represented easier and safer travel than walking.  The second aspect of Ehwaz is that the relationship that a rider has with his/her horse is one of trust and closeness.  Interestingly, no matter what disagreements may exist among family members there is a trust that, if push come to shove, your family will be there for you.  This provides the underlying strength in returning to Othala's homestead.

Dagaz is the Rune of the day.  Although this Rune represents the idea of clarity, in this instance, I believe that clarity can come only through contemplation and reflection first over what transpired during our three days together.  It gives us pause to realize the importance of Othala in representing homestead and heritage, in recognizing family traditions and how each of us interpreted those traditions and experiences into our own lives.  Dagaz allows us to realize what we've learned, how we've grown, and how we appreciate not only where we came from, but that we shared that experience with each other and can relate to it in our own way as a group and as individuals.

Othala's importance reminds us of our connection or bond to our roots, our family, our past, and how those things influenced and shaped who we are today.

Is it an Opportunity Worth Taking?

Sometimes an opportunity comes our way that causes us to pause and give lengthy consideration to it.  Weighing the pros and cons seems to balance out, leaving us unsure or indecisive about what to do.  This happened to me a few days ago, but consulting the Runes helped to clarify whether I should pursue this opportunity or let it pass without acting.  First, I asked the Runes how I know if this is really an opportunity.  The response was Thurisaz, Hagalaz, and Jera.  While these Runes did answer that question (and were almost frightfully accurate), I realized that I needed to refine my question to determine if this opportunity was one worth taking.  Making clarifications like this became especially important to me a few months ago when a friend was pointing out that I wasn't taking advantage of an opportunity.  I realized my reason for not taking action was simply because, at that moment in time, it was not an opportunity that was worth taking.  However, not all opportunities are so clearly 'yes' or 'no', black and white.  So, for those gray scale opportunities, I ask for guidance to determine whether or not I should pursue this opportunity.  I got three different Runes from the previous question - Uruz, Othala, Nauthiz.

Uruz, the Rune of the aurochs (wild ox), tells me that making this decision is going to require strength.  While we usually relate this Rune to physical strength, I believe in this instance, that it refers to mental strength.  I say that, because of the nature of the question.  Because the answer to this gray scale question is not clear to me, I have to think longer and harder about my decision.  Moreover, I would be wading into new water, potentially entering a current that is going to carry my life in a different direction from its current trajectory.  In this case, caution and thoughtfulness are the required strength I must possess to be successful.

The second Rune added to the difficulty around this situation, by highlighting the key aspect over which I am conflicted.  Othala is the Rune of inheritance.  It speaks of appreciating the gifts of our ancestors.  I was not sure if this meant I should pursue the gifts that have been given to me or if I should ensure that my children can do that as they grow up.  After pondering this for a few minutes, I realized that one does not negate the other and that the point is to create "a stable foundation on which to build".  To me, that is my challenge.  I must determine if this new opportunity allows me to create that foundation better than my current path or situation does.

To address that conundrum, the Runes gave me Nauthiz, the Rune of need and necessity.  This is a core issue when confronting any situation - is this something I want or something I need?  The follow up to that is how badly is the opportunity wanted or needed.  Next, comes the question of whether there are other similar options available that would allow me to stay on my current path.  Essentially, is this opportunity available somewhere else, in another form?  Many times, we know the answer to this.  We would not be considering the present opportunity if it didn't have the potential to improve our current state.

However, taking that first step onto that new path can scare us into inaction.  This is what was happening to me, so after asking the Runes several more questions that kept giving me (more or less) the same six Runes in various orders, I stopped.  I took a deep breath and said, "Give me a decisive Rune."  I love the Runes!  I drew Raido.  Let the journey begin...

