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In my personal rune set, I replaced the elder futhark Hagalaz symbol with the younger futhark Hagalaz variation a while ago, a personal choice, and I should take this opportunity to explain why.

In the face of disaster, compassionate human beings discover that they do not break, but become stronger. We discover that our communities come together, even on a global scale, in face of unimaginable destruction. When the universe shows its inimical side, the side that couldn’t care less about average human affairs, it’s as if we come together to show overwhelmingly that we care for one another. When the universe demonstrates that it cannot be depended upon, that it is more than able to wreck havoc, we react by showing that we can depend upon one another.

This reactive human response to the crisis and catastrophe that Hagalaz can often represent is a strange magic, but one of great potential.

We can also point to the immense wisdom in preparing for the worst, in allowing ourselves not only to imagine catastrophe, but to incorporate it into our plans for the future.

We see from the Japanese, in the past few days, after their massive 8.9 earthquake, tsunami and the threats to their nuclear power plants, a tragic event that will have taken 10,000+ lives. But consider this: the Japanese have for a good number of years held incredible standards for their buildings and construction — everything is made to bend, to wiggle. These standards were in place to protect their cities and their people against the worst forms of earthquake… the kind they recently experienced. It likely saved millions of lives.

While it is hard to wrench our focus from the spectacular chaos and destruction of Hagalaz, we ought to keep in mind a great, untold story: that planning and foresight, that the willingness to contemplate the worst, is a powerful form of wisdom for an individual to have, and even more-so an entire people. It may not be positive thinking — but it has positive consequences. It is an example of taking the negative aspects of a rune and transmuting it for positive ends.

So today, let us contemplate the younger futhark symbol for Hagalaz — the potential for us to unite and heal in the face of unimaginable destruction, to show our strength and courage in the face of catastrophe and the wisdom of looking ahead in order to safeguard against the worst the universe can throw at us.

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Have you been as frustrated as me in finding an online community exclusively for studying the runes? What is the solution?

Most people I talk to — and I include myself among them — seem dissatisfied with the old forum-style community. Now that we have powerhouses like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, social interaction on the web has been redefined. Forums become obscure places lorded over by passive aggressive admins and small cliques of users who dominate any discussion to the point where the discussion doesn’t happen often because it descends into arguments.

But I don’t think that’s the main reason there’s no ‘major’ (ie. central) rune community online. We’re a diverse bunch of misfits, clearly dissatisfied with the mainstream and rightly distrustful of anything that looks mainstream. I can’t help but giggle the odd time I get feedback that suggests that Rune Secrets is somehow mainstream (as if I were secretly Justin Beiber?)

Some of these forums and cliques are thinly veiled online focal points for dogmatic cults, which of course I’ll have nothing to do with. I am a solitary and anonymous practitioner, period. That Rune Secrets has become so popular is a freak occurrence. Readership decided that — I never bothered with advertising, search engine optimization, link exchange or any of that nonsense. I’m interested in one thing only: deep understanding of the runes.

The runes saved me from the brink of oblivion, reorganized my mind, and revealed such touching wisdom… but demanded I repay the favor by sharing what I’d learned. It was only after I gained a deep understanding of the runes that I developed a strong sense of responsibility toward the global community.

But there is no functioning and healthy community, no social network, for people who share this interest in the runes themselves, directly. The symbols. The meanings. The uses. That’s all… no cryptic utterings, no mysterious play-acting, no exclusive ‘club’ and no one claiming they have some private monopoly on rune wisdom.

I demand clarity, order and honesty, and so should you.

So what do we do?

I dislike Facebook — the system is geared toward turning users into advertising revenue, not toward actual community. Their design philosophy is abhorent and their privacy policy so unethical that I felt I had to delete the rune secrets fan group in order to protect my readers.

But there is a framework I could use once I have generated some revenue from booksales (it costs a couple hundred dollars per year on top of other expenses I already pay to run this site). We could set up our own social network, and begin an ambitious project: the first collectively written study of rune meaning.

The internet allows us to collaborate in a way that dozens and perhaps hundreds of people could purposefully come together and hash out a brilliant work of genius that one person could not possibly hope to write themselves. Then we could release this work under a creative commons license (free to use, distribute, modify, build upon — but never sell for profit), format and self-publish it as a hardcover/paperback and offer it at cost for collectors or at nothing as a pdf or on a website dedicated to it.

