Rune-imations, wait... that doesn’t sound right... - 5: Nauðir

Nauðir ᚾ, pronounced "No-thee-r". Other variations include Nauthir, Nauthiz, Naudr, Nauth.

Meaning: Necessity/Need

Element: Fire, Earth. Gender: Male

Tree Association: Rowan (Mountain Ash)

Relates to constraint, need, resistance leading to strength, self initiated change, primal drive, survival, inevitability, suffering, hardship, baptism by fire, distress to success, love and hate, frugality and pragmatism.

Free-flow word associations:

Need, food, shelter, warmth, survival, hardship, struggle, challenge, test, trial, judgement, right and wrong, morality, black and white, shades of grey, realism, nature, nurture, parents, discipline, balance, compromise, rationality, prudence, caution, planning ahead, resourcefulness, conservation, saving for a rainy day, frugality, hoarding, possession, obsession, desire, frivolity, priorities, sacrifice, letting go, moving forward, change, seasons, winter, cold, death, repose, absence, potential, life, fire, hope, promise, growth, strength, renewal, evolution.

The rune of necessity can refer to having been through tough times, or warn us of tough times ahead. Tough times test our metal and can either destroy us or make us stronger than before; like a baptism by fire, we are forced to purge ourselves of weakness and do what is necessary to survive.This relates to the element of fire, burning away impurities, cauterising open wounds to help us heal, destroying that which no longer serves our best interests, burning away dead wood, using the broken pieces of the past as fuel to push forward through hard times, learning lessons from past hurt and trauma, and always knowing that no matter how bad life gets, we have endured worse.This involves a release from emotional attachment, moving on from relationships even though it might be painful in the short term, cutting ties with people who impede our personal growth and development and stand in the way of our happiness and success. It is about doing what is best for you and your long-term benefit, without worrying about other people's feelings. This is not meant to encourage needless callousness and disregard for others, but merely to remind us to be selective about what and who we devote our time and energy to. Walking away from people may be seen by them to be unnecessary and hostile, but sometimes it is necessary to be cruel to be kind, and it is a form of tough love for the sake of self love. this is easily confused with hate, but this is an illusion born from fear and self doubt. Just as our parents might love and nurtures us, so too do they scold and discipline us for our own benefit. It is a matter of learning harsh lessons, both for ourselves and for others, and it requires us to be able to balance the nurturing feminine power with the disciplinary masculine power to come to compromises where possible, without detriment to our own health, happiness and well being. This is an inevitability in life, and as such, Nauᚾ presents itself to us as a law of nature, one of the few Runes whose meanings and laws are fixed even when combined with other Runes which would otherwise alter its properties. Nature does not discriminate based upon moral constructs, and so ᚾ teaches us to remain objective, impartial and emotionally detached from certain situations, recognising that sometimes it is necessary to do bad things for good reasons, and that the moral framework that we live by is a construct of societal coexistence and therefore not applicable within the context of survival. This of course stands within a societal setting, in which day to day interactions may be subject to strict codes of morality, but in desperate times where one's livelihood or that of one's family is at risk, the moral boundaries become blurred. This understanding of Nauðir ᚾ teaches us to not judge ourselves or others too harshly, but neither should we fear anyone's judgement but our own, for we should judge ourselves objectively in accordance with natural law.

Nauðir ᚾ advises us to be realistic at all times and always be prepared for the worst. It teaches us to plan ahead, to always have a backup plan in place for when things go wrong. As Nauðir directly follows on from Hagalr ᚺ, referring generally to chaos or disruption, it advises us that nothing in life is certain, and even the best laid plans are subject to the whims of Wyrð. In this sense, ᚾ teaches both caution and discipline, warning us to take stock of the resources available to us, and also be willing to sacrifice some unnecessary luxuries and comforts in the interests of saving for a rainy day, for we will never knnow when we might fall upon hard times. ᚾ also precedes Isa 𐌹, which represents the depths of winter, and so symbolises the first blizzards which force us to seek warmth and shelter. This implies that when unrest arises, be it at work, with between friends or with family, it is always best to remove oneself from the situation and avoid becoming directly involved in the drama of others. This also tells us that when the outside world brings us unrest within, we should retreat to a place within ourselves where we feel safe and secure as means of diffusing stress and anxiety. ᚾ urges us to take charge of our lives rather than being victims of circumstance, for if a situation is preventing personal growth and happiness, it is up to the individual to change it for the better and embrace the power of self initiated change. It gives us a blessing to prioritise our own needs over the needs of others at this time, but advises collaboration wherever it is mutually beneficial.

ᚾ's correspondence with the Rowan Tree, or Mountain Ash, denotes stability, resilience and protection. In Druidic Tree Lore, the Rowan is known as the Goddess Tree, and is associated with Brigid, the goddess of love and protection. In this way, ᚾ is also associated with Thorr, the Protector of Midgarð and its working men, women and children. The symbolic message of protection and sanctuary makes ᚾ a useful Rune for protecting the homestead and other buildings that provide safety. The Rowan corresponds to the Celtic festival of Imbolc, which marks the midpoint between the Midwinter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, and so ᚾ can be an indication that the worst of one's trials have passed and that one need only hold out a short time longer until Spring returns and things improve; ᚾ acts as a beacon of hope, the promise of renewal and therefore demands that we stay strong and hold the Shield Wall at all costs. The medicinal properties of Rowan berries also lend themselves to the power of ᚾ, having preservative capabilities and being used to make traditional tonics for their purging and diuretic qualities. Rowan is used in vibrational medicine to attune us to nature and to clear space within the internal realms to make way for deeper understanding of the self and the universe, which would then be echoed in the external world of matter. Rowans are indigenous to the mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly Europe, Scandinavia and Asia. Their unforgiving environment makes them, and ᚾ, symbolic of endurance, thriving each new spring after months of harsh winter cold, gale force winds, permafrost ad lack of sunlight, coming back stronger than all of the preceding years, and therefore symbolising rebirth and evolution.

Visually, ᚾ is a representation of two sticks being rubbed together to create fire. This is an allusion to the importance of resourcefulness, using the meagre materials available to get the job done. However, at the same time it is a call for patience and persistence, for the rubbing of the sticks can only generate heat; it is a matter of having the correct knowledge, adequately dry wood and additional materials for kindling to create the perfect conditions to start a fire in harsh weather. This reminds us that optimism alone is not enough to get us to where we need to be, and that we must work hard to achieve our goals. On the other hand, ᚾ is often seen as crossed fingers, representing luck and wish making, and ultimately the power of hope. The similarity in form to Isa 𐌹 indicates that the two Runes are related in their symbolic meanings; however, where Isa is a mere straight line representing stillness, ᚾ bridges and traverses this line with an intersecting stave indicating the overcoming of stagnation, the breaking of the stillness and therefore embodies action. ᚾ has no reversed meaning, and so both its negative and positive connotations can be seen as being interchangeable, even inseparable, as in life the bad often goes hand in hand with the good, and each are required in order to recognise and appreciate the other. ᚾ's form can also be likened to crossed swords or spears suggesting conflict or hostility, but also the resolution thereof. It urges us to continually strive for peace, but to always be prepared for war, and to fight for what is necessary, for our rights, for our values and beliefs, for our personal growth and happiness, and most importantly for our own survival and that of our family or tribe. Finally, ᚾ can be seen as a fence post, signifying an obstacle to be overcome, or as a signpost or way marker giving us clear direction. As a signpost, ᚾ can also give us a clear set of choices in direction, one path up, one path down, one road to a better future, another road to greater hardship. It reminds us to pause and deliberate long and hard about the options available to us before making a decision, weighing up the pros and cons of either choice and choosing wisely. Though life is very rarely black and white, are choices often are; however, esoterically speaking, ᚾ can represent the Middle Way or Middle Pillar, the point of balance upon which everything else rests, like a see-saw, moving to either extreme will shift the balance and cause the querent to fall, but the Middle Way ensures stability and safe passage. This final reminder is for us to remain objective and pragmatic and not be swayed by the opinions of others despite how forceful they may be.