Compliment or Criticism: Choose Your Focus

For some reason, it seems humans are more inclined to focus on the negative, rather than the positive.  While we appreciate compliments, a single criticism, no matter how small, not only tends to erase the good feeling brought on by the compliment, but makes us angry, frustrated or sad.  I had this experience this morning.  I ran into a friend of mine, who told me that she started reading my novel last night and couldn't put it down.  "Really engaging," she said.  Of course, that made me feel great!  Less than thirty minutes later, I ran into someone else, who criticized something I did yesterday, behavior that he clearly misunderstood, but his comments were enough to piss me off.  At home, I came into my office and sat, staring at my computer screen for 10-15 minutes, so angry that every time I started typing something, I deleted it.  Nothing seemed right.  Then, I realized what had happened.  I decided to ask the Runes how to allow the positive into my life, while letting the negative roll away.

Othala, the last Rune in the Futhark, offers a very interesting overview, focused on the positive.  While Othala is the Rune of inheritance and the homestead, we must look beyond this face value to find its underlying meaning.  It is about the foundation for the way we live our lives.  It is not an entitlement, rather reminds us to appreciate the gifts we receive that allow us to create the life we want.  Although the meaning tends to be geared toward the gifts we've received from ancestors in the form of traditions, property, and inherited characteristics, when we are building our homestead (the life we want), we also receive gifts in the present from friends and family.  This is where our focus should be, but how do we do it?

Well, Raido reminds us that life is a journey.  The Rune of riding or a carriage, travels on the path we take to establish our homestead on a foundation of the gifts we receive.  We must move forward; that is how we progress.  However, what we must be aware of is that the path our journey takes us on is not going to be straight and smooth.  It will contain bumps, curves, dips, hills, bridges, a whole variety of things that make our journey interesting.  Unfortunately, we will hit potholes and other disruptive features in our road, but our challenge is that we must manage and get past those annoyances, so that we can enjoy the rest of the ride and the amazing scenery that surrounds us.  Again, we ask how to do it?

 Can you guess the answer?  It is, of course, Jera, the Rune of the harvest.  As we have seen many times before, a bountiful harvest represents the fruits of a long process.  This means that there is no easy answer to our question, that removing and not allowing negative energy to chip away at our homestead's foundation will take time.  What we can do is make a commitment to the process.  Realize that the power is within us to dwell on the things we choose.  Therefore, as I starting point, I choose to dwell on my friend's positive words about my novel and build on that.

Before I end this post though, I'd like to offer something positive to you.  Simply by reading my blog, you have done two positive things.  First, you made me feel good by reading my writing.  Second, and more importantly, you have given yourself a tool to help you shed negative energy.  So, when someone says something negative to you, stop and think about all the positive things people have said to you and feed on that instead.

Have a positively beautiful week.

A Mix of Routine and Spontaneity

Lately, I've been feeling like my days are getting away from me and I'm not accomplishing the things that I want or need to do.  So, although I am still getting things done, it doesn't seem like it and it doesn't feel very rewarding.  I need to get back to schedules and "to do" lists, but I don't want to get tied down to a predictable and humdrum existence.  So, how can I find a balance, where I have enough routine to be productive, but not so much that my life loses all signs of spontaneity?

As I am in the process of making my own set of Runes on wooden staves, I decided that, this week, I would try a different approach to my draw.  In fact, I did a toss or a roll, instead of pulling them out of the bag.  With the staves, I can't draw them out of a bag, if for no other reason than they will be different sizes, so I might be inclined to avoid the skinny Isa, for example, and choose fat Dagaz.  Instead, I will give them all a toss and choose the three that are closest to the center of the pile and face up.  Using my current Runes for this week's question and following that course, I got Othala, Thurisaz, and Jera.

I must admit, Othala as the overview gave me pause.  I thought for a while about how this Rune represents the current situation and I realized that the Rune of inheritance and home represents something more basal than inheritance and home.  It signifies the foundation of tradition.  While our goal is to enjoy our home life, which is another attribute of this Rune, to do that, we must look to the past to see how enjoying the home was achieved before.  For me, this is very telling, because I find I am most effective when I have a somewhat set schedule and, more recently, a "to do" list.  The latter is especially handy these days, when my life isn't my own, rather I am coordinating my family of four.  What Othala says to me is, "Look back to when your life and home were in order.  Why was it so?"

