The Rune Dad

I’d like to change directions a bit with this post. Normally, we discuss what the rune represents and some anecdotes to get us thinking about how the rune is presenting itself in our lives. But, as I was thinking about Kennaz ᚲ, it occurred to me to discuss the runes from a broader perspective. 

Kennaz represents a torchlight. I was reminded, recently, while visiting a Catholic Church just how dark they would have been before electricity; how dark ALL buildings inside were before electricity. To really be able to see something well required significant light from flames, and even so, it would’ve been difficult to make out details of objects or even words on a page without the proper light. 

The action of Kennaz is very similar to how we interpret the runes present in our life and shine light on the issues to find the details. The most common way to “read” runes is the physical action of pulling runes from a bag, placing them in a particular order and interpreting them based on the issue at hand. This is much like people do with Tarot cards. Traditionally, they were tossed onto the floor and interpreted as to how they land. And while I do these ways, also, I much prefer to analyze my own situation and determine which rune elements are presenting themselves in my mind’s eye. I shine a spotlight on my issue and begin thinking of all the runes that may fit my situation, eliminating the ones that don’t, until I find the most prominent ones for my situation.

I’ll give you an example. Earlier this week, I needed to have a conversation that was giving me some anxiety to think about. It was a harmless, work-related conversation, and I couldn’t understand why it was giving me so much angst. I began to look at my situation from the angle of each rune to find the right fit. Was I feeling defensive? No. Vulnerable? No. Trapped? No. Alienated? No. Out of sync?…maybe…Guilty…maybe…Underperforming? Getting closer. And I rested on not putting enough effort into the task. I wasn’t feeling reliable. I was out of sync and lacked purpose. Not only that, but I had no drive and felt guilty about it. Those are all aspects of Ehwaz ᛖ, the horse (or sports car in modern times). In this modern sense, the sports car is leaking oil and tires run flat from underuse. 

So now that I had identified the rune in my situation, I began to shine light on the aspect of that rune and gleam what the wisdom was. I hadn’t put in enough practice. While it may have been something that came easy to me at one point, I had had other priorities. Those more important priorities got me out of habit and made me feel less than capable. Spending a few minutes each day or a few intentional thoughts on the matter would ensure that my mind is sharp for the task. I reassured myself of the other ways that I was capable. I took some deep breaths and analyzed the purpose for the call. It takes minimal effort to complete the tasks efficiently and the call was just a status update. I was making a mountain out of nothing but letting my own insecurities get the best of me. 

When we separate ourselves from our situations and highlight our struggles, we can use the wisdom of the runes to guide us to the right path. We can use the energy of Kennaz to accomplish this and make things more lucid, bright, and detailed. If you’re just starting out with understanding the runes, just think of colloquialisms or figures of speech. There will usually be more than a few that come to mind describing your situation, and a lot of these phrases will have keywords or images linking back to a rune. Tongue-tied: Ansuz ᚨ: Speech/Communication. Up a creek without a paddle: Laguz ᛚ: Water/Flow. Reap what you sow: Jera ᛃ: Steady preparation/Harvest. Etc. etc.

The wisdom found in these runes can provide us with so much insight. Use them as tools to study your life. Sit with them and meditate on them throughout the day. Get acquainted with them. I promise you, that by doing that, you’ll be more equipped to listen to your instincts and unlock what your subconscious may be trying to tell you.