We’d need to come up with a contemporary, forward looking, rune system, based soundly in psychology and philosophy, that would profoundly inspire anyone who was exposed to it, regardless of prior beliefs. With a properly discussed methodology and a carefully programmed social network (personal blogs integrated with activity feed, twitter/facebook/youtube integration, the works — I’m thinking NING.com at the moment) and a core group of dedicated people we could easily generate an open, crowd-sourced manuscript of some size.

I’ve made major inroads with “The Book of Rune Secrets”, which is almost ready to hit the press. I’m confident that the work will speak for itself. If it is worthy, I know it will reach the people who need it — after all, this website has. But after focusing and channeling, I have come face to face with my own limitations. In order to exceed them, a community will be necessary, and a community that works, not just some obscure forum.

I just wanted to talk that over with everyone, and try to generate some feedback. I can build this, and make it work with your help. But I need discussion!

What are your thoughts on the online rune communities you’ve encountered? Are you a part of any? Would you share their URL in the comments?  Any experiences, positive or negative?

What kind of things do you wish a community could DO or BE, on the net? What would help you the most? What features would you like to see? What kind of people would you hope to find there — like minded, or very diverse?

My thanks for considering this,

Tyriel

Greetings, O Seeker of Rune Wisdom!

I am in the final stages of completing The Book of Rune Secrets, and I would like to ask you: “Do you have any deep, unanswered questions about the runes?”

So this is a kind of “Ask Me Anything” discussion.

Are there things you haven’t found answers to anywhere, in all the literature you’ve read on rune meanings? Things that are missing?

I’d like you to please think deeply and summon up these questions, and send them to me at runesecrets@gmail.com, or through my contact form, or even the comments of this post! If you can fire a great question at me, I’ll do my best to think it over as I add to and edit my final draft and make this book even more connected to the real needs of the vast community that uses Rune Secrets.

About the Book:

This new work of mine is the culmination of over a decade of intense spiritual introspection and learning for me, and the opportunity at long last to share with you something powerful and complete. My plans are to release it as a self-published hard cover book, have it listed on Amazon and available to libraries and brick and mortar stores if they desire to order it. It should be available in some form from this website though by the end of April, at the latest.

It represents a total, coherent system of new rune knowledge. I have taken my understanding of the symbols and combined it with an understanding of contemporary science and cosmology to create a fresh and powerful work that should profoundly move readers. I’ve taken risks with it, not to cause deliberate controversy or because I think I know better than anyone else, but to show that the runes are extremely relevant to the 21st century.

I also include details not on making your own rune set, but on making your own rune system — of how to take their power into your own hands. My system seeks to turn you into your own best teacher. No esoteric, secretive gurus required. ;)

In many ways, the book departs from this blog and transcends it. It is my best work yet, I’m sure of it, and I am excited to see in what ways it empowers and illuminates the many members of this community, old and new, known and yet unknown to me, who I’ve grown to love. I can admit to you that it has already affected me greatly… I don’t know what provoked this transcendent clarity within me, but I thank the forces at work.

So, that’s the big news, and I am eager to share the fruits of my labor. I humbly request your questions so that I can edit with a vigor that incorporates your questions and curiosity into the fabric of this new narrative about the elder futhark runes.

Get in touch. Seriously!

Yours truly,

Tyriel

Photo by Frédéric BISSON

I originally wrote this article several months ago. My contemplation of Kenaz sparked a deep investigation into myself and into the ways in which we obtain knowledge of reality, determine truth and transmit wisdom to one another. I’ve since read many things by R.D. Laing, a famous psychiatrist (The Politics of Experience) and Carl G. Jung, a psychoanalyst who is considered one of the founding fathers of modern psychology. I also began to search through Greek philosophers and other Eastern spiritual texts such as the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching for parallels to the runes.

At any rate, Kenaz is a remarkably powerful rune to meditate upon and contemplate, and the journey this single rune can send the seeker upon is nothing short of life long and life changing. I apologize to the rune community for my long absence, and I cannot promise that this absence is over. But here, at least, is my current analysis of Kenaz…

It is commonly agreed that Kenaz relates to the Dutch/German ‘kennen’, and the English word ‘ken’, which means “to know”, with an alternate meaning of “to be able to” — immediately invoking the old adage “knowledge is power”. In Old English, another related word ‘cennen’ means “to beget” or “to bring forth from the mind,” and is without much doubt related to the word ‘cunning’ — skillful deceit. Prior to the 14th Century we find similar words over much of europe which link Kenaz to learning, knowledge and intellect. “Kunst”, Dutch, is said to relate as well, as it means art, or craft.

