LAGUZ

LAGUZ

LAGUZ (pronounced "log-uhz" or "Lah-gooze")

LAGUZ is the word for water or lake. It is the equivalent of the letter L and the number 21.

Traditional interpretations of LAGUZ include: water, healing, creation, ocean, purification/cleansing, the tide, water-based travel, and feminine-energies.

LAGUZ is water. It can be as small as a puddle, or as powerful as an ocean or a storm. It's meaning can be opaque, or clear. LAGUZ is water in every form; rain, mist, crashing ocean waves, a still pond, a stream, anything. It is the ebb and flow of the tide, of our lives, of the seasons, and of the energies. And it is very much so connected with the moon, as is water and feminine-energy.

Water is cleansing, but also transformative. Think of a river stone, made smooth by the constant, but ever-gentle flow of water. Or envision the earth and how she has been carved and shaped by the past rivers and rains. LAGUZ leaves its mark, it may not be permeant in and of itself, but it will change you.

The ancient Norse had burials at sea, where they would set the body adrift in burial-ships and set it ablaze. But the sea was also their mode of transportation and livelihood. What would water have meant for them? What does it mean to you?

We are, for the most part, made up of water, as are all animals. LAGUZ is an integral part of us. LAGUZ is not only healing, but life-force.

Reversed: As water has the power to either sate one's thirst or drowned, LAGUZ is capable of both healing and hurting. Reversed LAGUZ can also indicate a hidden or unexpected danger.LAGUZ reversed can tell us something is out of control in our lives. It warns of a loss. You are in danger of sinking, when you come upon reversed LAGUZ, and you must look to the surrounding runes for a way out of the water.

Water can be deceptive, rather then showing us what lies beneath its surface, it can reflect back an image of the world above. Someone may be trying to trick you, perhaps by telling you what you want to hear, rather then the truth. They may be trying to divert your attention and distract you. LAGUZ is the ultimate call to refocus yourself and stay on the ball.

LAGUZ wants us to be aware of our surroundings, and to acknowledge that things might not be what they seam to be. What we see is only half the picture; we can only see what at the surface, if you will.

Runic Architecture: Bringing Runes into Your Home

In Germanic Fachwerk homes, the runes were built into the structures. Good examples are Tudor-age homes. You can easily see ALGIZ, URUZ, TIWAZ, and the other runes in the beams both outside and inside the home. Buildings were vessels of magickal energy, and by forming the runes in the timbers, the building could imprint these runes and their energies onto the residence.

Tudor-age home
What Runes do you see?

Our homes and structures are not as well-thought out or spiritual today. Your home should be a sacred space. Maybe we don't purposefully have runes built into the very foundation of our homes, but we can incorporate runes into our daily lives and homes. Think of what you want your home to embody, what you want to draw into it. Protection? Love? Partnership? Family? What runes correspond with those?

You can bring runes into your home in almost anyway. It can be anything from laying stones in a rune's shape in your garden to setting out rune stones to draw in those energies you wish for in your home. The only limit is your imagination... which is limitless, might I add.

I have a game I like to play with myself. Find the runes. Whether I am in my own home, or another building I like to look around and see where I can find them. Look everywhere; the seams of tiles, the windows, the angles of the walls, the door-frames, even furniture still holds the runes. They may not be as intentional as they once were, but the runes are still very present in our daily lives. In man-made environments such as buildings or even some cars, the runes have made a place for themselves. If you still find you self wanting, just look outside. The runes are all around us.

JERA

JERA

JERA (pronounced "yehr-ah")

JERA is the word for year or harvest, and the letter J. It is the 12th rune in the set. It is associated with Freya and Freyja.

Traditional interpretations of JERA: success, harvest, reward, good year, gain, profit, fertility, and justice.

JERA is the harvest and the sowing of the seeds. It is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. JERA is the year, with all the seasons and changes.  I like to think of JERA in a few odd ways. Notice the resemblance to the yin-yang. Dark; light, masculinity; femininity, life; death, night and day. These are two opposite forces are coming together. JERA resembles two scythes, as well, reminding us of the harvest once more. JERA is a rune of reward, yes- but it also tells us that we must work first to fully enjoy the bounties of our harvest. Before the feast, we must harvest the crops.

We associate the word "harvest" with bounty, prosperity, gain, and feasting. But what we forget is that those things are the outcome of the harvest. They are what we get to enjoy after we work to collect the crops, not the harvest itself. The harvest is work, but it pays off in the end with celebrations, feasting, and enough food to last until the next harvest. The harvest allows us to live, to survive, and to thrive. We exit a period of time where our food is running out, and enter a time of plenty and feasts.

JERA is also a rune of justice and legal matters. As it resembles a scale, it brings balance into our lives.

JERA can hint at past investments paying off, or, in the less monetary sense, someone/something from your past once again entering your life and bringing you fulfillment and joy.

JERA, like the land we sow and reap, must replenish itself. In order to restore fertility the land must "recharge" for a time. JERA may signify that you need to take some time for yourself before throwing your self back into your work full force.

When crops are harvested they are stored and rationed, in order to insure that you are properly prepared for the coming winter. Hard times may be ahead, but so long as you prepare yourself, you will have no trouble. This may signify that you should conserve your monitory resources, or that your talents may soon become very useful.