My next entry will concern the Goddess Rune, Bjarkana. Until then, may the Gods watch over you. Enki Endymion. O(

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn’t sound right... - 4: Urur

After a VERY long time and much frustrated searching, I finally found the notebook that contained my contemplation of the Runes! As such, I now endeavor to pick up where I left off, and will continue in the same vein of writing about the Runes, not in "Alphabetical order" but rather focusing on a rune from each of the three Aetts in turn as demonstrated in my previous three entries.

ᚢ, Pronounced "Oo-Roo-r". Other variations are Auru, Uraur and Uruz.
Meaning: Aurochs (Wild Bison/Cow, now extinct)
Element: Earth, Water. Gender: Male
Tree Association: Birch
Relates to strength, transformation and shapeshifting, tenacity, health, endurance, formation, patterns, manifestation, life force, courage, organic structure, vigor, determination, persistence, will, territoriality, independence, archetypal patterns/forms, raw primal power, survival.

Free- flow word association:
Aurochs, cattle, wild, untamed, free, powerful, strong, steadfast, confident, assertive, controlled, ordered, discipline, patterns, habits, behaviour, instinct, violence, survival, safety in numbers, herd, herding/farming, trade, movement, migration, adaptability, controlled change, ordered chaos, seasons, cycles, life and death, rebirth, reincarnation, same but different, transformation, shape-shifting, Shaman, healer, seer, wanderer, one who knows, wisdom, Odinn, inner knowledge, reflection, water, well, Urd, Earth Mother, nurture, nature, abundance, creation, creativity, manifestation, majik, mind over matter, mage, priest, god, self.

Aurochs once roamed free in large numbers across the plains of Europe and Scandinavia many millennia ago, before their capture, domestication selective breeding and eventual extinction from hunting at the hands of man, and therefore are the wild, primal ancestors of the modern cow. If Fehu ᚠ represents domestic cattle, then it so stands that Urur ᚢ the wild and untamed spirit of the wild cow/ox/bison. The wild nature of Bison makes them extremely tough, and occasionally quite dangerous. Bison typically move in large herds, sticking together in a close-knit family unit for protection; this denotes the importance of family and friends to support us in hard times. Paradoxically, Bison are also extremely territorial, fighting one another for mating rights; this demonstrates the raw masculine sexual energy of ᚢ. Their brute strength means that there are very few animals that can harm them, and even a lone bison can be a formidable enemy. This unbridled Earthly strength is a trait shared by the God, Thor, and demonstrates the power of the individual whilst highlighting the necessity to stand one's ground and defend the things we hold dear in the face of overwhelming odds, even if we stand alone.

The Aurochs' need to migrate is embodied in ᚢ, and relates to the ability to change and adapt when necessary, though not in one's personality or habits, but rather changing one's circumstances or environment when it is no longer conducive to personal growth or the benefit of the 'herd' as a whole. This teaches us that we may be living in a place or situation that is damaging to us or restricting us in some way, be it a toxic relationship, dead-end job, or just poor company, and that in order to grow, evolve and flourish as an individual we need to shed those people or situations from our lives and recognise those things that do not serve our greatest good before letting them go. But for all of the Aurochs' freedom and constant change, there remains an ordering pattern in the times at which they migrate, as well as where they roam, governed by the shifting of the seasons and the subsequent die back of plant species in certain areas and flourishing of new feeding and breeding grounds. This acts as a reminder to not make rash decisions which might leave us worse off; if a situation or relationship is becoming uncomfortable, then weigh up alternatives before making a change, so as to not leave a job you dislike without first having a backup, or leaving a toxic relationship and jumping straight into an even worse one. Look before you leap and time your decisions appropriately, for if the Aurochs begin to migrate too early or too late, or if they head in the wrong direction rather than following their food sources, it could spell catastrophe for the entire herd. These nuances in willful intuition and critical thinking lend themselves to another association with ᚢ; that of the fine art of Manifestation Majik. The Aurochs are driven by a raw primal instinct, which in humans presents itself as an intuitive creative urge or sexual desire that fuels the individual will, and at the same time they remain under the influence of an ordering pattern imposed upon them by external factors. This shows that the art of Manifestation is born and perfected via a complex combination of primal drive and desire for what we want, and a sharp mental acuity and strong psychological makeup to focus that energy into conscious action in conformity with a plan; this helps to create the ideal conditions for our desire to manifest in the material world. Furthermore, it demonstrates that no matter how adept we may be, we must always remember that we are driven by desires and powers that are beyond our understanding, and that we must always be conscious of that primal power and direct it in an orderly fashion in accordance with nature's laws. The Auroch, then, embodies the principle of Self Discipline which is ultimately necessary to direct one's creative powers in accordance with their individuated will.

The behaviour of the Auroch has a massive impact on its surrounding environment, the life cycles of plant life, the PH balance and nutritional density of the soil, the topography of the land which directs the flow of rainwater across the plains and so much more; they were an integral part of the ecosystem in their time, and were instrumental in maintaining a healthy balance within the environment; as such, this translates onto the human level also, for the Auroch was a primary source of food, clothing, crafting material and medicinal ingredients for many tribes, and so the Auroch becomes a symbol of good health and healing practices, as well as the maintenance of balance in the world as well as in the body. Furthermore, through this, ᚢ teaches us that we, too, are in integral part of the world in which we live, whether we notice it or not, and therefore guides us to be ever mindful of our thoughts, words and actions and the consequences thereof; in this sense, ᚢ positions us as co-creators of form and order within our waking reality. With this position of power, of course, comes equal responsibility, and so ᚢ urges us to keep account of our habits which affect the lives of others in unprecedented and often irrevocable ways, both positively and negatively. The act of migrating backwards and forwards, year after year, bears a significant symbolic tie to the ebb and flow of the tides, the ebb and flow of life life and death, the waxing and waning of the moon, and thus the interplay between the conscious and the unconscious, the cognitive and the intuitive. This indicates that we are also to be aware of the changes that occur within us as well as in the outside world as a result of our actions and inactions. With each new migration, the herd finds itself changed, with older generations dying off as new generations are born, and so the herd, whilst generally the same in nature, is subtly different. The teaching of this analogy is two-fold; first, it demonstrates that as individuals, we too are changed in subtle ways over the course of years until those subtle changes accumulate into our becoming a new version of ourselves. We may not be the same people we were ten years ago and therefore we must expect that occasionally we find that we have lost interest or passion for things we once enjoyed, and may also begin to appreciate that which we previously disregarded, which may force us to reevaluate our position in life as previously mentioned regarding the letting go of toxic people or situations. Secondly, it demonstrates that nothing in nature can remain the same, and that all things must undergo the transition of death which, far from being an ending of things, is passage from one state into another and essential for the continuation of creation. In the same sense, ᚢ can denote the continuous passage back and forth between the realms of the living and the dead whilst remaining unchanged, the path of the Shaman, and is thus a representation of the deathly aspect of Odinn, the "Necromancer" or "Mound Lord". This Shamanic, visionary connotation, when combined with the wave-like behaviour of the sea, reveals a self-reflective aspect relative to the alchemical element of water. This aids us by encouraging us to practice continual self-analysis to keep our emotions in check, observe the movements of the unconscious realms, and to remain ever thankful of the health and abundance of life that we are gifted by the Gods. Through these practices, we may seek to improve ourselves from within to become the best versions of ourselves and take our place in the world as divine beings.

