February 2, 2010

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Ac

Ac is a vowel sound of A, I am just not sure which one (sources are sketchy)

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The oak fattens the flesh of pigs for the children of men.
Often it traverses the gannet’s bath,and the ocean proves whether the oak keeps faithin honourable fashion.

Ac translates to Oak (as in the tree). The rune poem illustrates two benefits of the oak tree, a source of food for domestic animals (acorns used to feed pigs) and also it’s benefit as a wood used in making seafaring vessels.
Esoterically, Ac partakes of the many symbolic qualities of the oak tree. It is a une of longevity, much as oak trees can live for a very long time. It is nurturing, as it supplies food (like acorns which can be fed to pigs, but also can be worked and made edible for humans as well). It is strong, as Oak wood has a very dense structure, and is often used in construction for it’s strength. It was also used for doors for this reason, as they were often the first defense against unwanted intrusion. Oak trees also show their strength in their ability to survive lightning strikes because of the wood density, which keeps them from being blown apart. I remember visiting an old oak tree in Indiana, which had been struck by lightning once, and had survived for many years after that. So, the strength of Oak is also about endurance and fortitude. A relationship can be seen between Ur and Ac as runes of strength, with Ur being active strength, like muscle and force, where as Ac is more passive and subtle strength, that has tenacity, and doesn’t yield or give up easily.

February 1, 2010

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Tiewaz

Tiewaz is the letter T

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Tiewaz is a guiding star; well does it keep faith with princes;
it is ever on its course over the mists of night and never fails.

As the stanza indicates, Tiewaz (or Tiw) is a guiding star. Other Futharks give it to be the god Tyr, a god of justice and war, but not savage war, but tactics and planning. Tyr has a very famous story about him sacrificing his hand to the Fenris wolf, as an agreement between the Fenris and the gods, that the gods would release him from this duergar crafted ribbon if Fenris could not escape from it. When Fenris was fully bound, the gods did not release him, and so Tyr, keeping his word, let the wolf bite it off and devour it. In that sense, Tyr is also about honor and integrity, keeping your word and responsibilities, even when doing so is probably undesired. Amidst the judgment, war, and honor, is a sense of pervading Wisdom. This is the Wisdom that can be expressed in correct judgment, the wisdom of correct tactics in battle, and the wisdom born from living a life of honor and integrity.
In a reading, Tiewaz represents all of those things. Which exact expressions comes out through discernment of the reader or the greater context of the reader. For myself, I am reminded of responsibilities I have to see to for today. Responsibilities that I am not terribly fond of, that I need to keep. It is also a call to wisdom, and trusting in guidance that I have access to.

February 2010

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Isa

Isa is the vowel sound ee (a long e like seize)

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Ice is very cold and immeasurably slippery;
it glistens as clear as glass and most like to gems;it is a floor wrought by the frost, fair to look upon

Isa means Ice. That is probably the most consistent rune in the all the Futharks, as it means ice in virtually all of them. The Anglo-Saxon stanza refers to the beautiful quality of ice, although it does give a brief indication of its dangers (cold and slippery).

Esoterically, it is cold, frozen, slippery, yet also static and unchanging. Things that are frozen at very low tempatures, don’t decay or change. That is why we have modern day freezers, to help us preserver our foodstuffs longer, because as long as they are frozen, they won’t decay as quickly. With Isa, you can freeze energies, entities or whatever, stopping them from reaching you. You can also use it to freeze yourself, giving time to reflect, be still and calm. Eventually though, things will thaw and when the ice melts, it can bring a gentle renewal or a mighty flood.
In a quite literal interpretation for the month of February, I think winter will hold on a bit longer then normal. But that is just my hypothesis. Also, don’t expect a great deal of change in this month, which can be both good and bad. Everything will probably just seem to take extra effort, unless you apply some heat to get things moving along.

January 31, 2010

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Peorth Reversed

Peorth is the letter P

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Peorth is a source of recreation and amusement to the great,
Where warriors sit blithely together in the banqueting-hall

Just to expose another variant interpretation about this rune, I left the format that in most books about runes, they show as the stanza for Peorth. As the meaning of the word itself is contested and debated, it was left un-translated, so each person could give their own meaning.

To myself, Peorth is the Dead, those who have passed on and left the world of toil and trouble for realms filled with recreation, amusement and ease. The question of where you end up and when your time to go there, is one of chance, unknown to all who do not dwell in those realms. When I see it reversed, it shows me the open gates of the afterlife, but they are pulling things in, not letting them out. It occurs to me, this might be a rune indicative of dreams, the method most often described of interacting with the deceased, and perhaps through dream, you might enter into contact with the seemingly shadowy realm.