JERA is both masculine and feminine. It embodies fertility; of a man, of a woman, of your mind, of your investments, and of the land.

When interpreting JERA it is important to remember that what you sow is what you reap. You must put effort into your endeavors and work to succeed. Look at the surrounding runes. Where are they in relation to JERA? Do they entail success or failure? What energies can you sense from JERA at this time and in this context? Look around JERA, do the runes surrounding it tell of monetary gain/loss? Do they hint at partnership and relationships? JERA is usually a positive rune, as it has no reverse, unless its surrounding runes say otherwise. But, as with all things, there are positive and negative aspects of it. With the harvest, come the approach of winter; a time when the land yields no crop. But winter is also a time of recharging before the rebirth in spring. It allows the land to recover and regain its fertility. After winter, the land is ready to live again.

The Rune Pouch

This is a topic I find scarcely addressed. What is the rune pouch? A place to hold your runes? A bag to carry them? Well, yes and no. The rune pouch is so much more then that. Be it leather, velvet, cloth, silk, or even a temporary plastic bag; the rune pouch is a guardian and a wall. Think of it as your skin; it keeps the insides in and the outside world out. It is a barrier. It is the sacred space for your runes. It should act as a temple, in a way; pure, sacred, protective.

The rune pouch is as symbolic as the runes. It is a guardian, a protector. It s a fortress; protecting and defending against the outside energies that might otherwise jumble the energies of your runes. it separates the energy or your runes and the energies of the outside world, allowing you to get a clean, and unbiased reading. You can find every rune represented in your pouch, all you have to do it open your mind and look.

Like your runes, the pouch you keep them in should be purified and treated with respect. As you would respect someone's home, respect the pouch. As you would respect your runes, respect the pouch. Without it your runes would be vulnerable and exposed.

I recommend using natural fibers and purifying your pouch heavily. I used incense and let it sit in my window for a night, along with the same energy-work I did with the runes. Do whatever you feel is right for your rune pouch. Nothing is wrong, but I do not recommend burying it or using fire directly as it risks damaging the pouch. Avoid materials that might scratch your runes, if you are using a type of crystal.

You can make your own pouch or purchase one. It doesn't have to be the nicest, most ornate or expensive thing you own, it just has to work and keep your runes nice and safe. Ebay and Etsy have some lovely bags, and most fabric stores sell draw-string pouches for cheap. Sufficient bags aren't difficult to come by and are very affordable easy to find.

WYRD

The first rune I have pulled for this series is... WYRD. The controversial, heavily debated rune.

WYRD (pronounced "wired")

WYRD is the blank rune. It gets its name from the Norns (Urdhr/Urd, Verthandi, and Skuld), the sisters of past, present, and future.

To some this is the 25th rune, to others; it is not a rune at all. Not everyone uses this rune when they cast, as it is not an original rune.

WYRD has no number, letter or symbol in relationship to it. It is a non-rune, in a sense.

Dictionary definition: fate personified; any one of the three Weird Sisters.

Traditional interpretation: None. This is a modern rune created in the 1980's. Many do not use it in their casting for this reason. Fate seems to be a common theme among those who use this rune.

I have always seen this rune as the "hand of the gods." To me, it signifies divine intervention, trust, fate, karma, things hidden, and the wheel of life. In some readings I find that I sense something completely different; I have no word for the sensation, all I know is that it tells me the reading is void. It either means that this is not the proper time, or that it cannot offer me guidance on this matter, as it is a lesson I must learn. This signifies a personal growth in some aspect of my life; be that emotional, spiritual, or moral. It is a harbinger of change and growth. WYRD is ambiguity made manifest; it can be a good sign, or a bad one, there is no way to tell. To draw WYRD means that the matter is out of your hands, and you must accept that.

When we interpret WYRD, we must look at it's surrounding runes. What do they tell us? How do they relate to WYRD? Are they amplified by it, or sucked into the void?

WYRD has no reverse, but like all runes, it has both positive and negative aspects. Use your gut and "feel it out." How does this rune feel to you? How do the runes around it feel?

Many do not use WRYD, or consider those who use WYRD to be reliable rune-casters. I believe there is something to learn from every rune, be it traditional or not. Some may chose not to use WYRD, some may. it dose not matter what symbols you read, only that they have meaning to you. keep in mind that some use a completely different spread of runes (not the Elder Futhark) or use different symbols then those I use here. this does not discredit the reader. All should be respected for their knowledge, not what they use to gain such insight.

Runes: Overview and Introduction

The runes are a Germanic alphabet used in divination, writing, and magick. They were commonly used though out the European area. The runes are often thought of in relation to Vikings and Old-Norse people. Rune casting is not going to give you a picture of the future, but it will give you the knowledge you need to face it. The runes give us advice and guidance. Whether or not you follow the Old Ways, the runes provide insight and aid in our daily lives, and should be regarded with respect and a clear mind. The Runes should be seen as a source of knowledge and lessons to be learned. The Runes I will be focusing on are the Elder Futhark runes. They are a set of 24, but I will also be discussing WYRD, the blank rune.

What I write here will be both my own interpretations, and traditional interpretations. You may or may not agree with everything I say, and that is how it should be. What matters most is your own interpretation. What do they say to you? How do they feel to you? This is meant to inspire you to pave your own path with the runes and to meditate on them for yourself. I believe we should learn from each other and from within ourselves.