Today I’m starting a nutrition challenge through my gym, so I thought I would do a tarot spread to examine and clarify what I need to focus on during the four weeks of the challenge. I looked around for some health and fitness spreads but didn’t find much that was close to what I was […]
Freyja (alternate spellings include Freya) is the goddess of love, sex, beauty, death, and sorcery. Her name means “Lady.” Freyja is a Vanir, but was made an honorary Aesir after the Aesir-Vanir war. Freya with Brisingamen,J. Penrose (1890) Freyja’s necklace, Brisingamen, is a symbol of fertility made of amber or gold. These were precious materials […]
Working with the runes is an ongoing process. Before you really attempt to use them for divination, you should take the time to learn each of them. Understand the relationships between them. The runes tell a story, like the tarot, but unlike the tarot, they are much more mischievous. They demand attention and care. I […]
Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals celebrated in autumn. It takes place on the equinox, when the sun passes the celestial equator, and marks the start of fall. It follows Lammas, and is followed by Samhain. At Mabon, we celebrate the fertility of the year with feasting. It’s very close to Canadian Thanksgiving. […]
This weekend, I had the privilege of attending a workshop on shamanic journeying at Soul Space. I’ve tried a few guided meditations and meditated on the runes before, but this is the first time I’ve had any training on journeying. I was expecting it to have the same feel as a rune meditation, so I […]
For Lammas, I asked the gods to tell me what message I need to hear at this time. I had recently drawn Algiz during a single-rune pull with the same intent, so it was nice to see it waving hello to me again in the first position here! First Rune: Algiz Algiz represents protection, but […]
The third aett of the Elder Futhark consists of these eight runes: Teiwaz Berkana Ehwaz Mannaz Laguz Ingwaz Othila Dagaz The third is the aett of Tyr. He was the original warlord, while Odin was the lover. Tyr represents just cause. The third aett tells of the development of humankind. It represents the human condition […]
Dagaz (thaw-gauze) is the eighth rune of the third aett, and the twenty-fourth rune overall. It represents drastic, cataclysmic change. Dagaz connects to the summer solstice and represents wildfire. In the Asatru tradition, Othila is often considered to come last, because the two humans that survive Ragnarok inherit the land. In the Valkyrie tradition, this […]
August 1st is Lammas, the first harvest. The word “Lammas” comes from the phrase “loaf mass,” and enjoying fresh bread made from wheat or corn can be part of the celebration. It is the first of the three autumn festivals, the other two being the Autumn Equinox (Mabon), and Samhain. In the Gaelic tradition, it […]
Othila (oath-awe-law) is the seventh rune of the third aett, and the twenty-third rune overall. It represents inherited land, or inheritance. There is a sense of birthright, community, kinship, what you are entitled to, and nobility. Othila is the gift of Ing – a combination of Ingwaz with Gebo, but the inherited gift is generall […]
