#kari tauring

Krauka and Kari Tauring - Drømte

I think attending conferences is the most important thing one can do for personal growth. Occupational conferences provide the latest information, technology and theory in one’s professional field. Conferences associated with a hobby or special interest spark creativity.  Religious conferences can deepen one’s faith and provide enlightenment. However, for me, I think the most important aspect of the conference environment (and the one aspect all conferences have in common) is that it allows me to connect with other people who share something with me; whether that connection is through my occupation, special interest or religion.  

At nearly every conference I have attended, my mind has been blown wide open with new information.  Or maybe some elusive concept suddenly comes sharply into focus with profound understanding.  There is always something new to be learned, even if you are considered an expert in your field or a guru of your faith.  A conference brings me together with like-minded people who can impart to me their unique and individual perspective towards that passion which we share.  A conference is intensive, and creative education intensified by human connection.

Particularly after attending Paganicon in Minneapolis this March, I’m going as far as to say that in my opinion, no one has any business being an educator or mentor if they don’t attend some sort of conference every few years or so.  In fact, someone truly devoted to their work, special interest or faith maybe should be trying to attend as many conferences as they can afford. I think that a true passion deserves true devotion.  

One of the best examples I can offer as a demonstration of the importance of conferences came from performer Kari Tauring in her Nordic Roots Workshop at Paganicon.  Ms. Tauring is devoted to her Norwegian heritage. She has spent a considerable amount of time researching the indigenous faith practices of the Norwegian people. She believes that religious faith is centered in the music, dances and folklore of the people.  Most of her workshop was spent trying to teach a lot of us awkward pagans how to dance like a Viking.  It went far deeper than dipping and shuffling our feet - we were making the Scandinavian runes with our own bodies as we danced.  Once I let go of whether I was bending my knees at the right time, the act of becoming Mannaz, the rune for community, by being in community, solidified the meaning of this magic symbol for me in a way that goes far beyond words or language.

Ms. Tauring really rocked my spiritual world though with her simple translation of a basic divination with Runes – the three Rune draw.  She explained that each of those three Runes correlates to each of the three Norns of Scandinavian mythology.  The Norns have the responsibility for the Wyrd, which translates most closely to “fate.” Urd is represented by the first Rune draw, Her responsibility is that of the past, what once was.  Verdandi is represented by the second Rune which is commonly associated with the present, but according to Ms. Tauring, Her responsibility is really over “that which is becoming.”  Most people assume (incorrectly) that the third Rune, in the basic three Rune draw represents the future, but Skuld, the final Norn has a responsibility that isn’t quite that easy to articulate.  Really what the great Skuld governs is something akin to “that which is likely.” She represents what is most probable given what was, and what is becoming.  

Ms. Tauring then related the Norns concepts to heritage as a whole.  She related that if you spend time studying where you came from, you can more easily predict what you might become; but more importantly, if you don’t like that direction, you can arm yourself with the tools to change it.    

I have had many spiritual teachers who have stressed the importance of reverence of one’s own ancestors as a cornerstone of pagan faith practice.  I was told time and time again to make space in my home for an ancestor alter and make daily offerings to these dead people.  I didn’t just disagree with my teachers, this idea that my faith depended on my ancestors made me profoundly angry.  I have done extensive research on my family history.  Trust me when I tell you, none of these miserable, abusive alcoholics belong on an alter of any kind.  I will not honor such lives.  Their values do not in any way correspond to the kind of person I am or hope to become.  

Time and time again I was admonished for my refusal to clear space for my family alter.  I repeatedly demanded to know why my faith rested on my ancestors.  I was never given a satisfactory answer.  Ms. Tauring, however, finally made everything expressly clear.  Many, if not most of the living family that I still have continues down a path of misery, addiction and abuse…there is at least one person who is veering from that path – she who keeps the records and knows the past – that one person is me.  There is a new branch on my family tree, one that is strong and healthy, one that smiles and laughs and finds hope.  My son will not be an alcoholic.  He will not abuse his wife or his children.  He will not because he knows his past and his path.  Ms. Tauring gave me the answer I needed:  Know your legacy, know yourself - know your power.

Still not ever going to have an ancestor alter.  My faith is quite strong without one, thanks.

