December 30, 2010 - Ior

Ior

Ior is the dipthong “io”

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Ior is a river fish and yet it always feeds on land;
it has a fair abode encompassed by water, where it lives in happiness
Ior indicates a certain ease and comfortability in ones space, whether that is a home, just in your personal space in a public setting. There is contentment that permeates this rune, even as you move through your environment, shifting from one extreme to another. Externally, there is an expression of moving between boundaries, or even that boundaries are shifting, perhaps caused by your actions. While you maybe comfortable in these changing times, others may not be

December 28, 2010 - Shtan

Shtan

Shtan is the “sh” sound

There is no rune poem for shtan. It is a Northumbrian rune.

Shtan, stone, signifies foundation, permanence, and the eternal. Like stone that can withstand centuries, while the lives of men and other living things rise and fall and change about it. Today, particularly it is a foundation to lean on. It’s particular effect is one of boon or fortune, lending support when so much is happening, or perhaps has fallen away from you.

December 27, 2010 - Uruz

Uruz

Uruz is the vowel sound “u”

The aurochs is proud and has great horns;
it is a very savage beast and fights with its horns;a great ranger of the moors, it is a creature of mettle

Uruz indicates strength, power, and achievement. It is also a rune for healing, as it gives strength and vigor to the body, mind and soul. If you have been battling with illness or disease, you might find that it is lifting today, as you regain your strength.

December 26 - January 1, 2011 - Yr reversed

Yr reversed

Yr is the letter Y

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Yr is a source of joy and honour to every prince and knight;
it looks well on a horse and is a reliable equipment for a journey

Yr reversed indicates a lack of skill or ability, and that events, people and situations will be teaching you about the skills you lack. I find it also is indicative of the hands, and that specially attention should be paid attention to the hands during this time, especially if you work with your hands a lot.

December 21, 2010 - Sowilo

Sowelo

Sowelo is the letter S

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The sun is ever a joy in the hopes of seafarers
when they journey away over the fishes' bath,until the courser of the deep bears them to land

Ok, I think this rune is rather self-evident what it is pointing to. Happy Solstice!

An invocation of the runes

Hail Rune Wights of the Nine Worlds, Hail to the Hidden Runes, Interpreted signs, the many symbols of Might and Power, by great singer painted, by the high powers fashioned, graved by the utterer of Gods, Hail cosmic runes, bright runes, Holy runes, Hail Luck staves, Wyrd staves, Spell staves, Hail Mind runes, Hail Dream staves, Hail Speech runes and Song runes, Hail Joy Runes and Victory Runes, Hail Wealth Runes, Hail Thief Staves, Hail Birth runes, Blood runes, and limb runes, Hail Health staves, Hail Sea runes, Earth Runes, Fire Runes, Sky Runes, Hail Wind staves, Water staves, Rock staves, Flame staves, Hail Death Runes, Black runes, Hel Runes, and Conflict Runes, Hail Murk staves, Deception staves, and Evil staves, Great Rune Wights, Your weal I win, your boon I obey, your good I happily gain, Hail to the speaker, the knower, the listener, Use what you have learned

copyright Br. Christopher 2010

December 19, 2010 - Eolhx

Eolhx

Eolhx is the letter x or z,

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The Eolhx-sedge is mostly to be found in a marsh;
it grows in the water and makes a ghastly wound,covering with blood every warrior who touches it.

Eolhx indicates that today, you are protected. That doesn’t mean go run and jump off a cliff, but that a lot of the unfortunate things that could happen, will not. Sometimes, a part of the vibe I receive from eolhx is that there is a deeply spiritual quality, something holy, that is the source of that protection. It’s not the stone wall that cannot be penetrated, or a bristling wall of spears to threaten harm and violence, but a deep and powerful sanctity, that just keeps adversity subdued.