Another related word here is ‘kin’. The idea of kinship between and amongst people is particularly important – and thus Kenaz has been argued to refer to ancestry.I have suggested with Othala and Ansuz that there are many distinct ways in which the idea of ancestry plays itself out, that do not necessarily have to do with blood ancestry. Kenaz represents the knowledge handed down from generation to generation, which is built upon and honored. This sort of ancestry in turn associates the rune with a knowledge of origins and of causation, which are the chief functions of both myth and science. Both the known and the unknown meet here.

In the elder futhark, Kenaz means “Torch” or “Torchlight”, as a source of heat and light.

Kenaz also represents  the inner-fire/body heat that is passed on — as cold means death. In terms of progeny, this inner-fire is feminine: the womb, a necessary heat carried by mothers all the way back to the beginning. (Fathers contribute the seed, INGUZ).

The word “Kaun”, which means sore, is another loose interpretation of Kenaz — and due to this, we could say that the rune also refers to knowledge of medicine, particularly midwifery, traditional lore, and any feminine occult knowledge.

Kenaz does not only represent a Torch, but any controlled use of fire:

It can represent the hearth, which for many eons was a central feature of the home. Keeping the home-fire burning was of utmost importance — those who gathered about the hearth were kindred, not always exclusively family, but sharing the bond of the hearth and the activities that went on around it, such as storytelling and teaching and crafts.

Kenaz can represent the forge. Here, the male aspect of Kenaz shines. Blacksmithing is a great example, in this case, of knowledge and craft being taught in a master/apprentice fashion. It is knowledge applied to create powerful tools and weapons. The transmuting power of human-controlled fire is obvious in the symbol of the forge; as should be the nature of the relationship between teacher and learner, the tradition of knowledge that dates farther back in many cases than does human record.

Knowledge as Power

Perhaps the deepest of Kenaz occult mysteries is the pursuit of knowledge — for the sake of power. That “The Truth will set you free” is a very old idea indeed, and it is this seeking, gaining, applying and recognition of the truth that lay behind every authentic search for occult knowledge. But this knowledge — indeed ‘cunning’ — is a double-edged sword — fire may serve us, but it is not our friend. So it is that our quest for truth can be seen as a purifying fire. We are not always going to like what we discover, but we must bow to what we know as truth, and recognize that which we, in fact, do not know.

Recollection, clarity of thought, sharpness of wit, insight and intuition — these are our inner-torch, that light of consciousness so necessary if we are to begin to uncover the secrets of a universe which doesn’t give up her secrets easily.

Kenaz’ energy propels the investigation of of hidden regions, a light in the darkness. It is concerned with origins, with the underlying cause and effect of the world. It is pre-scientific, though science can be viewed as an extension of the occult underpinnings of Kenaz. The ideas of science are often generated by intuition before they are proven or disproven. It is this generative fire that is important — more an art, a craft — but very pragmatic and totally necessary for the human psyche’s health.

Knowledge gives us a decisive advantage in the world — whether braving the elements (or other people). So radical is this advantage when applied that it is easy to compare its possession to the acquisition of fire — we need but imagine how profound a difference this has made for humans. A dedication to learning and truth-seeking bestows the same profound difference to the individual and their kindred.

Kenaz allows us access to our inner-forge. With applied self-knowledge, we may deconstruct our illusions, beliefs and habits and shape ourselves anew. This is the deepest alchemy, the greatest art and craft and the ultimate knowing: the craftsmanship of our self on the forge of inner-fire. Drawing from the amazing power and teachings of Kenaz, we can become whatever we will.

Ignorance is often compared to darkness, and we stumble sightlessly through it, unable to truly understand anything but our own blind predicament (if that). Illumination comes through the use of Kenaz.

A Note On Cunning

Stories tell us that even the noblest King requires a praiseworthy, cunning mind. This change in the meaning of cunning occurs sometime after the 14th century, as we can see from etymological research: cunning (adj.) early 14c., “learned, skillful,” prp. of cunnen “to know” (see can (v.)). Sense of “skillfully deceitful” is probably late 14c. As a noun from c.1300. Related: Cunningly.

I can think of no situation, aside from the feints of chess, bluffs of poker and innocuous trickery of the illusionist where deceit is purely positive. Cunning seems to easily lead to a darker side of Kenaz, the domain of Loki; mischief, trickery, manipulation. In my view, honor, and honesty, are much more powerful traits. Needless to say, the world is not black and white, and our particular biases over a word color our ideas. My point is merely that it may be useful to contemplate situations in which cunning could create clearly positive outcomes.

