Quote for today ~

Where we have strong emotions, we're liable to fool ourselves.
- Carl Sagan

Wisdom from the Havamal

Here is a verse of the Havamal that I was thinking about today and figured I'd share here:

Mildir frœknir
menn bazt lifa
sjaldan sút ala
en ósnjallr maðr
uggir hotvetna
sýtir æ gløggr við gjöfum

Translations:

Generous, valiant
men live best,
and seldom nourish sorrow;
but the cowardly man
fears all sorts of things
and the niggard is always troubled about gifts.

The generous and bold have the best lives,
Are seldom beset by cares,
But the base man sees bogies everywhere
And the miser pines for presents

Most blest is he who lives free and bold
and nurses never a grief,
for the fearful man is dismayed by aught,
and the mean one mourns over giving.

The Field

The memory was a black and white truth in my soul

A death I kept dying, growing like sick bent flowers

Which I watered with my tears, a flood, a deluge

And there was a field grown overnight that I had once cleared

I was going to build a peaceful home there one day

But now it was wild and the ground shook

How I wanted to throw myself upon it, let it swallow me up

Let myself sink down into it to feed its hungry infant cries

But I did not, instead I stood until the tears dried

I stood straight until the trembles grew quiet, lazy, complacent

And the flowers thirsted then sunk down and blew away

Now that field is just a field, still pretty in the light

Perhaps oneday I will build something there

Perhaps not, and it will remain one of the great empty places

In my world...

Runes today ~

Othala: (O: Ancestral property.) Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. What is truly important to one. Group order, group prosperity. Land of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values. Aid in spiritual and physical journeys. Source of safety, increase and abundance.

Berkano: (B: Berchta, the birch-goddess.) Birth, general fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, liberation. Regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth. Arousal of desire. A love affair or new birth. The prospering of an enterprise or venture.

Ehwaz: (E: Horse, two horses.) Transportation. May represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle. Movement and change for the better. Gradual development and steady progress are indicated. Harmony, teamwork, trust, loyalty. An ideal marriage or partnership. Confirmation beyond doubt the meanings of the runes around it.

The Weekend Wrapup

I had an interesting weekend with Matt and Q... we watched a bunch of movies, shot, skinned, cleaned and ate a rabbit along with various other food stuffs and played some great games. It was a much needed getaway, a chance to reset my mind and to reset my sanity.

Hopefully we'll be able to do something like this again, at least on an annual basis.

Quote for today ~

I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.
- Umberto Eco

Todays Runes

Eihwaz: (EI: Yew tree.) Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, protection. The driving force to acquire, providing motivation and a sense of purpose. Indicates that you have set your sights on a reasonable target and can achieve your goals. An honest man who can be relied upon.

Kenaz: (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love.

Ansuz: (A: The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odin.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom.

Runes Today ~

URUZ - Physical strength and speed, untamed potential. A time of great energy and health. Freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom. Sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better). Sexual desire, masculine potency. The shaping of power and pattern, formulation of the self.

GEBO - Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships.

DAGAZ - Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet.

My father...

My father was a lot of things, many not worth mentioning. I do however recall the one good peice of advice that he gave me. The one kernel of wisdom that actually did take root and grow in me.

"Its not hard to get what you want in life. Whats hard is getting it all when you need it and keeping hold of it."

Of all the things the man was... good and bad, he spoke the truth in that moment.

Runes today ~

Dagaz - Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet.

Perthro - Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. Pertaining to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change.

Thurisaz - Reactive force, directed force of destruction and defense, conflict. Instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst. A tendency toward change. Catharsis, purging, cleansing fire. Male sexuality, fertilization. (Thorr, the Thunder god, was of Giant stock.)