Advanced Rune Shamanism by Michael William Denney

Advanced Rune Shamanism

Table of Contents Harmonizing The Three Selves and Balancing The Nine Worlds Orlog Wyrd The Future The Rune Wheel Odin, Villi and Ve Rune Wheel Interpretation The Rune Wheel and The World Tree Nifleheim - Fehu, Hagalaz and Tiwaz Asgard - Uruz, Nauthiz and Berkanaz Ghost Doors Giant Home - Thurisaz, Isa and Ehwaz Dwarf Home - Ansuz, Jera and Mannaz Fire Home - Raidho, Eihwaz and Laguz Hel Home - Kennaz, Perthro and Ingwaz Ghost Doors Continued Wanes Home - Gebo, Elhaz and Dagaz Light-Elf Home - Wunjo, Sawul and Othal The Counterbalancing Method Fehu - Raidho Uruz - Kennaz Thurisaz - Gebo Ansuz - Wunjo Hagal - Eihwaz Nauthiz - Perthro Isa - Elhaz Jera - Sawul Tiwaz - Laguz Berkanaz - Inguz Ehwaz - Dagaz Mannaz - Othal Conclusion

Harmonizing The Three Selves and Balancing The Nine Worlds This is the third book in the Rune Shamanism series. This book can be read by itself, but the reader will get more out of it if he/she has already read the first two books in the series entitled Rune Shamanism and Rune Divination. Those books can be obtained by going to the ThunderWizard.com website and scrolling to the bottom of the home page and clicking on the link. In Modern Teutonic Shamanism as I teach it, there are two main ways to interface with Runes: 1) Rune Shamanism 2) Rune Divination A third method of Advanced Rune Shamanism is outlaid in this book which combines the methods of both disciplines. My first Rune book, Rune Shamanism explored the possible Ice Age origins of the Runes and how they can be used as an initiatory tool for personal and spiritual transformation. That book also revealed an ancient method of Rune chanting (Galdor) with an esoteric breath technique that can be used by shamans as a powerful method of meditation, personal transformation and magick (influencing external circumstances). In my second Rune book Rune Divination, I explained my method of Runecasting and the most direct interpretations of Rune readings for divination and fortune telling. Advanced Rune Shamanism combines the power of the previous two methods. Whereas Rune Shamanism is mostly focused on personal transformation, Advanced Rune Shamanism will focus on both internal and external methods of Rune work with an emphasis on using the Runes as a tool for balance, healing and harmony. The methods in this book are excellent tools for not only experiencing a deeper spiritual experience with Runes, but can also be used as a method of shamanism when working with other people. As a Rune Shaman, one should not only be able to use Runes for meditation and divination, but also as a means of healing and balance for oneself and others.

Rune divination is most often used as a means of interpreting present events and for predicting future events. But, what if the Runes predict a less than desirable future? What if our Runecasting shows significant energetic blocks? How do we overcome such readings? Do we just surrender and accept our challenging Orlog or can we do something to resolve these issues and improve our future? These are some of the questions that this book will address. Ideally, the Rune apprentice will first learn the internal methods presented in Rune Shamanism, then he/she learns how to interpret Runecastings in Rune Divination, and then, the apprentice approaches mastery by being able to combine the two previous methods for healing, balance and transformation of personal Orlog (karmic patterns) in the web of Wyrd. The Rune Shaman Approach A true Rune shaman not only interprets the patterns of past, present and future woven in the web of Wyrd, but he/she also has the power to influence the threads of time and destiny through the power of the Runes. In order to understand how this is achieved, we first must understand the ancient Teutonic concepts of Orlog and Wyrd. I have dealt with these concepts in other books and I assume the reader has an understanding of these concepts already. What we are most interested in this book is exactly how a shaman influences these forces by working with the Runes. Since this a book of “advanced” Rune work, I assume that the reader is familiar with the symbols associated with each Rune. However, if the reader is not familiar with the “Elder Futhark” or “Older Alphabet” of the preChristian Germanic tribes, please reference the table below and feel free to refer to it throughout this book.

Orlog Orlog has been defined as the ancient Teutonic version of destiny or karma. Orlog is made up of two words; OR “origins” + LOG “law”. This creates the concept of ones own personal “Origin Law” which means the spiritual “law” that defines one on a personal and spiritual level. Orlog determines not only our destiny, but our personality, strengths and weaknesses. Orlog determines our psychological makeup and even our physical health. Orlog is the blueprint that determines who we are and where we are most likely to go in our lives. It is very easy for us to assume that our personal Orlog is unchangeable. For the average person, the inevitability of their Orlog is more likely. Most people, without a spiritual method of transformation may not be able escape their own Orlog. This is important for the Rune shaman to understand. The expression of ones “Origin Law” means that the choices that someone has made in the past has created energetic patterns recorded in the fabric of Wyrd. These past energetic patterns MUST be expressed in the future. For the average person, this means that they feel like passive victims of circumstance. However, the shaman understands that Life Force Energy can be transformed. Orlog is an expression of Life Force Energy and, as such, can be transformed. A well trained shaman has tools to access Life Force Energy and can use this energy to transform the energetic patterns recorded in Orlog which can create a different possible future than otherwise would unfold if left to itself. By the way, it is also possible for a shaman to access all aspects of Wyrd in order to not only change the future and the present but also the past. Perhaps we will investigate how to change the past in a later book, but for now, let’s focus on how we can influence the future.

Wyrd Wyrd comes from an ancient Germanic word meaning “to weave.” Our modern word “weird” is the modern spelling of the ancient Teutonic tribal concept of “Wyrd.” We have changed the spelling to “weird” and the meaning has changed over time to indicate something spooky or supernatural. But the fact that this word “Wyrd” has survived into our modern post-Christianized, materialistic culture as “Weird” underscores the everlasting shamanic power of the Law of Wyrd. The word Wyrd can be literally translated as “That which has been woven.” The Teutonic myth of Wyrd says that the Cosmos is woven into existence by three Giantesses whose names are Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. In old Norse these names are translated respectively as “Past, Present and Future.” These three Giantesses are known as the “Norns.” Together the Norns weave the threads of Past, Present and Future to create all of manifested existence. The three threads of time are woven together to create the “Web of Wyrd” which controls the fates of all beings including the fates of the gods themselves. The fact that the weavers of Wyrd are defined as “giantesses” indicates that the force of Wyrd is seemingly unchangeable. In Teutonic myth, Giants were seen as virtually omnipotent forces of Nature that controlled everything. Time, Old Age, Gravity etc… were seen as giants. There are numerous myths in various Indo-European traditions where the gods do battle with giants. Most of the time, they cannot overcome them. In the Teutonic tradition, only Thor, the god of the power of Life Force and Electro-Magnetism is able to influence the giants and only by a small margin. But, even Thor himself is half giant. Long story short, the powers of Wyrd are impossible to overcome… almost. According to Teutonic mythology, the god Odin, through a tremendous act of shamanic self-sacrifice on the World Tree, acquired the power of the Runes (mysteries), through which he attained the highest enlightenment and power to influence the titanic forces of Wyrd. We humans are the direct offspring of the triune powers of Odin, Villi and Ve, (Awareness, Willpower and Spirit) and as such, we have the opportunity to become like the god Odin who uncovered the mysteries (Runes) of existence. To help us in that endeavor, Odin has given us

humans the spiritual technology of the Runes. Through studying and communing with the Runic forces, we can also influence how the flow of time manifests for us. We may not be able to completely stop or erase the inevitable power of Wyrd, but with enough knowledge of the Runes, combined with Life Force Energy channeled through our spiritual discipline, we might be able to foresee how the threads of time will most likely be woven. We may also be able to foresee the consequences of current patterns of Orlog in our lives and make different choices which might alter the flow of time and propel us into alternate timelines which may unfold more favorably for us. Through seeing the flow of Wyrd in our lives, we may be able to escape negative circumstances that we might otherwise blindly walk into as a result of our unconscious choices that were formed in Urd (Origins) or the past. In order to achieve this ability to foresee the weaving of Wyrd, we must, like Odin himself, empty ourselves, sacrifice our personal agendas so that we may be able to interface directly with the energetic building blocks of the Cosmos which are none other than the Runes themselves. But, just as Odin did, we must also experience a shamanic awakening. Energy can be transformed, but there is always a cost. For us humans, the cost is the sacrifice of our own illusory sense of ego which we must sacrifice upon the World Tree. This sacrifice is accomplished through spiritual discipline. The Runes are one of the most powerful tools available to humans to use for this endeavor of personal and spiritual transformation.

The Future In Teutonic myth, the giantess responsible for weaving the thread of the future is named “Skuld” which is translated as “debt”. In modern English, this same word “skuld” is spelled “should.” Much of our shamanic prehistory is embedded in our modern language if we know how to uncover it. Our parents, ministers and governments tell us that we should do this or that. When we say to someone “You should do such and such,” what we are unconsciously saying is that the person in question has a moral and spiritual debt to repay through whatever action we are suggesting for them. The insinuation of such speech suggests that if the person does not do as they “should,” they will incur a karmic debt that they will have to pay for in the future which may have unpleasant consequences. The shamanic understanding is that every choice we make in the present becomes recorded in the fabric of Wyrd as “Urd” or “Origin.” Every choice we make creates an energetic pattern in Origin (the past) which becomes fixed and then influences the ever unfolding present moment called “Verdandi” (coming into being). As we flow through the endless present moment of our existence, we encounter the fixed patterns of our past choices which influence and determine our present choices which creates the debts that determine our future. According to the law of Wyrd, we cannot avoid our debts and depending on the nature of our past choices which we repeat in the present moment through our choices, we continue to bind ourselves to the web of Wyrd which entraps us in our self-created illusions. Without the power of spiritual awareness (Wod), we unconsciously play out the “debts” which we have incurred through past choices. Those past choices influence our present choices which create more debts that have to be paid for in the future and on and on and on it goes… Unless we awaken the power of Odin (Awareness) within us. This power can be awakened through the practice of Rune shamanism. Through the power of self-awareness, we can become conscious of our subconscious and unconscious drives and patterns created by our past choices which influence our present thinking and actions. The path of Rune knowledge is as relevant to our modern lives as it was to our prehistoric ancestors.

The Rune Wheel Having gone through the initial, linear sequence of Rune initiation in the previous book “Rune Shamanism,” we now take our Runic knowledge one step further and look at the Rune relationships on the eight-spoked Rune wheel. This Rune wheel is divided into eight levels of personal manifestation. This sequence reflects the cycle of transformation that we humans repeatedly go through during our lives. Working with the Rune wheel allows us to look at the relationships of the Runes. The Rune shaman can use these interrelationships to balance or influence oneself and/or their external environment. Starting at the top of the wheel or in the North, and going in a clockwise or sun-wise direction, the eight levels of spiritual transformation are: 1) Potential 2) Conception 3) Birth 4) Consciousness 5) Death 6) Awareness 7) Wisdom 8) Enlightenment

Evolutionary Progression of Energy Energy manifests and evolves in a clockwise fashion as represented by the shamanic direction wheel. Each one of the eight evolutionary forces of the Rune wheel corresponds with one of the eight external “worlds” of the World Tree and with the eight directions of the shamanic direction wheel. North - Potential - Nifleheim (Mist World) Consciousness and Energy begin as manifested potential in the Mist World which is found in the North. NorthEast - Conception - Asgard (Celestial Fortress) As this energy begins to take form, it moves clockwise to Asgard where it takes on a spiritual direction. Its spiritual purpose is conceived by the celestial gods. East - Birth - Jotunheim (Giant World) Then, energy moves into the Eastern realm of the Giant Home where it will be birthed into manifested reality. It is here that this conscious energy

solidifies into a single individuality. SouthEast - Consciousness - SvartAlfheim (Dwarf Home) Then, as the personality matures, it moves into the Southeast realm of the Dwarf Home where its consciousness is empowered with “magic” to effect its will externally in the cosmos. South - Death - Muspelheim (Fire Home) As the personality reaches its climax of personal expression in the Fire Home of the Southern direction, unnecessary aberrations in the personality begin to be burned away. Southwest - Awareness - Helheim (Underworld) As the personality undergoes the transformative process of death, it moves into the Underworld realm of the Southwest, where the individual consciousness becomes cognizant of itself on a much deeper level of awareness. West - Wisdom - Vanaheim (Home of the Fertility gods) Deep awareness from experience brings wisdom which is projected from the Western realm of Vanaheim where the gods of earthly experience and wisdom live. NorthWest - Enlightenment - LjossAlfheim (Light-Elf Home) Finally, the individual consciousness achieves its highest state of evolution. Sitting at the doorway to Infinity, the individual looks back into the wheel of life and lingers long enough to guide other souls in the dance of earthly experience. Then, when they have shared their knowledge, they are re-absorbed into the void and the process begins all over again. Center - Manifested Reality - Midgard (Middle Earth)

The Center of the Rune Wheel is the realm of human experience where all the forces of the Shamanic Direction Wheel intersect. This is the realm of humans, plants and animals known as “Middle Earth.”

The above picture is a representation of both Yggdrasil, the World Tree and also “Sleipnir,” the eight legged horse of Odin as taught in Modern Teutonic Shamanism. Shamans take on the role of Odin who sits in the center of the wheel, and ‘mounts’ the eight directions. Like Odin who ‘slips’ between the worlds on his eight legged horse Sleipnir (Slipper), shamans can create a sacred space where they can call the powers of the eight worlds to them. In this sacred wheel, shamans can conduct rituals that can harmonize and balance the interaction between the nine worlds. (For those wishing to learn more about conducting rituals to absorb the powers of the nine worlds and manifest their desires, please log on to the ThunderWizard.com homepage and scroll to the bottom and click on the link for “Thunder Shamanism” DVDs and “Anglo-Saxon Sorcery” DVDs.) For Rune shamans, it is necessary to know how to interface with each of the eight external directions and connect those forces to the corresponding Runes in order to accomplish their spiritual work. It is also helpful to know with which particular world each of the Runes interfaces so that the Shaman can seek help from the spiritual forces of each world when working with the corresponding Runes. The ninth world of Yggdrasil is Midgard (Middle Earth—the realm of humans) and is located in the center of the Rune wheel where the powers of all of the other eight external worlds intersect. There is no one specific

Rune for the ninth world of Midgard because all of the twenty-four Runes manifest there in the world of Humans. Starting at the top (North) in Mist Home, the wizard can orient himself to the Runic energies of each world. The Three Levels of Each World

Once again, take a look at the above Rune Wheel and notice how each group of three Runes corresponds with each of the external eight worlds. The number 3 corresponds with the triune powers of Odin, Villi and Ve. This illustrates how each world can be accessed by using the Runes on the levels of the Spiritual (Odin), Physical (Villi) and Psychological (Ve) realms. The first row of Runes, starting with Fehu vibrates on the level of Villi which corresponds with the level of physical manifestation. The second row of Runes starting with Hagalaz vibrates on the level of Ve which corresponds with the mental and emotional realms. The third row of Runes starting with Tiwaz vibrates on the level of Odin which corresponds with the spiritual realm. We can also see on the Rune wheel how each Rune expresses an aspect of the 8-fold evolutionary progression of human consciousness.

And lastly, we can see how each set of Runes can be used to complement and balance each other. To do this we look at any Rune, and find the corresponding counter-balancing Rune on the wheel. (For example, Fehu in Nifleheim is directly opposite of Raidho in Muspelheim.) Using this method, if any Rune comes up reversed (indicating a blockage), we can use the opposite Rune to counterbalance any blockage in a reading. (more on this method of counterbalance later) Before we continue, we should take a look at how the triune forces of Odin, Villi and Ve are expressed through the “three eights” on our Rune Wheel.