Murkstave

Reversed, Kenaz is a symbol of willful ignorance, deceit and the use of knowledge for purely destructive or manipulative ends. It signifies the loss of knowledge, over time, the extinction of bodies of lore, collective forgetting. Kenaz reversed is such a force of ignorance that it can rival, in raw power, the force of knowledge in the world.

As a result of this dynamic, it can be useful to consider this murkstave to represent the giant/god Loki, and all his unconscious cunning and destructive mischief — as well as its manifestations in human society.

Photo by Marsý

The Passing of Breath

It may be very useful to examine Ansuz as meaning “the passing of breath.” This short conceptual epigram links its communication aspects to its ancestral overtone, as well as to the idea that Odin gave us the original breath or “inspiration” to live as humans. “Inspiration” is etymologically linked to the breath, and further back to the word enthusiasm by the Ancient Greeks, who would use the word to signify “god-breathed”. It is entirely possible that this is a cross-cultural idea.

In terms of the ancestral lines, not only blood and genes are passed, but something less tangible — a breath passed from parent to child since the beginning.

The Passing of Breath also links this rune to communication: language, linguisitcs and the ordering effect that symbols have on human consciousness. The transmuting effects of symbols on the mind in undeniable — and herein lay a great magic to uncover.

Underlying all this is our basic need to “pass our breath”, that is: share meaning, communicate, persuade and order the universe symbolically. It is not only the gene that needs to survive, but the meme: the memory. The Name.

Giants Versus the Aesir

The gods of the Aesir represent order and consciousness (contrasted to the prior rune, Thurisaz, which represents unconscious and proto-conscious forces, the “giants”) so Ansuz’ chief magic is that of ordering and transmuting the unconscious into the conscious through symbols. This war between the giants and the gods, is actually a very perceptive metaphor for the pre-conscious, unawakened forces that struggle against the awakening consciousness in the universe. We can see this war play itself out everywhere, within us and without.

Ansuz represents the civilizing, ordering tendency that language, oral or written, brings to the otherwise wild and chaotic semi-conscious or totally unconscious intelligence that existed prior. Properly used, its power is meant to awaken, not impede, human potential toward godhood, that is, the expansion of the Aesir’s aims in the universe.

More of this war, which culminates in the ancient idea of Ragnarok will be understood by looking into the rune prior to this in the Aett, Thurisaz. I will also include much more about this idea in my upcoming book.

The Magic of Naming

Central to this rune is the magic of “Naming” which is so fundamental to our minds that it should be explored, in depth, by any serious seeker of human mysteries.

Naming includes the use of symbols, definitions, classifications, labels and all attempts at signifying something through words. It extends into the domain of sharing such symbols in a community (communication) and attempts at transforming the understanding of Others through persuasion. That we all do this, constantly, is what makes us human. The drive to make the process powerfully conscious is the quest of the magician, and done consciously, Naming has a supreme affect on the hearts and minds of those exposed to it.

Poetry and Word-Consciousness

It is no accident that our dreams use images in a highly subjective and poetic form, where certain images that may otherwise seem concrete tend to represent entirely different ideas. Cultivating an ability to decipher the symbols your unconscious uses to communicate with you through dreams and visions will also strengthen your ability to listen more deeply to the unconscious symbols others use while speaking. Indeed, this near-psychic ability has marveled people since the dawn of human history. A careful attention to people’s choice of words, whether intuitive or practiced, has likely long come across as mind-reading, prophecy, and clairvoyance.

Listening as a word-conscious being is a large part of mastering the magic of Naming. As Odin’s particular magic often revolves around his poetry (we could also call it spellsong), it is important to emphasize the study of poetry — the ability of those who understand poetry to use it as a kind of “divine cypher” cannot be underestimated. It is essential to probing the unconscious symbol-matrix of the Self and its Society and Culture.

This representative nature is key to understanding communications from other life forms (plants, animals) and higher beings who may not have an immediately understandable form, and must communicate with you indirectly. Much of the universe is like this. Therefor, human language must transcend itself if it hopes to communicate with the non-human intelligences in the surrounding world. Such communications sometimes come with a sort of divine protection, a gift of insight directly from the gods, or perhaps the god-within. Pursue Algiz to explore such possibilities further.

