Casting Runes

I thought about keeping the posts in some logical order and going through the runes first before writing about working with them. However, as I am a mood reader, meaning I cannot read just any book at any time but sometimes have a book on the shelf for years (literally) before finally reading it (I am a book nerd, buying far more books than I can possible read and as I am also a book shop lover, I cannot leave a book store without a purchase....). it turns out I am also a mood writer. 

So I break the order letting chaos find its way and write about how to cast runes. 

Opposite to what some writers on the topic say, no, there are no traditional ways to cast runes from the olden times that we know of. The earliest mentioning of the Germans having made use of some sort of divination process can be found in Tacitus' Germania. There we can read that Priests would cast wooden sticks with symbols carved in them. We may assume but do not know whether these were already the runes of the elder FUTAHK or some preliminary letters or other symbols. 

In Chapter 10 of his Germania Tacitus describes the process: 

"To the use of lots and auguries, they are addicted beyond all other nations. Their method of divining by lots is exceedingly simple. From a tree which bears fruit they cut a twig, and divide it into two small pieces. These they distinguish by so many several marks, and throw them at random and without order upon a white garment. Then the Priest of the community, if for the public the lots are consulted, or the father of a family about a private concern, after he has solemnly invoked the Gods, with eyes lifted up to heaven, takes up every piece  thrice, and having done thus forms a judgment according to the marks before made. If the chances have proved forbidding, they are no more consulted upon the same affair during  the same day: even when they are inviting, yet, for confirmation, the faith of auguries too is tried. Yea, here also is the known practice of divining events from the voices and flight of  birds. But to this nation it is peculiar, to learn presages and admonitions divine from horses  also. These are nourished by the State in the same sacred woods and groves, all milk-white and employed in no earthly labour. These yoked in the holy chariot, are accompanied by the Priest and the King, or the Chief of the Community, who both carefully observed his actions and neighing. Nor in any sort of augury is more faith and assurance reposed, not by the populace only, but even by the nobles, even by the Priests. These account themselves the ministers of the Gods, and the horses privy to his will. They have likewise another method of divination, whence to learn the issue of great and mighty wars. From the nation with whom they are at war they contrive, it avails not how, to gain a captive: him they engage in combat with one selected from amongst themselves, each armed after the manner of his country, and according as the victory falls to this or to the other, gather a presage of the whole."(Thomas Gordon translation of 1737 (reprint 2010)

Tacitus does not describe what marks were used, so it may have been anything. But it is not that unlikely that at that time, the Priests already used Runes. What we also learn is that the Priest threw all sticks and then picked three single ones for interpretation (one after the other). Only if confirming, a "second opinion" was requested.

As far as I know this is the earliest description of casting carved wooden sticks (as I believe  - but not know - were already runes). Unfortunately we do not learn much more, specifically not about how the signs were interpreted. Later descriptions in the Sagas and Eddas are also not more specific as to the concrete procedures. We only can read that Runes were used a lot in Magic and for Divination. 

Having said that, as we do not know much about the process, you may use any system that is most appealing to you or serves the intended purpose most. However, instead of Taro-izing the Runes too much, I prefer to do what Tacitus describes. I formulate a situation/Question etc and then  cast the Runes. After having castes the Runes, I am picking three single Runesticks one after the other without looking. I am then interpreting one after the other and then in a joint context. Sometimes though I skip the second opinion part once I have a positive answer.

In any case I am performing a purification ritual before, a sacrifice and thank the gods afterwards. Depending on the importance of the matter, the complete ritual will be more complex.

So far for some insight in my practice. Next time I will be back to theory….

Nine Nights for Wisdom

One good indicator to determine whether a book about runes is reasonable is to check what it says about the runes' origins.

Of course we all know that it was Odin who brought us the runes when he sacrificed himself to himself, hanging upside down in Yggdrasil, nine long windy nights and nine long days without having received any drink or food:

"Vęit ec at ec hecc
vindga meiði a
nętr allar nío,
geiri vndaþr
oc gefinn Oðni,
sialfr sialfom mer,
a þeim meiþi,
er mangi veit,
hvers hann af rótom renn.

Við hleifi mic seldo
ne viþ hórnigi,
nysta ec niþr,
nam ec vp rv́nar,
ǫpandi nam,
fęll ec aptr þatan." 

as the Words of The High One, the Havamal, tell us. 