Odin, Villi and Ve The pre-Christian Teutonic tribes of Northwestern Europe saw the Cosmos as consisting primarily of three basic forces which they called Odin (supreme awareness), Villi (Willpower/Intention) and Ve (Sacred Spiritual Space). An entire book can be written on all the different interpretations and manifestations of these three primary dimensions of existence. I have already written about some of the manifestations of Odin, Villi and Ve in my other books, so I won’t take up too much space here. I assume that if the reader is interested in Rune work, that you probably already have a pretty good grasp of the fundamental understanding of the concept of the three-fold Cosmos. But, in a nutshell, Odin, Villi and Ve superficially correspond respectively to the Spiritual, Physical and Psychological realms of human existence. Odin, Villi and Ve also correspond with the three major energy “cauldrons” in the human body. Odin (Shamanic Awareness) is located in the third eye region which empowers the pineal and pituitary glands of the brain. Villi (Willpower) is located in the navel center where the human willpower resides. Ve (Sacred Space) is located in the heart center where we experience life on the conscious level. The Runes themselves are also divided into 3 “eights” which comprise a total of 24 Runes. It is no mere coincidence that each one of the “eights” corresponds with one of the eight external worlds of Yggdrasil (Odin’s Steed.) “Ygg” is another name for Odin which is translated as “Furious” or “Fearsome” and “Drassil” which means “Horse.” It is also no coincidence that each of the eight external worlds houses three different Runes corresponding to a precise energetic expression of Physical, Psychological and Spiritual manifestation. So let’s take a look at the Runes and how they correspond with each level of triune existence. (Physical) Villi - Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kennaz, Gebo, Wunjo (Psychological) Ve - Hagal, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Perthro, Elhaz, Sawul

(Spiritual) Odin - Tiwaz, Berkanaz, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Inguz, Dagaz, Othala

Rune Wheel Interpretation The methods and levels of Rune reading interpretation are virtually endless. By understanding and applying the Rune wheel to any Runecast, we can interpret the reading on many different levels which can be very helpful for the shaman in determining different avenues of healing or for transforming a person’s possible future Orlog. I won’t take up the space here to examine different styles of Runecasting, nor will I spend time teaching my method of Rune interpretation in this book. I will assume the reader has a fundamental grasp of these things. However, to get the most out of this method of Advanced Rune Shamanism, I recommend reading my two other books on Runes: Rune Shamanism and Rune Divination.

The Rune Wheel and The World Tree Let’s examine each of the external eight worlds and their corresponding three Runes. On the Rune Wheel, each direction and each World of the World Tree corresponds most strongly with three specific Runes. These three Runes, consequently help define the Spiritual, Physical and Psychological expressions of each spiritual dimension on the World Tree. As Shamans, when taking a Rune reading, we can determine which Worlds are most powerfully influencing or currently blocked within the individual and furthermore, we can find out which aspects of the human being should be addressed by the reading. Before we get into specific examples in order to explain this concept, let us first examine how the Runes connect with each of the eight Worlds and which aspects of the human being each specific Rune influences the most.

Nifleheim - Fehu, Hagalaz and Tiwaz So, starting at the top of the wheel, we find three Runes in the following order: Fehu, Hagalaz and Tiwaz. All three of these Runes vibrates dynamically with the spiritual dimension called “Nifleheim” by the Old Norse shamans. These three Runes furthermore delineate the how the powers of Odin, Villi and Ve interact with the powers of the Waters of Life found in the northern world of Primordial Waters. “Nifleheim” means “Mist Home.” We can determine all this information very quickly just by glancing at the Rune Wheel diagram. Fehu vibrates most dynamically with the Physical realm of Villi. Fehu means “cow” and represents the Rune of physical resources and money. So, for physical resources, we now know that the Mist World is a very powerful World to tap into if we need more “stuff” in our lives. In the realm of Villi, Fehu accesses the nurturing primordial waters of Life and provides physical sustenance through food, clothing, money and also Life Force Energy. Hagal vibrates dynamically with the Psychological realm of Ve. “Hagal” means “Hailstone” or “snow flake.” In Teutonic shamanic thought, snow was sent by the goddess Holle. Snow was seen by Teutonic tribespeople as containing the perfect cleansing power of the heavens. In Germany, even today when it snows, people say, “Mother Holle is shaking out her bedspread.” As the Rune for cleansing and healing, we can see that as we seek the power of Hagal to purge our minds of limiting, selfsabotaging patterns, we tap into the cleansing power of the Waters of Life found in the realm of Nifleheim. Tiwaz vibrates most dynamically with the Spiritual realm of Odin. Tiwaz is the Rune of spiritual Victory as exemplified by the god Tiw who eternally struggles with the self-destructive forces symbolized by the Wolf Fenris who threatens to devour the Cosmos. Tiwaz is the highest form of spiritual victory. Tiwaz is also the ancient name of the Teutonic Sky Father who lived in the North Star. Originally, Tiwaz would guide humans by the light of the North Star in the sky. In fact, the ancient tribe called the “Teutons” get their name from Tiw. Teuton means he/she who follows the Sky Father.” Tiwaz is the highest source of inspiration, hope and victory.

This power flows most powerfully from the highest spiritual vibration of the realm of Nifleheim. So, in the Northern World of Nifleheim, we can find the powers of: Physical Resources - Fehu (Villi) Mental/Psychological Healing - Hagal (Ve) Spiritual Victory - Tiwaz (Odin)

Asgard - Uruz, Nauthiz and Berkanaz Glancing at the Rune Wheel and moving clockwise to the NorthEast we see that the Spiritual realm of Asgard vibrates most strongly with the Runes Uruz, Nauthiz and Berkanaz. On the Teutonic Tree of Life, most of the spiritual realms are called “homes” except for two worlds which are called “fortresses.” In this case Asgard is not a home but a fortress—“As” (Celestial Deity) + “Gard” (Fortress). Asgard is the “Fortress of the Celestial Deities”. Uruz is the extinct pre-historic Bison of Northern Europe that went extinct in the 18th century. Uruz vibrates with the essence of Divine Spiritual Strength descending into material existence from the heavenly realms. Uruz is the Rune of Raw Power, Determination and Physical Health as expressed by the power of Villi in physical manifestation. As Life Force Energy coalesces into physical existence, it descends very powerfully from Asgard. Uruz is the first expression, the first transformation of Spirit Energy into physicality. As such, Uruz is the pure, raw undiluted power necessary for physical survival. Prehistoric Teutonic tribespeople lived in a very hostile environment. During the 40,000 years of Ice Ages in Northern Europe, the ancestors of the Teutons learned that without fearlessness, power, and determination, they would not survive. This 40,000 years of brutal, physical training gave modern humans a spiritual connection to the force of raw power and determination. As a Rune that vibrates most powerfully in the physical realm of Villi, Uruz can grant us the power to overcome any obstacle. As a Rune of physical health it can provide the raw power necessary to overcome disease. Quite simply, without the power of Uruz, we could not survive the rigors of physical existence. Nauthiz is the ancient Germanic word for “need”. This is one of the most misunderstood Runes in modern times. When Nauthiz is drawn in divination, many people interpret it to mean a negative Rune of limitation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nauthiz is the gateway to overcoming seemingly insurmountable difficulties. To understand this, we need to examine the origins of this ancient word. Nauthiz comes from the proto-Germanic word “Nawight” which literally is translated as “No Spirit.” Na (no) + Wight (entity or spirit).

Despite what this definition may seem to represent at first glance, it is not representing impotent emptiness. Nauthiz represents pure Spirit power that has not manifested into a specific dimensional reality. “Nawight” - (No Power) means the Power of pure, undifferentiated Potential that seeks to explode into manifested reality. Nauthiz is also called the Rune of “Need Fire”. This represents the power of invention. We Humans survived the rigors of the Ice Ages by taking our “need” for warmth and learning how to create fire to survive. It was our need that drove us to invent new ways to survive. The symbol for Nauthiz is two sticks being rubbed together that creates the fire of invention out of our need to survive. Nauthiz is in the psychological realm of Ve to represent the human capacity for invention and adaptation to difficult circumstances. As such, Nauthiz is a powerful Rune of psychological transformation out of stifling limitation. Berkanaz is the Rune of Spiritual Birth. Berkanaz is the ancient Germanic word for “Bright.” The Birch tree is named after the Germanic tribal goddess Perchta, the goddess of Birthing and Protection. Birch bark is often used as firestarter. If you have ever burned Birch bark in a fire, you know why it was called “bright.” It crackles and sparks brightly. Ever wonder why witches rode on broomsticks? Brooms were originally made out of birchbark. It was the cleansing power of the Birch tree and the goddess Perchta that not only was used to clean the home, but the magical powers of the Birch bark in the hands of women was a powerful means of cleansing anything it touched. Witches rode on broomsticks made of Birch wood and Birch bark, because Mother Perchta inhabited the brooms and gave ancient Teutonic shamanesses the energy to perform their powerful magic. It is still stylish to place old-style birch bark brooms on the wall of our homes or cabins. This hearkens back to a very old tradition of “sweeping” away negativity with the power of Birch brooms which vibrate with the power of the goddess Perchta. Indeed, there is no power more awesome than the power of the Feminine. Mother Perchta embodied this power which she gave to her women followers. It was only in post-Christian times that “wise women” such as these were branded as “witches”. The goddess Perctha was also known to be a powerful goddess of the new year. Even to this day in the

German and Austrian Alps, locals celebrate a very ancient ritual of “Perchtenlauf” (Running of the Bright ones—roughly translated as “Driving away Winter’s ghosts”) where men in frightening masks parade through the snowy streets beating drums and sounding bells to drive away the evil spirits of Winter. The ritual of Perchtenlauf is clearly a holdover from the pre-Christian tribal era where Shamans drove out evil spirits with the help of Mother Perchta, the bright goddess who ushers in the cleansing, renewal powers of Spring. These three Runes are exceedingly powerful Runes of the “Fortress of the Shining Ones” (Asgard). Physical Power - Uruz (Villi) Mental/Psychological Need - Nauthiz (Ve) Spiritual Birth - Berkanaz (Odin)

Ghost Doors Before we continue exploring the Runes of the other six worlds, I want to examine a very powerful aspect of the Rune Wheel exploring the differences between the designation of “Home” and “Fortress”. If you peruse the varying names of the Spiritual Realms located around Yggdrasil, the Teutonic World Tree, you will notice that seven of the nine worlds are called “homes” and two worlds are called “fortresses.” The seven “homes” of the World Tree are: Mist Home, Giant Home, Dwarf Home, Fire Home, Hel Home, Wanes Home, LightElf Home. The two fortress are: Asgard (Fortress of the Celestial Deities) Midgard (Middle Fortress - AKA “Middle Earth”). So… Why a “Fortress” and not a “Home”? This is a very interesting question. To further understand why the home of the Celestial Deities needs to be protected by a fortress, we will examine the eight sided shamanic direction wheel as it is understood in the Chinese spiritual tradition of Taoist Feng Shui. In Taoist shamanism, the eight sided direction wheel is known as the “Bagua” (Eight Gates). In the Taoist Feng Shui tradition, the NorthEast direction of the Post-Heaven Bagua symbol is called “Mountain” and vibrates with the power of the rising Earth energy found on mountain peaks. The Mountain here represents the power of Integrity. As a mountain rises from the Earth, the power of integrity and purity must stand firm just as the power of the Celestial Deities in Teutonic mythology represents the purest form of spiritual power and Integrity (righteousness). Similarly, in the Vedic shamanic tradition of ancient India, the NorthEast represents the highest vibration of the Ether element. Ether is universally recognized as pure spiritual energy. The NorthEast in Vedic shamanism is home to the god “Ishana Shiva” who vibrates with the highest of spiritual purity. He is the “Lord of the gods” (Ishana means Ruler). This understanding is similar to the Teutonic tradition wherein Odin is “King of the gods” who rules from his throne in Asgard. Ironically however, even though the NorthEast in Feng Shui is the power of the Mountain, it is also considered to be a potential energetic weak spot known as a “ghost door.” It is believed in Feng Shui that if the Northeast direction is not protected, negative energy can invade the home

and cause imbalance. So, Feng Shui practitioners often seek to protect the Northeast for good luck. Hence, the name “ghost door,” because if the NE is not fortified, it can be a potential “door” through which negative entities (ghosts) can enter the home and cause all kinds of havoc. So, I find it very interesting that in Teutonic Shamanism, the NorthEast direction coincidentally resonates with the Celestial Deities who in many traditions around the world are seen to be living on top of a “mountain”. Besides Asgard, the only other fortress among the nine worlds of Yggdrasil is Midgard or the “Middle Fortress.” Midgard is located in the center of the Rune Wheel in the realm of manifested reality where all biological life on Earth resides. Why is this realm a fortress? Because “Middle Earth” needs protection from the spiritual entities residing in the other eight realms. Too much direct interaction with Midgard from other world entities can cause major imbalance in our world. Thor as the protector of the Eastern direction is the deity most responsible for protecting the human realm of Midgard. His Rune of Thurisaz stands guard in the East protecting us humans from the destructive influence of the Giants who reside in the Eastern realm of Giant Home. The main function of the Warrior Shaman or the Wizard is to maintain a dynamic balance among the Nine Worlds. One way this balance is achieved is through spiritual ritual and journeying to the other eight realms to communicate with the residents of other spiritual realms of existence. Mastery of the Rune Wheel is an extremely helpful tool for the Rune Shaman to maintain a dynamic balance in the manifested realm of Midgard. So, again… back to the questions: Why a “ghost door?” And, why a “fortress?” In the Teutonic folklore, the Celestial Deities who reside in Asgard are constantly seeking to protect the purity of their realm from attacks from the Giant realm (Time and Change). Traditionally, in many different shamanic mythologies, the celestial gods represent pure spiritual essence. As such, the gods do not like change. To them, change represents spiritual decay which the gods aggressively seek to eradicate through spiritual warfare. The same is true with the Teutonic deities. It is only because the Wanes (gods of Earthly fertility) defeat the celestial gods of Asgard in battle, that the force of Change is introduced into the cosmos. If it were not for the earthly deities of Magic and Fertility called the “Wanes,” the Celestial Deities would have kept the Cosmos in a static, unchanging state of purity and

perfection. But, the Wanes understood that only through the titanic forces of Change and Decay can the force of evolution progress. And evolution was necessary for Humans to learn and grow through their imperfect world which consisted of learning through experimentation and making mistakes. As a result of their defeat at the hands of the Wanes, the Celestial Deities in Asgard sought to protect themselves from the imperfection of Time and Change by retreating into their perfect realm of Asgard where they built a protective wall around their realm and made it into a fortress. From a shamanic perspective, there is a deeper understanding as to why the realm that resonates with the highest spiritual energy is also a potential weak point through which negative spiritual energy can enter. As protectors of the highest spiritual purity, the Celestial Gods can sometimes become puritanical in their outlook. As we have seen in modern times, fundamentalist extremism can be very destructive. Fundamentalists are instinctually fearful of anything that represents innovation or derivation from the literal “traditional” understanding of the past. They often mistakenly call themselves “conservatives” as though they are conserving the true “righteous” beliefs of tradition. This is the mistaken thought process that results in witch hunts, crusades and inquisitions that have killed so many innocents who flow with new ideas that are born from the evolutionary forces of Change. The lesson of the NE ghost door is that if we become too fundamentalist in our viewpoints, we open ourselves to becoming inflexible in our attitudes. We run the risk of indulging in righteous indignation and becoming blinded by our own insecurities masquerading as spiritual purity and devotion to the gods. So, in order to protect ourselves from the demons of puritanical extremism, we must guard ourselves against the pitfalls of pride, fear, insecurity and ego. From a shamanic perspective, we should never enter into a relationship or conversation from the place of spiritual superiority lest we open the door to negative entities that might usurp the purity of spirituality and use it as an excuse for destructive puritanical extremism. There is no end of examples in history where death, destruction and wars have been justified through incorrect, puritanical interpretations of religious truths. In the Vedic tradition, it is recommended that the family altar be placed in the Northeast corner of the home. The altar in this instance acts as a safeguard against the entry of negativity through ego. At the altar, members

of the household surrender their ego to the highest vibrations of spiritual power. Midgard is a “fortress” because its integrity needs to be protected against any unwanted incursion from the other realms. The virtually identical energetic natures of the shamanic directions in these different ethnic traditions indicates to me that either each tradition stems from a very ancient original human shamanic tradition shared by the first modern humans from which we are all descended… OR… that each culture independently discovered a universal science of Life Force Energy concerning the quality of spiritual energy emanating from each of the eight directions. I tend to believe that energy work is an objective science. Since it seems that shamanic energy work is a science, rather than a cultural peculiarity, therefore, then it is reasonable to conclude that any honest inquiry made by the first shamans of each culture would result in the same conclusions about the energetic qualities of each direction even if superficially obscured by linguistic and cultural differences in mythological symbology. In other words, since Life Force Energy is a FACT… Of course shamans all over the world would organically come to the same conclusions. This revelation underscores the importance of honoring our ancestors and their connection to the Old Ways.

