#runeoftheweek

It’s time for our Weekly Rune!

KENAZ (KAY-NAHS)

Kenaz is the rune of light and flame.

I’m always reminded of the way the Scottish say “ken” to mean “know” when I see this rune. D'ya ken? It’s a great cultural example of this runes meaning.

Kenaz speaks about knowledge, insight and inspiration. That “ah ha!” moment that proceeds discovery or creation, a spurs it on to completion. Passionate and inspiring.

In divination, Kenaz can mean the unveiling of a truth - always look to the Runes around it to determine the context. This could be a secret, or this could be the simple pursuit of information and study.

There is an element of recklessness to this rune. Fire can be unpredictable after all. It’s both the controlled flame of the forge, and the wildfire that consumes everything in its path. If unchecked, it will destroy.

Self knowledge is also found here. Fire is transformative, and enlightening. Consider the phoenix sheding its previous life in flames and rising again from its ashes. Or even more simple, the campfire that changes the state of food as it cooks.

Our #runeoftheweek is RAIDHO!

Pron: Rye-tho) Meaning: Ride, Wheel

UPRIGHT:

Travel/journey (physical and spiritual), a change of pace or direction, seeing the right move and doing it, active change, progress, rhythm, taking charge, initiative, adventure, the right path, morality, right action, leaving your comfort zone

MERKSTAVE:

Crisis, stuck, bound, irrationality, rigidity, disruption, stagnation, devolution, injustice, controlling, restlessness.

  DESCRIPTION:

This is the rune of travel in all forms, whether that's a physical trip, or some sort of spiritual or emotional development. Which ever it is, inertia is not an option. The time to take affirmative action is here. Change can be scary, but this rune indicates that it is necessary and unavoidable.

  When this rune shows up, we can be sure there will be a journey of some kind, but remember; runes can rarely be read alone. Always look to the surrounding runes for context.

  The roots of the word Raidho have also been connected to the concept of counsel, particularly of the internal kind. This rune relates to motion and taking action, but usually based off of our own internal "compass". Our sense of morality, our sense of direction. The fate woven by the Norns may mean that this change is inevitable, but it is directed by our own sense of self.

  When presented Merkstave, it suggests a state of stagnation, or an inability to 'move on'. Perhaps the querrant is stuck in the past in some way, trapped in a cycle of inertia, or self sabotaging. If you're more familiar with tarot, think of the five of cups, nine of swords, or the hanged man reversed.

  RUNE POEM (Anglo-Saxon)

Riding seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors and very courageous to him who traverses the high-roads on the back of a stout horse.

  Question:

  When you feel stuck or indecisive, what helps you move forward?

This weeks rune is JERA (Pron. Yeh-rah)

  TRANSLATION: Year, Season, Harvest

KEY WORDS

Jera Upright:

Harvest and reward. Cycles. The turning of the wheel. Progress. Efforts realised. Prosperity. Natural rhythms, balance. Patience. Sowing seeds for future success. Proper timings. Action creating results. Manifestation. Past unfolding into the future. Completion. Life cycles. Work and ethic. Growth and decay. Coming change. Hope. Potential. Prosperity.

  Jera Merkstave:

Going backwards, a reversal of progress, traumatic change, repetition, stuck in a rut, poor timing, reaping what you have sown, poorly laid plans, carelessness, unhealthy cycles, struggle, lack of preparation.

  DESCRIPTION

We talk a lot in Witchery about "doing the work", and this is a concept perfectly displayed with this rune.

Jera is the rune of the harvest. Do the hard graft, and reap the reward.

Jera speaks of having the patience and the will to play the long game. Perseverance is key to success. Everything has its proper time - a seed does not grow into harvests bounty over night.

Before you can harvest, you have to lay your ground work (till the fields, plant your seeds), and do the work (cultivate your seeds, help them grow). Action creates results.

This rune is cyclical. It represents the inevitable turning of the wheel. The seed you sow becoming the harvest, and the harvest once again becoming the new seed.

While this rune is generally a positive omen of soon to be blooming success, its worth remembering that the phrase "reap what you have sown" is an old adage. It means that actions have consequences, positive or negative.

Remember, the message of the rune relies on the context of what surrounds it.

RUNE POEM TRANSLATED (old Icelandic rune poem)

Harvest time

Is a boon to men.

Thriving crops

From good summers.

  What seeds are you planting right now?

- Bel x (@wildbloodwitch)

Our rune of the week is Gebo, drawn as two lines, or sticks, crossing in the middle. It literally means ‘gift,’ and can mean you may see an unexpected arrival of a physical gift, but it goes further than that. Gebo represents presence, more than ‘presents’ and the offerings we make, the sacrifices that are done in the spirit of altruism.

You make offerings everyday. For some, you have an altar in your home, you burn incense, light candles, prepare an arrangement of fresh flowers to honor the ancestors, guides, goddesses of your heart. In formal church rituals, gifts are made and prepared and made holy and sacred. In a more ordinary way, we make the calls to family members, friends, to check in, say hi, maybe make a plan to get together soon. These are all the kinds of gifts of self we mean when we see this rune, those that create, build and cement loyalties, friendship, love.

This week is guided by energies of exchange. Another key phrase of Gebo is ‘my word is my bond.’ I can see two arms clasped in a tight fist, clad in gold. Consider this week your own circle of friends and community, your story of partnership. Further, in mythology, there is always a price to be paid, a sacrifice for knowledge gained. Odin hung upside down from the world tree for 9 days, 9 nights, famously giving of himself to himself to acquire the runes.

Remember that “X” marks the spot where treasure is buried, and “X” was an acceptable form of signing one’s name to binding documents. Finally, the words from Hávámál, the ancient rune poem, “Unasked is better than offered too much; always a gift seeks gain. Unsent is better than sacrificed too much.”