Runes 202 - Bind Runes - Powering Through

We all want to focus on our dreams and passions, figure out and pursue those things that we identify as our priorities, and we want a smooth path to accomplishing them.  A smooth path or a smooth part in our paths can be hard to find at times.  Sometimes, we are staring at a huge pile of poo that we just have to power through, even though we have no interest in doing so and our heart is not in it.  This is different from letting go of things beyond our control.  This has to be done.

This necessity of powering through has been an occasional theme in my life and in the lives of many of my friends.  As with the other bind Runes I've linked to (above), I felt that this situation deserved more than just Rune wisdom; I wanted to take that wisdom and give it the extra strength of a bind Rune.  I asked the Runes for insight into powering through when no other valid option exists and they gave me Jera, Uruz, and Laguz.

Jera, Uruz, and Laguz placed
together to form a bind Rune.

Jera is always a good Rune for me.  In this instant, it tells me that, even though powering through is not a method I would choose to do on a regular basis, it is necessary and that it is part of something bigger.  This moment of powering through is not all there is to what I am doing and Jera provides an important reminder of that.  I placed Jera first and centered in the bind Rune, because of this and because this is what will carry me through this part of my process.

Uruz, the Rune of the aurochs, came next.  At first, I thought this somehow represented physical strength, like I must be strong to power through what I am facing.  But, Uruz means more than just the physical strength of the aurochs ox.  The aurochs represents not something that is wild, rather an animal that is free from the influences of society (not domesticated).  As part of society, what this means to me is having a critical eye towards my situation or going into it with open eyes.  In essence, Uruz is saying, "Take heart.  You are conscious of the fact that powering through is not who you really are and you see this moment for what it is, just an unpleasant moment that will pass."  With this perspective, I can approach the situation with mental and emotional strength, something I need to help me power through.  Uruz provides me this strength, so I placed it at the bottom of the bind Rune, to support it.

Laguz, as the third Rune, accomplishes two things for me.  First, it is yet another reminder that powering through is part of something bigger.  This is represented in the depths of the sea and everything that determines waves, currents, marine life, and flow.  Just as a storm at sea is sometimes part of the sea's process, so too powering through is part of mine.  Second, is the comforting part of this Rune, which recommends relaxing and rolling with what is happening.  Since I have decided that powering through is the best option at this point in time, I might as well make the most of it.  Therefore, I placed it front and center in the bind Rune to reinforce the mental and emotional strength allotted by Uruz and as a way of managing the moment identified by Jera and bringing me to the next phase from a place of positive flow.

These explanations give me the completed bind Rune, a bind Rune that says I have made the conscious choice to power through my current situation; that it is just an uncomfortable moment in something bigger in my life; and that recognizing this allows me to power through from a position of mental and emotional strength, so that I don't come out the other side drained, depressed or unsure of what is next.  Given this consciousness, it also affords me the opportunity to embrace and learn from the process.

I hope that, if you ever find yourself in a "power through" situation, this bind Rune will hep you.

Personal Reflection

Thank you supporting my blog over the past 1 ½ years.  As I look back over the posts, I see how my blog has grown and changed, matured and become focused, and expanded as I've learned.  Though I look forward to the growth to come in 2013, this is a wonderful time for reflection, before the new year begins.  To help us with our reflection, I asked for some Runes to give us guidance.  The response was interesting.

First, I drew Tiwaz.  This is one of my favorite Runes, as I feel a strong affiliation to Týr, the Norse god of justice, the warrior god, and ancient god of the sky.  This Rune is the Rune of sacrifice and/or self-sacrifice.  We can frame our reflection through this lens, by posing the questions – What sacrifices did I make?  Why did I make them?  How did my sacrifice work out?  When asking the latter question, consider the answer on multiple levels and not just at face value.  How did your sacrifice help you grow?  How did it help another?  How did you feel after making the sacrifice?  What is the lesson from that sacrifice?  One last note on this, everything requires some kind of sacrifice, whether apparent or not.  If you would like some help thinking through this, please contact me.