ᚢ's association with the birch tree (particularly the silver birch) acts as a further link to the idea of death and rebirth, as the birch is the first of the deciduous trees to sprout  leaves in spring and is a herald of renewal. The birch often grows in tight-knit clusters or "Stands", which again relates to the close herd behaviour of the Aurochs, reinforcing the importance of family. At the same time, however, the birch is perhaps one of the hardiest of the deciduous trees, growing in all types of soil and in a wide variety of climates around the world, representing strength, endurance, adaptability and resourcfulness. While the birch is very flexible to withstand strone winds, it also has very deep roots meaning that even a single birch can remain standing when exposed to adverse weather, which epitomises ᚢ's symbolic meaning of individual strength and resilience; therefore the birch is the perfect representation of the equal importance of both strong connections and individual integrity and confidence. the notion of endurance and survival is further eluded to by the birch's common use as a reliable winter food source for indigenous peoples across Siberia, as well as possessing strong anti-bacterial qualities which again lend themselves to this rune's symbolic association with health and healing. ᚢ's significance to the Shamanic Journey is also supported by the birch as a correspondence, as it is said birch groves shelter the psychoactive 'Fly Agaric' mushroom, or 'Amanita Muscaria, which has been used by indigenous European and Scandinavian elders for millennia for inducing visionary states for the purposes of healing and spirit communication. Germanic folklore teaches that "where the birch is the guardian, the wanderer [Shaman] is protected from madness and faery tricks." Birch's white bark supports a lunar correspondence which is also embodied in the back-and-forth migratory habits of the Aurochs and, in this way, ᚢ links to the moon and thus the wandering waters of the sea and of consciousness. In consideration of all of the above-listed attributes, it can be deduced that ᚢ holds a dual elemental correspondence with Earth and Water.

Visually, ᚢ resembles the animal to which it is attributed, as the Auroch, much like modern day buffalo and wilderbeast, was characterised by a large hump atop the fore-shoulders, making the front end appear taller than the rump. This shape is a visual reminder for us to stand as strong and proud as the Auroch and never back down to adversity, moving inexorably forward towards our goals. The sloping line between the longer and shorter stems can also represent the sloping path into the lower world in Shamanic thought, or the Underworlds of Helheim, Nifleheim and Svartalfheim in old Norse Mythology; to the Shaman, the lower world is where the spirits of plants and animals reside, as well as the spirits of the ancestors, and in Norse Mythology, the ancestors reside in Helheim, whilst the other two realms of the underworld are inhabited by the ancient frost giants and the dark elves or dwarves respectively. Inverted, ᚢ resembles the horns of the male Auroch and can indicate that conflict may arise if we remain stubbornly entrenched in behaviours or beliefs that are not constructive,  or refuse to compromise in order to work with other members of the herd; it is the symbol of the primordial horned god and the male ego, and therefore embodies the cosmic energy of the divine masculine in both its creative and destructive aspects.

My next article will continue following the same pattern as outlined in my previous entries, and focus on the second rune of the second Aett, Nauðir. Until then, may the Gods bless you!

Enki Endymion. O(

Tyr's Lament

Tyr and Fenris, by Meredyth.deviantart.com

Sol had risen, Asgard's banners
Caught high in the morning breeze,
From Valhalla's steps, I looked
Across the worlds at violent seas,
Across the downs and rocky mounds
And the flaming tar-black stream,
A boom like thunder rolled from Jottunheim,
A Giantess' labour scream.

And many a moon did pass without
word of what had come to be,
Until the day that Loki came
To introduce his child to me,
Such tragedy, we could not guess,
Would befall the Gods in days foretold,
But such a day I would delay
For every ounce of Fafnir's gold.

But innocence can never last
While prophecy's yet to unfold.

Loki's son, Lupine Shadow,
Mighty Fenrir was his name,
Frolicking in Midgard meadow,
By my own hand he would be tamed,
One by one the Aesir came each day
With meat to feed the gentle beast,
Though feared he was by them,
But by me, loved, and feared the least.

Fenrir, wolf of chaos, wild,
Storm the battlefield at my side,
Companions in arms we be, but mild
In manner after our metal's been tried,
And at day's end when victory songs are sung,
And horror's memory fades,
Your loyalty shines like the sun,
To ease warrior's weary pains.

But size and power, though gifts they were,
were cause for you to be betrayed.

The fear of Ragnarok spread like plague,
Through Odin's halls, the fear of death,
And ordered, he, that bonds be made,
Despite my pleas with wasted breath,
For never could I dare accept that you
Would rise against us so in final days,
And so the Gods, to Midgard stone,
Sought to bind you, their mortal foe.

First came chains of iron, wrought,
Then chains of bronze and shining steel,
And when challenged to break them, how you fought,
And rent each one in turn with zeal,
But Odin's mind was sharp and cunning,
Thus, from hen's teeth and woman's beard,
Formed bonds to cease your running.

Such a fine thread, you saw,
Barely visible in the light of day,
And in your heart I watched distrust be born,
When charged to break this thread, said ye, "Nay,
For lest this be some wicked trick
Of cowardice, give me assurance
That you will work to set me free,
Should I fail to sunder this!"

And lo, my of reckoning came,
Such painful choice at my feet was placed,
In weakness I forsook my name,
and lied for Odin to your face,
And so I offered up my hand,
To earn your faith and trust in me,
Held in your jaws, I took my stand,
And you submitted willingly.

Rip out my wretched heart, so weak,
Tear off my wretched hand,
For as I watched you thrash and shriek,
As they bound you to the land,
Your eyes, once full of warmth, turned black,
And misty cold like Niflheim's ice,
As you fought and cried and rent your back,
Trapped by the Dwarves' awful device.

Each day I look upon your hill,
And each day I feel my black heart sink,
And each day you look with hatred, still,
Upon my mournful face, and do not blink,
For my betrayal, though it be great,
And shattering to our friendship so,
Fills me with guilt that won't abate,
And a dark, all-consuming sorrow.