Persuasion

Our Western society is persuasion-obsessed. Though persuasion has always played a part in human interactions, our particular epoch is riddled with the pseudo-science of changing people’s beliefs on a mass scale through the use of words. There are volumes now written on the subject, and we may explore the idea very deeply.

The verbal art of persuasion falls squarely into the realm of Ansuz magic. Though so often twisted to the task of marketing, public relations, propaganda, persuasion itself is not a negative thing. Manipulative uses of Ansuz, however, can soon lead us into a blacker realm of magic and psychology. Remember: it is rare the individual who can deceive others without sooner or later deceiving him or her self. It is indeed the Truth that shall set us free.

Contemporary Exploration

All the modern language sciences would be useful to exploring this rune at extremely great depths. Linguistics is the study of the encoding of all languages. Etymology is the study of the ancestry of words and how language evolves over time. Memetics — ‘meme’ being a buzz word of the past decade — is the study of how symbols and ideas spread through complex human communities, horizontally through space and vertically through time. Finally, Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, divided into three branches: Sematics, which is the relation between a sign and the things to which they refer; Syntactics, which is the relation among signs in formal structures (such as sentences) and Pragmatics, which is the relation between signs and their effects on those people who use them.

In an age of massive changes to communications, the way information is transmitted and the psychology of persuasion, Ansuz becomes a very important rune in understanding and reflecting upon these changes — as well as what has NOT changed. We have unparalleled access to the related sciences involved.

Murkstave: Ansuz Reversed

There are a host of limits and reversed energies — pitfalls to watch for when using Ansuz. What follows are two major ones.

Dishonesty

Ansuz energies are very often twisted past the point of mere persuasion into the domain of bullshit and point-blank lying. We all, invariably, invent stories and lie to ourselves to one degree or another — we must be sure to study the virtue of honesty to self and others — dishonesty is very harmful to the spirit. Breaking one’s word was considered dishonorable, to the ancients.

Repeat a lie enough, and you will come to believe it. It is a weak magic that relies on illusion. Ansuz is most powerful when aligned as close as possible to reality. But therein lay another treacherous flaw inherent in over-dependence on this rune.

Over-Conceptualization and Duality

The word “tree” can be defined in many ways: as a plant with a hard bark, a source of wood, as growing leaves and forming a canopy, either deciduous or coniferous. But neither the word tree or its definition, or its visual image in our minds — however vivid — is an actual tree.

Here we approach the limit of Ansuz, and there is a very strong, unconscious tendency in Western society to believe too heavily in the name, too heavily in the idea, or theory, while neglecting the infinitely more complex, subtle and interconnected nature of the universe.

Naming and describing does not necessitate understanding. Yet, our minds have the unconscious habit of believing that if we can name, describe, theorize, explain, then we have true understanding. We mistake this layer of symbols, this ‘psychotopography’, as the real world all too easily. We often confuse the map for the actual territory.

Labels are always reductive. Classification always fragments and divides a universe which is not, in and of itself, divided. This can trap us in a mode of thinking that is out of alignment with the truth. Beware this veil of words: it may fool us into believing that just because we have a word for something, we know what it is, and needn’t investigate further. Words can expand understanding, there’s no arguing this. But it is wise to see that they can form walls as well.

And what about a thing that is real, but no word in our language exists for it? Or no word in any language? Can we think about such things, and experience them, regardless?

Conclusion

A word itself makes nothing more or less real, except in our minds, though this is not to understate the power and potential of our minds! Symbols shape and order consciousness. They can increase consciousness, but they can also lower it. Words affect people, and people affect the world. Words may inspire us to action, or mold the beliefs which guide our lives and shape the attitudes in our society. Remember though, that that ‘action’ is beyond the energy of Ansuz. Ansuz only inspires it.

You may talk the talk — but that is often a far cry from walking the walk — which may actually be why the rune Raidho (Ride, or Journey) follows Ansuz.

You can visit Claire and see some of her other poetry on her Spider Tribe wordpress.com website.

Wealth is a comfort to all men
But greater is the good of riches shared,
The barrow’s treasure is a dragon’s den
Of teetering gems ~ hoarder, be prepared
For the wolves that track the scent of gold,
Give to the living, for death lies cold.

The up~horned aurochs is fierce and proud,
Great girded warrior of the moor
With eyes of fire and spirit loud,
Savage and feared as a god of war
But the man who is brave, or the man who is wise
Might show the mettle for the beast’s demise.