While I may have been ambiguous about my feelings towards ancestor reverence, I did not think I had any ambiguity when it came to the Underworld.  I was so sure that I knew death.  Well, really, it is beyond the scope of the human mind to fully know the mysteries of death and the Underworld; but I did think I had some rather meaningful understanding.  I have after all, been dead, more than once in this lifetime.  That and my devotion to the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, made me think I had acquired a working knowledge of the Underworld and death. However, Michelle Belanger’s Underworld Meditation, Rite of Seven Gates left me speechless.  

I was so profoundly moved by the experience that it took several hours before I resumed to my chatty nature.  I did however, manage to ask Ms. Belanger one question.  “How do I continue this type of work?”  I grunted.  It was so difficult to get those words out of my mouth I do hope she did not find me morose and rude.  She was hesitant to recommend her own book on the subject but I emphatically pressed her to do that very thing.  It was her meditation that had touched me so deeply that it altered my consciousness and my very nature.  She clearly had something to say, and although I didn’t know it at the time I chose her meditation from the conference schedule, I realized that it was exactly what I was craving to learn.  Michelle Belanger showed me a new perspective on a landscape I was so sure that I knew so well.  I learned that it is only when I open myself to experience something new in what is so familiar, that I truly grow.  A conference is a surefire way to that experience.  I bought Ms. Belanger’s book, Walking the Twilight Path, at the Paganicon conference and I had her autograph it.  I am dying to read it…and yes that bad pun was intended.

Not all things at a conference need to be so intense.  Even though I had neglected to bring one of my own elaborate costumes for the ball, I went anyway in a plain black dress.  I enjoy marveling at other people’s creativity in costuming as much as I enjoy making and wearing my own, and maybe perhaps more so.  People are so fascinating to me, I have a hard time designating anyone as “ugly” because all I see is beauty when I look at people. Particularly in a costume ball setting where people are putting all of their creativity and everything that they like about themselves to the forefront.  

And the band!  The band was so good.  The Nathaniel Johnstone Band teams Steampunk with Greek Mythology.  Gods! What is not to love?  

I studied dance for many years.  I know several different styles.  Nathaniel Johnstone had me combine them all and whip my new bob haircut around with reckless abandon.  I drew considerable attention to myself…whether it was positive or negative attention really matters little.  It was the abandon that was important.  I’m now an avid fan of this band (also purchased an autographed CD, thank you very much). Had I not jumped in with both feet and attended Paganicon, and then made myself go to the ball without a costume, I would never have known about them and the joy they have to give to their audience.  

I was nervous about attending Paganicon.  I was mostly attending because I had bravely submitted Accidental Talismans for programming consideration, and to my great anxiety I had been accepted.  My room was filled, all of my handouts were taken, and several people gave me compliments about the affect my work made upon them. Yes! I learned so much from the workshops I attended, but I also learned something during the workshop I presented: my passion has relevance.  

Conferences are where like-minds meet to share relevance.

Kari Tauring has been teaching and living the runes for several decades. She is an important resource in our holistic community — not only for her knowledge of runes, but also for her work with Volva Stav, a unique form of spiritual training that incorporates the indigenous teachings of the Norse traditions.

-Welcome, Kari! I love how you mention in your book, The Runes – A Human Journey, that you can find rune patterns in nature, on sidewalks, etc. Are there any tips you can give us for how to learn to do this?

Kari Tauring: Take the ice rune, for instance. You can’t get to know it only by thinking about it or by recognizing its shape, the vertical line. You have to walk on it, walk over ice. Everyone from Minnesota understands this! When you walk on ice, you walk slowly. You secure your footing. It may be unconscious, but it’s physically necessary. You probably breathe differently while crossing ice. If you notice these things, you will understand that your spine is the ice rune itself. That is the process of reading the runes in nature. This is a “Volva Stav” way of living in the runes.

Of course, the most important thing in recognizing the runes in nature or anywhere else is to memorize their shapes, names and meanings. Treat each rune like a new friend. Memorize how it looks. Memorize its name and one interesting fact about it. The more you recognize it, the more you will meet with it in your daily life. I recommend picking one rune a day to “attend” to. That way you can monitor the frequency of seeing that rune or being confronted with the concepts it represents. When you see it, greet it by name and ask it what’s up. That’s how you develop a relationship with runes.