I was the first to lead you,
The first to meet you eye to eye,
The last brave enough to feed you,
The last to weep as we said goodbye,
I loved you as a father would,
As though you were a child of mine,
I'd have chosen differently if I could,
But I'll mourn beside you when Vidarr lays you down to die.

And though the foretold war may rage,
And mighty Sol be swallowed whole,
And Odin sundered limb from limb,
As the Norns fulfill the worldly goal,
And after, when the wheel turns yet again,
Let my dearest friend never forget,
My choice will be to save him from such pain,
His suffering, ever my worst regret.

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn’t sound right... - 3: Tyr

I am now coming to the end of my 9 days of contemplation of the Runes, so I will continue to compile and post my notes on each of them as and when I am able to do so. This installment is focusing on the first Rune of the third Aett, Tyr. Since this Rune literally pertains to the God of the same name, I have found that to understand the Rune, I must also understand the deity and his story, and so much of my analysis is of the Deity and how he translates into human life and consciousness.

ᛏ, Pronounced “T-ear”. Other variations are Tiu, Tiae and Teiwaz.

Meaning: Tyr, God of Justice and courage in battle.

Element: Fire, Air. Gender: male

Tree association: Oak

Relates to the warrior, divine spinner, justice, self sacrifice, analysis, rationality, honour, righteousness, sovereign order, law, fairness, peacekeeping, faith, loyalty, victory, honesty.

My Free-word association list:

Tyr, bravery, benevolence, fairness, friendship, Fenrir, animal, fear, danger, courage, strength, taming, binding, training, discipline, regiment, structure, order, precision, analysis, detail, observation, listening, equality, support, community, cooperation, benefit, survival, safety, building, growth, drive, passion, fire, determination, power, control, leadership, mastery, godhead, Ascension, manifestation, creation, contribution, giving, charity, sacrifice, death, ego, awakening.

Since the meaning of this Rune is Tyr, that is where I began with my analysis.
Tyr was once the king of the Aesir, but stepped down to allow Odin to take the throne, following the war with the Vanir. This demonstrates a willingness to relinquish one’s hold on power when it is right to do so or when necessity demands it. It is a lesson to those who feel the need to control everything in their lives, to let go and occasionally allow oneself to be led by orders or by events. It is Tyr who advises Odin as to which fallen warriors are bravest, suggesting that taking a back seat can give one greater perspective and thus afford the individual more power over a situation.

Tyr was the only God brave enough to feed Fenrir, for he knew that the wolf's size and power were an advantage if understood and directed properly. This teaches us that, although the darker aspects of nature are frightening and potentially destructive, they can also become a great asset, and even come to be loved if we do not fear them, but instead engage with them in the same way we would any other part of our psyche or spirit. It teaches us to master our darkest facets and nurture them rather than to reject or suppress them out of fear; this is emphssised by Fenrir turning against the Aesir after they bound him to Midgard, for if the shadow is rejected, chained, suppressed and ignored, it festers and becomes more poisonous and more destructive.

Tyr also demands that Fenrir’s life be spared until it is proven that he is the enemy they fear, And so Odin binds him instead. This acts as an example for us to operate with rational analysis, and to not jump to conclusions, assuming that all are innocent until proven guilty, or that the situation is not as it appears to be at first. It also teaches us that nothing can be achieved by force alone, and that benevolence and understanding are equally powerful actions. It is for this reason that Fenrir doesn’t kill Tyr at Ragnarok. If Odin represents sharpness of mind and wit, then Tyr represents strength of heart, and so stands as an example of listening to your heart and acting at times in a way which may appear irrational to others, but from a broader perspective, eventually comes to make perfect sense. This is why Tyr advises Odin just as the heart advises the mind.

Tyr willingly places his hand in Fenrir’s mouth to control him whilst he is being bound, even though he knows he may lose it. This symbolises self-sacrifice for the greater good, giving something of value for the benefit of your family or community or even the whole world. It symbolises selflessness and charity as well as strength and bravery in the face of adversity, opposition or danger. Together, all of the above constitute the qualities of a true leader, one who is fit to oversee their fellow man; in this sense, ᛏ epitomises kingship and/or regality, nobility, and respect both given and received. This ties in also to the law of attraction, for in the same way that when we give respect, we receive it in kind, so too do we get back from the universe what we put into it; therefore, ᛏ represents a positive attitude and a gratitude for what we have, so that we may be open to receive more. Continuing in this vein, ᛏ teaches us to feel, not only worthy, but deserving of receiving what we desire and helps us to overcome and do away with negative, self defeating thought patterns which prevent us from manifesting our perfect reality.

ᛏ’s association to the Oak tree consolidates it’s meaning of strength, for Oak is one of the hardest woods in the world. Furthermore, the roots of the Oak tree go deeper than any other deciduous tree in the north, making it virtually unmovable in violent storms. This teaches us two things, the first is to weather any storm, to be strong in the face of adversity and do not yield to external pressure; secondly it teaches us to stay true to our roots and to establish a firm foundation upon which to build a life for ourselves. It also indicates the importance of family lineage, Especially in Royal lines. This is a further link to the notion of royalty and nobility which is demonstrated by and epitomised within the Oak tree, which in most if not all Northern traditions is regarded as the king of the forest. Finally, ᛏ 's Association with Oak teaches us that, whilst we must always be prepared to stand alone, we must also always maintain strong roots to those closest to us, And be prepared to accept help when it is offered.

Visually, ᛏ is an arrow head, symbolising directness and efficiency, as well as swift action and decision-making; it can also mean having clear targets or goals and moving inexorably towards them. The arrow was also used to give direction when one is lost, so ᛏ can indicate that we need to stop and take stock of our options when at a crossroads in life. We can also see ᛏ as a cross-section of a structure, showing a sloping roof held up by a central supporting pillar; this denotes strength but also great responsibility, possibly leading to strain and stress. The upward arrow can also denote upward motion or growth, mental and emotional development, spiritual awakening and Ascension. It also teaches us to constantly move onwards and upwards, striving to achieve new goals and become/acquire something greater. It is a symbol of ambition, aspiration, drive, confidence, passion and persistence in pursuit of one's dreams.

My next article will focus on the second Rune of the Elder Futhark, Urur. Until then, love and blessings to all, and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion. O(

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn't sound right... - 2: Hagalr

Continuing my meditations on the Runes, here are my thoughts and notes on the first of the second Aett, Hagalr.

Hagalr, ᚺ, Pronounced "Hah-Gah-L". Other variations are 'Hogal', and 'Hagalaz'.
The phonetic value of this Rune is 'H', and its symbolic meaning is 'Hail' or 'Hailstone'. The tree that is associated with this Rune is the Yew tree.
The elemental associations of this Rune are Air and Earth, and its gender is typically regarded as Male.
ᚺ relates to disruption, wild power, untamed nature, strength, force, protection, shelter, crisis, radical change, catastrophe, the uncontrollable, unavoidable unpleasantness, shadow self, regression, self analysis, acceptance of the unchangeable.

My free-association went as follows:

Hailstone, cold, winter, hardship, poverty, danger, protection, shelter, safety, defense, strength, survival, movement, upheaval, uncertainty, worry, anxiety, anger, force, power, destruction, loss, adaptability, acceptance, moving on, new beginnings, destruction for the sake of creation, cleaning house, purging, cleansing, rain, spring, hope, regrowth, order from chaos, divine order, will of the Gods, fate, Wyrd, the unseen, connections, synchronicity, everything for a reason.