The thorn is sharp to human flesh,
Push against it ~it will win the duel,
One thorn can hide a wicked mesh
Of thorns, demon company is cruel.
Best be vigilant or be easily caught
On the barbs of evil deed or thought.

The mouth gives shape and sound to words,
Is the comfort of councilors and Wisdom’s pillar,
On the palate of the ageless sky, the birds
Are blessed and confident; Woden is Healer,
Prophet and Sage and as Shaman he gave
More than his eye to cut the whisper on the stave.

The saddle is soft and the way is clear
In the journey of a hearth~dream, but the dreaming fire
Is no preparation for the hardships that will appear
On the mile~paths cruel with rock and mire.
The wise traveler and his horse are bold
When the ashes of dreams have long lain cold.

Torch is known to the living by its light
And heat of flame when the nobles are within,
When men of common purpose talk into the night,
When they are gathered together, kith and kin.
Its beacon is sure and true and courage
Is like oxygen, empowering its quiet rage.

Generosity is for men glory and exaltation,
A word of kindness can mean more than gold,
However small the gift, express appreciation ~
The grudging man pines, but he who is kind and bold
Seldom has cares, even the man who is broken
Can give or receive the simplest token.

Joyful is he who knows no sorrow,
Has little want and bears no pain,
Who thanks the day and does not fear tomorrow.
Sadness will come, but do not seek to attain
Its touch of grey ~ Wyrd has enough bliss
And woe for all ~ bittersweet, the parting kiss.

Hail is the whitest of grains, fleet
As the messenger with urgent news, cold mortar
Through the vaults of heaven, a sleet
Of arrows that sweetly melts to water
Having felled the golden legions of the field.
And so, in times of plenty, make good your yield.

Need is an aching in the breast, but then
Just as the medicine with the bitter taste
Can soothe, need is comfort to the sons of men.
Hardship, like guilt, is better faced ~
Be strong and certain of brighter days
And the gods will hold you in their gaze.

Ice is over~cold, a skater’s dream,
A walker’s nightmare, a floor of frost
Cold glass and gems, the faraway gleam
Of all we desire that is easily lost.
Crystals and opals and diamonds all,
Cruel and worthless when we fall.

Year is the hope and joy of men, She
Who is Earth and of the earth, who bears
The fruits of earth and flesh for all humanity,
Rich and poor alike, is all beauty when she wears
The green and blossoms as her gown, the sky
In her hair ~ and so shall be when we all die.

Yew is outwardly an unsmooth tree
Hard and fast in the earth, the shepherd
Of fire, roots earth~locked, tangled as mystery.
Its branches sky~reaching are, as the web of Wyrd,
Questing for the seven worlds, seen and unseen ~
Irminsul, a joy on the land and evergreen.

Hearth is to the proud the place of laughter,
Song and recreation, where the warriors in the mead hall
Sit now blithe and companionable after
The giants of flesh and mind and heart, all
Have been slain for the day; when battles are chessmen
And challenges are riddles, all is pleasure then.

Elksedge, waxing in the water of the marsh,
Has a hilt to suit the warrior’s grasp
But it meets the flesh with substance harsh ~
Hilt becomes blade, a living rasp
That sears the flesh and burns the blood.
Be strong, to clutch at straws will yield no good.

Sun, bright sail of the tranquil sky,
Is ever a joy to the farers of the sea,
When dreams are fish shoals and hopes fly high
With the sea birds and confidence and opportunity
Rise with the halyards, until the steed of brine and foam,
Courser of the deep, brings them gladly home.

Tiw is a guiding star, the warrior’s friend,
Ever moving over night’s mist and darkness.
First of the gods, ever burning to defend
The fields of men and the shining fortress,
Stronghold of the gods that we call heaven,
Keeping faith with princes and trust with all men.

Birch bears no fruit, yet brings forth shoots
Until its crown is splendid, laden with leaves,
Heavy in the air ~ and so it is that its fruits
Are those of healing and enchantment, such spells it weaves
Out of green and time as the creative fire communes
With the mind of man, is the flesh of wands and runes.

Horse, proud in its hooves, at the helm
Of warriors is a joy to princes and royal
In its mane, be it on the mile~paths of its realm
Granting a hero speed, or standing loyal
Where the rich men barter words and impress
With deeds. And is ever a comfort to the restless.