December 19 - 25, 2010 - Jera

Jera

Jera is the letter J

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Summer is a joy to men, when God, the holy King of Heaven,
suffers the earth to bring forth shining fruitsfor rich and poor alike

Jera, Year or Summer, is the rune of time, patience, the reaping and sowing of ones labors. It is a perfect sign for this week with the Winter Solstice on December 21 along with a lunar eclipse combining with the changing season. Forces are going out, new forces are coming in. In Wiccan lore, this is the time when the Child of Light returns, the reborn Sun, after the longest night. With his birth the days will start to become longer. Even though we are still operating in the dark time and in Northern Europe folk lore, it was still the dark season when the dead are still close whether for good or evil. But the seasons turn, the wheel turns, and we move forward with our lives.

The lunar eclipse is a fun phenomenon, although in most European lore, whether from Northern Europe or Mediterranean traditions, the eclipses were ill omens, although in astrology, the eclipse around the Northern Node of the Moon, otherwise known as the head of the Dragon, was considered fortunate. However, this lunar eclipse is with the southern node, or the dragon’s tail, and is considered a malefic point. Although, when it comes to the malefic virtues of astrology, they are often evil with good (ie bad results to those things people desire in life) and good with evil (they also diminish the bad things as well, making them not so bad). At the Strategic Sorcery blog, Jason Miller shares that in Tibetan view, eclipses are a time when the actions who take become more powerful, a 1000 times for lunar eclipses, and 10000 times for solar. So, keep in mind what you do while the eclipse happens, even if you cannot see it (such as me, as my skies are filled with rain clouds).

December 18, 2010 - Raidho

Raidho

Raidho is the letter R

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

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

Raidho indicates that today will be a day of action, planning, and traveling about. Doors and roads will be opened, to help one achieve what is desired. It doesn’t necessarily indicate a fast paced day, but there will definitely be things going on. It will help if you can be orderly, organized and directed with it, but it’s not a requirement.

Loving it up

Tonight, I spent a good amount of time making various love products. Love bath salts, true love powder, love incense. I feel all kinds of loved up.

As I sat there making these products, each very different from each other in ingredients, I noticed some things. In my experience of love products they tend to three (3) certain types of scents. Those scents are sweet, floral, and musky. All three can be present in one product, but it is interesting to separate out the three into different products.

In this case, the Love bouquet bath was floral. As the strongest scents within it are lavender and rose, it makes sense. It was kind of refreshing because of that, and uplifting, like the feeling of new love, sweeping into your heart. The sparkle of infatuation and affection, or the sparkly new “I feel pretty and also a little twitter-pated” as well.

With a different scent was the True love powder. This just smelled sweet, a little green, but there was this vague, indescribable candy like smell. I don’t really know where it came from (as I didn’t really add any essential oils) and none of the herbs really seemed to smell like that either as I was measuring them out. Something about the process of grinding it up and mixing it together seemed to release this scent that wasn’t there before. That, or the Powers of Love were gracing me with their presence, which I don’t mind at all.

The final product, my Love incense, is a mixture of deep, heavy, musky smells. Patchouli figures strongly in this mixture, as does myrrh. My intent was something that is bit more sexy and seductive, and in a sense a bit more masculine, as floral scents are seen as being feminine, darker and muskier scents are seen as being more masculine. Suffice to say, I love this incense. It’s deep, it’s rich, and given time, I think it will develop some great complexity of scent. But I think it needs a lot of time to do that. I am going to give it a test run tomorrow though, just to see how it smells at the beginning. I have actually been sitting on the compounding of this incense for a while, as I made an oil from this recipe long ago, so I am curious to see how it comes out when I burn it. The oil I love as well, and as it is primarily rich, luxurious fixatives, it is really long lasting, and can be a little strong for some people. As it’s all botanical essential oils, I am impressed that it can last all day, while some of my other mixtures seem very fugitive in comparison.

Love, Love, Love, is really all I need right now.

December 17, 2010 - Sowilo

Sowelo

Sowelo is the letter S

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The sun is ever a joy in the hopes of seafarers
when they journey away over the fishes' bath,until the courser of the deep bears them to land

Today’s Sowelo feels more metaphorical then literal. For one thing, it’s raining here, and the sky has been overcast all day. I have been feeling energized but calm, and moving through my day with ease and grace. Sowelo embodies all the power, and symbolism that the sun has. It is light, warmth, and glory that helps to bring everything to successful conclusion. Crowned with the sun’s light, you cannot fail, even though the obstacles maybe great, and difficult, fortune will smile upon you.