There are different name spellings, pronunciations and variations on meaning for the runes in Icelandic, Norwegian, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon. Any time you are dealing with a culturally specific system, language is an issue. Be fearless and don’t judge yourself when trying out the language — be playful and honoring.

When I began to study runes in the late 1980s, I made a big chart of the runes to hang on my wall. Each morning and evening, I stretched in front of the chart, playing with the sounds and rhythms of their names in the different languages and on the stretching breath. I began using runes in musical composition, choosing from their names based on the meter of my poetic expression. By the time I wrote the rune book in 2007, I was slipping in and out of different pronunciations for different purposes.

When I asked my editor which pronunciations I should use he said, “Just use the ones you say.” As a result, the choices in my book are an organic mixture of the languages. I will be making an update for my book as iPhone application this year, adding mp3s of my chanting each rune with its various names and rhythms. This will really help others, I think.

-At one point, you mentioned that you live according to the Earth-based 13 Moon calendar. How does this lifestyle differ from what we experience in the Roman 12 month calendar system?

KT: The first thing it did for me was align my body’s cycles with the cycles of the moon, creating hyper awareness of my body rhythms. First was the obvious but startling synchronization of menses to the moon. I began to mark daily and weekly biorhythms. I soon could track my body rhythms on the seasonal cycle. This hyper awareness made it hard to ignore the signals my body was sending of its cyclical needs.

It seems our society is based on this disconnect. Sitting at a desk for extended periods of time, for example, became intolerable. Waking to an alarm rather than on a natural sleep cycle was difficult. Our calendar/clock system made meeting cyclical food and water needs difficult, as well.

While living according to the moon cycles, fitting into the seven-day week, 9-5 productivity schedule that the rest of your society operates on can be difficult. I needed more flexible work and community relationships. It can be isolating.

-Your recent book is called Volva Stav Manual, named after the ceremonial wise woman of the Old Norse tradition. Can you please explain what the Volva Stav program is? How does one begin to study such a system?

KT: Volva is the title for a staff-carrying woman in Norse Tradition. “Carrying the staff” means that this woman is dedicated to aligning her own spine with the trunk of the world tree. Aligning our many bodies with the many dimensional worlds of the cosmic tree creates a Seidr State, a state of transcendence and awareness. The volva follows the 13 moons and seasonal cycle as she aligns her bodies.

Volvas are Vandrekonas (wandering women) traveling both physically in the world and inter-dimensionally through the nine worlds of the tree. The use of the staff to ground and center as well as propel her through the worlds is called Gandreid (wand riding). If she is a Spakona (prophet), she works with the Norns (ancient female beings) using sound vibration to read individual Oorlog (something like karma) and the portion of the Web of Wyrd it is connected to (energetic grid work of Earth and community relationships). She can then see the potential geometry of the path a person or community is on, reading past, present and potential.

If she is a Gamledokter (ancient healer) she will rely on her perceptions to shift or correct the strands of energy with the help of her spirit guides, the client’s ancestor spirits and possibly the spirits of the house or land. She may employ herbs and relationships in the natural world (Teinseid) to create remedies for illness. She will use Galdr (rune song) to create vibrational pathways for healing energy. If the client needs soul retrieval, the volva may gandreid to retrieve the broken pieces.

Volva Stav is a complete system for training to do these things. It is my own personal method developed over two decades of training in music, runes, martial arts, journey, dream work and the healing arts. I initially wrote it to go along with my four-hour intensive course, but it is also helpful on its own.

I think someone with a master level of proficiency in other spiritual arts such as tai chi, energy work or yoga would be able to adapt to the exercises of Volva Stav. But the visualizations and culturally specific alignments are going to take some study. Start reading Norse mythology from as many sources as you can find. The language and terminology will take some doing, but don’t let that stop you. Be fearless in allowing the words to come out of your mouth. It’s better to honor a person by trying to say their name than just nod silently at them as they pass you by.

- How can we incorporate the Volva Stav into our modern lives? How do you integrate it?

KT: The first step is to slow down. To be volva is to be in Verthandi or present moment. Ultimately, it is the conscious awareness of breath, rhythm, and alignment in the present moment that allows the Volva to attain the Seidr State. There is no set future if we remain at peace in the present moment.

Caroling Medley by Kari Tauring.

This song just seems like they recorded singing at a party, and it's delightful.