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Rune Dice Premiere at Northwest Tarot Symposium (NWTS)

I have created a new way to read the runes, which is light, portable and very accurate. My prototype RUNE DICE were a big hit and many are looking forward to them being available sometime this summer.  What is different about my dice is they are 8-sided so each represents a full aett or family of runes.  I am using the Elder Futhark which consists of 24 runes, arranged in three families of 8 runes each. The green houses the first aett, which reflects the life on earth and all the realms of middle earth. The black houses the 2nd aett, which reflects our deepest journeys in Hel.  And finally the white houses the 3rd aett; the realm and lessons of Asgard, home of the Gods.  Here is a picture of a reading I took today, asking to show what I brought back from my time at NWTS last weekend.

To read them, the top face of the dice are read as the primary runes; and the runes you can see on the sides augment the reading. What I see in this reading is:

Algiz-Elk or bird. This weekend bird showed up to leave footprints behind that I could follow.  I came to learn how to publish my booklet to accompany these rune dice and to learn from the tarot tribe.  All were so generous with their information! I want to shout out to Mellissae Lucia and Carolyn White for sharing their knowledge and encouraging me on this project. Both gave great presentations and I highly recommend them both. Digging in and learning how to assimilate the shared knowledge as I make my individual journey is the inner work I have before me.  I was also able to meet Carolyn Cushing of Soul Path Sanctuary in person after being wisdom sisters for ages in the Gaian Tarot Circle and Dark Goddess Lodge.  JOY!

Thurisaz- Thorn or axe.  This is the day to day practical work of hacking through any barriers (real or imagined) that keep me from realizing my goals.  I can also set up a thorny barrier to protect myself from intrusion and distraction so only really important issues/concerns can sway me from my task.

Othala-Legacy or transformation. My final result will be to leave behind a new way to read and work with the runes.  And bringing them to manifestation has the power to change not only my life but live of others as well.

The augmenting runes have something to say as well…Pethro– is the dice cup, luck and fortune won and/or lost.  Both it and Ingwaz-the womb are containers for the rune dice concept while it germinates and matures prior to being released in this summer. And Raido- the journey or traveler represents not only the journey of this creation, but a very real trip to Thailand which was determined this weekend.

I came for inspiration, education, and connection and left with all three in abundance!

Blessings on YOUR journey,
Deb

 

 

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On the Road with Raido

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I have been surrounded by the spirit of Raido this week. Raido is about the journey and the paths  you travel. The city is working on the road in front of my house, and in front of my work. Pretty funny to have barriers leaving home and entering work; or leaving work and entering home. OK, maybe not funny at all—but I do have to pause before I enter and leave the road twice a day. And in being forced to pause as part of the journey, I realize the value in doing just that.

I love that the runes look like whatever they symbolize. Doesn’t Raido look just like a person in mid-step—walking forward? Easy for me to begin to think about all that goes with traveling; preparing by planning the route, taking along the tools and supplies you need, determining how long it will take and when you will be able to return home, do I need  a companion on this journey? In today’s language it might look like: do I have my Garmin or other directions/maps; cellphone, water, snacks, music; get a pet sitter, or put a hold on the mail; call to tell my friend I’m on the way to pick them up. Even going to work requires the same thought processes: the road construction requires I take a different route to work to save time;  remember my lunch, cellphone, and files; do I need to put dinner in the crockpot because it will be a long day; or set something out to thaw to cook when I get home; am I carpooling today or on my own?  Haven’t we all had those days we are in a hurry and forget something that ends up taking us longer?  Raido is not just the action of moving forward; but contains the whole picture—planning, movement, and arrival.

Raido corresponds with the Chariot tarot card; number 7 of the major arcana. It often depicts a person in a chariot or other conveyance pulled by two similar animals, one light and one dark—often looking to the opposite of the the card. Themes for the card are the struggle between choices, control of your destiny, focused direction, overcoming obstacles, self-control, mastery of your desires, clarity of purpose. In the Gaian Tarot my dear friend Joanna Powell Colbert has chosen the the Canoe as the image to portray taking control of ones destiny. With the runes being a tool used by the Norse ancestors who traveled so extensively by water, the canoe image resonated with me. I even created a tarot spread designed to give me insight on what I might need to know on my journey. Try it using either tarot cards  or runes,  the questions and spread design follow:

                                                        1  RUNE/CARD 

3  RUNE/CARD                          5  RUNE/CARD                        4  RUNE/CARD 

                                                     
                                                        2  RUNE/CARD 

Card 1
Eagle’s view–What is the big picture? What inspires me? What makes the journey worth it?

Card 2
Salmon’s gift–What wisdom, deep knowledge or truth supports me on my journey? 

Card 3 
First Orca– What slows me down?What barriers must I overcome to reach my destination? What am I clinging to in my past that hinders me? What am I afraid of?

Card 4
Second Orca–What causes me to rush? What lesson will I miss if I hurry too fast? What opportunity am I limiting with too narrow a focus?

Card 5
Me– What must I do to glide forward effortlessly into my right and perfect future? What allows me to reach my destination with ease and joy?

Summer is certainly a time for travel. Spend some time with Raido soon, and see how you journeys become more fun, efficient, purposefulll—especially if the purpose is to enjoy the ride!!

Bright Summer Blessings,

Deb