sitting backwards
to see what is ahead
a long and winding road
wending through forests
to before we were young
in tall pines
three crows calling
Another rune poem of mine, where the rune is selected at random. Today’s rune is ehwaz, which has a core meaning of “horse”. A horse is often associated with journeys, travel and movement. By extension, it also implies symbiosis with another living creature and loyalty, or trust.
we walk dire valleys
you and i
our bones are hearts
for such places between
pull me gloaming to,
give this stonefield life
Another rune poem of mine, where the rune is selected at random. Today’s rune is eihwaz, which has a core meaning of “yew”. Yew trees are associated with the underworld and the axis mundi (world tree), as well as liminal spaces and transformation.
tossing a blanket over
i go within to go without
crows calling over bleak expanse
while the narrows snake ruddy
over snow-covered fells
wind-exposed lichen & stone
Another rune poem, where the rune is selected at random. Today’s rune is raido, which has a core meaning of “riding” or “journey”. Most often, it implies a journey by wain (cart) which further implies “wheel”, but also has been interpreted as travel on foot or by horse.
one foot in her river
one foot on her banks
waiting as they did
following old ways
for her rushflow to
pour across my legs
Another of my rune poems for a Elder Futhark rune selected at random. Today’s rune is dagaz, whose core meaning is “daybreak”, often interpreted to be a time or place of liminality, or conditions associated with imminent change or transformation. Cusps and thresholds are further examples of ideas that dagaz represents.
here, we stand in stillness.
cold still in beauty
stone against flurry
rimed eyes clear
we chill flames
burning too hot
here, we stand.
Another of my rune poems for a Elder Futhark rune selected at random. Today’s rune is isaz/isa, whose core meaning is “ice” and which secondary meanings are all those normally associated with ice: stillness, enchantment, beauty and, yes, stagnation, blockages and cold.
I was thinking recently about sceadugenga.com and the runes found there and decided that, rather than let the domain lapse into a WordPress.com variant when the hosting period is up at that site, I will transfer the domain to this host and continue to own the domain. I will likely reduce the content to just rune-related matters, but the annual fee is nominal for continuing to own the domain name. I will likely have to overhaul the pages to correct for some of the elements that don’t transfer over to non-WordPress-hosted variations of sites, but I should probably do that anyway to correct how some of my understanding has evolved over time (continuously). The decision to refer to the rune as isaz instead of isa is reflective of some of that change in understanding.
cut & cautery
carve away those
parts we do not like
& give to smoke that
not given to root
not given to bone
sun gazing &
dizzy of dance—
reborn
Today rune is kenaz. The word has been associated with “ulcer” and “torch”, depending on which rune poem is used or name derivation you embrace. By extension, it implies flame and illumination as secondary meanings. Tertiary meanings come from ideas associated with those themes (e.g., burning, knowledge, light in darkness).
who dares mount up &
enjoin the winding path?
ravens laugh in the ashes
at a joke few will perceive —
a snare that's already sprung
While I don’t plan to go back to doing daily rune poems as I did at sceadugenga.com, every once in a while I might randomly pick one and see what comes out of my head, just to keep the wheels greased. Today’s was ehwaz. At its core, it has been given the meaning “horse” which, in turn, leads a multitude of other associations including that of fylgja — which is synonymous with the concept of a totem spirit. I imagine the ravens laughing at any notions I might have about control, much as they laugh about most of the things I think I “know”.
So it goes…