Week of Jan 31 – Feb 6

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Gar

Gar doesn’t have a letter equivalent, although it could be the letter g (even though Gebo already occupies that role)

There is no rune poem for Gar

The word Gar translates as spear. Raven Kaldera sees it as the spear of the All-Father, his mark upon the runes, claiming his action which brought the runes into this world. The spear is also an epithet of Yggdrasil is also indicated by Mr. Kaldera.
As Yggdrasil, it is a rune of possibility and connection, a doorway that leads to all places. There is also a value of it as the replacement of the “blank rune” used in some practices. It isn’t blank, but rather represents the cosmic “sit tight and hold on” value that things are happening around you, and you need to be in the moment. I sense of similar meaning, but it has more to do with being in that moment, and as all things now are a clear slate for you, the actions you take can lead to anywhere, instead of responding and interacting with things that you have already done. As Yggdrasil is the axis of creation, it has infinite potential and possibility, growing into all worlds, rooted in all worlds. Yggdrasil itself however it is not changed in it’s nature from the worlds, but rather holds stead and balanced, even though imbalance can rage around it. From that center, take action, and shape the maelstrom around you.

January 30, 2010

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Ehwaz

Ehwaz is the vowel sound of a short e, as in “get”

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The horse is a joy to princes in the presence of warriors.
A steed in the pride of its hoofs,when rich men on horseback bandy words about it;and it is ever a source of comfort to the restless

Ehwaz translates as horse. The horse was and is a domestic animal of great value. While most of modern transportation has replaced horses as the original means of expediting a trip, we still retain the association, for example in “horsepower” (which is the power of an automobiles engine). As I mentioned in Audh-runa, this rune is one of those runes of wealth, a joy to princes, warriors, rich men, and a comfort to the restless (meaning I think to those who travel, or have great wanderlust).

The esoteric meaning to me is about speed, motion and movement. Horsepower in vehicles, is the power of the car to move, and to move quickly. The more horsepower, the faster it goes. So it is with horses. They could quickly get you moving, much faster then on foot, and your journey (raidho) could get you there quicker, but also go much farther and faster. So, I expect today to be filled with a great deal of speed, movement and motion. That motion maybe cyclical (like a journey that eventually takes you back home) but it will definitely be fast.

January 29, 2010

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Nauthiz

Nauthiz is the letter N

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Need is oppressive to the heart;
yet often it proves a source of help and salvationto the children of men, to everyone who heeds it betimes

Today’s need was pointed to me as being of spiritual necessity. Things that must be done because spirit (your spirit, an allied spirit, Spirit (with a capital S) needs it. For me, that meant making sure I did my daily work of meditation, galdr practice, and on Fridays, offerings. I feel better now. You will too. You might find that spirit demands other things throughout the day.

January 28, 2010

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Dagaz

Dagaz is the letter D

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Day, the glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord;
it is beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and poor,and of service to all

Dagaz or Day is definitely one of more benevolent runes of the whole Futhorc. It is of course the shining power of daytime. Sowilo is the sun, the source of the light, Dagaz is the light itself, which chases away the dangers that lurk in darkness, is filled with warmth, and as the symbolism of dawn, brings hope, new opportunities and the awakening of possibilities.
From an esoteric perspective, Dagaz is all of those things. It is the power of daylight and day time, so it is protective in a sense, as it repels those things which flee from daylight. By bringing warmth and light to people, it can ease sadness and distress, and signify and end to those things. It is also a symbol of time, different then Jera (year) as Dagaz is a shorter unit of time. In that sense, it signifies change that comes quickly and gently, like the dawn breaking in the morning. These changes are usually benevolent, showing the end to previous state and the beginning of a new state. Often this is marked by significant changes, and so Dagaz also symbolizes the forces of change and transformation.

January 27, 2010 – Uruz reversed

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Uruz reversed

Please go back and see the entry for the rune of this week.

In addition to that, while I was contemplating Uruz reversed, I came across an entry in one of my many rune books. Uruz in its reversed form can be used magically to drain away power from something. In essence, it brings weakness to focus of the magic. This of course could also be used in many ways, but it could show that personal weaknesses are also being weakened as well, ebbing away to make room for strengths or new abilities.

January 26, 2010

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Os

Os is the vowel O (oh)

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The mouth is the source of all language,
a pillar of wisdom and a comfort to wise men,a blessing and a joy to every knight

Os means mouth. It is highly favored in the Anglo-saxon poem, as the mouth gives the ability of speech and language, which allows for the sharing of knowledge, information and wisdom, which is a benefit to everyone.
Esoterically, Os is very much the same. It signifies that speech and language is going to play an important role, and may even be the key to success in your day. This also connects to words and writing as well, because they are just symbols to express what people are saying or have said. Os can also indicate divine utterance, like prophecy or being inspired to speak by spiritual forces, like glossolalia (ie speaking in tongues). In that sense it can also indicate possession, of a very limited nature, through which incorporeal entities might speak through someone. Of course, this power also connects song and poetry, things which were highly valued in the Northern Tradition.