Perthro was next, the Rune of friendly competition and social gatherings.  However, this Rune is so much more than that, because we must look at what transpires on such occasions.  Here is a chance to ask ourselves what we accomplished with regard to building friendships or simply establishing relationships – networking.  How have we surrounded ourselves with or approached people who can have a positive impact on our lives?  How have we tested or, more appropriately, supported the warrior within us?  It is important to remember that our fate is attached to others in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons.

The best part, but also the part that warrants the most caution is Thurisaz as our final Rune for reflection.  The Rune of giants and thorns relates to power, focused power.  As we reflect and think about all that has transpired in our recent past, we can build a picture to help us identify where we can most effectively focus our power, for this is the next logical step.  What is the point of reflection if we do not take what we’ve realized and pieced together and move forward to accomplish our goals and ambitions?

I like this approach, because we are not blindly setting or proclaiming “New Year’s resolutions”; nor are we charging ahead without focus or understanding.  By taking a little time today, on this last day of the year, to contemplate what we’ve sacrificed and how we have supported our inner warrior, we can focus our power and move forward to a productive and truly happy new year.

Please let me know how this works for you.  I enjoy and appreciate your feedback.  Enjoy 2013!

Runes 201 - Individul Runes - Tiwaz

This morning, I reached into my bag of Runes and asked which Rune I should write about today.  Tiwaz came out and I smiled, because I feel a strong affiliation with this Rune and the god it represents - Týr.  I put the Rune back in the bag and asked the Runes what they would like us to know about the Warrior Rune.  Here are the three key aspects.

Number one:  Thurisaz.  This is a Rune of great power, around which one must be careful.  While it may be good to help us break down barriers, once that power is released, it may become hard to control.  The Rune poems for Thurisaz are a bit varied, for while the old English version talks of thorns and discomfort, the old Icelandic and old Norwegian poems refer to a women's illness.  With regard to the latter, I can't help but think that the reference is actually to menstruation, which was seen as an illness, but it is also quite powerful, holding within it the potential to create life.  These verses make interpreting the Rune more challenging; harder to discern a single meaning, but what is clear is that caution must be used, because of the power this Rune invokes.  With regard to Tiwaz, the same can be said of the warrior.  The warrior is powerful, but, once we realize that power, we must be cautious in how we choose to proceed and use it; a reckless warrior is not a good warrior.

Number two:  Gebo, the Rune of the gift.  The message here is to give without expectation, because giving creates its own rewards.  In many ways, a warrior epitomizes the idea of giving, because s/he is willing to make sacrifices to accomplish the end goal.  Think for a moment of the sacrifice Týr made to make sure that Fenrir the wolf was bound.  He gave his right hand to make sure the gods and goddesses of Ásgard were safe from the beast.  For him, the gift was his bravery, for those he protected, it was safety.  Within this, we must not necessarily think of a warrior as a traditional soldier or our battles as traditional battles.  This is giving on many levels.  We can all stand up for injustices, lend a hand to others, but we must also fight our own battles as we try to give something personal to others, something, perhaps less altruistic, but a gift nonetheless.

Number three:  Dagaz.  The Rune of day and clarity is a good action for Tiwaz, because we need a moment of clarity to give us direction.  We are warriors.  Warriors stand up, speak out, and lend a hand.  Warriors are fair and just.  However, warriors must also be prepared to fight personal battles, stand up for themselves and pursue their goals.  This may be where the warrior within us is most needed.  For many people I know, it is far easier to stand up for someone else, to promote someone else's efforts, than it is to stand up for yourself, promote your own achievements.  Part of what we, as warriors, must realize is that our inner warrior is for our use too. To endure the hills, twists, turns, and obstacles on our path, we need to act like warriors, to be strong, and march forward for ourselves even when the road we're on is anything but smooth.

Tiwaz is the warrior within us all.  It is powerful when we stand up for others.  It must also be so when we are standing up for ourselves.  We can give unlimited gifts to others, from food, clothing, and housing, to books, art, and music.  However, what we must accept is that it is okay to give ourselves some gifts too.

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.