Today I drew Fehu. Mobile wealth on Tuesday–what does that look like?
What I think is that this is a perfect day to take a couragaous step in my financial affairs. I am having a website created by Stacey Pruim at http://www.systemserenity.com/home/ The investment I am making will make my rune sets, rune dice, and rune classes available to others and provide some icome for me as well. I have delayed moving forward because of fear–of failure, of success, thinking I had to do all the web work myself. Today I can take the next step forward; in alighment wth Fehu and bring my dream closer to reality. Both Freya and Tyr are sure of themselves and willing to pay the price required to have what they wanted. I am also willing to pay the price for my dreams. Some of that price is coin; but also due are attention, time, faith in others: all forms of mobile wealth. My website should be up by the end of October–the end of the Pagan year. Perfect. A new venture, in a new year; in the dark of the year when I really have time to devote to it.
I love the way the universe works! And I am so grateful to have the runes to show me the path to the future; and to see the possibilities available to me each and every day.
The Norse did not name Saturday after a god or Goddess; it simply remained lordag which translates to bath day. Even a culture that interwove the Gods into daily life knew that some days were needed to recharge and reconnect to our human bodies. Bath houses were built near or over natural hot springs–the basis for the Scandinavian love of saunas. If there were no hot springs, the bath house would be placed near a spring or stream. Bathing was a group event in the bathhouse weekly. But the Vikings washed their faces, washed and combed their hair in the morning and washed their hands before eating. There is some evidence that they rinsed out their mouths and noses as well. Certainly not the picture of filthy barbarians that is commonly portrayed.
I remember as a child that we took weekly baths, although they were on Sunday nights so we would be clean for school on Monday. I can still feel how it felt to be fresh and clean after my bath, wrapped up in a towel and a robe; watching Walt Disney and Wild Kingdom. Fresh sheets, and getting tucked in my Mom. Aaaaaaahhh. Now as a an adult I do make Satudays my day to refresh and renew. It can be a hot tub on my deck with a glass of iced tea or wine; soaking in my jacuzzi tub in my master bath, shaving, tweezing, trimming….or it can be a girls day out for a pedicure and maybe a manicure too. I go to the http://www.olympusspa.net/Lynnwood/index.aspx or http://www.olympusspa.net/tacoma/index.aspx a couple times a year to really pamper my skin and my soul. It is a Korean spa that you can spend all day being pampered. Entrance fee is only $35 and all the pools, heated rooms, sauna are included. Many other services are available and are reasonalby priced. Olympus Spa’s mission is to make self care in the style of Korea available to the common woman. In Korea, the women go to hte baths in the morning, using mugwort infusion to purify and the soaks to remove any old skin. When I go, I always get the Korean Body Scrub and Korean Moisturizing. My skin feels great for weeks afterwards. I try to get my scrub late so I can enjoy the day in the various pools before I get moisturized. Then I eat at the Korean restaurant and rest in the heated rooms until close. What a lovely day–perfect to take a friend and spend all day catching up.
How do you spend Saturday? Do you pamper yourself, take some time to refresh? I hope so!!
Freya is the the most powerful Norse Goddesses. She is a powerful warrioress that leads the Valkyries during battle; they gather the warrior dead and transport them to the Valhalla, the hall of honor in the underworld.
She is beautiful and loves beautiful things. She is rumored to have slept with 4 dwarves as payment for the necklace Brisingamen; a necklace that sparkled like the stars in the heavens when worn. She is a Goddess of Love and a Spakona or Volva—a wise woman or sorceress. Sex magic was a feminine Norse practice; but Freya taught Odin this seidr magic in exchange for him teaching her how to work with the runes.
Fehu is the first rune associated with Freya—it is the very first rune of the first aett (eight); set of eight runes which is called Freya’s Aett. Fehu symbolizes mobile wealth. It is sometimes called “cattle” as the herd was the wealth of the tribe that was mobile. You can also see that coins and jewelry—especially something as splendid as Brisingamen would also be seen as mobile wealth. Not as visible are the skills in magic and knowledge of the runes are also valuable and go wherever you might travel.
Kenaz is the rune of creative power; especially that of sexual power. This certainly links to the sexy, powerful goddess that Freya is and gives a nod to the seidr magic as well. Energy is what powers magic; and sex is a great source of that energy.
So how does this connect to Friday?
I don’t know about you, but I get paid on a Friday, and my Dad and Grandfathers were always paid on a Friday. That is a transfer of mobile wealth. Workers often go out for a drink ( a common Norse pastime!) to de-stress after the work week. It is a bit like a post battle celebration; or licking our wounds after getting our butt kicked. In high school, Friday night is game night—a civilized battle with well defined rules—and often there is a dance afterwards with the “heros” being celebrated.
Friday night is a common “date” night and a time for sexy, charged connections. Getting dressed up is part of the event—and usually the better you look; the more you spent to look that way.