The man of laughter is dear to his friends,
Yet every kinsman will betray his fellow:
The time must come to all when laughter ends
And Sculd, by Her decree, lays flesh below
The living green and the solemn oaths of man
Are brought to nothing. Enjoy the laughter, while you can.

Water to men seems endless, when the rocking bark
Is fragile on the quake of sea, when the horse
Of the deep, thundering vast and dark
Defies the bridle. But still they plot a course
For new horizons, the reward of distant lands,
Seizing opportunity with trembling hands.

Ing was first among the East Danes
Seen by men, until he departed over the deep,
His wagon behind him and they with war in their veins
Named the hero. Rouse him from his winter sleep
When you burn the holly ~ he survives the snow
As the seed of life, with his corn~sheaf pillow.

Homeland, dear to man, won by the blood
And courage of the men of old, is the hearthlight
Of all that is safe and right and good,
The legacy for which we fought and still must fight.
It swells the blood with pride and sings
In the hearts of common men and kings.

Day, beloved of men, is the herald
Of Woden and the glorious skein of thread
Spun by Metod. Such comfort in that gold ~
Lightening the mind, the heart, the tread
Of rich and poor alike, of service to all
Is reason and understanding, fair and rational.

Oak is food for flesh, joy to the lips
Of man in the meat that grew sweet and succulent
Feasting on acorns. And oak is the faith of ships,
The trusted timber, stable on the torrent
Of the gannet’s bath and so we must ensure
That the acorns of our lifetime, as oaks endure.

Ash, much prized by man, is high
Steadfast and firm, swift when it grows,
Stout when it stands, straight when it streaks the sky
As a singing spear or a sleet of arrows.
Ash is ambush, attack, the power to advance
And yet is stockade, defence and vigilance.

The ax~hammer is a joy and an honour
To prince and warrior alike. It is bold
On the journey, intrinsic to the brave armour
Of war and fair on the horse, a sight to behold
As it hangs from the saddle, hellbent on battlefields,
The clang of war~gear and the walls of shields.

Ior is a river~fish and yet it feeds
Always on the land and lives a life
Of quiet joy, working hard to meet its own needs,
Building a home that is free from strife,
Encompassed by water. His is time well spent,
Is peace of mind and home~and~dry contentment.

Grave is the terror of all, even from birth
When life first warms the flesh, it is the only certainty
That flesh will cool and choose the pale earth
As its last companion. But thus shall we find equality
In that end ~ and a spur~ for the dead are dumb to speak
When the rich lie poor and the strong lie weak.

Photo by Tracy Misso

Othala traces back to certain words in Anglo-Saxon and Norse whose oldest meaning is ‘noble‘ or nobility, and are associatively linked to property, estate, homeland and nation-building. Othala’s core power is the wise management of resources both physical and psychic. Not the ruthless efficiency that leads to totalitarian states or monopolies, but a more harmonious give and take that leads to peace and freedom amongst the people, a state of balance between order and chaos.

We have legends in every culture about this perfect, harmonious city or place. Asgard, Atlantis, Avalon. Shangri-la, Shambala and Eden. We use the word Utopia, which was an imaginary place that Thomas Moore described in his book of the same name. All of these represent the inate human understanding that we, as a species, have the potential to create a harmonious and peaceful society.

Ancestral Spiritual Inheritance

It has been said that Othala contains the potential power of all the other runes. The main energy involved in this is the ancestral spiritual power, which connects us to our genetic wisdom, the unconscious and sometimes awakened unity that links us back to the first humans who began to think and seek something ‘greater’ than a simple ‘animal’ existence. This is one way in which Othala unites all of mankind, throughout time.

However, some groups hearken to a past they have no record of and cannot understand. It is common for us to romanticize the past. But, the ancients are quite clear with us that the world has sometimes been a very harsh place. Such romanticizing will not do. Although we may draw on the past, it is perhaps better to tend to our own lot in the present, honestly and with keen observation and judgement. We shall see that Othala is actually a forward-looking rune, a rune of continuation of the ancestral toward a collective destiny, not merely a reliving of the past.

The proper use for a group or community is to observe how it lives and breathes, the methods by which it functions, the social-psychology of its members, so one may gain a great understanding of families, groups and community’s in general, and to celebrate the kinship of awakening with others. A group that promote a culture of openness, fairness, honesty and freedom is a healthy group. A group (or cult, or nation) that focuses on conformity, making enemies with other groups, rigidness of thinking and mindless devotion is, in reality, quite insane.