Giant Home - Thurisaz, Isa and Ehwaz Now that Life Force Energy has begun the process of manifestation into the Cosmos, it starts to become denser. Created beings now progress from the phase of “conception” to “birth”. This means that conscious beings now begin to differentiate from the Universal energies of the Mist World and Celestial Fortress. This differentiation is where conscious entities begin to formulate an “identity.” Thurisaz is the Rune for Thor, the half-giant wielder of the thunderbolt. There is so much I want to say about the Thunder-god, but what is relevant about Thor to this book is that he is the protector of the human ego. Thurisaz is a Rune that works very powerfully to protect ones personal and psychological boundaries. The ancient name for Thor is Thunar which is derived from two Indo-European root words; Thu (lunar ambrosial nectar) + Nar (Master). The Moon is representative of the mind. The protoGermanic root word for mind is “Mann” which morphed in AngloSaxon as “Monne” and then into modern English as Moon. As “Lord of the Moon,” Thor protects the human mind. Ironically, the word for the species of giant that seeks to destroy Asgard and the human race is called a “Thurse.” A thurse is a being from the giant world that is so absorbed in its own selfish desires that it doesn’t have any empathy for other beings. That is why the giants of fairy tales and Indo-European mythology run around eating humans and destroying everything without any awareness of the damage they create. Both Thunar and Thurse are derived from the ancient Indo-European root word “Thu.” There is no coincidence here. The Moon is symbolic of the Mind. The Mind is the first step toward creating an individual self. When in balance, the spiritual Mind creates a separate identity that interfaces with the Universal Mind of Spirit. When the Mind becomes separated from higher consciousness, it develops an “ego” which can become hyper-inflated. This hyper-inflated Thurse-like ego has no awareness of its interdependent relationship with Spirit. So, it runs around like a mindless giant trampling and devouring everything in its path. Thunar, as Master of the Spiritual Mind protects us from the aberrant selfish ego of others. I’ll prove it to you. Try this; if there is anyone in your

life whom you believe to be a toxic influence on you, chant and meditate upon the Thurisaz Rune and/or do rituals to Thunar. You will soon see those negative selfish individuals either disappear from your life or become much more cooperative. This is how Thunar uses his half-giant nature to protect us from bullies both internally and externally. Thunar is the deity who inhabits the force of Electro-Magnetism. In physics, we learn that ElectroMagnetism is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe. It permeates everything. The EM force is the barrier between subatomic particles that keeps objects solid. For example, without the EM force, the force of gravity would pull your body down through your chair, through the floor and through the ground until you were crushed by the intense gravity at the center of the Earth. In Teutonic mythology, there are many stories where Thor fights against the Titanic forces of Gravity, Time, Old Age, etc… In fact, it is the EM force within the Sun that prevents it from burning itself out. The Vedics said “The Sun sits in the East and worships Indra (Thunar) for long life… How did they know that the EM field inside the Sun protected it from the force of gravity which, would otherwise speed up the nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms and burn out the sun much more quickly? I highly recommend that the reader study how the force of Electro-Magnetism makes life in our Universe possible. It is no understatement to say that without Thunar, there would be no life in our Universe. Within the human being, the Thurisaz Rune activates a dynamic balance that needs to be achieved where we retain a healthy individual sense of “self” while simultaneously retaining our interdependence on the higher spiritual vibrations of Celestial Divinity. Or, in a nutshell, a balance between Heavenly and Earthly forces within us. As a Rune of the physical realm of Villi, Thurisaz helps to keep us “solid” in the realm of Midgard. Isa is the Rune of psychological ego. Whereas Thurisaz helps us to define our boundaries externally, Isa helps us to consolidate our personality on an internal, psychological level. Isa is another misunderstood Rune. Often times in a reading, many people will interpret it to be a Rune of stagnation, selfishness, lack of emotion, etc… This is far from accurate. Isa means “ice” and is symbolized by icicles. Ice is formed when water solidifies and crystallizes in cold temperatures. This “solidification” is necessary for the human psyche in order to differentiate itself from other people. While Thurisaz helps to

create personal boundaries and protect from the invasive agendas of others, Isa helps the individual to “solidify” their psychological personality. While it is necessary for our survival to interact with others, we also need a very strong and defined sense of our own individuality. It is no coincidence that the word “ice” is so similar to the personal pronoun “I”. Whereas Thurisaz solidified the ego, Isa unifies the ego. This unification helps to form the individuality, the sense of “I” in order to help us align ourselves with our own personal Orlog (karma, destiny). Without a solid, unified, internal individuality, we could not accomplish the spiritual goals that we incarnated with. Isa, like the lens of a pure icicle allows us to magnify who we are to achieve the things that only we can achieve in this lifetime. Ehwaz is one of my favorite Runes. I love to chant it. Anytime Ehwaz appears in a reading, I feel blessed. Ehwaz is the ancient Germanic word for “horse”. For the prehistoric Germanic tribes, horses were considered extremely sacred. According to Roman historians, 2,000 years ago, the Germanic tribes would gather all of the horses with spotless white coats and keep them in sacred groves dedicated solely to divination. Horses were very sacred totems of divination to the ancient Teutonic tribes.They believed that the gods could communicate directly to humans through sounds made by horses. These sacred horses were allowed to live freely and were never to be ridden. Shaman priests would consult the gods by listening and interpreting the sounds these sacred horses would make in response to questions. For a short time, I lived out in the country with neighbors who kept horses in their front yard. Whenever, I would go into my garden and silently pray and chant to Odin, often at night during a full moon, the horses would begin to snort and whinny, seemingly in response to my questions to Odin. They only whinnied and snorted when I chanted or prayed to Odin. Other times, they kept mostly silent. So, my personal experience has me convinced that horses were indeed sacred to Odin and that horses are still very sensitive to Odin’s presence. If the reader has spent anytime riding horses, you know that there is an intuitive bond with horses that goes beyond mere physical cues. A good horse will be able to go where you want simply by thinking about it. Many will say, that we give them imperceptible physical cues which guide them. Perhaps that is part of it. But, I have experimented with well trained show

horses and without touching the reins or with any noticeable movement on my part, the horse will go in the direction I am thinking. Ehwaz is a Rune of Intuition in the spiritual realm of Odin. Odin rides an eight legged horse upon which he travels to all of the nine worlds of the World Tree. In fact, Odin rides the World Tree itself. It is no coincidence that the World Tree consists of one internal branch (Midgard) that connects to eight external branches. Odin sits in Midgard and mounts his eight legged horse “Slipper” who “slips” between the cracks of the worlds. The eight legs of Sleipnir (Slipper) are in fact the eight external worlds of the World Tree. As children of Odin, we humans also live in Midgard and straddle the other eight worlds. It is through our spiritual awareness (Odin) that gives us the shamanic ability to commune with all of the forces and entities located in all the other eight spiritual dimensions. Chanting and meditating upon Ehwaz will dynamically increase and empower your intuitive senses. We become the horse that is ridden by the gods. Truly submitting oneself to the Celestial Deities will result in a peaceful cooperation where the gods can guide us to our highest destiny— our Orlog. Personal Boundaries - Thurisaz (Villi) Mental/Psychological Unification - Isa (Ve) Spiritual Channeling - Ehwaz (Odin)

Dwarf Home - Ansuz, Jera and Mannaz Dwarf Home is an extremely interesting realm and is very important to humans. According to Modern Teutonic Shamanism as I teach it, humans start out as dwarves and evolve into humans and eventually into Elves. So, understanding the realm of the Dwarves and their connection to human consciousness is very important for the aspiring wizard. I will go into much greater detail about Ansuz and the role of the Dwarf Home as they relate to the powers of communication when we look at the Ansuz - Wunjo counterbalancing method later in this book. For now, let us look at the origins of the word “Ansuz.” Ansuz Ansuz is the ancient Germanic word for “celestial ancestor.” It is also the root for the word describing the celestial gods. The word Ansuz has its roots in the foundation of ancient Indo-European understanding about the ancestors of human beings. In the ancient languages of the Vedic and Avestan (Ancient Persian) tribes, the word for celestial divinity respectively was “Asura” and “Ahura.” Compare these variations with the Old Norse and Old English cognates respectively of “As” and “Os” and we can see the obvious similarities. In each of these cases, this word “Ansuz” and its varying connections to the Indo-European root words for divinity represents both ancestry and connection to the stars and celestial bodies. What is most interesting to me in this instance is how modern science is coming the same conclusions as our pre-Christian ancestors. What modern science teaches today and our ancient polytheist religions taught in the past is that we are all descended from the stars. In modern science, we are taught that the fundamental building blocks of all matter in the Universe is a result of the first stars that were formed after the big bang. To quote famous astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson: “…The very molecules that make up your body, the atoms that construct the molecules are traceable to the crucibles that were once the centers of high mass stars…we are all connected to each other biologically, to the Earth chemically and to the rest of the Universe atomically…We are in the Universe and the Universe is in us… We are all made of star stuff.”

The Ansuz Rune is associated with the realm of Villi because it is this celestial light that coalesces into physical form and paves the way for the creation of the physical cosmos. Our ancestors are indeed the stars. This is the essence of Ansuz. Jera Jera is the Rune of cooperation and relationship.The symbol itself is formed by the interlocking of two Kennaz Runes. Jera is in the realm of Ve because cooperation is how we interface with others on a psychological level. Jera is in the world of Dwarf Home because this is the world of magic, creation and communication It is this interaction which is necessary to create life and consciousness. The Jera Rune itself resembles the interlocking of the strands of the DNA molecule which itself is a means of biochemical communication and cooperation at the cellular level. It is during the process of procreation where each parent donates its own unique DNA strand and combines it with the partner to create a new and unique individual. As the wheel of the year (Jera pronounced “yera”) progresses, the seasons converge and transform to help life move forward. And as the Rune of the yearly cycle, through cooperation and interaction, Jera helps life and consciousness progress and evolve. Mannaz Mannaz means both “Human” and “Mind.” It means that what makes us human is our divine mind. The mind is more than the intellect. It is the ability, to reflect the pure light of celestial spirit. The moon reflects the sun. The Mind reflects the Soul. The word “Soul” literally means the “Sun.” The origin of the word “Moon” is “Mann” and it literally means “Mind.” The moon is symbolic of meditation because like the physical moon that reflects the light of the sun, the divine mind reflects the light of the soul. In ancient Teutonic mythology, the first human was named “Mannuz” who was the son of the sky father Tiw and mother Earth. This Teutonic mythology of the origins of Mannuz symbolizes that our human mind is the result of celestial divinity descending into physical form. In Vedic mythology, the first human was named Manu. The Mahabharata states: “And Manu was endowed with great wisdom and devoted to virtue. And he became the progenitor of a line. And in Manu’s race have been

born all human beings, who have, therefore, been called Manavas (Men).” Manu was said to be a great king who saved humans from a great flood. Water and floods are symbolic of emotions and baser instincts. To be “saved from a great flood” symbolizes that Manu or the divine, meditative mind saves humans from the overwhelming flood of emotions and instincts inherited from our pre-human ancestors. In modern English, “Man” means “male human.” But, in ancient times, the Germanic word for male was “were” (pronounced “wear”) and the word for female was “wif” (pronounced “weef”). And together, humans of both sexes (Were and Wif) were both called “Mann.” This is why to this day, we use the word “mankind” to represent the entire human race comprised of both sexes. “Mankind” can be further translated as “Those who possess Divine Mind.” The Mannaz Rune vibrates at the level of Odin because of its connection to the divine human mind. It is in the world of Dwarf Home because Mann is the direct evolution of the Dwarf nature. We must rethink our definition of the word “Dwarf.” Our modern idea of dwarves being little people with funny hats is the result of the post-Christian attempt to make fun of pre-Christian Germanic spiritual concepts. In the ancient mythology, the Aesir create dwarves directly from the Life Force substance of the cosmos. These dwarves then proceed to create the manifested, physical universe. If we look at the names of these dwarves, we find the building blocks of human emotions and psychological patterns found only in humans. For example some dwarf names include, “Yearning, Longing, Wisdom, Discovery, Fame and Lone…” If we discard any post-Christian misunderstanding and/or prejudice and look beneath the surface of our ancestral mythology, we will see the esoteric lesson that says that Life Force Energy evolved into self-awareness which was manifested as the human personality and emerged in the first human beings. In other words, humans were not created, they are self-evolved as is their patron deity, Odin. Once these bi-pedal hominids evolved into modern humans, they possessed something no other animal had up until that time; namely, the human mind or “Mannaz.” Communication/Expression - Ansuz (Villi) Cooperation/Relationships - Jera (Ve)

Spiritual Mind - Mannaz (Odin)

Fire Home - Raidho, Eihwaz and Laguz Fire Home is the realm of the fires of the anti-hero Surt who will bring his powers of entropy to destroy (purify) our current three dimensional existence. The three Runes which stand guard to defend against the entropic destruction of Surt in the southern Fire Home are the powers of spiritual laws which purify and regulate Life Force and consciousness. Raidho Raidho is an ancient Germanic word which is cognate with the words “Right” and “Rite.” The ancient Sanskrit cognate equivalent word was “Rta.” Before the Hindus developed the concepts of Karma and Dharma, their Vedic ancestors followed these combined laws simultaneously in the law of Cosmic Order or Rta. In the Vedas, Rta was the force which guided the proper ordering of the Universe. Rta was fundamental in proper religious rituals. All of the Vedic gods were bound by the law of Rta. Raidho has this same function in Teutonic spirituality. A spiritual “Rite” or ritual allows the worshiper to align with the cosmic order of “right.” Raidho is also a solar Rune that is expressed in the Sun traversing its proper course in the heavens. The power of Raidho is as sure as the Sun’s predetermined path in the sky. As surely as the sun rises and sets, the law of Raidho is unshakable in the lives of Men. When we break this fundamental law, our lives go “off course” until we align ourselves with the law of cosmic order. Raidho brings us into alignment and makes things “Right.” Eihwaz Eiwhaz is the proto-Germanic word for the Yew Tree. Yew trees have always had a close relationship with death and resurrection. Yew trees have branches that sometimes grow into the ground and reappear as new Yew saplings. The symbolism is obvious; the branches are like human souls descending into the underworld and being reborn. Eihwaz is the Shaman’s Rune. Eihwaz resonates on the level of Ve in the psychological realm. Eihwaz foretells a shamanic awakening, a restructuring of the person’s psyche. This can be a very challenging experience. Losing one’s physical life is frightening, but losing one’s identity through a shamanic awakening can be even more frightening. The effects of the Eihwaz Rune, however, always result in the higher evolution of one’s mind and spirit. Eiwhaz is

located at the apex of the Rune Wheel and as such it is the fulcrum on which the entire person is changed on every level. Laguz Laguz is a Rune of deepening profundity. On the surface, “laguz” is the proto-Germanic word for “lake.” At first glance, this superficial meaning may lead one to believe that this is a placid Rune of healing waters. While this is of course true on a surface level, when we descend into those placid waters, we discover a powerful depth and mystery. In order to truly understand what the waters of Laguz represent, we need to better understand the mythology of the pre-Christian Germanic tribes. For the Teutonic tribes, water was the home of the deepest mysteries and of cosmic judgment. The ocean was a powerful force where the god of the sea, Njord, held sway over spiritual law. The words “Laguz” and “Law” sound very similar and this is no mere coincidence. Laguz is also a Rune of Law. In ancient Germanic tribal times, convicted criminals were often drowned in lakes, wells and bogs. This is because the goddess “Nerthuz” (perhaps a feminine counterpart to the sea god Njord) dwelt in lakes and bodies of water. In modern times, the ritual drowning execution of criminals in bodies of water may sound barbaric, but in ancient tribal times there were no practical ways to house and feed dangerous criminals. These people were a danger to society and there was no formal prison system where they could be safely housed. Not only did these dangerous people need to be separated from the public, there was a need to cure their soul sickness so that when they were reincarnated, they would no longer be a danger to innocent people. By offering these lawbreakers as sacrifices to the goddess of the watery depths, the Teutonic tribes understood that only through the power of the goddess of the waters could damaged souls be cleansed and rehabilitated to be reborn. Like the goddess of the underworld, Hella, Nerthuz as a goddess of deep waters, knew how to cleanse the murky waters of the human psyche. These sacrificial offerings were designed to offer these souls to the goddess of the waters who was able to cleanse, heal and regenerate them on a deep psychological level. And when we look at all violent crimes, we see that on some level, the violent offender has a precarious relationship to their own emotional lives. Emotions like anger, greed, lust, fear and hatred can drive

us to do things that endanger and harm others. When this occurs, the Law of Laguz is there to equalize any injustice. This Rune of the waters is also connected to the ocean of emotions. The Sea, for the ancient Teutonic tribes was a place of unpredictability and dread. Our emotions are like the waves of the ocean. They are unpredictable and can arise out of nowhere. For the seafaring Germanic tribes, being able to navigate the stormy seas was a precarious adventure. Laguz is a Rune of emotions. Mastery of this Rune gives one the mastery over one’s emotional life. As a surfer, I can appreciate the difference between being pummeled by ocean waves and harnessing their power and riding them. How one interfaces with ocean waves can mean the difference between being pounded by them or being propelled by them. Both experiences are intense. Riding waves is exhilarating fun. Being pummeled by them… not so much fun. The same is true with our emotions. Working with Laguz enables us to allow our emotions to safely propel us through life. Mastery of our emotions can mean mastery of the safe navigation through the inevitable emotional storms of our lives. It is ironic that the Rune of the waters of Law are placed in the FireHome in the South of the Rune Wheel. This may be because, it is only through the waters of Law that the lawless entropic fires of Muspelheim are held in check. My experience with Laguz is that it is a very deep Rune that cannot be explained in a few sentences. Like emotions themselves, Laguz has to be experienced and even then, we may not completely understand its power. Manifesting Orlog - Raidho (Villi) Mental/Psychological Transformation - Eihwaz (Ve) Spiritual Mastery of Emotions - Laguz (Odin)