So what do you do to celebrate the energy of Friday night?
Make it a day to pay bills, catch a local game, or de-stress with the gang. Dress up, put on your finest; and be willing to share a bit of that paycheck at a local “hot” spot. Or buy something pretty for yourself or the Goddess in your life. Tell someone that they are your hero—send a note of appreciation to someone that has really bailed you out of a jam.
I am sure there are many other ideas out there…please share a few!
Thor is the God of Thunder and a powerful conqueror of barriers; especially thorny-type ones. He has a powerful hammer, Mjollnir—that can break anything, yet always returns to Thor’s hand.
Thurisaz is a rune to be used to break through barriers; physical ones and emotional ones. Can be used to break thru to “prickly” persons, or through the walls between lovers. Conversely, Thurisaz can be activated to set up a thorny barrier to protect or defend. It is most often an active rune, but that energy can be held in check waiting to be release by an attack.
An ancient version of Sleeping Beauty’s story illustrates the power of Thor and his hammer Mjollnir. Not only does the hero manage to breach the thorny hedge to get into the castle; he wakes her not with a kiss; but during the sex act—literally piercing her feminine barrier.
So how can I interact with these energies and honor Thor on Thursdays?
Make noise: Thor is the God of thunder. How can you engage in sound? Drumming, clog dancing; maybe bowling? Have you ever heard that thunder is created when the Gods bowl?
Break something on purpose: Chop wood, trim the hedge, rototill the ground to ready it for planting.
Invoke Thurisaz to provide an energetic barrier of protection.
At work—take aim and break through to a coworker that has been “prickly”. Visualize Thurisaz before you have the conversation; knowing that it can pierce through any barrier.
In love: Have sex with you lover. Buy roses—beauty and thorns, tackle the conversation that is barbed with misunderstandings.
What do you do to honor Thor, or engage the energy of Thurisaz? Do you have a short story to share? Add a comment and let us know what works for you.
Wednesday is dedicated to Oden (Woden). The runic mythology credits Odin, the AllFather with bringing the runes to conscious use. He hung suspended on Yggdrasi, the World Tree for 9 days and 9 nights without food or drink. Suspended between the 9 worlds of existance; he was awakened with a flash of insight that included the runes and how to use them for weal or woe. In today’s language it was like having an instant download of everything you need to know about runes, instantly.
Because of the importance of being suspended between the worlds; the rune Eihwaz–which is literally symboic of the World Tree–Yggdrasil is ruled by Odin. It connects the highest and deepest realms, and is a vehicle for shamans to use to travel between the worlds.
How can I honor Odin on Wednsdays?
Practice Divination: Toss the runes and read the upright ones; or draw a single rune to illuminate the answer to your question.
Try yoga or an other balancing practice: What does it feel like to be poised between two different points; or how does it fell to stand on your head? If you cannot try this physically, engage with the process of looking at things from the perspective of someone upside down. Look at the underbelly of the issue; what possibilities are available to you if you look at the issue from a totally different perspective?
Fast: Pick a level of fasting that is safe and you are comfortable with. Listen to your body, and experience what you feel like when your body isnt busy processing food–what thoughts do you now have time to process instead?
Adorn yourself or you space with Ravens: Huginn and Muninn (“thought” and “memory”) are the two ravens on Odin’s shoulder. Much of the energy around Odin is mental-battle strategy; trickery by clever wording, and long memories that tie clues together and work slowly towards victory and delivery of “just” rewards.
Be a Leader: Where do you provide leadership in your life? What new perspective do you have to share with the world? Wednesday is a great day to work on innovative projects. And since those are usually energizing, Wednesday (in the middle of the week) is a great day to spend time on them.
What do you do as a practive to honor Odin on Wednesdays? Please share with us in a comment below.
Tuesday was named after Tyr. His rune is Tiwaz and looks like an arrow. The energy of this rune is to take aim and take action. This warrior rune is used to target the enemy. Tyr is the Norse warrior that sacrificed his right hand to bind the Fenris wolf. He was the only God with the courage to put his hand in the mouth of the Fenris Wolf so the other Gods cound bind it. While Tyr paid the price for the trickery used to bind Fenris, his rune is a rune of truth. Using this rune with untruth always exacts a price.
How do I honor Tyr on Tuesdays?
Strategize how to overcome opposition. Do something that takes courage. Be truthful in your dealings today.
In a personal approach; take aim on a habit you want to conquer or set a goal to improve a skill that will make you more competitive in your work or community. Know that Tyr usually requires sacrifice–though it can be time, the discomfort that comes with change, or occassionally injury. Choose wisely so the pain is worth the gain. Set a goal, make an oath and swear it on Tyr’s right hand. But be sure it is something you are willing to sacrifice for.
What does Tuesday mean to you? Where do you have conflict in your life and what are you going to do about it? What does victory look like?
Today I drew Fehu. Mobile wealth on Tuesday–what does that look like?