Hagalr, in contrast to Fehu, , represents disruption of order, and so the ending of established patterns of living and thinking. Its mundane meaning of 'Hail' is indicative of this chaotic and potentially destructive principle, for hail, in the far northern regions, can damage houses and potentially kill upon impact. When hail falls, people and animals are forced to take shelter, and all outdoor activity ceases. Hail is most common at the beginning or end of winter and is hence very unpredictable, often beginning as rain, and so ᚺ teaches us to expect the unexpected and always prepare for the worst. While rain, even at its heaviest, nourishes the earth, whereas hail beats the earth and destroys the weakest plant life, clearing space for the stronger plants to thrive and spread. In this sense, ᚺ demonstrates the unbridled power of nature which destroys for the sake of creation, sacrifice for the greater good; this can be interpreted in a human context to mean letting go of what no longer serves us, which despite being painful, is necessary for continued growth, and it takes strength of character to undertake. Furthermore, since ᚺ is a force of nature beyond humanity's ability to harness it, ᚺ expresses that in the case where an individual is stubbornly reluctant to change, fate will force that person into a situation where change is not only necessary but unavoidable.

Although hail is frozen water, it's alchemical correspondences are to Air and Earth, for Air embodies the principle of change and formlessness, whilst Earth represents stability and growth, the combination of which conveys the idea of chaos as a part of nature and divine order. Hail, as frozen water, also acts as a metaphor for suspending emotional attachments and sentimentality, for when times are difficult, it is sometimes necessary to adopt a coldness which allows us to detach from a situation and look at it objectively to find the best possible solution. In this sense, ᚺ teaches us to look at ourselves objectively and, just like the hailstones, crush the weeds of the ego that take root in our minds so that the strongest and most positive parts of ourselves can flourish. This takes no shortage of shadow work to achieve, to understand and purge the self of all unhealthy beliefs, thoughts and behaviours which arise out of illusions. This links to ᚺ's attribution to the Yew tree, which though poisonous, uses that poison to defend itself against parasites and illnesses which cause dieback. ᚺ encourages us to make the most of seemingly bad situations and to use our darkness, or inner poison, to our advantage. Our negative past experiences which lend themselves to the development of neuroses, can also be powerful lessons and tools for overcoming new hardships and adversity. It also allows us to toughen ourselves to defend against attack from others whilst also teaching us that sometimes, severity is the best policy, to adopt a 'kill or be killed' mentality to propel us forward and overcome our obstacles. ᚺ as the Yew tree also encourages us to be flexible as well as strong, for Yew was, and still is, the most widely used wood for making longbows, due to its strength and flexibility which made it worth working despite the risk of poisoning. While strength is important, it is easy to confuse conviction with stubbornness. ᚺ advises us to be ready for anything at all times, and to be flexible enough to adapt to massive change very quickly.

Visually, ᚺ resembles a slope between two positions or states, similar to a mountain path or set of stairs, indicating a transition between the highs and lows of life. It indicates that it is very easy to find oneself in reduced circumstances, and that it can be extremely difficult to get back "up the slippery slope". This teaches us to not be complacent or to take life for granted, as well as to be grateful for what we have, because we can be brought low and left with nothing in the blink of an eye. ᚺ can also resemble a figure extending a hand down to another, representing the necessity to help others through times of hardship, for one can never know when such help may need to be repaid. ᚺ's position as the first of the second Aett, between Fehu and its other immediate neighbour, Tyr, lends itself to the meaning of it being a catalyst for change, moving from the state of childhood naivete to the state of ascension, spiritual growth and taking one's place amongst the Gods. Just as the Yew tree grows in near barren soil, only to drop its leaves and replenish the nutrients of the earth, ᚺ helps us to make the most of what little we have to produce something better, putting us in the position of being a catalyst for positive change and growth from hardship to greatness. It guides us to weather the storm and emerge renewed, shed no tears for what is lost along the way, and to accept the things we cannot change so that we may focus our energy on changing what we can.

I hope that this has provided further insight into this Rune. My next article will focus on the first Rune of the third Aett, Tyr. Until then, much love, many blessings and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion. O(

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn't sound right... - 1: Fehu

This article is to be the first in a series of posts pertaining to and focusing on the Runes of the Elder Futhark. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this system, the Futhark is a divinatory tool derived from (or some might argue, preceding) the Norse alphabet. It consists of 24 letters, or Runes, each with a phonetic value, but also each possessing their own set of individual associations, meanings and symbolic correspondences. The runes would be carved into small pieces of wood or painted onto pebbles, then cast onto a cloth to be interpreted based upon the state of each Rune (right way up or upside down) and their relative positions to one another; in this way the reader, or Galdrmann, could discern messages and/or prophesies for the querent in a similar manner to a Tarot reader.

I have been using the Runes for some time in this manner, but until recently I have only possessed a surface knowledge of their various meanings; so to remedy this, I have embarked upon a voyage of understanding, spanning across nine days in the same fashion as the Norse All-Father, Odin (though I will not be hanging upside down from a tree to achieve this). Each day, I will contemplate three Runes, and do this for eight days (the Runes are grouped into three columns of eight, known as Aetts, each related to one of the Aesir, Freyr, Hagalr and Tyr), and on the ninth day I will contemplate the Futhark as a whole. So far, I have completed writing down my thoughts on the first of the Runes, which is Fehu. My notes are as follows.

Fehu, ᚠ, Pronounced "Fae-Hoo". Other variants include "Feoh", "Fe", and "Feh".
The phonetic value of this Rune is 'F', and its symbolic meaning is 'Cattle'. The tree that is associated with this Rune is the Elder tree.
The elemental associations of this Rune are Earth and Fire, and its gender is typically regarded as Female.
ᚠ relates to wealth, possessions, property, nourishment, abundance, divination, prophesy, expansive energy, new beginnings, control, generosity, success, travel, reputation, power and sexual energy.

I then engaged in some free association in which I listed every word that came to mind in a stream of unbroken thought:

Cattle, property, land, home, family, inheritance, children, fertility, sex, love, relationships, friendships, cooperation, society, reputation, self-image, judgement, exclusion, prejudice, hoarding, greed, laziness, stagnation, loss, poverty, hardship, struggle, challenge, willpower, drive, breakthrough, success, rebirth, growth, self-mastery, greatness, respect, loyalty, leadership, authority, law, justice, Hamingja (karma), divinity, gods, kings, royalty, wealth, power, destiny, fate, Wyrd, Norns, Volva, prophesy, inevitability, death, afterlife, legacy, legend, stories, lessons, mysteries, initiation, maturity, magick, manifestation, creation, creativity, artistry, music, poetry, culture, tradition, folk, family, farm, cattle, continuity, eternity.