Hel Home - Kennaz, Perthro and Ingwaz Hel Home is the realm of the unconscious. According to Teutonic lore, the souls of those who do not “die in battle” are doomed to spend a limited afterlife in the underworld realm of Hel. The spiritual understanding of this mythology is that if upon death, someone still has strong, unresolved emotional attachments to their lives, they must explore these previously unconscious psychological attachments in the underworld realm which is lorded by the corpse goddess, Hella. It is in this underworld realm of the unconscious that these three Runes, Kennaz, Perthro and Ingwaz are found on the Rune Wheel. Kennaz This Rune is a play on words. In Anglo-Saxon, the word “Cen” (pronounced “cane”) is the ancient word for “torch.” The same word pronounced with a short ‘e’ (pronounced “Ken”) means “ability gained through knowledge.” While modern English no longer retains the ancient word for torch, we still use the word “can” and “know” (Ken-ow) to signify ability through knowledge. The Kennaz Rune symbolizes the illuminating light of the fire of self-knowledge that can safely guide us through the dark labyrinth of the underworld of our unconscious. When we say, “Can you drive a car?” we are asking three questions, “Do you know how to drive a car?” “Do you have the physical ability to drive a car?” and “Do you have the legal authority to drive a car?” Kennaz grants us all three of these things. In modern times, we humans have become slaves to our intellect. We have a world full of people whose heads are crammed with knowledge that they cannot translate into practical reality. Our increasingly technology based world is creating a world of children who spend more time in front of computers, TVs, cell phone and tablets than in real life activities. This is a truly modern phenomenon. In the ancient, tribal world, all knowledge had a practical, physical application. In those days, if you “knew” a skill, it meant that you not only had the intellectual understanding of that skill but the physical ability to perform that skill. Having knowledge of one’s psychological patterns is not sufficient to overcome them. In order for us to translate self-knowledge into personal evolution, we must know how to translate that knowledge into direct action.

Kennaz is the Rune that grants us the ability to understand the deepest parts of ourselves and take the appropriate actions in our lives to translate that self-knowledge into healing, awareness and growth. Kennaz is a Rune of true power. As they say, “Knowledge is Power.” Perthro The tribal Teutonic concept of Destiny was a personal phenomenon the ancients called “Orlog” (Origin Law). It refers to the path of action that each person is born to follow. Orlog is a personal law that “originated” with each person before they were born. To go against one’s own Orlog was to follow a path of self-sabotage. To follow one’s Orlog was to fulfill your spiritual duty to the human race and to the Cosmos itself. True fulfillment can only be found when we are acting in accordance to our original “programming” that we brought with us into this life. The word “Perthro” means “lot cup,” a cup used for gambling dice. While dice is a game of “chance,” in divination, it is believed that the outcome of the dice is not random. So it is with our lives. We may experience the twists and turns of our lives as random acts of chance like the throw of a pair of gambling dice. But, from a spiritual perspective, there are events in our lives that are predetermined. As a shaman, I prefer to view the law of Orlog as something with which we can have a cooperative relationship. The gambler throws the dice and blindly hopes he has correctly guessed the predetermined outcome of that throw. The spiritual practitioner, on the other hand, seeks to align him/herself with the predetermined path of his/her highest destiny in this life. While our Orlog is predetermined, there is one loophole which can effect the outcome of the throw of the dice in our lives. That loophole is activated when we take responsibility for the choices we make. According to Teutonic lore, our lives are woven into the fabric of the Cosmos by the ancient law of the “Web of Wyrd.” This all pervading, cosmic, Life-Force Energy web is eternally woven into the fabric of the manifested universe by the choices we make in the present moment which become psychological patterns in our past which determine the “karmic” debts we must endure in the future. In other words, we can be passive victims of our actions born out of simply reacting to our lives, OR, we can take pro-active responsibility for our lives by choosing to take actions in the present moment which will create pleasant conditions for us in the future. If we react to life as victims,

if we impulsively react to life. We create more victimizing circumstances to endure in the future. If we act in awareness, we avoid creating more negative “karma.” If we take responsibility for how we choose to act, if we act in alignment with our highest Orlog, then we reap the benefits of the effects of those choices. We can either cast the dice and hope for the best, or we can act in awareness and not worry about how the dice come up. Perthro is a reminder of the immutability of the effects of our past choices and the freedom we have to create our futures by living in the present moment with consciousness and awareness of our actions. Ingwaz In all Indo-European languages, there were originally two words for Fire; In English, those words were “Fire” and “Ing.” “Fire” represents the actual physical force of fire and “Ing” represents the spiritual fire that carries the sacrifices to the gods. This same word is cognate with the Sanskrit “Agni,” and the Latin “Igni.” When Ing appears in a reading, the power of meditation is always enhanced. Ritual and worship of the gods is also enhanced. Ing is one the earliest and most powerful gods of the Indo-European people. The Vedic cognate “Agni” is one of the main deities of the Vedic religion. An entire library of books could be written about this most holy of spiritual powers. Ingwaz as a Rune, is the power of Life Force which is “Brewing” or “Incubating” a new life which will soon come into physical existence. This “life” may take the form of an idea or even a manifestation of a wish or desire. Ing as the ancient god of the sacrificial fire, has the ability to transform energy into any manifested form. The ancient Indo-European fire sacrifice was a method by which humans could seek the blessings of the gods to grant desires. Ancient, tribal Indo-Europeans would offer sacrificed animals to the gods in exchange for the blessings of the gods in their lives. In order for the sacrificial offering to reach the gods, the sacrificial fire was used to send the offering to the gods in the heavens. The sacred smoke of the ritual sacrifice lifted the smoke and scent to the gods who were able to consume the smoke and transform the Life Force Energy of the sacrificial meat into whatever form was necessary. If villagers needed rain for crops, the burnt sacrifice on the altar of Ing would send the life force of the animal to the gods who would transform that energy into rain.

To this day in England, if you visit historical buildings from ancient times, you will see little “diamonds” carved onto the wooden fireplace mantles. These are not mere decorations, they are Ingwaz Runes sanctifying the fireplace. An archaic English word for Fireplace is the “Inglenook” which means “the nook of the fire god Ing.” In parts of Europe, you can still see old houses that have a diamonds (Ingwaz Runes) painted onto or built into chimneys. Most people may not understand the spiritual significance of these traditional “quaint” symbols on fireplaces and chimneys, but the Rune wizard knows that the fire god Ing is still with us whether our modern society remembers him or not. Nowadays, we need not sacrifice animals on the sacred fire to ignite the power of Ing. We can stoke the spiritual fire of Ingwaz through meditation and ritual to the gods. We can light the fire of devotion within our bodies. The chimneys are our spinal columns which can raise the sacrificial smoke of the fires of Kundalini up our spines to the heavens located in our third eye. Ing is a powerful force for personal transformation enabling us to become like the gods themselves. Ing is the power of incubation which gives birth to our highest spiritual awareness. Translating Knowledge into Action - Kennaz (Villi) Psychological Patterns of Destiny - Perthro (Ve) Spiritual Incubation - Ingwaz (Odin)

Ghost Doors Continued While we are here, in the SouthWest corner of the Rune Wheel, it is appropriate for us to examine the second of the two “ghost doors” found on the eight sided shamanic direction wheel. Hel Home located in the SouthWest direction is the second Ghost Door on the Rune Wheel. As you know, Hel is the realm of the underworld where souls who “have not died in battle” go to purify themselves of psychological attachments they have acquired during physical incarnation. “Those who have not died in battle” is a metaphor for people who have died with unresolved emotional attachments and desires. These unresolved psychological attachments linger on in the physical world and act like ghosts even after the individual has died. So, in reality, ghosts are not the souls of the departed. They are the energetic echoes of the highly charged emotional attachments of deceased people. Those who have “died in battle” are people who have lived life so fearlessly and completely that they have no more desires to be fulfilled. Such people earn a place in Valhalla (the hall of the chosen) where they can continue their spiritual advancement and eventually become one of the ancestral teachers or one of the LightElves. Hel Home is the place where the ghosts of our lives reside. Even in life, these ghosts will rise out of our unconscious and haunt us with fear, regret, anger, resentment, self-pity, etc,… Hel is also the storehouse of the psychological unconscious. Here is where we find all of the personality issues that are kept deeply hidden from the conscious mind. In my first book, I shared how unresolved, unconscious psychological issues can often manifest in the physical realm. Poltergeist activity is often associated with externalization of unresolved psychological issues. Emotions, desires, resentments, regrets, etc., are products of the unconscious mind. When someone who has a large amount of these kinds of unresolved issues floating around in their unconscious mind die, these emotionally charged issues continue to live on still blindly striving to satisfy the objectives of the people who once held them. We do not have space in this book to analyze the true nature of ghosts, but I wanted to connect the concept of “ghost doors” to the realm of the unconscious and the underworld called “Hel.” It is not difficult to see how the Southwest realm of Hel can be viewed as a

ghost door. When our unconscious fears, desires and psychological patterns rise to the surface we are forced to deal with the ghosts of our unconscious. Some psychologists say that 99% of our choices in life are actually made in the unconscious mind. We think we are making all of the decisions consciously, but most of them are being made in the unconscious mind. Once these decisions are made in the unconscious mind, the conscious mind merely invents justifications for our crazy behavior. But, the truth is, that when our unconscious mind is running the show, we have little conscious power to control it. We can only go along for the ride and make up silly, illogical justifications for the chaos we create in our lives. This is another reason, like Odin, we need to sacrifice our egos on the tree of life if we are to have full mastery of our awareness and decisions. If we look at the Rune Wheel, we see that Hel Home and Asgard are directly opposite each other. It is interesting that both of the ghost doors face each other. The symbolic lesson here is obvious; Asgard which represents the highest spiritual ideals is keeping the chaos of our unconscious minds in check. By staying true to our spiritual path in life, we keep the fears, desires and emotional baggage of our unconscious mind safely organized in our unconscious mind. The light of Asgard shines down into the depths of Hel and keeps our “demons” in check. It is my belief that Asgard has a back door accessible by Hel Home. What this means is that if we do not keep our unconscious mind cleaned and organized, our unresolved emotional baggage will sneak into Asgard through the backdoor and manifest within us as spiritual absolutism and fundamentalist extremism. The aspects of our unconscious have to be addressed if we are to be emotionally and spiritually healthy. The Rune Wheel suggests that in order to do this safely, we need a strong connection to our higher minds. Asgard is the repository of our higher minds which can guide us to our highest Orlog or spiritual destiny. The Ghost doors remind us that there must be a dynamic balance between the higher mind and the unconscious. If our spiritual fervor becomes too rigid, then we unwittingly become slaves to our unconscious fears and release the chaos of our unconscious mind, we release the ghosts of our unresolved psychological issues into our environment. If we do not seek to resolve our deepest emotional attachments, we risk allowing our ghosts to rise out of the depths to plague us with fear, doubt, desire and insecurity. Rune work is one of the best ways to safely access these ghost doors and safely achieve a dynamic

balance between the higher spiritual mind and the “lower” unconscious emotions.

Wanes Home - Gebo, Elhaz and Dagaz Wanes Home or Vanaheim is the realm of the earthly gods of fertility, magic and wisdom gained through experience. The Western direction for the Teutonic people has always represented magic and spiritual wisdom. The Western direction has always been the home of the Vanir or the Wanes who defeated the Celestial gods for control of the cosmos. The English word “Wanes” is directly cognate with the latin word “Venus” (in fact, the correct Latin pronunciation for Venus is “Waynoos”). The planet Venus has always been associated with fertility and magic. This is no coincidence that the Wanes of Germanic mythology resonate with the same essence as the Latin goddess of Love. The Western direction has always been a direction of fertility, magic, esoteric knowledge, the forces of time and wisdom through experience. You’ll notice, I have used the phrase, “Wisdom through experience.” This is a deliberate choice of words. There is a difference between essential spiritual wisdom through natural law and wisdom gained through personal experience. The Aesir or Celestial gods are beings who possess the wisdom of the natural law of the cosmos. These beings of light seek to preserve the natural order of Eternal Truth. The Wanes, on the other hand, are beings that exist within Time. Their mastery of magic is the mastery of Time and Space. The Vanir (Wanes) experience the passage of Time differently than do the Celestial gods. As such, the Wanes are called the “Elder gods” because they live within Space-Time and are very old. The Aesir do not live in Space-Time and as such are “younger” because they live in the eternal present. The Wanes have been around a looong time and so they possess a deep wisdom that can only be acquired through experience. The Runes associated with the Western direction on the shamanic Rune Wheel are Gebo, Elhaz and Dagaz. Gebo Gebo is the Rune of unconditional generosity. The lines carved in the Rune symbol itself X represent an equal exchange of energy. Gebo means “gift.” A true gift is something given unconditionally with no hope of getting anything in return. According to Tacitus, 2,000 years ago, the Germanic tribes were very fond of giving gifts. Generosity to the Tribal Teutons was an integral

spiritual principle. If someone was visiting a friend and admired something in the home, it was not uncommon for the homeowner to give to the guest whatever it was they were admiring. For example, if you were to be invited into a neighbor’s house and you casually mention, “What a beautiful cup.” Your Teutonic host would say, “You like it? It’s yours.” It was also common for that same person to come over to your house and expect you to give them something they admired in your house. This mutual gift giving creates a spiritual bond of trust. Tacitus records that in Germanic tribal culture, it was considered a spiritual duty to entertain strangers and feed weary travelers. (I would imagine that in those days, there was not a homeless problem.) Gebo represents an equal, fair exchange of energy. From a personal perspective, Gebo means unconditional giving without expectation. Elhaz Elhaz means “Elk.” The Elhaz Rune symbol is meant to resemble antlers. Antlers are an ancient Teutonic symbol of spiritual protection and power. An extinct species of Ice Age European deer had antlers that stretched ten feet wide. Those majestic antlers must have been an effective defensive weapon against attackers. As has been depicted in paleolithic cave paintings in Europe, prehistoric European shamans often wore headdresses made of antlers. As a Rune of spiritual power, Elhaz resonates with the power of those ancient European shamans. The Elhaz symbol also resembles a shaman with his arms outstretched to heaven. In this symbol, the shaman is in the act of channeling the spiritual power of the heavens into his body. A person charged with such spiritual power is not only protected but can use that power to defend and protect others. In my practice with the Runes, chanting “Elhaz” helps to empower my aura with Life Force Energy. Empowering the Energy Body in this way is an excellent way to strengthen the connection between the mind and the higher self. As a Rune, Elhaz represents the power of the Energy Body (aura) to dispel negativity. The combined forces of an energized aura and a fully integrated higher mind, makes the shaman able to fully protect and empower his/her tribe.