December 16, 2010 - Gar

Gar

There is no letter for Gar

There is no poem for Gar. It is a Northumbrian rune.

Gar, the spear, the axis of the world, is the rune of possibility, and also emptiness. If it were a yes or no question, it’s like the runes answered with a very coy and half-grinned maybe. It lines up with the rune for this week, which is also Gar, showing that a mystery, and yet a great immanence is with us today. The door is open, the well is clear, standing at the center, with all of creation rayed out around you, and all that needs to be done is to take action.

December 15, 2010 - Raidho reversed

Raidho reversed

Raidho is the letter R

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

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

Raidho reversed signifies challenges in journeys of all kinds, from physical travel, to spiritual travel. Obstacles, traffic, car troubles, road closures, inclement weather are all possibilities for physical travel, while spiritual travel may be plagued by distractions, exhaustion, and perhaps just being unable to get into that right state of mind to do it.

Interestingly enough, this rune was very helpful for me today. I had a journey from where I live, up into the heart of Los Angeles, a long, although short journey. As many people are aware, Los Angeles I known for it’s traffic, especially when it rains, as people seem to freak out about the liquid falling from the sky. Fortunately, I did this reading with plenty of time before I left, and I spent my morning meditation and ritual time, making offerings to Gods of travelers and journeys, with an additional offering left in the crossroads as I journey to my destination. Not only was my trip swift, it was safe and peaceful. Thank you Hermes Diaktoros!

December 14, 2010 - Inguz

Inguz

Inguz is the suffix –ing

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Ing was first seen by men among the East-Danes,
till, followed by his chariot,he departed eastwards over the waves.So the Heardingas named the hero

Inguz, the rune of Frey, of the catalyzing force, and of the potential that lies dormant within, is the rune for today. Todays particular expression is the catalyst, as Inguz touches upon the primal forces of creation, stirring them in activity. Of course, the intelligent embodiment of these forces, as known in the Northern Tradition, are the jotuns or giants. In Greek, they are the Titans, the powers that existed before the Olympian Gods.

What that means, for most people, today will be a day rife with challenges and difficulties. Exhaustion, feeling ill at ease, or just dealing one vortex of chaos after another, trying to put out the fires, can sum up the experience of most people. Try not to overreact though, as the mistakes and problems of today, will only come back to haunt you again later.

December 13, 2010 - Cenaz

Cenaz

Cenaz is the letter C

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The torch is known to every living man by its pale, bright flame;
it always burns where princes sit within

Cenaz signifies the inspiration, passion, and illumination. You might find things revealed to you, or least a great deal of ability to perceive situations and people clearly, as the hidden things are brought out and made plain. Ideas, actions, and inspired visions will arise, guiding the steps you take, and the steps you need to take. The stirring of desire, of intensity which warms the blood, goading and urging you to move forward, act, do something!!! These are the effects of Cenaz. Within the light of it’s bright flame, the paths of desire and creation are illumined.

December 12, 2010 - Wunjo

Wunjo

Wunjo is the letter W

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Joy he enjoys who knows not suffering, sorrow nor anxiety,
and has prosperity and happiness and a good enough house

Wunjo, the rune of Joy is for today. It should be pretty obvious what this indicates, but there is also an indication of wish fulfillment, pleasure, and contentment as part of what lies within it. At it’s more refined level, it is bliss, a state of feeling the connectedness of creation, and being in harmony with it.

December 12 - 18, 2010 - Gar

Gar

There is no letter equivalent for Gar

There is no rune poem for Gar. It is a Northumbrian rune.

Gar to me is the door this week, the open, or opening portal. Whether to step through and see what is on the other side, or to wait, and allow entrance on the other side is the question. Action or rest, coming or going, arrival and departure, these are the juxtapositions surrounding this cosmic door that lies at the center, the fulcrum and axis for everything around it.