Fehu's association to the Elder tree indicates that it represents fruitfulness, even in the face of adversity, for the Elder tree bears fruit in the autumn, after all other summer trees have begun to drop their fruits and hibernate. This to me attributes ᚠ to the autumn and thus to transitions between the realms of light and shadow, life and death, strength, endurance, resourcefulness and competitiveness. Its corresponding direction would thus be West, and its time of day would be sunset (at least by medieval systems of magickal correspondence), both of which are related to the afterlife, the Otherworld and the sea, as well as the primordial abyss. This tie to the abyss, Chaos or Ginnungargapp, links ᚠ to the unconscious mind and shadow aspects of nature, from which issue the first stirrings of creation and artistic tendency. This one reason why ᚠ is the first Rune in the Futhark. However, it is correspondent with the elements of Earth and Fire rather than water; perhaps a reason for this is that, although all life originated in the sea, it only came into being as a result of a mixture of the minerals of the Earth, energised and imbued with life from the light of the fiery sun. Subsequently, life left the oceans behind and evolved on the land, and exposed to the fire of the sun, thus ᚠ's association with power, success, evolution, fertility and growth etc.

The natural progression of a species from parent to child is premised upon the genetic traits of each generation being passed along, changing with each new emanation; thus ᚠ represents the importance of selective breeding (in humans as well as in cattle), and what each generation passes on to the next whilst working with what it has received from the former. This relates to property and reputation, as well as skills, inclinations, habits, thought patterns and behaviours etc. Whilst we each make the most of what we have, playing the hands we are dealt, as it were, these inheritances can relate to or result from Hamingja (or ancestral Karma, in other traditions), which can be accumulated from past lives as well as from one's ancestors. This begs the question, are we in fact reincarnations of our forebears? Are they different from us or are we the same people in a perpetual process of learning. This idea, in the context of the Old Kings, is the source of the phrase "The King is dead, long live the King!", as the spirit of a previous ruler would pass into the body of their newborn heir; and so in this sense, ᚠ relates to reincarnation and the passage of kingship. When considering the ancestors, it becomes apparent that there is also a cultural link to the Celtic idea of the Otherworld, or the "Thin Place", where the spirits of the ancestors journey to after death. This harkens back to the Norse Disir and Alfar, spirits of ancestors who have achieved different states of divinity. The denizens of the Otherworld in Celtic folklore are known as the Fae or Faeries, who are the equivalent of the Norse Alfar from which we derive the word 'Elf', and so it is likely no coincidence that ᚠ is pronounced "Fae-hu", possibly connecting to the same concept of ancestral nature spirits. Also, to corroborate this idea, the Elder tree, to the Celts, was seen as the gateway to the Faerie Kingdom, the bridge to the Otherworld and the conduit for communication with the Fae or Alfar. It is through our communication with these beings that people learn the secrets of nature and the workings of the Universe, and are thus able to earn magick to manipulate and change physical reality as they see fit, beginning the path of the healer, the shaman, the wandering wise man, and eventually the hero or perpetrator of great deeds. Also, through these interactions, people learned to understand the workings of fate, or the Wyrd, and so they became prophets, seers, Volvas and Sudrsaers.

Elderberries were (and still are) used to make wine and mead, so ᚠ would also represent the abundance of the Earth, joy, and celebration, wealth, prosperity, status and respectability etc. Elderberry also possesses aphrodisiac qualities, tying ᚠ to sexual energy and lust. In Eastern traditions (and some would argue in western European tradition also, albeit in a slightly different form), sexual energy is generated in the Sacral Chakra and is synonymous with creative energy in general which, when directed into artistic pursuits, becomes divine inspiration.

Visually, ᚠ has the general appearance of a branch of a tree, possibly representing one section of the World tree, Yggdrasil, and by extension, the paths between Midgard and its immediate neighbours. In another sense, ᚠ also resembles a primitive farming tool or plough, evoking the idea of the sowing of seeds, the preparing of the earth to be made fertile, planning and preparation of new ideas of ventures. The sound of ᚠ when spoken is similar to the sound of leaves in a breeze or the motion of waves, linking the spoken word to the "breath of God" or the "breath of creation", the embodiment of the primordial essence of life that begins all things. It is interesting to note that ᚠ seems to embody within itself, the essences of all of the other Runes of the Futhark; it is also interesting to note that, in the same way, the wisdom of the Major Arcana in the Tarot is encompassed within The Fool, which is the first card in the sequence, and furthermore, the book of Genesis contains all of the symbolic wisdom of the entire biblical Old Testament. I feel that this is because each of them pertains to creation, and the first point of creation contains within it, the limitless potential, and therefore essence, of everything that comes afterwards; thus, ᚠ represents the multiplicity within the singularity, and accurately demonstrates the initial spark of ordered growth, of a tree from within a seed, or of an entire world from within a single human soul. It empitomises the individual as their own God among Gods at the centre of their own reality from which issues the limitless potential for creation into the eternal web of Wyrd.

I will be journaling about my ruminations and meditations upon the rest of the Runes of the Elder Futhark over the next week, so until my next installment, I wish you all much love, many blessings, and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion O(

Samhain - The Tradition and its Transformation

“At no other time does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.” - Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters on Cézanne

Summer has drawn to a close; the nights are noticeably longer and the days, shorter; the wind is considerably colder, and there is far less green in our wonderful landscape than there was just a few weeks ago. Autumn has come, and with it comes a shift in consciousness, a change in the air, something tangible but nigh impossible to put into words. Suddenly you can sense something different, when you step out of your front door as evening falls and you feel the thick buzz in the air, you smell the mildest hints of wood smoke and notice that everything has an odd tinge of orangey-grey. There is an absence of birdsong which is unsettling yet soothing at the same time, and in the twilight you start to see shapes, people, animals, moving in the corners of your vision, only to turn and find the streets deserted. Autumn is a time beyond time, a space between worlds, where our senses come alive and we are awakened to what our world truly looks like behind the curtain of illusion.

Autumn marks the beginning of the 'Dark Half' of the wheel of the year, with the end of the fair summer weather, the slow death of surrounding flora, and the reaping of crops. A this time as the winds begin to circle in from the north, heards of cattle and sheep are brought inside to wait out the winter, leaving the land appearing barren and lifeless. The Autumnal Equinox, known to the Irish Celts as Lughnasadh, is the point at which the night and day are of exactly equal length, when the sun and the moon share the sky as equals. This balance between night and day is mirrored in the human condition, as we feel compelled to withdraw from the outside world, to go within and contemplate ourselves and the world around us and our place within it. The Equinox, in Greek Mythology, is symbolised by the kidnap of Persephone by Hades, and the death of the Earth as Persephone's mother, Diana, retreats in mourning to find her. In Celtic myth, Lugh, the Sun God, mourns the death of his mother, Ethniu, ending a tenuous truce between the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorians at this time, the darkness of impending winter represented by the ensuing war with between the two tribes.