Dagaz Dagaz means “Day.” It is a solar Rune that expresses the full light of the sun. In Rune readings, this Rune often symbolizes “fun.” We can easily forget that having fun is a spiritual activity. When we are abandoned to joyful activities, our spirit radiates powerfully through our entire being. Dagaz is a Rune of healing. Sunshine has been proven to have healing effects on both mind and body. For the Teutonic tribes in the colder northern climates of Europe, a clear warm, sunny day must have been a very pleasant occasion. In traditional mountain cabins in the Alps, the Dagaz Rune would be carved into the wooden shutters to invite the warming rays of the morning sun into the cabin. For me, Dagaz is an all-purpose Rune of healing, empowerment and happiness. Equal Energy Exchange - Gebo (Villi) Energetic Empowerment - Elhaz (Ve) Spiritual Radiance - Dagaz (Odin)

Light-Elf Home - Wunjo, Sawul and Othal In the Northwest, the Light-Elf Home is the realm of the Light Elves. The phrase “Light-Elves” is actually redundant. The word “Elf” comes from a very ancient Germanic word which means “shining.” In Norse Mythology, we read of ‘Light,’ ‘Black’ and ‘Dark’ Elves. But this myriad understanding of the Elves strays from the original meaning of the word “Elf.” It is my belief that even during the late pre-Christian era that most people had forgotten the original meaning of the word “Elf.” In extant Germanic mythology, fairy tales and even in pre-Christian magical spells in Anglo-Saxon England, there was reference to all different kinds of “elves” who were sometimes nothing more than tiny sprites or magical nature spirits who could give good luck or cause all kinds of disease or other havoc. In Norse mythology, Dwarves are sometimes referred to as “DokkAlfar” (Dark Elves). The realm on the World Tree for the Dwarf Home in Old Norse is called “SvartAlfheim” (Black Elf Home). But if we follow the ancient definition of the word “Elf” as a “shining” being of spiritual light, there cannot be such a thing as a ‘dark’ or ‘black’ Elf. If, as I suspect, by the time of the late pre-Christian era, that the word Elf had become confused with a generalized definition of any non-corporeal nature spirit, then it would make sense that there would arise differing classes of elves who vibrated on various levels of “good” and “evil” or “dark” and “light.” That is probably why it became necessary to distinguish the “Light Elves” from the generic nature sprite who could inflict all kinds of mischief. It is likely that as Christianity started to take hold in various parts of Europe, that any spiritual being that was represented in the indigenous pagan religions would increasingly be seen as being more and more evil. So, it may have become necessary for there to arise a new definition for the “good” elves which represented the original understanding of the “Shining Ones.” And so, the “Light Elves” came into existence. While I am not alone in this interpretation, this of course, is open for debate. However, in my research and personal experience, the original understanding of Elves is that they are, in fact, beings of light. They are not

the Aesir who are the Celestial gods. They are not the Vanir who are the terrestrial gods. The Elves are a unique class of spiritual entities. In traditional Germanic spiritual thought, the Elves had a close connection with the ancestors. It was during the yearly Alfablot (Elf Sacrifice) that families worshiped the ancestor spirits of their clan and the land upon which they lived. As far I have seen in my research, it is not clearly stated anywhere exactly who or what the Elves are but there is considerable evidence that the Elves were worshiped in tandem with the ancestor spirits. Some experts have proposed that male ancestors were called “Elves” and female ancestors were called “Disir.” I feel this is too limited a definition. I myself would make a distinction between family ancestors who had recently passed and those ancient ancestors who represented the “Old Ones” who possessed the knowledge of the Old Ways and transmitted that sacred knowledge to the living. It is my opinion, based on both my research and personal experience, that the Elves are, as their name suggests, the “Shining Ones.” I believe them to be non-corporeal spiritual entities that were once humans who, through many lifetimes of spiritual discipline, have ascended beyond the need for human incarnation. The closest modern understanding of this would be found in the Buddhist tradition of the “Bodhisattvas” who stand at the edge of existence, on the verge of reunification with the dynamic void. Just before being reintegrated into the source of all consciousness, the Bodhisattvas turn back toward humans and stand ready to guide those who would seek to evolve beyond attachment and limitation. While I myself do not entirely resonate with Buddhism on some levels, I must admit that I find great comfort in the idea of ascended spiritual masters whose only agenda is to help humans achieve their level of spiritual evolution. In my personal spiritual practice, the Elves have been singularly focused on helping to expand my higher faculties. When working with the Elves, I am often shown how I can expand my awareness, and become more objective in my personal interactions. The Elves are very helpful when it comes to assisting us to understand how we can alter our attitudes and mindset for the expressed purpose of aligning ourselves with our higher natures.

It is this higher nature that the Elves have mastered. In my research, I have come to the belief that it is the ultimate destiny of every human to eventually become an Elf. How quickly we achieve that state of being is dependent on how often we align ourselves to that higher, more objective mindset which the Elves have mastered. The sole intention of the Light Elves is to assist humankind in their evolutionary journey to become as they are. On the Rune Wheel, the three Runes associated with the Home of the Elves are Wunjo, Sawul and Othal. Wunjo Wunjo means “Joy.” From a spiritual perspective, there is a type of Joy is that is earned. It is the natural result of actions and attitudes that align us to our essential spiritual nature. All of the Runes are able to align us with this natural state of spiritual being as well as with our individual Orlog. The inevitable result of this combined alignment is the state of Joy. It is no coincidence that Wunjo is located at the last station on the Rune Wheel. When we have traversed all of the stations of the Rune Wheel and absorbed the power of each Rune along with its lessons, we cannot help but experience the Joy of our true essence. Having worked with each direction and learned many lessons about ourselves and our ultimate destiny, we experience the Joy of spiritual fulfillment. Some of the Runes on the Rune Wheel come with challenging lessons. Some will transform us in dynamic ways that burn off attachments. Some of these more challenging Runes demand sacrifice that can be difficult to endure. But the Wunjo Rune is not one of these. Wunjo is something we can just allow to overcome us. We have done the hard work and as a result, the state of Joy emerges on its own. We need only allow it to fill us with its pleasant energy. Sawul The ancient Germanic word Sawul simultaneously means both “Sun” and “Soul.” In all Indo-European spirituality, the Sun is the symbol for the

eternal Soul. In traditional Germanic spiritual thought, this connection is assumed. In Teutonic religion, the Sun is a female goddess. The Teutonic tribes chose to focus on the internal, feminine attributes of the Sun. In poetic language, the Soul is often referred to in the feminine. This hearkens back to a time when our ancestors saw the Soul as something to be cherished and protected. The Sawul is the seat of the eternal identity of the human being. By having worked through all of the other seven worlds and their corresponding Runes, we arrive at our essential identity. We arrive at our own Souls. The Rune Shaman having endured the many lessons of the Rune Wheel is now able to clearly see his/her ultimate identity. And like the Sun in the sky that shines so brightly that the naked eye cannot endure its brilliance, our Divine Essence, our Soul, is beyond our human comprehension. Unlike Wunjo, our Sawul is not something we earn, it is our Origin and our ultimate destiny. Eventually, when we have learned all that we need to learn in this life, we will shed our limited human identities and return to that original state of being. We will return to our Souls, the essence of pure spiritual light. And that ultimate source of our essence is still available to us during our journey on this plane of Midgard. Though our physical eyes may not be able to bear the sheer brilliance of our ultimate essence, we can access it whenever it is needed. Othal This last Rune is the culmination of all preceding Runes. Othal means “Ancestral Land” and carries with it the meaning of “Inheritance.” The Runes themselves are the inheritance of all humans revealed to us by Odin, the master of Awareness. Another esoteric meaning of the Othal Rune is that mastery of the manifested cosmos, the earthly realm, the ‘land’ of Midgard is the spiritual inheritance of all humans. Othal is a Rune of Odin (AKA, Woden “He who is consumed with the fury of Self-Awareness”). Woden sacrificed himself to himself on the Tree of Life in order to gain access to the mysteries (Runes) of the cosmos. If we

Rune shamans have traversed the path of the Runes along the Rune Wheel, then it is likely that we too have experienced a sacrifice of our limiting ego. If we continue to access the power of the Runes, we will undoubtedly continue to experience a deepening of the liberation of narcissistic ego and evolve towards becoming engulfed in that same Fury of Awareness that Odin has mastered. According to my understanding of Norse mythology, Odin, Villi and Ve are beings who are unlike the other Aesir (Celestial deities) who seemingly emerged into existence with the appearance of the manifested cosmos. The three “brothers,” Odin (Fury of Awareness), Villi (Willpower) and Ve (Sacred Space) started as undefined chunks of Life Force Energy left over from the expansion (the “big bang”) of the body of Ymir who gave his life for the creation of the manifested universe. These three fraternal entities that were comprised of Life Force Energy, over time, acquired emotional and psychological properties. These beings of psychological self-awareness could transform the Life Force Energy of the cosmos into whatever material matter they chose. These magical “builders” of the universe are known in the ancient lore as the “Dwarves.” The Norse Myth of creation known as the “Voluspa” (Speech of the Staff Carrier Woman) reveals the origin of both Odin and humans into whom he imbues with life and awareness. After listing the names of various dwarves we read, “From one such train (of dwarves) drew forth in the hall Three Aesir, powerful, compassionate. They found on the earth the ash and the alder (humans), Of little power, indeterminate. Odin gave them spirit, Hoenir (Villi) discernment, Lodur (Ve) gave them blood and divine light.” The fact that Odin, Villi and Ve are represented as dwarves who evolved into Aesir is hidden within the text as an assumed fact. As with many legitimate mythological teachings, the deeper spiritual truths are not overtly stated, they must be unearthed and when they are unearthed, these truths may be challenging to our limited egos to accept. But, before you get offended at the thought that the king of the gods, the all-father and giver of awareness to humans is nothing more than an evolved dwarf, let us follow the train of thought the Voluspa seeks to lead us toward.

If the “all-father” of the gods and humans started as a mere dwarf, a being of Life Force Energy that, like other dwarves, attained psychological and emotional awareness and through self-evolution, evolved beyond mere emotional expression to a state of complete self-mastery that even the Celestial deities could not attain, then what does that say about us humans? It says that we humans can also attain the highest state of being that can only be achieved by those who, like Odin, have the ability to selfevolve. Perhaps the Celestial deities do not have this ability of selfevolution. Perhaps, among all of the beings in the cosmos, only humans who are the children of Odin have this ability to evolve from mere beings of emotion into self-evolved deities who are destined to govern the cosmos. In other Teutonic mythological lore, dwarves are physically indistinguishable from humans. Unlike the tiny, dwarves of fairy tales who run around wearing funny hats, dwarves in ancient understanding could easily be mistaken for humans. In the “Volsunga Saga,” Fafnir, becomes a powerful dragon obsessed with riches. Fafnir was originally a dwarf who was step-brother to the human hero Sigurd. The dragon Fafnir is eventually defeated in battle at the hands of Sigurd who recovers the magical protective talisman Aegishjalmur (Helm of Terror) from him and returns it to human control. Within the ancient ancestral lore, we find that humans and dwarves are only different in their level of spiritual awareness. And, as is seen in the Volsunga Saga, what differentiates Fafnir from Sigurd is his inability to master his lust for gold. Is this lust for riches that transforms Fafnir from a human-looking dwarf to a fearsome dragon. Sigurd reveals his divine human nature in his ability to overcome and control his “dragon” instincts. (I find it interesting that our ancestral lore seems to understand that it is our primitive “reptilian” brain which controls our animal instincts that, if not controlled, has the power to transform us into reptilian ‘dragons’ obsessed with physical security.) We are not given a definitive answer to these questions in our ancestral mythology. Like all true, channeled mythological teachings, there is no absolutist dogma to be blindly accepted. We are inspired to meditate on the symbolism and apply it to ourselves. Through the channeled wisdom of spiritually inspired mythology, we are stimulated to think beyond the printed words and allow the seeds of

spiritual truth to take root and blossom. It is through this power of self-evolution that Odin gained access to those secrets (Runes) that, apparently, were hidden even from the Celestial deities. It is Odin’s mastery of these secrets that gained him the throne of Asgard, the fortress of the Celestial deities. The hidden lesson for us humans is that we have the capacity, through our own self-sacrifice, our own self-evolution, to evolve beyond our emotionally driven dwarf natures to surpass even the Celestial deities who were present at the emergence of the cosmos. Whatever you choose to believe, we can all agree that this power of Odin contained within the Rune Othal is the spiritual inheritance of all those brave enough to sacrifice their egos upon the Tree of Life. By working with the Runes, we sacrifice our own Life Force Energy upon the Tree of Life within our own bodies. This tree is none other than the spinal column that traverses our own bodies. The Runes are skeleton keys of awareness that have the power to transform us from beings who are slaves to their emotions and psychological patterns into deities who rise above their original state of being into masters of the manifested cosmos. The Fires of Ing, otherwise known in the Vedic discipline as the fires of Kundalini traverse up the Tree of Life (spinal column) until they reach the heavens (Asgard) located in the center of the human brain. The Runes have the power to light the sacred fires of Ing and transform us from beings who are slaves to their emotional and psychological patterns into those who are consumed by the fires of divine awareness. Othal is the culmination of all the previous Runes. In it, resides the power to become like Odin himself. This is our eternal inheritance. Culmination of Joy - Wunjo (Villi) Ultimate Identity - Sawul (Ve) Spiritual Inheritance - Othal (Odin)

The Counterbalancing Method When we have determined either through a Rune reading or through objective observation that there is an energy blockage within us, we have at least two methods of harmonizing the imbalanced energy: 1) We can either seek to reverse the blockage through direct pressure OR… 2) We can apply the counterbalancing energy of the opposing Rune on the Rune Wheel. For example, let’s say we have determined that there is a lack of determination as seen in the reversed Uruz stave. 1) We can either seek to muster up more determination OR… 2) We apply the energy of its opposite, the Rune Kennaz to counterbalance the blocked Uruz energy. While the first method may seem like the simplest choice, the fact that the Uruz Rune is reversed indicates a fundamental lack of power/determination available. Therefore, it will be difficult to force oneself to have power when it simply is not available for us to use. So, the way to avoid the futile effort of trying to muster up the determination in which we already are lacking is to apply the counterbalancing force of self-knowledge (Kennaz) to the problem. Self-knowledge as the counterbalancing force shows us that in order be motivated to accomplish a task, we need to understand why we want/need to accomplish it. To practically illustrate this, let’s say, for example, a first year college student named Susan is having difficulty in a particular college course fundamental to her chosen degree of Business Administration. She is very smart and her scholastic record is impeccable. But for some reason she is failing a course that should be very easy for her. She cannot seem to muster the determination to study the required material and, as a result, she is in danger of failing the course. She decides to consult the Runes as to why she is doing so poorly in that class. The Rune reading reveals a reversed Uruz Runestave. Susan interprets this to mean that she lacks the power (motivation) to study.

