today I'm discussing the new direction that my spiritual path is heading in, and a piece in the news that has cheered me up. Happy Mabon to all, may you reap all the good you've sown this year :).
In the news
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/sell-by-axed-to-stop-food-waste
I'm so pleased to see this. There have been rumblings for some time on this subject, but I'm very glad the government are beginning to really push the issue. They want to encourage firms to remove sell-by dates on food, have a recommended use-by date on labels and improve education about until when food is safe to eat. I used to work in a convenience store where we were obliged to throw out an entire trolley full of food, most of it still perfectly edible, much of it flown in from halfway round the world, to rot in plastic bags in the bins. If staff were able to use their eyes and common sense to judge when food is beginning to go a bit manky, I reckon the waste would be cut down by a good two-thirds. The article talks about customers being confused about when to chuck out food they've bought; personally I'll look it over and give it a sniff and if its still good, I'll eat it anyway regardless of a number stamped on the label. Freezing food that you'd otherwise chuck out is also a good idea. Some people are not able to compost and so much good food goes in the bin, so I'm all for improving education about use-by dates. But I say, all hail common sense! We can all reduce our food waste with a little thought and efficiency.
The Runes
Time and time again I've attempted to engage in the art of Tarot reading; I've read books, done online courses and browsed packs, but to no avail. A friend said to me, "no, you mustn't do it from books! Lay the cards out in front of you, use your intuition to connect with them." Okydoke, here is... a dude? with a tree? and a Sun? I was never able to connect with the cards, found the images obscure and the meanings often irrelevant to my life. So I began to research other forms of divination, and decided to take a look at the Futhark Runes. I whizzed through two books, one by Edred Thorsson and the other by Lisa Peschel and was instantly engrossed. What I love about the Runes is that they're more earthy, simpler and easier to use than Tarot and other confusing forms of divination. Also Tarot is of middle-eastern origin and the Runes of Norse origin - perhaps my Swedish heritage has played a part in drawing me to them.
I collected some smooth, round stones from a beach in Wales and set about painting a rune set with acrylic paints, meditated to the meanings of each rune with a set of cards I made, and learned how to use the various divination layouts. Everything, from the type of wood used, the colours used, the gods invoked, the time of day and the ritual must be carefully chosen, but this gives an enormous range of choice and as with many other magickal disciplines, there's always so much more to learn. Another thing I love about the runes is that they're good not only for divination, but for magickal purposes; I've learned how to make bindrunes (runes with similar meanings superimposed upon one another to make a design), runescripts on tines (runes with similar meanings laid out in a line on a strip), and talismans. The Norse Futhark alphabet can also be transliterated into English for writing purposes, magickal and mundane!
Studying the Runes has also taught me much of Norse mythology and of the lives of the ancient Scandinavian peoples, in which the runes played such a vital part. And the great thing is that the basic needs and concerns of the ancients were much the same as ours today, which I think is what makes this divination and magickal method so effective. Issues of finding a partner, protecting property and loved ones, accumulating wealth, healing the sick and achieving victory and success were as important to them as to us now. Use of the runes, even in these early stages of my study, have already helped me with issues in my life, more effectively than many other magickal techniques have. Perhaps my path will begin to veer towards Ásatrú or Odinism, and indeed I've been beginning to work with Odin and Freya much more; or perhaps it will go somewhere else as I discover a 'new' fantastic technique or path to incorporate into my craft. Such is the rich tapestry of being a Pagan!
Blessed be all, have a good autumn equinox )0(