The Tuatha De Danann

Following the 'descent into the underworld', we finally arrive at Samhain, or 'Summer's End', the Celtic New Year; traditionally celebrated over three successive days beginning on or around the end of October (some believe this depends of the nearest full or new moon), Samhain, pronounced 'Sow-en' is thought to be the time of year when the 'veil' between this world and the Otherworld (the afterlife, known to the Celts as Avalon, the realm of the Fae-Folk) is at its thinnest, allowing us to perceive and communicate with spirits of the dead. In Greek myth it is the time when Persephone agrees to marry Hades and rule beside him in the Underworld, consolidating the hold of darkness over the living world above. As a side note to this, it is believed by some Hellenic Pagans that Persephone, in her role as queen of the underworld and guide of the dead, takes on the name of Hekate, the Matroness of witches and necromancers. Typical associations with Samhain are the colours black and orange, black representing the dark night of impending winter, and orange representing the promise of the return of the sun in the spring. Plants such as corn, berries, apples, root vegetables etc. are all significant to Samhain as they represent the last harvest before the winter. Animals such as spiders, bats, owls, toads and wolves are all attributed to Samhain as they are primarily nocturnal creatures and correspond to this season of darkness, introspection and change. Other Deities associated with Samhain include Cernnunos the Horned God, who governs the dark half of nature, the cycles of death and rebirth, and oversees the balance between predator and prey, Ariannrod who is a Matron of Witches and The Morrigan who is a goddess of Magic, war, change, death and rebirth due to her role in overthrowing the Fomorians in the Irish Myth cycle. Samhain currently falls under the starsign of Scorpio, making it a time for self reflection under the watery influence of the sign, but also for manifestation of desires and ending of conflicts due to the firey, aggressive nature of the scorpion.

So, how would Samhain have been celebrated back in ancient times, and how has it changedin today's society? What connection is there, if any, to the commercial secular holiday of Halloween? There are many theories surrounding each of these questions, many of which contradict one another, but from my reading, as well as from general observation, contemplation and conversation, I have a few thoughts of my own which I will share with you now. To begin, Samhain began (as far as historical records suggest) in Ireland as far back as 2000bc. The falling of the last fruits and the reaping of the last harvests were celebrated with feasts to give thanks to the Goddess for the abundance of the Earth which would see the European inhabitants through the harshness of winter. In Irish Celtic myth, when the land was ruled by the Fomorians, they demanded payment from their subjects amounting to two thirds of all of their crops, livestock and children born each year. Julius Caesar writes at length about the widespread animal and human sacrifice amongst the Gaulish and Celtic tribes which may have arisen from this legend, though this cannot be fully relied upon given the bias of the source, with Caesar leading military campaigns to annex their lands at the time. What is to be relied upon is that people would light huge bonfires at this time of year and fuel it with objects and possessions which no longer served them in an act of ritual cleansing, doing away with the old to make way for the new. Offerings of grain, or home-baked bread were cast into the fire in thanks to the Goddess, and it is indeed possible that a share of meat from slaughtered livestock may also have been offered. Later in history, the middle English would leave offerings of bread, milk, honey and wine on their porches or window sills for a similar purpose.

Ritual bonfires were set at Samhain to burn away old energy and invite ancestral spirits

The association with death is easy to pinpoint; in the Northern Hemisphere, everything is dying, flowers and trees, even insects are dying on mass, and birds are migrating while land based animals are going into hibernation. Everything has a spirit, so when plants and animals begin to die in such great numbers at the same time, these spirits are released, clouding the air with the energy they emit, and as this energy transgresses the dimensional barrier between this world and those beyond our perception, a part of our consciousness is carried with it, granting us a glimpse of what lies after death, and bringing us closer to the divine, albeit in a rather morbid way. The image of death as the 'grim reaper' also has its root in the autumnal celebration of Samhain, for as humans reap the bounty of what we have sown, so too do the Gods reap the souls that they have helps to make manifest, clearing space for new life to flourish and grow. It is important to note that death is never something to shy away from of be fearful of, for in death there is always a renewal of life elsewhere; as the Northern Hemisphere dies with its autumn, the Southern Hemisphere is given life in its spring time. It is this continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth which is celebrated at Samhain, and with our perception of subtle energy at its peak, it is a time to honour those who have passed before us. One of the ancient traditions would be to ritually invite the spirits of the ancestors into the home and make offerings of food and drink to them; in return the spirits of ancestors would communicate with their living descendants and offer guidance for the coming year. Of course, there was always a worry that other spirits would also return to settle differences or reap revenge upon one who had wronged them in life, so a common practice was to carve frightening faces into turnips or potatoes and place them in doorways or windows to ward off the unwelcome spirits, a practice which was adopted into Medieval Gothic architecture with the use of gargoyles. As time went on and the worship of the old Pagan Gods dwindled, this practice, and that of leaving food and drink on the doorstep, endured as a means of placating the wandering and potentially mischievous spirits of the dead.

An example of a traditional carved turnip

As well as honouring the spirits of human ancestors, the original celebrants of Samhain also honoured the spirits of animals, the spirits of the slaughtered livestock in thanks for giving their lives to sustain the family or community, the spirits of horses and mules for their hard labour, and the spirits of dogs and hounds for guarding the homestead and aiding in the hunt. The practice of animal reverence was not limited to the Celts, however; the ancient Egyptians worshiped cats as sacred and believed that they were guardians of the underworld, preventing the dead from returning to the realm of the living and guiding departed souls on their journey through the afterlife. The ancient Greeks worshiped the Bull and saw it as a symbol of the cosmic life-giver, ritually slaughtering bulls every year to ensure good harvest for the following year. The practice can also be found in the Norse and Native American cultures with animal totems and animal spirits as guides for the living, many tribes claiming kinship to one animal or another based on their shared traits. At Samhain, the living animals would be treated with even more care and respect than at any other time of year, given a share of food or drink and sometimes brought inside the home as equal members of the family.

Other traditional celebratory acts included dressing up, sometimes in honour of the Gods, sometimes as animals and other times to reenact the old folk tales. Of course, storytelling would have been a huge part of Samhain, recounting the old legends of their ancestors, sharing stories of deceased loved ones, and reminding one another of shared heritage and memories. During the Middle Ages, children would go from house to house begging for food and drink, which eventually gave rise to what is now called 'Trick-or-Treat', and it became common for candles to be placed in the windows of the home to guide the spirits of the ancestors back to their living relatives. This, when combined with the carving of vegetables, gave rise to the Jack O' Lantern, though this has developed its own modern folk tale surrounding the tradition from the Irish Catholic tale of "Jack of the Lanterns" or "Stingy Jack", a man punished for deceiving both God and the Devil to prolong his life.

Stingy Jack, traversing purgatory with his turnip lantern.

So what has changed over the centuries? When it comes to Samhain, not much; some of the ancient European traditions surrounding the Sabbat have survived and are still practiced by pagans today, albeit as a modern interpretation based on limited historical sources, as well as animal sacrifice having been widely abandoned and replaced with symbolic gestures to equal effect. The changes to how people commonly celebrate Samhain are largely cosmetic, merely resulting in slight renaming of individual practices or symbolic imagery, but the core values of the Sabbat have remained the same. However, any attempt to reconcile the ancient celebration of Samhain with the modern holiday of Halloween may prove difficult, given the rise of the consumerist society in which we now find ourselves. Trick or Treat has devolved into the pass time of doting parents and impertinent children, scavenging confectioneries from their neighbours, thus trivialising the plight of the children who originated the tradition to acquire food to fill their otherwise empty bellies.