Sacred Enclosure and Homeland

Othala is the root of why we honor the blood that was shed to take and defend a territory. That symbolic act of the warrior is representative of a deeper act, which the Greeks expounded upon in their philosophy, which is found amongst the druids and throughout mysticism the world over, which is: the expansion of the light of individual and collective human consciousness against the forces of ignorance and darkness of the old ‘chaotic’ world.

This expansion is illustrated quite profoundly in the constant battle of Asgard (consciousness) against the Giants (unconsciousness).

Seen as a sacred enclosure, Othala scales from merely a personal space and living conditions, to a home or a community such as a town or city. It scales to the level of a state or nation, and indeed, Othala rises even to the height of an entire civilization.

At it’s apex, Othala represents an allegience to all life on the planet, a global unity amongst humankind, and the potential ‘utopia’ that humankind is destined to eventually build together. Though the Nazis chose to try and do this through war, studied more deeply, Othala’s vision of a united world is inevitable because of the power of ordinary, every day, peaceful people interacting together in a mundane way, profoundly spiritual in its simplicity.

Nobility

Rather than representing genetic inheritance and blood (which it of course does but only on a lower level of meaning) Othala is actually the movement of society to transcend these ideas, and embrace all humanity as kindred, all the world as a single global nation. It is the rune of a sustainable planetary civilization, a utopia, or paradise. The ‘noble’ is in fact anyone who takes up the role of a person moving his portion of the homeland/personal-communal sphere toward heaven-on-earth.

This idea of nobility is especially poignant, because it was not always the case that nobility was bestowed due to blood. It could be merit, or a spiritual inheritance of some sort. In many ways of thinking, to be noble is to act noble. If you behave as a noble, as a king or queen, the power of your hamingja will organize the world around you, slowly and surely, to reflect this inner. The outer is merely a reflection of the inner. Therefor it is essential to understand nobility as something gained through one’s own actions and behaviors, not bestowed by birth, blood, title, or any other external circumstance. Therefor, the understanding of and responsibility for one’s inner-world is absolutely paramount, for its very essence will structure the minute details of the world around you.

Relationship to Time

As may be obvious by now, Othala is a rune concerned with time, and a past-and-future based sense. Jera, as the 12th rune, half of Othala’s position, concentrates on the cyclical nature of time, whereas Othala seems to indicate the arrow of time, as seen by the human mind. Therefor it connects the past to the future, and our ancestors to our eventual progeny.

Therefor, where Jera represents nature’s own ecology, Othala represents our relationship as a species to the land, to this planet, in the form of responsibility, stewardship and the potent and real consequences of human actions on a mass scale.

The Power of the Domestic

All this above may sound grandiose, but Othala is powerfully rooted in the mundane world. I will often define Othala in terms of the personal estate, that is the family, community and business affairs. It extends outward to include the political sphere, and then the human condition. But first comes the home. There are many factors in a happy home, but the nation should be measured by the extent to which these happy homes exist, and can remain peaceful and free from oppression. That means access to adequate shelter, food and water, education, love and respect between its members, interesting work for the community and so on. The home is often the outpost from which a good life is lived — “home is where the heart is”.

One of Othala’s prime teachings may be that “One who is unable to be trusted with the little things, cannot be trusted with the big things.”  Think that over carefully before assuming authority of any sort.

Othala Reversed

The perversion of Othala is the road toward totalitarianism, the inappropriate use or waste of resources, the disruption of the peace and security of home, and the denial of freedoms, sometimes in the form of various slavery. Nationalism, contrary to what may be believed about this rune, is a negative, energy-draining phenomenon, which creates inevitable conflict and war. Nazi Germany may have been a particularly extreme version of a nation, but the underlying trend is inherent within all nation-states.

The negative consequences of a system of ownership also fall under the murkstave of this rune. Ownership requires the co-operation and agreement of the community. When ‘ownership’ becomes imbalanced, more laws, more force, and more violence are required to uphold entitlement. Citizens and members of the community must be increasingly spied upon and mistrusted when only a few control the wealth and power of the so-called ‘nation’.

There can be only one destiny for a family, community or nation that does not live in balance, uphold the common justice of the people, and strive for the freedom and prosperity of its every member, and it is grim indeed.

Further Reading:

Othala – Rune Meaning

Follow-Up

What is the state of your home? Your community? Your nation? Now is a good time to reflect on the aspects of your life that create the place you live from day-to-day, and what you have the power to do to change it if it needs to be changed.

Your comments are most welcome!

-Tyriel