The simple remedy would be to just work up the determination to study harder. But, for some reason, Susan just doesn’t feel motivated at all. Since she already feels as though she cannot motivate herself to study, she decides to consult the Rune Wheel to determine the counterbalancing Runestave to address the problem. By looking at the opposing Rune on the Rune Wheel, she sees that Kennaz is the counterbalancing force needed. In this instance, the Rune Wheel counterbalancing method teaches that one reason we may lack determination is because we lack the selfknowledge to understand why we are trying to achieve a particular task. In order to truly be motivated to do something, we must have a personally fulfilling reason why we are doing it. Susan thinks that she knows why she is studying Business Administration, but still she lacks motivation. There must be something blocking her at a deeper, unconscious level that she is not understanding. So, following the advice of the Rune Wheel, Susan decides to chant Kennaz for 6 minutes, three times a day. (Kennaz is the 6th Rune. By chanting 3 times a day, she applies the energy of self-knowledge to all three levels of her being - Odin, Villi, and Ve) As a result of her meditations, Susan becomes aware that she does not feel that Business Administration is part of her Orlog (destiny). She comes to understand that her decision to get a degree in Business Administration is because she feels that this career path would make her parents happy. This is not a truly inspiring reason for Susan’s unconscious mind, so she continues to unconsciously sabotage her school work which manifests as an unyielding feeling of lack of motivation. She has now become aware that her spiritual destiny lies in another path and that is why she feels such resistance to studying for a course that she internally feels no passion for. So, now she has discovered another energetic block. This time, Susan doesn’t need to cast a Rune reading. Since she is aware of the problem and as an accomplished Rune shaman, she knows that her problem is that she is not following her Orlog (destiny). The Rune symbolizing a blocked path of destiny is the reversed Perthro Runestave. Perthro is an extremely powerful force and one cannot simply choose to alter their inborn Orlog. In other words, she cannot simply

apply direct force to Perthro and try to flip it around… So, she must apply the counterbalancing Rune in order to solve this issue. So, to remedy this problem, Susan once again consults the Rune Wheel and sees that the counterbalancing Rune opposite Perthro on the Rune Wheel is Nauthiz. She interprets this to mean that she must determine what she really feels that she “needs” to do in order to feel spiritually fulfilled. So, Susan asks herself. “What do I need to do to be happy?” After some meditation, Susan accepts that she has a deep love for dance and movement. She has always studied and performed dance for her own satisfaction but professional dancing was looked upon by her parents as a frivolous endeavor. This is a difficult decision for her. She wants to please her parents, but now that she has gotten honest with herself about the fact that a Business degree holds no personal fulfillment for her, she must make a decision. As a result of meditating on the teachings of the Rune Wheel, Susan decides to change her major to Dance. She now realizes that, for her, dance and movement are the avenues through which she is able to help and heal others. She comes to understand that sharing dance, sacred movement and its healing effect on people is her life path that she was born to do. It is her Orlog. As it turns out, once she accepts her inborn Orlog, she becomes much more confident in her life path, she exudes a confidence and determination her parents had never seen in her before. When she explains to her parents her passion for dance and movement, her parents unite behind her and support her in her true calling. So, now with a theoretical understanding of how the counterbalancing method of working with the Rune Wheel functions, let’s examine the counterbalancing Rune interactions on the Rune Wheel.

Fehu - Raidho This combination is an interesting lesson in abundance. Very simply put, the lesson is this: The cosmos provides resources to us when we are living in alignment with “right” action. This first combination of counterbalancing Runes is found on the first level of Villi which resonates on the manifested physical level. Fehu is in the realm of Nifleheim, the world of the nurturing, primordial waters and Raidho is located in Muspelheim, the realm of the transformative/destructive fire. What we want here is to keep the destructive, entropic fires of Muspelheim in check and we want the nurturing outflow of resources of The Mist Home to continue unimpeded. Right action (Raidho) keeps destruction at bay, while simultaneously allowing the fires of Muspelheim to work productively to help create life. Both Fehu and Raidho are capable of being reversed, so this a very dynamic combination. Fehu Reversed If Fehu is upright, there is a free flow of resources. If Fehu is reversed, then resources are blocked. To unblock the flow of resources, we must apply the counterbalancing power of Raidho (right action). So, the lesson here is if we are continuously running into blocked resources such as finances, it is likely, then that we may not be in alignment with right action. Not being in alignment with Right action, removes the protection of the law of Raidho which holds the fires of Muspelheim in check. This opens the destructive, fire like aspects of Muspelheim which are “burning up” the energy responsible for our resources. When we act in opposition to our Orlog, the energy that usually goes into manifesting survival resources such as food, money, housing, etc,… is destroyed. Raidho acts as a guardian that keeps the entropic fires of Surt in Muspelheim. Our actions that reinforce our highest destiny empower Raidho in our lives. Often times when finances are blocked, it is because the Cosmos is trying to get our attention and let us know that we are not following our

highest path. We’re not on the “right track.” So, if resources are blocked, the first question is to ask ourselves, “What am I doing that is sabotaging my Orlog?” By realigning ourselves to our highest spiritual purpose in life, Raidho is strengthened, the destructive forces of Muspelheim are held in check and our resources are then free to flow toward us. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face South and chant “Raidho” 2) Meditate on how to re-align your actions with what is “Right” for you 3) Perform a ritual (Rite) to your preferred deity asking for guidance Raidho Reversed If Raidho is reversed, then there is clearly something “not right” in the realm of actions. It can also symbolize the desire to act destructively or even commit crimes. I see reversed Raidho, often times in divinations, when it represents either outright illegal activity or the temptation to engage in illegal activity. Reversed Raidho, in my experience, reveals an insecurity that the person in question feels that they are not getting their fair share. There is a feeling that the cosmos is holding out on them, that they must “break the rules” in order to get what they need (Fehu). Sometimes, when we look objectively in the person’s life, they have plenty of money and resources, but they are involved in shady actions out of a misplaced fear of their resources being taken from them or may be taken from them in the future. This is an expression of distrust toward the cosmos. As a follower of the gods, we can trust that they will provide and protect us. Or perhaps the person feels that they do not deserve what they have and acts out of a fear their possessions will be taken away as a punishment. If we carry a deep unconscious fear of not being supported, we can act out in all kinds of subtle ways that cause harm to ourselves and others. These kinds of attitudes often times are held deep within the unconscious. Just because we make a conscious choice to walk a spiritual path, we can still fall victim to old psychological patterns that sabotage us. When Raidho is reversed, the solution is to focus on Fehu and become aware of all the ways in which the gods are providing for us. Becoming thankful for what we are given will help us get on “the right track” and follow our Orlog and be content with what we do have.

This may sound like I am moralizing, but really, it all comes down to practical use of our life force energy. Acting in ways destructive to ourselves and others is simply an ineffective use of energy and will result in disharmony. When we confidently know that we are acting in our spiritual best interests, there is no need to worry about if we are doing the “right” thing or not. We just live. When we fearlessly walk our Orlog, we automatically ensure our physical survival. As long as we are meant to walk this realm of Midgard and we do so like warriors, without fear, the cosmos MUST provide for us. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face North and chant “Fehu.” 2) Meditate on appreciating what has been given to you 3) Trust that the gods will support you as you follow your Orlog

Uruz - Kennaz Uruz is located on the Rune Wheel in the realm of Asgard and vibrates on the level of Villi, the physical, manifested realm. Kennaz is located in the transformative realm of HelHome and vibrates on the level of Villi. Uruz Reversed/Lack of Power or Determination We have already explored this combination in the example of Susan at the beginning of this chapter. But, to review: When we lack motivation or determination, we have forgotten why we are doing something. Using the Power of Kennaz to counterbalance a reversed Uruz gives us the necessary understanding to motivate our actions. Seeking deeper self-knowledge allows us to remember why we are working towards a goal. This knowledge gives us motivation/determination to either work harder to achieve it… OR, help us understand if we are better off discarding our goal entirely. Uruz and Health Uruz reversed can sometimes represent ill-health. From a shamanic perspective, all illness represents an imbalance on the spiritual, emotional and/or psychological level. In the case of illness, we should, of course, seek out the appropriate medical care for the specific illness. And, simultaneously, we can seek knowledge (Kennaz) of what is out of balance on an internal, spiritual level. Medical science has con firmed that mental states such as sadness, resentment, fear, anxiety, etc,… can all play a significant role in our physical well being. Perhaps, the knowledge we need may lie in simple remedies like changing our diet or exercise routine. Or, we may need knowledge about how our emotions and reactions to life are effecting our bodies. In any case, Kennaz (“torch”) can help light the way toward helping us understand the true nature of our disease and the best remedy for it. Uruz and Masculine Insecurity Uruz is often associated with masculine power and self-esteem. A reversed Uruz, can sometimes represent a man who has experienced a rejection in

romance. This has resulted in feelings of low self-esteem or even emotional or sexual impotence. Kennaz can illuminate the realities surrounding our self-esteem. Kennaz can help us understand that often times, rejection has no bearing on us at all. Kennaz can help us objectively see what we may have done to contribute to a break up and allow us to change in ways conducive to better relationships. OR we may come to understand that it had nothing to with us at all. Sometimes people leave just because they are not ready for real intimacy. Whatever the case is, Kennaz can help us understand our true power. (I am not unaware that women also suffer from insecurity from rejection. So, I suppose this Rune could apply to them also. But, in my experience as a Rune counselor, women tend to bounce back from rejection faster than men. I attribute this to the more flexible nature of the female energy. Men are stiffer and more “brittle.” When they commit to someone and lose a relationship, they tend to have a harder time releasing themselves from the responsibility of that old commitment and moving forward.) Some other significations of Uruz include: Reputation, Authority, Respect, Rank, Sexual Attraction, Sexual Appetite, Sexual Potency and more… You can see from all the different variations of interpretations for Uruz that this is a very important Rune for our physical survival. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Southwest and chant “Kennaz” 2) Meditate on the reasons why you are undertaking a particular task 3) Ask yourself why you are feeling unmotivated, ill or disempowered Kennaz Reversed/Confusion According to the counterbalancing method of the Rune Wheel, confusion is counterbalanced by increasing our determination. From an energetic perspective, mental confusion is often linked when our life-force energies are scattered or “confused.” We sometimes think that when we are confused, we need to “think” harder and figure things out. Well, if our mental faculties are compromised by confusion, then it is pretty unlikely that we will be able to use our compromised mental faculties to solve the problem.

In other words, if our thinker is broken, more thinking will make things worse. To counterbalance a reversed Kennaz, we seek the power of Uruz to give us increased determination. One powerful way to tap into the strength of Uruz is to engage in physical activity. This is why often times, when confused, we instinctively go for a walk or a bike ride or a run to “clear our head.” These physical actions are directly related to the Uruz Rune. Engaging in physical exercise is a practical application of the Uruz Rune to remedy confusion. There is another practical reason that physical exercise helps us think more clearly. This has to do with the connection our energy body (aura) has with our higher, objective mind. In my experience as a shaman, I have found that the lower self (Villi) located in the navel region of the body communicates directly with the upper self (Odin) located above the top of the head. This communication is energetic in nature and done through the energy body. The lower self and the higher self are connected via the energy body. Any physical activity combined with breath empowers the energy body and therefore allows the higher self to energetically communicate with the lower self. The middle self (Ve) located in the heart center, is where we experience conscious thought and reflection. The middle self is where all of our conscious decisions are made. But, we cannot make objective decisions when our lower self is disconnected from our higher self. When we engage in physical activity, the connection between the higher and lower self is automatically reset. The middle self cannot make informed decisions when the higher self is not in direct communication with the lower self. When this communication is blocked, the middle self becomes confused. One of the symbols of Uruz is drizzle. This refers to the descending nature of spiritual power into the physical plane. By summoning the power of Uruz, we are allowing spiritual power to descend into our physical being. We are physical beings. Physical exercise and activity helps us to “solidify” our essence into material existence. When we get too trapped in our heads, it is difficult to manifest our intentions into the physical realm.

Uruz is a very primal force. Our ancient ancestors respected the sheer physical power of the ancient, extinct bison called “Aurochs” (“Aurochs” is cognate with “Uruz”). We modern folk often forget how important this primal, physical power is to our effectiveness in life. Another symbol of Uruz is slag. Slag is a by-product of the smelting of iron ore. Slag is composed of limestone that is released from the iron ore during smelting. This limestone slag has absorbed phosphates during the smelting process. Slag is a very effective fertilizer. When applied to soil, the phosphates in slag help to de-acidify the soil thereby making it more habitable to bacteria which aid in plant growth. Physical exercise releases impurities through sweat. Oxygenating our blood helps our minds to release toxic thought patterns. These toxins, when released, can act as fertilizers for our minds to give birth to newer, fresher ideas. Modern slag is used in concrete as it helps to create a less permeable cement. Slag enriched concrete actually becomes more durable over time. The symbolism here is obvious. The connection to iron shows us that Uruz has the power to “steel our resolve,” eliminate confusion and solidify our determination. To further enhance the counterbalancing effect of Uruz on our confusion is to use physical activity as a meditation. While, running, hiking or whatever physical activity we have chosen, we can be actively meditating on increasing our determination. We can use the physical sensation of rigorous exercise as an active battle against the stupefying force of confusion. Our ancient ancestors were very physical people. Physical strength and prowess were necessary for hunter-gatherers and also for warriors. The Teutonic people were a warrior culture. As such, if we choose to honor their wisdom, we too can spiritually benefit from regular and vigorous physical exercise. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Northeast and chant “Uruz” 2) Engage in rigorous physical exercise 3) While exercising, meditate on defeating the forces of confusion

Thurisaz - Gebo Thurisaz is located on the Rune Wheel in the realm of Jotunheim and vibrates on the level of Villi, the physical, manifested realm. Gebo is located in the realm of Vanaheim and vibrates on the level of Villi. Thurisaz Reversed/Lack of Personal Boundaries Thurisaz is a Rune of personal protection. When Thurisaz is upright, it means that the power of Thor is actively protecting us from the trolls and giants in our environment. When Thurisaz is reversed, it signifies that our personal boundaries are not intact. This may manifest as feeling like a doormat. We may be feeling like the people in our lives or in our workplaces may be taking more from us than they are giving back. We may feel energetically drained. We may feel taken advantage of. We may feel like we have no privacy or personal space. Reversed Thurisaz may indicate involvement in a dysfunctional or abusive relationship where personal boundaries are blurred or even nonexistent. In the extreme, Thurisaz reversed may indicate being bullied or harrassed. If we are having difficulty applying direct pressure by reinforcing our personal boundaries, then we may need to apply the counterbalancing method to strengthen our boundaries. The Rune on the other side of the Rune Wheel of Thurisaz is Gebo. The counterbalancing method indicates that the remedy for strengthening a lack of personal boundaries is to engage in unconditional generosity. This may seem counterintuitive. The reader may be asking, “If my problem is that others are monopolizing my time and energy, how is giving more to them going to help?” I understand your confusion. I order to understand this, we need to examine the true nature of dysfunctional relationships and how we allow our boundaries to become compromised.

There Are No Victims The reality is that there are no true victims in life. Nobody can victimize us unless we allow them to do so. This is the message of Thor. In Teutonic mythology, the thunder god is always engaged in battle against giants and trolls. While the other gods are drinking and carousing in Asgard, Thor is usually off in the East (Giant Home) battling the forces of unconsciousness and mindless destruction. Giants don’t bother Thor because he simply will not tolerate it. Giants are often the typical bully/coward types. While they can be very overbearing and seem invincible, when resisted and confronted, they often back down once they realize that you are not willing to be a victim. So, the lesson for us is that if there are people in our lives that do not respect our boundaries, it is because we have chosen not protect ourselves. This makes us an easy target for unscrupulous people. There is another lesson here about boundaries which involves the Gebo Rune which answers the question, “Why would anyone choose not to protect their personal boundaries?” It should be noted that this is often not a conscious choice. We may have grown up in dysfunctional or abusive homes where our survival depended on forming dysfunctional co-dependent bonds with our family. Unfortunately, in these situations, co-dependence is learned very early and therefore becomes a very deeply suppressed defense mechanism in the unconscious mind. In dysfunctional co-dependent homes, children are taught at a very early age, that if they are willing to compromise their personal boundaries, they will be loved. Of course, this isn’t a healthy type of love. So, while it is understandable that we may not be aware of choosing to volunteer to be a victim, the cosmos, nonetheless will hold us responsible for such choices throughout our lives. It can be very challenging to confront co-dependence within ourselves, but, we must do so if we want to live in strength and freedom. Gebo can help us act contrary to any victim-like tendencies we may be unknowingly carrying with us. Tacitus described the ancient Germanic people as being without guile and innocent in nature. This is congruent with the act of self-less giving. Here is what is important about selflessness; In order to be innocent and selfless, you must be secure enough in yourself that you do not feel the

need to take from someone else. You must also feel secure enough in your own essence, that you do not fear that anyone can take away your essence. So, if you lose possessions or if they are stolen from you, you have enough security within your own essence that you do not feel the loss. What I am trying to say here is that if you have nothing to protect, you have nothing that can be taken from you. If you are willing to give everything away freely, the cosmos responds with the law of the equal exchange of energy by giving everything back to you. People with this kind of security within themselves never give to others with a hidden agenda. Often times, we give with an agenda. We give with the hope of getting something in return. When we do not get back what we were expecting, we get hurt. We feel victimized. This is not giving at all. This is passiveaggressive manipulation. People who give with hidden agendas are setting themselves up to be robbed. The law of free exchange demands that if you are seeking to take, things will be taken from you. In my experience as a Rune counselor, most often when someone feels they are getting the short end of the stick in a relationship, they are giving to the other person with a hidden agenda to get something in return. I cannot tell you how often, while counseling someone, they will ask me, “When will so and so tell me that they love me?” To which I will reply, “Well, have you shared your feelings with so and so?” “NO! I’m not going to tell him I love him until he tells me first!” You can see how this has created a self-perpetuating cycle where each person feels the other is holding out on them. Whereas, if we are open with our feelings, the other person may feel safe enough to share their feelings with us. In my experience, people with strong, healthy personal boundaries who are selfless givers do not attract dysfunctional people. So, there is no need to fear being taken advantage of if we are aware of any of our hidden agendas and try to take an honest approach with others in our lives. Those who have hidden agendas will not be attracted to people who are secure in themselves because they will not sense a weakness they can exploit.