In fact, the current status quo in science has it that the FUTHARK most likely derives from a mediterenean alphabet with discussions as to how strong the influence of the Greek and the Latin  alphabets are. Members of various Germanic tribes had been serving in the Roman Legions, travelled and had business contacts to other people, specifically to the mediterean. Why people decided to create an additional alphabet when the established and widely known Roman alphabet should have been the first  or logical choice for picking a "new" script remains in the mist of the past and any explanation is somewhat speculative. 

Certainly, the Runes do not derive from the people of Atlantis or early stone age times. 

The use of runes (in that case the elder FUTHARK) is proven for the time as of 160 A.D. There are artefacts that predate those from 160 A.D. by about 110 years but it is still in discussion whether these refer to the Latin alphabet or whether they indeed show Runes. There are no findings of an earlyer use than that - so far. The elder FUTHARK had then been in use until about 750 A.D., when with teh southerns Germans it was more and more exchanged by the Latin alphabet throughout the ongoing Christianisation or by newer FUTHARK Runes that were used by the Germanic tribes further north. 

In pop culture we often see the elder FUTHARK runes in connection with the Vikings, which is in fact inaccurate as the Vikings clearly used the younger FUTHARK.

Anyways, the different Sets may be subject for other posts. Most of this background information can be found out there on the web and so I will keep most of this information rather short. If you are missing anything with reghards to the origin of the Runes or wish to have further info, please research, there are a lot of valuable sources there.

For now I hope you stay safe, dry and healthy.

Rituals and getting into the Mood

 A lot of magicians are very strict when it comes to ritual magic and how a ritual shold be composed, what a magician has to do and how he needs to prepare himself. While it is right to "follow the rules" when it comes to already established rituals or rituals that stand withing a specific context, the magician is pretty free to use all her immagination and creativity to create her own rituals. 

A lot of the side details are merely created to get you in the mood, shift your conscious from your everyday personality to the person who communicates with the gods and spirits. In this respect I like to get into the gear, step into ths circle, take a deep breath and start to swing the sword. However, I do not believe that all of this is really necessary, at least not in those cases where I follow my own ritual purpose. 

I like to improvise, act on impulse and to go with the flow. Maybe it is related to my mundane profession (I am a lawyer and used to stand in court having to react on situations that develop completely different from how you had thought they would go). However I do recommend to have some basic experience and understandiong of ritual work before going on your own. 

This also helps me a lot since I have changed my focus from the more formalistic ritual practice of the GD to Germanic heathen practice. There are no real established traditional rituals and little "cook books"for this. And whenever you read a book about Germanic or most likely Nordic Magic, you will find that the person who wrote it has  - to some extend  - some roots in the GD, OTO or Wicca. Thus, words have changed of course but the ritual structure often is similar. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I like to keep things - as much as possible - within their context and you can not just exchange one got for another. It becomes worse when these authors pretend that the ritual described consists of or is based on ancient Germanic traditions. Likely it is not as we have very little knowledge about how the ancient Germanic peope had practiced and structured their rituals . 

And exactly this lack of knowledge gives me a lot of freedom . In this regards, I invite you to go out and play, be creative, innovative. You will fail, you will learn, you will adjust and you will have success. And  - although some people say this is serious stuff - you will have fun!!

When did the gods became softies - what about the blood?

I was actually looking for a more provokative title but then I also did not want to insult anyone. So what do I mean?

Modern pagans are talking a lot about their personal relationship to the gods and rituals including sacrifieces. They create a nice altar, flowers, self backed bread and cakes, wine and for some of the very masculine gods even hard liquor. Sounds very nice and must look beautiful. And I mean it without any sarcasm or irony intended. But then, I always thought something is missing.

When we read about the ancient/historic heathens in pre-Christian times, we can also read about rather archaic rituals, slaughtering of animals, spreading of blood and even as the ultimate gift to the gods, the human sacrifice. Now, I am not advertising to go around and butchering the guy from next door who is creepy anyways (or is that you?). But as far as some modern pagans even claim to have linage to their ancient ancestors, why flowers and cookies would do these days? Of course we would find ourselfs having to explain to those in uniforms what the hell we were thinking when cutting the throat of that lamb in the garden, smearing the warm blood all over ourselfs and ours.