Party games such as "Apple Bobbing" have become popular, though the importance of the apple seems to be generally unknown; the apple is a fruit sacred to the Roman Goddess Pomona, a deity of fruitful abundance associated with orchards, so at this time of the last harvest, it is easy to see how the apple was adopted into modern celebrations at this time of year. However, the act of "bobbing" for apples has a much darker history, rooted in the brutal inquisition and witch trials between the 12th and 18th centuries; suspected witches would be repeatedly submerged underwater for increasingly long periods of time as a means of interrogation, resulting either in a confession or drowning. This was also a means of "testing" to see if the accused really was a witch or not; if the accused drowned, she was innocent, but if she survived, she was guilty of using dark magic to avoid drowning. A similar game, also using apples, involves the fruits being suspended on strings from the ceiling as participants attempt to bite them whilst blindfolded; again, deriving from the hanging of suspected witches.

By far the greatest deviation of the modern Halloween from the original Samhain is the season's typical association with "evil" and horror culture. As many of you may know, Halloween earns its name from the Christian festival of All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day which originally was celebrated around August but was moved to coincide with the well established Pagan festivals in Europe at the time. Over the centuries, indigenous European paganism was either stamped out by the church or absorbed into it, and with the rise of Protestantism in the 15oos, the was a concerted effort by these new Lutheran radicals to purge the pagan elements within the established Catholic doctrine in order to "purify" the church. This continued into the New World with the establishment of the Puritan settlements, in which fear of witches reached fever pitch, and later in attempts to remove old pagan aspects from society such as animal worship and communing with the dead, societal focus shifted to portraying the supernatural as something to be feared and hated. This much is plain to see in modern society, with Ghosts being something to keep away from the home, stories of the supernatural being used to frighten children before bedtime, the return of the dead being mixed up with zombie culture (which is in and of itself a perversion of African American Hoodoo practice) and reduced to depictions of half-rotten, brain-eating monsters, and the night of deepest darkness being twisted into a prime night for murder and depravity rather than introspection and self healing. The sanctity of death has been manipulated into something grotesque, cheap and commercially lucrative, playing on humanity's desire to explore the darkness within ourselves, to explore death and experience the shadow side of nature, but presenting it in such a way as to make it laughable to most, fearful to others and deplorable to a select few who use it as a spring board to demonize pagans and witches by claiming that Halloween, with all of its negative attributes, is somehow synonymous with the Sacred Sabbat of Samhain. Maybe it is a stretch to say that a heavily Christianised society, now abandoning all faith in favour of material empiricism, seeks to devalue and undermine the ancient rites of our ancestors with such a cheap and vile imitation of one of the most important celebrations of our ancestors, but there it is; it is my oppinion that this devolution is part of a conscious effort to paint pagan practices such as magic, necromancy and divination as inherently evil.

Regardless of whether this is true or not, let us remember what Samhain is truly about; it is about getting in touch with those parts of our minds and souls which lie neglected and unloved for most of the year, our shadow selves, and bringing those aspects of our being into the light to be understood and worked with. It is about letting go of those things in life which hold us back from being our most authentic selves, addictions, toxic relationships, dead end jobs, bad habits, general clutter and disorder, so that we can move forward and grow. It is about laying old dreams to rest and setting new goals for the coming year, new aspirations, new ideas, new projects, and setting out to make those ideas manifest. It is about remembering where we come from so that we have a better idea as to where we are going, about honouring those who have walked these paths before us and left their footprints for us to follow. It is about recognising and honouring the sovereignty and majesty of nature in all of its aspects, bowing to the inevitability of physical death and communing with those who have made that passage already, to better prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. It is about being grateful for what we have and optimistic about what we have yet to receive. It is about knowing the self, knowing the Earth, knowing the plants and the animals, knowing the stars, knowing the spirits in all things, and most importantly about loving all of that.

A Samhain altar to past loved ones by Jillian Lauren. 

Samhain is the perfect time to work spellcraft, so before I finish this article, here are a few ideas for activities to conduct on this wonderful occasion:

1. Bake some hearth-bread as an offering to your ancestors; leave a portion of it on your doorstep to invite the spirits to come to you. If your are familiar with the concept of Kitchen-Witchery then blessing each of the ingredients and chanting invocations as you mix them can really add to the potency of the offering, making the simple act of baking bread a work of spellcraft. 
2. Set up a Samhain altar (if you haven't already); this should be located in an area of the home which is special to you, such as the bedroom or an area of the living room where you feel most comfortable. Fill the altar with plants associated with the season, and perhaps include symolic representations of animals you see as significant to you. If you know the totem animal/s of your family, use this as a means of paying tribute to them. 
3. Start a journal; journaling is a really great way of externalising all of our thoughts and emotions, clearing out blockages, creating order from chaos and helping ideas to take form. You could keep track of your dreams and analyse the symbolic meanings within them to better understand your motivations and subconscious aspiriations. 
4. Meditation; introspective working is extremely effective at this time of year, as our world aligns with the darkness and repose of winter. Start with basic breathing exercises to reduce mental traffic, then try simple visualisations such as colours or symbols. Use music to assist in visualisation (preferably nothing with lyrics as this can be a distraction) and attempt to commune with your ancestors/spirit guides in this meditative state. For more information on this, see one of my previous articles, Travelling Through the Ether - A Mystical Experience.
5. Clear out your home; ritual cleansing will allow you to release much of what you hold on to and help you see what you take for granted. The Witch's broomstick was originally used for this purpose, clearing out the old to make way for the new, both physically and psychically. Perhaps set up a yard/car-boot sale to clear away any old, unwanted or unused items or clothes, or just box it up and take it to a charity shop. One of the best things to do, however, is to gift some old items which may have held sentimental value, to a friend or loved one, as Samhain is just as much about giving.
6. Get out into Nature; the weather may be turning against us now, but that shouldn't discourage us from getting outdoors. Wrap up warm and waterproof and go on an adventure! Wander into the woods or through the park or go for a drive into the countryside. Appreciate the visual changes in nature around you. Talk to the trees and the animals you see, sit and listen to the wind, feel the energy of nature and try to merge with it. Perhaps take an offering to leave for the spirits of the land, the Fae-Folk, for they can be valuable friends to have when trying to manifest our dreams into reality!
7. Make some Magick! Anything can be an act of Magick, so long as there is pure intention and direction behind the action. If you want to let go of something or someone, choose something to represent what it is you want to let go of, mark it as the chosen symbol of your desire, focus on it and pour all of your Will into it. Speak an affirmation to yourself to consolidate the intention in your mind, then either cast the chosen object into the sea or a river to carry it away from you, or perhaps burn it with the intention of purging and purifying yourself of it. If you wish to manifest something into your life, write the intention down, again, pouring all of your Will and belief into it, visualise it becoming a reality, and bury it in the earth with a seed or bulb; as the plant grows, so too does your wish grow and come to fruition. The more you nurture the plant and help it grow, the more your nurture your dreams into reality.

Basic Ritual setup for spellcraft.

I hope that this article has given you some ideas for your own Samhain celebrations. Thank you for reading! Please share this article if you found it informative, and please visit my Facebook page "The Wandering Hermit" for more content. Many blessings to you this Samhain. Have a wonderful Sabbat and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion. O(