In other words, if you have attracted an unscrupulous person who is really seeking to take advantage of you, then that is because you had a desire to take advantage of them too. That is why you felt a mutual attraction to one another. In my experience, when the Thurisaz Rune comes up reversed in relationships, it means that BOTH parties are giving to the other with hidden agendas and therefore both parties are being taken advantage of by the other. So, the solution is just simply to give without expectation. In my experience when the “victim” shifts their action toward selfless giving, one of two things may happen: 1) The person they are with begins to shift toward selfless giving in order to match the vibrational shift in the relationship. 2) OR, one or both of the parties begins to lose their attraction to the other person and the relationship dissolves. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face West and chant “Gebo” 2) Begin giving unconditionally 3) Meditate on what your hidden agendas are in your relationships 4) Ask yourself how you may acting passive-aggressively toward others Gebo cannot be reversed. There is no such thing as a block in selfless giving. Whenever Gebo comes up in a reading, it is always a blessing.

Ansuz - Wunjo Ansuz is located on the Rune Wheel in the realm of Dwarf Home and vibrates on the level of Villi, the physical, manifested realm. Wunjo is located in the realm of Elf Home and vibrates on the level of Villi. Ansuz and Divine Communication Communication flows in two directions. This Rune not only symbolizes human communication but also communication from the gods to humans. One of the names for the Ansuz Rune is “god mouth.” This has an obvious reference to communication between us and the gods, but it also refers to the evolution of humans into gods. Dwarves and Human Emotions Dwarf Home is very important to human beings because it is the home of the subconscious psychological patterns in the human mind. It is also symbolic of the “lower self” located in the navel center of the human body. It is the center of will power. In Teutonic mythology, the dwarves are created by the gods out of Life-Force Energy that created the cosmos. The gods took ambient LifeForce of the manifested cosmos and “fashioned” dwarves. The dwarves are the beings that transform life force energy into manifestation. Many of the magical items of the gods were fashioned by the dwarves. Throughout Teutonic mythology, dwarves are represented as powerful, magical beings who live “under the earth” (beneath consciousness) tirelessly mining and building. Many of the names of the dwarves listed in mythological sources are names of human emotional, psychological patterns, such as: Yearning, Longing, Wisdom, Hope and Will. Other dwarf names represent the consumption and transformation of Life-Force Energy, such as: Force-Sucker, Magician, Mead-Witness (mead symbolizes Life-Force) and Channel. The subconscious is the driving force behind manifesting our intentions in the physical realm. It is the engine that drives and empowers all magical works.

The Old English word for sorcery was “dwergamal” which translates as “Dwarf Speak.” It means that a sorcerer knew how to speak the language of dwarves. It may also mean that a wizard performed magic by speaking commands to the dwarves who carried out his bidding. Once again, we see a strong correlation between dwarves and communication. Mental Health and Communication Communication is essential for our mental health. From a shamanic standpoint, we must have a clear path of communication between the upper, middle and lower selves. One of the biggest problems we face is when the lower self cannot receive commands from the upper self. When this happens, the subconscious begins manifesting all sorts of chaos and drama based on subconscious psychological patterns in the lower self. When this happens, the conscious mind in the middle self does not understand what is happening and cannot take control of the subconscious mind. Commands and information from the higher self go directly to the lower self which then transmit this knowledge to the middle self who makes choices. These choices are communicated to the lower self which carries them out in the physical plane. When this communication between the three selves is blocked our lives become chaotic messes. The middle self can see the chaos manifesting in the physical realm but can do nothing to stop it. The lower self needs regular communication with the upper self in order for the subconscious to stay ordered and healthy. When the subconscious becomes isolated, like a dog left alone in a house, it becomes agitated and frightened and begins to destroy the furniture. When this happens all of our subconscious fears and eccentricities begin to become physically manifested. The root of the problem lies in not keeping clear lines of communication from the higher self who has direct contact with our spiritual guides and the gods themselves. Divine Communication So, the first step in creating strong lines of communication is to listen to the gods. True communication is a divine gift. This is why the term Ansuz is called the “god mouth.”

Ansuz also means “ancestor.” This refers to receiving communication from our ancestral teachers or as we call it in modern, new age terminology, our “spirit guides.” OK, so you get the idea… It is no coincidence that the Ansuz rune lands on the dwarf home on the Rune Wheel. Ansuz Reversed/Block in Communication When Ansuz comes up reversed, it refers to blocked lines of communication. This blockage effects many different areas of life. It may just refer to a simple matter of miscommunication between two people which can be easily remedied. But, it also may indicate a serious problem in the individual where the three selves have become isolated, are no longer communicating with each other and the individual is not receiving necessary divine communication from the gods. In the case of the latter, over time, this can result in emotional or even mental illness. At the very least, it will result in a chaotic life as the dwarf elements of the subconscious manifest blindly what is in the person’s subconscious mind. So, when this Rune comes up reversed, we may need to apply the counterbalancing method. Blocked communication can be remedied with the influence of the Wunjo Rune located in the realm of the Elf Home. The Elves are the ascended masters. The Buddhists would call them the Boddhisattvas. These are the ancestors who were once human, but through many lives of spiritual discipline, they have transcended re-birth. They stand at the edge of existence ready to be re-absorbed into the void, but choose to stick around and act as guides to the human race. In my opinion, the Elves were once residents of Valhalla, the slain warriors who lived fearlessly in life and, after death, were allowed to enter the Hall of the Chosen and join the spiritual warriors who train with Odin to fight against the fires of destruction. After serving millennia as warriors for conscious awareness (Odin), they now serve as spiritual guides to the human race. The Elf Home sits directly across from Dwarf home for a very good reason. The Elves work directly with the Dwarves. When all three of the selves in the human being are in harmony, the Elves have direct

communication with our subconscious minds guiding and directing our mental evolution. We do have freedom of will, however, and we can choose to block this communication. The Elves do not prohibit this from happening. They understand that part of learning is to make mistakes. So, they allow us the freedom to choose to listen to them or not. So, when we choose to act apart from the guidance of the ancestors, we have to wrestle with our subconscious drives. Most of the time, we lose this fight and have to pay the price. But, we also learn and grow from this experience. When our lines of communication have become so blocked that we need help, we can call upon the wisdom of the Elves to guide us. The Wunjo Rune represents Joy. But this is not just superficial partytime jubilation. This is joy that is earned. When we act in accordance with our highest destiny, the earned result of those actions is Joy. It is spiritual joy. When our internal communication is blocked and we become aware that our lives have become chaotic, we can focus on those things in our lives that bring us true happiness. This will help to unblock the lines of communication. An interesting this happens in this process under the influence of Wunjo. When we smile, the crown chakra at the top of the head opens. When we experience true joy, we automatically open the lines of communication with our higher self and the ancestors who communicate to our higher minds. We can also access the Elves directly and seek their counsel. By opening ourselves to the guidance of the ascended ancestors, we can remedy many internal and external issues in our lives. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Northwest and chant “Wunjo” 2) Meditate on what gives you joy 3) Smile and meditate on opening the crown chakra 4) Ask your Elves to advise you 5) Any meditation or energy work will help to open the lines of spiritual communication Wunjo Reversed/Disappointment, Depression When Wunjo comes up reversed in represents disappointment, sadness or

even severe depression. Wunjo is located in Elf Home where the ascended masters guide us. When we are sad or depressed, we tend to retreat inside ourselves cutting ourselves off from others. We may carry around a lot of hurt feelings, disappointment in ourselves or others. We may even feel that the cosmos is conspiring to make us unhappy. We may feel shame about our disappointment and perhaps we shut it away so as not be judged. In any case, we become isolated and our emotions begin to rot within us. The counterbalancing method of the Rune Wheel suggest that we employ the energy of Ansuz to reverse the blockage. Ansuz is the Rune of communication. This communication may represent talking with those whom we feel have wronged us. Perhaps it indicates expressing our feelings to a trusted friend or advisor who can give us objective observation or advice. Maybe we just need a shoulder to cry on. As we learned when reviewing the Ansuz Rune, when our internal lines of communication between our three selves is blocked, we cannot see things objectively. When we are depressed, we are also unable to see objectively. The lesson is that when we release our blocked sadness and depression through communication, we are then able to receive objective information that allows us to see the source of our sadness from a distance. Objectivity allows us to understand that we are not isolated but part of network of beings in an enormous, living cosmos that is committed to our well-being and evolution. Short story is that communication gets us out of ourselves so we can enjoy life again. At a deeper level, when stuck in a deep depression, Ansuz may be suggesting that we need to communicate directly with the Elves in order to gain their objective viewpoint. My experience working with the Elves is that they do not force their opinion on us. They only give advice when directly asked to do so. The fact that Wunjo (Joy) is located in the Elf Home suggests that true joy lies in the awareness that we are moving toward the spiritual enlightenment that comes from a detached awareness of our lives.

The Elves were once humans like us who realized that their destiny was to evolve past being attached to this earthly illusion. Their Joy is a detached joy. So, they are happy to allow us to stay in our difficulties as long as we wish. But, when asked for their guidance, they can show us where we have been mistaken in our outlook. They can show where we have taken ourselves too seriously. They can help us release our expectations that were the cause of our disappointment. They have mastered the art of just relaxing. It was probably an Elf who first uttered the phrase, “Don’t worry. Be happy!” Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Southeast and chant “Ansuz” 2) Write down all the possible sources of concern in your life regardless of how trivial 3) Seek out a trusted person or counselor and share your feelings 4) Meditation: Inhale imagining light descending from the top of your head down into your navel . Exhale and allow the light to rise to your heart center. Repeat 3-30 minutes. (This opens the lines of communication with all three of your selves Odin, Villi, and Ve.) We have now reviewed the counterbalancing method of the First Eight Runes which vibrate on the level of Villi in the physical, manifested realm. So, let’s move on to the Second Eight Runes which vibrate on the level of Ve in the emotional/ psychological realm.

Hagal - Eihwaz Now that we have moved into the psychological vibration of the Runes, we will be focusing on emotional transformation. Hagal and Eihwaz are possibly the two most challenging of all the Runes. They are both transformative in nature. Hagal is the Rune for creative transformation and Eihwaz is the Rune for destructive transformation. Both Hagal and Eihwaz cannot be reversed and as such we cannot use the counterbalancing method with these Runes. So, if these Runes come up for you, there is no reversing their influence on your psyche. The only remedy for surviving the transformative nature of these energies is to simply surrender to the process. If these energies are resisted, it only makes the transformation process longer and more challenging. While these Runes are intense in their effects, they are always a blessing because they herald a shift in consciousness to a higher evolutionary plane. So, even though we cannot avoid or counterbalance the effects of these Runes, it is still helpful for us to examine how they differ from one another and complement one another. Hagal and Self-Assessment Hagal is the Rune of creative cleansing. Of the two transformative Runes, Hagal is probably less challenging than its counterpart Eihwaz. In my counseling practice, during divination readings, when the Hagal Rune comes up, I will usually refer to it as a time for “Self-Assessment.” Like its counterpart, Eihwaz, this Rune means that the individual in question is in the midst of a personal transformation. But, in the case of Hagal, there is greater opportunity for the individual to participate in this process through active self-assessment. Hagal allows for and encourages cooperative participation from the individual. Hagal is inviting us to examine ourselves and seek evolutionary progression in our lives. Actively participating with the Rune not only lessens any unpleasant effects, but can even become an exhilarating experience.

Like Eihwaz however, if the Hagal Rune has decided to descend upon us, the cleansing effect will happen to us whether we cooperate with it or not. So, to shorten the time factor involved and lessen any unpleasant experiences, we are encouraged to accept its influence and even participate with it. The Hagal Rune indicates that there is something within the psyche of the individual that is no longer serving them. Hagal, as the power of cleansing, is seeking to neutralize a self-sabotaging pattern that is holding the person back from experiencing their highest potential. When Hagal appears, the individual can best interface with this energy by asking themselves, “What in my life do I want to change?”, “What aspects of my life, outlook, behavior, relationships, etc… can I improve?” By simply asking this question under the influence of the Hagal Rune, we will have increased spiritual power to improve ourselves. We will be empowered to make significant progress in eradicating selflimiting beliefs, attitudes and habits. We will be better able to examine our behavior toward the people in our lives. Hagal works very well as a psychic cleanser. If one is the type to write in journals, this is the most productive time for such personal examination. During the influence of Hagal in our lives, worship of mother Holle is very beneficial. Hagal means hailstone. Mother Holle is strongly connected with snow. Practicing the HUUL breath as taught in my other works is an extremely powerful way to harmonize and maximize the benefits of the Hagal Rune in our mind and body. Hagal is a Rune of inception. By working with this Rune, we are able to incorporate the power of creative transformation which will be the beginning of new beliefs and actions which can have long term effects upon our lives. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face North and chant “Hagal” 2) Meditate on how to change those attitudes that are no longer serving you 3) Write down specific ways you can improve your life 4) Take a cleansing salt bath to purify your aura 5) Do the HUUL breath meditation located in my first book “The Thunder Wizard Path” or on the Thunderwizard Youtube channel Eihwaz and Shamanic Initiation Whereas Hagal represents creative transformation of psychic patterns, the

creation of new life within us, Eiwhaz, represents psychic transformation through death. It is change through destruction. Eihwaz means “yew tree.” The Yew tree has always been associated with shamanic mysteries. The Yew tree, being a poisonous tree also releases toxic gases. It has been theorized that in ancient times, wizards would sit beneath the Yew tree and enter altered states of consciousness as a result of inhaling the toxic fumes emanating from its branches. The Yew tree is a symbol of death and resurrection. The branches of the trees grow down into the earth and become the roots of new Yew trees that rise from the ground. The Eihwaz Rune always represents drastic transformation on multiple levels. Personally, it means the death of some part of our psyche. Spiritually, it can herald a shamanic initiation whereby we die to our mortal lives and resurrect to a life of spiritual service to others. Shamanic initiation often involves a person who has been called by the ancestors to serve as a mediator between the gods and humans. In extreme cases, the initiate often becomes deathly ill and has a transformative vision which alters the person’s psyche permanently. For many initiates, during this death and resurrection process, the initiate will have disturbing visions of being dismembered and then being put back together again. Upon reviving from near death vision experiences, the initiate may become aware of special powers that have awakened within him/her to communicate with spirits or be able see future events. On a personal level, the individual may feel like they are “coming apart at the seams.” During ancient times, our ancestors understood this process, but in our modern society, we do not have a spiritual or cultural frame of reference for this type of spiritual transformation. While the influence of Eihwaz can be extremely challenging, if we remember that it is a spiritual process that will result in our psychological evolution, it may be easier for us to surrender to the personal restructuring that is occurring. As with Hagal, Eihwaz cannot be reversed. There is no way to counterbalance its effects. The only option when influenced by the Eiwhaz Rune is to surrender to the process. Allowing oneself to die is often

extremely painful on multiple levels. Struggling against the difficulty is not advised. Refusal to undergo the process is not an option for the initiate. The gods will accomplish their task with or without your permission. They expect that you may struggle and this will only fuel their resolve to destroy that which needs to die within you. They are patient and will continue with the initiation for as long as it takes. So, you might as well just surrender and get it over with. In the end, it will be worth it. Whereas, Hagal indicates the cleansing that builds upon existing qualities within a person, Eihwaz destroys existing qualities and replaces them with new ones. Something in your psyche will be permanently eliminated and replaced with a new spiritual perspective. Hagal says, “This is just the beginning. Let’s make you a better person.” Eihwaz says, “It’s time for a change. Something in you must die. You will never be the same again.” But, through that death, the individual will rise from the ashes transformed. You may receive a new spiritual name. You may receive a completely different identity. Most people will be content to leave Eiwhaz alone. But, those brave souls who seek out the transformation inherent in the Rune are most likely those who are not satisfied with ordinary human life. For those who are called to live the path of the wizard, there is only one place where they feel most alive, that is in the realm where darkness and light meet. This is the realm of Eihwaz. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face South and chant “Eihwaz” 2) Practice the “World Tree” standing posture as found in “The Thunder Wizard Path” book also found in the Teutonic Shamanism DVDs 3) Meditate on allowing the gods to “dismember” you and put you back together 4) Perform a ritual to your preferred deity asking for help and strength 5) Practice the HUUL breath meditation or any other meditation or energy work for 40 days