But seriously, unless we believe that the gods have changed in their nature, why would their needs, their preferences, their demands have changed? Odin is not just that obscure god of a bit of war and wisdom who brought  the runes. He was the one who was pleased by blood. If you take your paganism serious, you have to take the gods nature serious. This specifically counts for those who add magic to their beliefs and practice as the energies we call upon are very specific. We cannot just modernize the gods so they fit in with our yoga class and caffee lattes.

Thus we need to find ways to add that which has always been part of it. Some are hunters and then things may be easyer. But it is not everyone's thing to butcher even a chicken having looked into its eyes. But there are other ways. We may order meat for the specific purpose of a sacrifice, keep it bloody. Come up with something creative other than pie.

If the ritual or its purpose is really important I am even using what comes closest to human sacrifice, I am using my own blood. Of course I am not cutting of my legs or arms or take out organs but a ritual cut and a few drops of blood do more of a representation of a sacrifice than grapes and flowers. Unless you do a sacrifice towards your prefered female diety. But then, are you sure you really know her?

Runes and Germanic Traditions - Introduction

If you are interrested in Runes, I am sure you have already found tons of pages with explanations and interpretations, rituals and all that. So why to add sand to the desert? When learning something new, I like to understand the background of what I am studying. I like and need to know the "whys" and "whats/" and most pages or books do not satisfy this need.

A lot of what you find in books or online about Runes does not even contain any scientific background or somewhat solid description of what the Runes where, became and are - and, not to forget, what they are not. Most publications repeat what has been written by others and lack real and scientific based background information. This specifically refers to the esotheric use and those trying to link the Runes to (their) ideology. Both approaches usually lack any real understanding of the Runes, their background in history and linguistics and the underlaying Germanic traditions. Others only see runes in the context of Vikings which are and always have been popular and  are further popularized without seeing the Vikings and their use of the Runes in the wider context of the Germanic peoples and the develpoment of language script and overall tradition.

What I plan to do is providing some information about the Runes, Germanic Traditions and Mythology free from any ideology or specific agenda based on scientific research (not my own though). Additionally I will of course add my own understanding and interpretation of meanings, practices, rituals etc. Most of that will be based on solid foundations, some will be my very own interpretations and understanding. However the latter will be marked as such. I will not claim overall validity of what my understanding is.

I also should add that I am not a historia bny profession. I am also not a linguist or philologist and so unfortunately am not able to read the original sources in their original languages. For that I have to rely on those with proven qualifications.

Having said that, please let me give you some references for getting a general understanding about Runes, Germanic Traditions, hisrotic and linguistic context as this is the necessary basis for the studying of all that. Unfortunately a lot of the books I am refering to are in German only as this is my mother language and a lof of publications are related to German history or those writing about it. I will add some links to English books at a later point.

For Runes in general you will find tons of books. As I said before, a lot lack solid understanding of the historic and cultural background and understanding. I recomend to start with older books but leaving those out that have a proven agenda and ideology behind them (Like the publications by Guido von Liszt and others who followed, who link the Runes to the Germans in a very particular way...).
I recommend "About German Runes" (Über Deutsche Runen) by Wilhelm Carl Grimm, who is one of the famous Grimm brothers who often are only seen as the collectors of fairy tales but who have been the founders of German Philology foremost. Like all older books you have to see its content in its historic context (meaning the context and status of issue related knowledge of the time of its publication).

Also his brother Jacob Grimm has published a huge book about German Mythology. Both of these books contain a lot of knowledge and understanding of the Runes and their underlaying tradition and mythology.

Of course there is Tacitus and his "Germania". While Tacitus not specifically refers to the Runes as such, he refers to the diviniation practices of the Germanic tribes which made use of wooden sticks with carved symbols on them. It is not said that Tacitus in fact described the use of Runes for diviniation. However, it is not unlikely that what he described refers to the use of Runes in a diviniation context as Runes as such most liekly have already existed at that time.

I peronally like the "Handbuch der Runenkunde" by Helmut Arntz (not sure it had been translated). Although he had been a Professor in Germany in the 1930s and  the book has been initially printed in Germany during these times with it's last edition printed in 1944,  he had rejected the idea that the Runes should be used and/or be interpreated in an ideologic way. He explains the development of the various runic alphabets as we know them and also describes the runes in their historic and linguistic meaning and development. He also refers to potential magic meaning, use and understanding of the Runes.