Thurisaz, the Rune of giants and thorns, as the challenge is perfect.  I like this Rune, because it is about focusing power.  If we are honest with ourselves, that is the challenge we face through this question.  We all have the power to be productive; after all, everything is pure potential when it begins.  Therefore, we have the potential within us to focus our power or efforts on creating a more productive and satisfying daily life.  We can choose to create obstacles, tear them down or go around them.

It is no surprise then that Jera is our required action.  You all know this is my favorite Rune, the Rune of the harvest.  However, what we must recognize is that in order for the harvest to occur and be bountiful, we must follow a process.  If we think of the things we have to do in our lives as being different crops, we begin to see that each plant has its own requirements.  Some plants need more sun, while others need more water.  Some grow in soil that stunts other plants.  It is this detail of the process that we must address.  How much time does each aspect of our lives require?  Which things are necessary for survival and which are merely wants?  Don't get me wrong,  I'm not saying we should ignore wants or give no time to them.  What I am suggesting is that we make this distinction to help us prioritize.  Where our needs create our routine, our wants give way to spontaneity.

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.

Do You Understand?

My Occupy Valhalla post from the end of October has received more hits than any other post I've written.  It is an amusing picture and provides some levity to an important issue.  Before I go any further, let me say how impressed I am that this movement has become an international one and that I follow many of these movements (from Occupies across the US and Canada to those in Europe, such as Sweden, Denmark and Britain).  It is a wonderful sign that millions of people "get it".  However, as evidenced by the police actions and media comments, the underlying point of the Occupy Movement is still grossly misunderstood.

This situation made me wonder what can be done to help people to understand better not just the movement but opposing or seemingly opposing views in general.  So, I asked the Runes what we can do to help others understand and I got a very interesting draw - Hagalaz, Thurisaz, Othala/Othila.

Hagalaz, the Rune of Hail is perfect for describing the overview of this heated issue.  I am quoting directly from Sweyn Plowright's book "The Rune Primer", because its interpretation of this Rune fits so well.  "An interesting combination of destructive and creative forces.  The second aett begins here with a change of mood."  Adding to this sentiment is the new age interpretation which calls for change, freedom, invention and liberation.  This is the situation we are trying to get others to understand, whether it's Occupy Wall Street or another difference of opinion or perspective.

The meaning of Thurisaz, our challenge in this question, varies from traditional links to giants and thorns to new age attributions to Thor and gateways.  Either way, Thurisaz is a Rune associated with great power.  Historically, the power has been focused to breakthrough obstacles, which is an appropriate challenge when trying to get someone to open their mind to a different perspective.  Modern interpretation suggests that this Rune, in this instance, requires contemplation before action.  Once the contemplation is complete, we are ready to make our voices heard.  It is challenging, indeed, to channel the power of so many into a single message when that message encompasses such a variety of issues.

With Othala as our action, we have the Rune of Inheritance.  Here, I quote from the new age interpretation in Ralph Blum's "The Book of Runes".  "Old skins must be shed, outmoded relationships discarded."  Traditional meanings support this idea claiming that we have a right to enjoy our inheritance, that which we have worked for, that which our ancestors fought to ensure we would have.  To be able to take this action, we must face the challenge and channel our power around what the Occupy Movement represents on a larger scale.

While this draw focused on the Occupy Movement and how to get people to understand its goal a little better, this draw is applicable in getting people to understand you more generally.  Remember, different perspectives are not always openly or immediately accepted and require a change in thinking.  How do we get others to change their thinking on a given subject and how do we do it ourselves?  We use our voice and present well-thought out information, realizing that the path to understanding requires us to offer the same openness to others that we expect in sharing our perspectives with them.  How do we do that without becoming confrontational and argumentative?  By keeping in mind that our perspective is based on history and learning from both its mistakes and successes.