Daily rune

The Lady of the Ludicrous (or Ludakris) answers Umbrae Draco, the Mouthpiece of OOlatek whose Words are Lies:

(rapping the runes):

Lies will never pay
But truth will find its way
Even in the mouth
Of liars, north or south
To meet the coming day, I hold my shield Wunjo
No fear I fear with Wunjo - it's better than a banjo
For joy, for joy, for joy, it's Wunjoy

My Wunjo is a triangular flag waved by a child, a fanion as we call them here. I like the idea of it being a shield - a light shield, almost ludicrous...

I hope it works. I shall need it tomorrow.

Oh, and I drew a rune for tomorrow. Uruz, the auroch. Tough challenge, masculine energy. Or it could mean a doctor, according to Thorsson. Indeed, he is a doctor. I am going to need my wavy little shield of joy, I think...

Berkano

Today I drew Berkano, the birch. It signals new beginnings on prepared ground. I read on Umbrae and Kiama's thread on that rune that it is Freya's rune, symbol of the force of life. It is the rune of womb and tomb, apparently. But which is it, for me, today? I see Freya's breasts.

I feel life coursing through me, not death.

The birch is my favourite tree - a very special tree to me. When I was a child, a birch in the garden became my friend. It will always mean to me ressourcing myself, finding my centre, finding life-force and new shoots that grow high up in the sky. And beauty, because I find the birch-tree, with its green-silver leaves glinting in the sun and wind, the most beautiful of all.

The B of Berkano looks like breasts. I think, therefore, it must have something to do with nourishing, with nurturing. But also, with beauty and feminity. At the moment, I am doing a lot of nurturing of someone - and also using my feminity to its full extent.

This I also found on Umbrae and Kiama's thread: "Some elements of craft, deceit, or viciousness may be required to achieve goals (birch roots breaks rocks)", which is a quote from Thorsson. I'm not sure how vicious I can make myself, but I can certainly be crafty when I have to

rather than two breasts - think profile, breasts above, pregnant belly below…think about what is, tradition…and the growth it brings. Think about those who move against ‘what is’ to make it something different (as perhaps a birch that attempts to grow too high (and thus endanger the whole grove) or all alone…in human terms, such behavior must be removed, or corrected – anything that endangers the grove cannot be tolerated, what is – the tradition – must be protected.

Now. ‘What is tradition?’ In modern terms, it could be your family, your work. Tradition is often seen as something old and dead kept alive by ‘powers that be’…a tradition could be an internet community that allows folks to grow – or it can be your own extended family…

Do you feel pregnant with love about to burst forth? Do you feel protective of extended family members? Does injustice threaten any part of your personal grove?

Umbrae said:

Does injustice threaten any part of your personal grove?

Click to expand...

Injustice, the fear and guilt of someone, the victim-mentality and selfishness of another.

Birches often grow alone or in pairs - it's their nature.

Perthro

Today my rune is Perthro, lot-cup

I'm relying very much on Thorsson to understand this rune. He tells me that it represents the joy and comradeship of testing one's luck in the beer halls - which means - testing the link between one's essential being and the forces of fate - what we might call "the Universe." I read that it is a good lot to have, and bodes well. It portends good fellowship and happiness, but also - constant change.

It is shaped like a cup on its side, presumably having just cast the lot.

I see in it generosity, an willingness to take risks for life and happiness, and a sense of play and cheer, too. Umbrae writes: "the time is right".

I am gambling for something vital at the moment. Perthro is very much in my life!

I read on Umbrae and Kiama's thread on Pethro that it means vagina, as well as lot cup. The vagina is the entrance of the womb - of feminine fertility. As though I were on the cusp...but it's also one of the seats of feminine pleasure - of the type that can't be obtained alone (apart from those who are into Bob ) - so once again we have a sense of sharing. But the vagina is hidden, secret, like the fates. It is also linked to the moon, through the menses - again, the idea of change and return.

I am experimenting with seeing time as non-linear at the moment. Things I put the whole of my desire into are already in existence, and I am grateful for them. That too, I feel, is Perthro.