There are several good books from scandinavian authors as well (will add some also at a later point) of course.

For those who prefer to watch videos, I recommend Jackson Crawford's you tube channel. He is a specialist on old norse language and has a bunch of awesome videos not only about old norse language but also about mythology, specifically the Eddas and Sagas of the Viking times but also on the Runes and their use. He also has published translations of some Sagas, the Havamal and the Poetic Edda. Jackson also adds a lot of references to his videos and in some he refers to english books about Runes. His additional webpage you find here.

Additionally, for Norse Mythology there is the channel of Mathias Nordvig. He also has a separate page with more information here. 

Apart from that for the mythology, read the Eddas in an uncommented version. Read other historic texts, such as Tacitus, Ceasar, Saxo Grammaticus (about the Dahish History), the Sagas...

Only after that I recommend to read some more modern books (if not those of modern scholars) about Runes and Germanic Mythology.

When it comes to most modern books which deal with Rune Magic, Germanic (or Viking) Magic etc, note that most are based on other systems of magical practice such as the Golden Dawn in its various manifestations, Thelema or Wicca when describing magic practice and rituals. Of course we know little about magical practice and rituals as well as their specifics as lived and perforled by the Germanic tribes and what we know is little detailled. But the books you find mostly link modern esoteric thinking, interpretations etc to what they call Germanic Magic, while there is not explanation nor any basis for such interpretations. One example is the attributions of color, gem stones, planets, star signs and much more to runes. This has no basis at all in the historic development of the Runes as we know it. Also there are no sources that would indicate such attributions having been used by the ancient Germanic priests, seers or other people who knew and used Runes. Of course it is ok that modern people create magical systems and interpretations in their own way including Runes. However no one should claim that this has any basis in the historic use or interpretation of the Runes.

With this I will end this post. It is my idea to have a more Rune related introduction followed by posts that are related to the single Runes. I will focus on the elder FUTHARK as I am not focussed on the Viking Traditions as such. However a lot of what we know of the Runes derives from the Viking and post Viking ages.

I also will post about Runes in magical use. Specifically here I will have to rely to my own understanding rather than claiming any historic basis or knowledge.

Stay safe
Arcad

Changes

Initially this blog was aiming to share my thoughts and experiences as a solitary practitoner of the Golden Dawn tradition. However, in the meantime the worlds have changed. That means the outer world, as we all experience it, my own personal "world" and finally also the GD world as we or better I knew it.

The first I do not need to decsribe to you as I do not need wo write about the obvious.  As for the second, I already wrote about that in my last post(s). My spiritual world views somewhat crashed and I am still dealing with the aftermath. However, I have chosen a different path that gives me more freedom and relates more to my general views and understanding of things. It also is more linked to me and the traditions I see myself ultimately belonging to. By ultimately I want to point out that as much as I do cannot claim for a direct link (since for some people linage is everthing, and if you do not have one, you create one irrespective of how obscure the link is) but there is a link by where I most likely come from and the land I am born on and feel related to. Now I need to point out that this statement is free from any blood and honor context at all. Due to lack of prof, it rather is a statement of feeling and choice. I may write more about this at a later point but this is not the place.

At last, also the world of the Golden Dawn has changed a lot. A lot of the blogs and with that the people I was following have gone. Some of these people meant a lot to me in the way of spiritual inspiration and in a way as being teachers, supporters, advisers and listerers of my confusions on the path within the jont GD Tradition we are/were devoted to. I am sure that this was somewhat announced but I missed it due to my long absence. Even Google was not helpful in finding them and although I also have not been on FB for years, I am sure they have been dissapeared from there as well.

However, we all know the world and everthign related to it is going in cycles. And so we just have reached another point in the ever ongoing live.

One of the good things though is that at least my material world has significantly changed as well which made a lot of things easyer. Who ever tells you that material things do not matter either is using that mantra in order not to freak out because they have no material security or have a lot of material security and with that lost contact to earth. We are all depending on material things as we have to feed ourselfs and our families as well as provide for shelter, education and you name what.

So there we are. A new beginning? Well, maybe not because I rather see it as changes that occured, taking another path or road from the ongoing never ending main street. But that road will always have intersections leading back linking the current path with the main one that is not a past one as it is always there continuing. Life does not end but goes on, so do our experiences. The present becomes past while the future becomes present but nothing is lost.