December 11, 2010 - Ear reversed

Ear reversed

Ear is the dipthong “ea”
Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

The grave is horrible to every knight,
when the corpse quickly begins to cooland is laid in the bosom of the dark earth.Prosperity declines, happiness passes awayand covenants are broken
Ear reversed today feels like an indication of crisis averted. It also seems to point to that some of the more unpleasant things I have been dealing with are not quite finished yet, the last parts lingering on, while I figure out how to bring about a resolution.

December 9, 2010 - Gebo

Gebo

Gebo is the letter G

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Generosity brings credit and honour, which support one's dignity;
it furnishes help and subsistenceto all broken men who are devoid of aught else

Gebo signifies the bonds, relationships and contracts that exist between us all. It is generally indicative that the relationships you foster are going to be important. These can be intimate relationships, business relationships, or casual relationships. Being generous or receiving the generosity of others brings with it obligation, unless stated otherwise. It is also that exchange upon which society and human connection thrives. While some avoid getting too tied up in obligations (and some obligations, especially money are probably worth avoiding in many cases), complete avoidance is harmful to you, as much as it is to other people. You should enter into commitments, but as you do so, remember to read the fine print, and make sure the terms are clear. You are as much to blame for errors because of the lack of knowledge.

December 8, 2010 - Ac

Ac

Ac is the long vowel sound “ah”
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 is the rune of faithfulness, fidelity, endurance, constancy, and experience. Because of these, it is also a rune of healing and health, giving strength and aid to see to the return of health. It has recently come to my understanding the Ac figures well in love spells, especially when the fidelity of partners is desired or in question. No matter what your arrangement may be, it helps to keep people staying together and abiding by their promises. It feels to me that this rune comes about after a period of great instability and uncertainty, and helps to restore a sense of the calm and stability with it.

December 7, 2010 - Cweorth

Cweorth

Cweorth is the letter Q

There is no rune poem for cweorth. It is a Northumbrian rune.

Cweorth, the holy fire, by which offerings are made, people, animals and objects are purified, and the dead are released and reborn again. Todays influence of cweorth was incredibly benign. It isn’t always burning, consuming purification and destruction. Sometimes it can just be the warmth, light and heat, filling the space the encompasses it, and radiating it’s holy power throughout.

December 6, 2010 - Nauthiz

Nauthiz

Nauthiz is the letter N

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Trouble 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

Nauthiz is a rune of Fate, which is often described as troubling and cruel, usually because only the unpleasant things are attributed to it. Another meaning to Nauthiz is Necessity, that which needed. In the twisting, twining and weaving of fate, both benevolent and malevolent things are present. Yet in responding to each one, in it’s own way, it can bring help and salvation. Today is more about help and salvation. The trials faced have been somewhat prepared for, and while some pain will be present, the resolution will come quickly.

December 5, 2010 - Yr

Yr

Yr is the letter Y

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

Yr is a source of joy and honour to every prince and knight;
it looks well on a horse and is a reliable equipment for a journey

Yr signifies skill, ability and finesse. As a general indicator for today, it indicates that you have the ability to handle things as they arise, so they work out for you in a beneficial manner. It may not be quickly, as any artist or artisan can tell you, but often times the best things take time to produce.

December 5 - 11, 2010 - Aethel reversed

Aethel reversed

Aethel is the vowel sound “ai” (like bait)

Anglo-Saxon rune poem (from ragweedforge.com)

An estate is very dear to every man,
if he can enjoy there in his housewhatever is right and proper in constant prosperity

Aethel reversed indicates a flight from the home and personal estate. It might be an indicator of discord among the inhabitants, but it is also a sign that perhaps one just needs to get out and do things, and will not have an opportunity to rest, and enjoy the things of the home in prosperity. You might also find yourself isolated in your own home. Restrictions and limitations keep you there, against your will, and the joys of family and friends are not able to enter in, for other reasons.

Lack of Posts

I am sorry if you have been wondering where my regular posts have gone. I have been dealing with some health issues, which had made it difficult to focus on keeping up with my blog. Also with the holidays in the USA upon us, it just serves as a further distraction. I seek to resume with new posts tomorrow.