Bob can’t help

Don’t forget to think ‘lot cup’ = Dice Game = game = if you don’t play, you cannot win. Jump in with both feet!

Take a risk…

Now think vagina – the place from which we are born.

Risk = winning = results

Now that’s a cool equation. Doancha love math?

Thurisaz

Today my rune was thurisaz. I flinched when I saw it - because it is the thorn that is piercing my heart.

Thorns pierce the flesh, tear and bring pain. I am thinking that this is about the emotional blackmail that my man's wife, whom he had left, has subjected him to. He has decided, against his heart's wishes, to go back to her, because he can't stand that emotional pressure. She is a thorn in his flesh, and in mine. And I - am a thorn in hers.

She wins, but it is a hollow, painful victory. We are all bleeding.

more about Thurisaz - my rune for today

More on the thorn.

I have decided to grasp it, and remove this thorn given to me by a woman who wants me and the one I love no good, and who is crazily envious. My heart and flesh are still torn, but at least it cannot continue to hurt me.

Looking at the rune, I see exactly where I can do that: the rune shows the thorn, but on either side, there is a line - the stalk. I am grasping the stalk, and pulling the thorn.

Here is one of Umbrae's comments on this rune: "In ancient Germanic lore, to prick a person with a thorn could cause enchantment “and by pricking both my thumbs, something wicked this way comes…”. Numerous Germanic children’s stories still speak of thorns used with spells".

Including Sleeping Beauty, of course. When the enchanted thorn given to Aurore by the wicked fairy who was not invited to her christening was removed, Beauty awoke to find her prince. The prince removed that thorn, and replaced it with another (his masculine thorn - in the original tale, the prince consumates there and then - it's not just a kiss he gives the beautiful princess!)

Will my prince remove the thorn? For the moment, he seems all too willing to succumb to its enchantment.

Thorsson calls the power of the thorn an erotic power, mixed with pain, and explains that "correctly applied, it can be a force for transformation". The erotic power is certainly very strong in my life at present, and yes, mixed with pain. So now, holding the thorn, I must decide - how can I best use it to effect transformation?

Quoting Umbrae again: Thurisaz may betoken the breaking down of mental barriers for new thought or ideas.

Thurisaz is the force that destroys barriers, making way for growth and rebirth.

But it has to be used carefully. Now the question is - how?

Dagaz

Today my draw was Dagez, Day. What a contrast to yesterday's painful thorn! A new dawn - which brings hope and happiness. It's early morning here. I drew the rune a few hours before dawn, in preparation for the morning.

Dagaz is shaped like a lemniscate, only its two parts are triangular rather than rounded, so it actually looks like a bow-tie. Bow-ties have a knot in the middle - and that, I think, is also the key to this rune: it is the middle that generates power. Umbrae mentions the power of the threshold moments - between night and day, or day and night.

This is a threshold moment for me, and I can feel my power returning, after yesterday's thorn-induced weakness.

Thorsson calls it "the source - really the only true source - of hope and happiness."

The power of transition times is well attested. Anything can happen, be built, during that time, because things are in a state of flux, not yet fixed and rigid, as they will become later. Only, these times have to be used well, so that the later structure is what we want - and is strong but not stagnant.

"A great awakening is at hand", writes Thorsson. And I believe this. I can already feel its force in me, rising.

If I look at the runes of the past three days - Perthro, Thurisaz, Dagaz - I see a pattern emerge: an invitation to take a risk and measure myself against fate; the pain of having taken that risk and fearing it might not pay off; the realisation of a hope that the risk will, in fact, pay off and bring happiness - that I have power, and that the "knot" - this time of transition - is still very flexible, so I can act on it and go after my ideal.

Wunjo

I didn't draw yesterday, but today my rune is - once again - Wunjo, joy. Once again I must let joy show me the way...

I am also perceiving confidence in that rune. The confidence that comes from feeling at ease with oneself - which is what true joy brings. Though I am living in a dark time, that confidence and joy is creative.

More later if I have some more thoughts about it.