Having said all that, also this blog will change. It will more reflect my experiences outside of the GD though I never completely left that Tradition. This is where I started and the teachings are still valid. However my link to it has weakened for now and so I will shift the focus of this blog. I have thought about changing its name as well but at least at this point I refrain from doing so in case someone still receives messages when a new post is published, remembers this name and trys to find me and also finally because I could not come up with a good alternative name.

If you read this and if you have done so before I would be glad if you leave a short comment saying hi.

Now I am getting another cup of tea and will write my first magic related post since years.

Wishing you all well specifically in these crazy times.

In LVX
Arcad (A name that I may have to rethink too...)

Looosing my Religion

It's been a while...

I recently experienced something which I believe to be a problem for a lot of people and never thought it could actually be a problem for me.

Religion. Well, I always have been Christian. Not one of those fundamentalist born again ones but rather a moderate, open and tolerant Lutheran. No one ever forced me into it, no one ever indoctrinated me. Before that I had been Christian with a tendency towards being agnostic but then I had some key experiences which made me think and read and at the end drew me deeper into the doctrine as such and into the mysteries. I truely believed to be protected and felt sheltered.

However, all that changed. After a longer time of serious struggeling, hoping, praying, then swearing and threatening, I lost all of it. Or maybe, I lost most of it. The thing is that I do not feel that all that was crap and that (the Abrahamic) God does not exist. I just believe now that he does not care.

Now, without going into detail as to why any what, I always felt drawn towards the ancient Germanic traditions. Without becomming really a heathen, I started to come to the conclusion that Charles the great does not deserve his name at all and that he was actually the butcher and grave digger of Saxonians and their religion (and the "Germanic religion" at all). It was forced upon us. So it would be logical to get "back" into it, right. Now here is the thing, I felt - and feel somehow guilt. I feel guilty for creating and performing rituals directed towards Wodan, Donar and the other ancient Germanic gods. And I ask myself, why? From where I come I do not believe in hell or that people are doomed to burn in hell because they do not believe. I never believed in God as the punisher or the envious god. But as I said I came to the conclusion that he simply does not care. So why for gods sake (...) do I feel guilty?

Well, religion is not a question of "pick one that suits" - at least not for  me. I always get nervous when people tell me they have chosen to become x.... . You believe or not but religion rarely is a matter of reason and deciding what sounds better. It is a process, usually a long one. Logic is barely part of it.

What I (also)  feel is a loss. Like a loss of a good (maybe imaginary) friend. A friend you still feel somehow obliged to, not wanting to let him/her down. I had talked to him, discussed and yelled at him. As said before, I felt sheltered. Wodan for example is not a personal god in the same sense. It is difficult imagining the same kind of contact. At the same time I feel that the gods of our ancestors are the ones which are rather helpful - at least for the time being.

Maybe it is a problem with monotheism. In former times it was no problem to integrate "foreign" gods into your own pantheon. A few more or less did not realy matter. The Romans incorporated (if you want to say so) other gods or made them expressions of or equivalent to their own gods.

I always though that god as such revealed themself to mankind in different ways fitting to cultural situations and specifics and understanding of the people at question and so at the end of the day is the same everywhere, may it be split in their different aspects as in politheism or seen as one (or three) like in monotheism/Christianity.

But that all is logic. It should make me feel relaxed and open, not guilty. But then, when I feel that all is the same, the consequence would be that the God I believe to not to care is the same than the Nordic Gods in their various aspects and so - they would not care too, or?

Do not get me wrong, I do not feel like I may be punished, just had a bad feeling for adressing Odin. At the same time I feel the nordic Gods being more powerul, or better saying, to be stronger.

So what is this about now? Logic tells me to not care and to go as I feel. But that is the point, Logic and feeling is not the same. I have no idea how to get out of this and where this will lead to in my case. But what I can say is, you surely will not be doomed and - logically - there is nothing to be afraid of or feeling bad about when you decide to leave the usual path you were walking on. There also is no reason to fall into extremes denouncing what you have been believing before. That is even more an expression of insecurity and possibly fear. The way must be to find peace within, balance. Maybe it is easyer to deal with single aspects of the one than with the one in all its aspects and complexity. Maybe these aspects can "deal" with me according to their nature - easyer with me, my anger, fear, desires, than the whole and one together who represents all aspects together?

No idea, maybe you have any?