Nauthiz - Perthro The Nauthiz-Perthro axis works with our personal Orlog. Nauthiz represents a block that can always be overcome by changing tactics. Perthro represents a karmic block on a much deeper level that may be more difficult or impossible to overcome. Nauthiz cannot be reversed. This is good. It means that it always represents a situation that is solvable. Pethro on the other hand can definitely be reversed. When upright, Perthro means we are on our predetermined path. When Perthro is reversed, it represents an unavoidable and terminal karmic ending. Nauthiz Nauthiz means “need.” As the saying goes, Necessity is the mother of invention. When the Nauthiz Rune comes up, the message is very clear; “Time to innovate!” Under the influence of this Rune, we may feel trapped, frustrated, minimized or constrained. The Rune shaman understands that this feeling is not a curse, but a necessary prelude to a life-changing discovery. When this Rune comes up in my practice, I will tell the individual that it’s time for them to start thinking “outside of the box.” The influence of Nauthiz may feel too prohibitive to allow any innovation. The individual may only be aware of how constrained they are feeling. The individual may not feel that they are able to invent or innovate. They may feel completely stuck. In such cases, we must use the counterbalancing method to seek a solution to the problem. The counterbalancing Rune for Nauthiz is Perthro. On the Rune Wheel. Nauthiz is in Asgard and Perthro is in Hel Home. Asgard is near the beginning of the Rune Wheel and as such represents creation. Nauthiz means that we can manifest our desires, but they need to be altered to fit within our personal destiny. If Nauthiz has come up, what this indicates is that the problem we are facing is a result of not correctly following our personal Orlog. Asgard demands perfection. So, if our movement in a certain area is blocked, Nauthiz is telling us that the forces of Asgard see our strategy to

be imperfect or “flawed.” In other words, we need to fix the flaw in our thinking before the gods will empower it to become manifested. On the other side of the wheel, Perthro sits in Hel Home which is the realm of the underworld where souls are purged of their illusions and attachments before re-birth. It is likely that the flaw in our thinking which has resulted in the appearance of the Nauthiz Rune indicates that we are about to make the same mistakes we have made in past incarnations which did not serve us. One reason we have re-incarnated in this life is to address our old mistakes and grow beyond them. Asgard is saying, “Hey, this is a new life for you, let’s not make this same mistake again. Try something different. Let’s do it right this time.” When the frustration is too much for us, we can employ the power of Perthro to remind us of our inborn destiny; who we are in this life, what we are meant to accomplish. By reminding us of our highest path in this life, we can break old karmic patterns and open our minds to new ways of acting in accordance with our Orlog. Orlog, as we already know means “inborn destiny.” This means that the way to break out of the constraints we are experiencing is to remember what our inborn destiny is. Nauthiz is telling us that our inborn destiny is to innovate a new solution to an old problem. This new method, product or viewpoint we are meant to invent is something that is helpful to our evolution and perhaps to the evolution of all life in the cosmos. The constraint of Nauthiz has resulted in pent up energy which seeks to be released. When we know the correct focus of our energies, Asgard will release the Nauthiz constriction and allow the energy to be dynamically released in the proper direction. So, in the end, the frustration of Nauthiz has actually empowered our intention. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Northeast and chant “Na-wight” (Sounds like “now white”) 2) Meditate on how your previous strategies have not worked

3) Ask yourself, “How can I accomplish my goal in a different way?” 4) Write down any new ideas that come to you in meditation Perthro Reversed When Perthro is upright, it signifies that we are in alignment with our Orlog. When upright, nothing need be done except to relax in the flow the predetermined course for our lives. When Perthro comes up reversed, however, it means that we have hit a karmic impasse. Nothing can be done here. Trying to persist in an action or relationship when Perthro is reversed will only result in a futile attempt to change destiny by banging our heads against a karmic brick wall. Under the influence of a reversed Perthro, we may feel like nothing we do accomplishes anything and we are right to think so. In relationships, when the couple has reached the end of their karmic path together, the couple will argue over petty nonsense and never be able to communicate effectively or move past disagreements. Arguments will go around and around in circles. You may find yourselves asking, “What the hell are we even fighting about?” Perthro reversed means that a certain Karmic debt has been resolved and it’s time for both parties to move on. All relationships are based on unresolved karmic debt. We are attracted to people because there is an energetic debt that must be resolved for our spiritual evolution. Karmic debt is a weight. Things with mass and weight have their own gravitational field. When we share a karmic debt with another, the shared gravitational field of that debt draws us to each other. When the debt is paid, there is no more gravitational field to keep us connected and we begin to drift apart. In relationships, it means that the relationship is over and there is nothing to be done to resolve the problems. The problems mean that there is no more energetic affinity with each other. We have learned whatever it is we were meant to learn from one another and now we need to begin new relationships which have new lessons for us. One small loophole exists to overcome this block. On the outside chance, reversed Perthro may also mean that in order for the relationship to evolve, we need to create a completely new foundation of interconnection which will create a new karmic debt to fuel the relationship further.

If the relationship is to survive, we must understand that the old energetic patterns that fueled the relationship have died. New ones must be forged. We must be willing to completely erase the past. For all but the most committed and resolute of people, this is extremely difficult and virtually impossible. The forces that brought you together are now pushing you apart. You may have noticed that I have focused on personal relationships. This is one of the main aspects of Perthro. As a Rune of Orlog, Perthro is often aligned with how we relate with the cosmos. It is especially concerned with how we relate to the cosmos in connection to our inborn destiny. Perthro as the “lot cup” always refers to our lot in life, what we are meant to receive and how we are meant to act. When reversed, Perthro is saying that whatever is blocked, whether it be a job, relationship, project etc, it is no longer part of our personal Orlog and it is time to abandon it. On the Rune Wheel, the counterbalancing Rune for a blocked Perthro is Nauthiz. Nauthiz represents finding another way out of a dead end. When we are stuck and cannot let something go, then we need to power of Nauthiz to give us the necessary power to drop our preferred path and just go around it. Sometimes we simply cannot let go of the past. In order to do so, we must feel a strong need, a frustration that is intolerable, a frustration that forces us to act. By working with Nauthiz, we can feel a visceral need to make a change and move on. We can allow the feeling of frustration to motivate us to take difficult actions that we may have been avoiding. A blocked Perthro is a permanently blocked pathway that cannot be traversed again. Nauthiz gives us the motivation to permanently abandon an old strategy for our life and embrace a new path in our destiny. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face Southwest and chant “Perthro” 2) Perform a ritual to your preferred deity asking for guidance 3) Face Northeast and chant “Na-wight” 4) Meditate on releasing old karmic patterns 5) Do any meditation or energy exercise every day for 40 days

Isa - Elhaz Isa and Elhaz are a powerful combination revolving around individual power. When Isa is in effect, we are focused on personal empowerment on an individual level. Isa Cannot Be Reversed Isa is the self-sufficient identity of the person. If Isa were to be reversed, it would mean an end to the individual self, which would mean our death. As long as we are alive as a physical being, we have a separate identity, therefore Isa is always upright. When is Isa is strong, it results in an empowered sense of self. The automatic result of an empowered self is a strong aura or energy body. The energy body is associated with the Rune Elhaz which sits opposite Isa on the Rune Wheel. Elhaz, unlike Isa, can be reversed. Elhaz Reversed When Elhaz is reversed, it means that our spiritual protective projection (aura) is weak. Elhaz corresponds with spiritual power, purity and protection. Our first and last defense against any attack is our energy body. In my experience, there are a few factors which can effect the strength of the Energy body: 1) Physical Health 2) Spiritual Empowerment 3) Mental Clarity Addiction and Elhaz In my Rune counseling, when Elhaz comes up, the first question I ask is if the individual regularly drinks alcohol or takes drugs of any kind. More often than not, when Elhaz is reversed, the answer is “yes.” Mind altering chemicals have a profound effect on our Life Force Energy. When the natural flow of Life Force Energy has been disrupted, the first thing affected will be the Energy Body. This weakening of the Life Force and the weakening of the Energy Body, obviously opens the individual to biological and spiritual

contamination. Elhaz, The Energy Body and The Higher Self The Energy Body has a direct connection to the Higher Self. It is through the Higher Mind that we receive the advice of the Ascended Masters (Elves). In order for us to receive guidance from our Higher Selves, our Energy Bodies must be strong, for it is through the Energy Body that our Higher Mind transmits messages to the Lower Self which then relates those instructions to our Middle Self which is our conscious mind. When the Energy Body is weakened, we are essentially cut off from our higher selves. In this circumstance, we are much more likely to make rash decisions based on the fears and chaos within our subconscious minds. With a weakened aura, the individual is also open to the spiritual influence of negative forces whether that be their own fears, the bad advice of others, or in rare cases, the influence of negative entities. If mind altering chemicals are not the cause of the reversed Elhaz, then we need to look at the other causes such as Physical Health, Mental Clarity and Spiritual Empowerment. It is possible to strengthen the Aura by making life choices that facilitate an empowered aura. But, since the weakening of the Energy Body often results in a lack of mental clarity, it may be difficult for the individual to make the choices necessary for empowering the Energy Body. In such cases, we need use the counterbalancing method of the Rune Wheel to empower our identities. When Elhaz is reversed, we need the power of Isa. The word “Isa” is made up of two powerful Energetic root words from our original IndoEuropean Language: 1) I “Eeee” Which means “self, rulership, spiritual energy” 2) Sa “Saaah” Which means “True Essence, Eternal or Infinite” By connecting to the power of Isa, we connect our finite identities with the infinite, eternal self or spirit. As we discovered earlier in this book, the human personality is constructed of pure, Life Force Energy. The “I” (Eee) sound is a sound of pure spiritual energy. Be careful with this sound as it can be dangerous if chanted too long. It is that powerful.

Isa is the power of the in finite, eternal spiritual self which can empower our aura and protect us from all negativity that seeks to undermine our expression of individuality in the cosmos. Suggested Remedies: 1) Face East, stand with your arms at your sides, Exhale and chant “Eeeee” while imagining your Energy Body extending out to Infinity, then Inhale and mentally chant or whisper the sound “Saah” while imagining your body filling with spirit power. Do this daily for 3-7 minutes. 2) Remove any contaminants from the diet, including recreation chemicals, junk food or alcohol 3) Practice deep breathing meditation every day for 40 days 4) Perform a ritual to a deity of your choice asking for protection and clarity of mind 5) Learn any discipline that empowers the Energy Body such as Tai Chi, Yoga or Qigong

Jera - Sawul The Jera - Sawul interaction relates to spiritual relationship. On the personal level, Jera most commonly refers to marriage and family. It can also refer to cooperation in work when related to team projects. Jera becomes empowered when we as individuals come together with others to create a whole. This is the nature of the soul on earth. Our Souls (Sawul) have incarnated in order to interact with other souls to learn and grow. Jera vibrates on the level of Ve in the heart center. It is with our hearts that we fall in love and find our “soulmate” with whom we create family bonds. Jera Cannot Be Reversed When two individuals come together and create a relationship, it is always a very dynamic experience. I believe that one reason there is no reversal of this Rune is because relationships by their definition are dynamic with lots of ups and downs. The point of relationships is to work through these dynamic fluctuations to create life in all its various forms. The Cosmos does not view these dynamic ups and downs within relationships to be good or bad. It is just the nature of this type of interaction. Therefore Jera cannot be reversed. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face SouthEast and meditate on two Kennaz Runes merging together. 2) Discuss with your partner about the significance of the Jera Rune. Sawul Cannot Be Reversed Like Jera, Sawul also cannot be reversed. What this indicates is that Sawul and Jera are in constant interaction with each other. When the Soul is empowered, it creates more opportunities for relationships with other people with whom we share a destiny. Relationships also have a direct impact on the Soul. Jera is the means through which Sawul expresses itself in the physical realm. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face NorthWest and chant “Saaawul.”

2) Face NorthWest and meditate asking the Elves to improve personal interactions on a spiritual level.

Tiwaz - Laguz The Tiwaz - Laguz relationship relates to the interaction between emotional motivation and success. As the Rune of victory, Tiwaz represents success in our spiritual lives. In relation to Laguz, Tiwaz represents the power of spiritual discipline to overcome blind emotional instincts. Laguz is a Rune of the law of emotions. Both Tiwaz and Laguz vibrate on the level of Odin, the realm of spiritual power. When our emotions are utilized to motivate us toward spiritual objectives, the power of our feelings can be a great source of strength guiding us toward spiritual victory. Both Tiwaz and Laguz can be reversed. As such, this makes their interaction a very dynamic one. Tiwaz Reversed When Tiwaz is reversed, we can experience feelings of failure and defeat. Reversed Tiwaz can also represent betrayal of our spiritual ethics. In relation to Laguz, a reversed Tiwaz Rune means that we are in danger of taking self-destructive actions based on unconscious emotional triggers. In such instances, it may be difficult to persevere in our personal and spiritual values. In order to counterbalance this blockage, we can access the power of Laguz, our conscious emotional motivation. Focusing on the feelings connected to why we are seeking success in a certain situation can help us stay motivated to persevere and ultimately achieve success. In such instances, it is important to be consciously aware of our emotions. This is similar to the Uruz-Kennaz dynamic where we use knowledge to empower our determination. In this case, however, we use conscious awareness of emotional motivation to empower our perseverance to succeed. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face South and Chant “Laguz.” Open yourself to the emotions that originally motivated you toward an objective. 2) Write down why it is important to succeed in whatever you are pursuing. Allow your feelings to reinvigorate you toward your goal.

Laguz Reversed When Laguz is reversed, we may be seeking to suppress or deny our feelings. This often happens when we feel defeated or betrayed. The danger in this instance is that we may be taking self-destructive actions in an attempt to avoid painful emotions. In order to reverse this temptation to act out against our evolution, we seek the power of Tiwaz, the victory of our personal and ethical values, our spiritual commitment and discipline to help us in allowing our emotions to rise to our consciousness. Tiwaz gives us the power to feel our painful emotions and still act in accordance with our spiritual values. In Teutonic lore, the god Tiw is in constant struggle with the titanic wolf Fenris who seeks to devour the Cosmos. Tiw who represents spiritual victory has sacrificed his own right arm in order to keep Fenris bound and unable to destroy the Cosmos. Fenris represents our lower, self-destructive instincts that emerge when we are not actively employing our spiritual discipline to overcome our “lower” instinctive, emotional nature. When emotions connected to pride, greed, fear, etc., threaten to “consume” us and destroy our lives, we can call on the victorious Tiw who is locked in an eternal struggle with Fenris to keep his destructive urges at bay. Tiw continuously struggles tirelessly to keep Fenris bound up so that he cannot destroy our personal cosmos. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face North and chant, “Tiwaz.” Ask Tiw for the power to defeat depression, despair and hopelessness. 2) Write down any feelings of hopelessness, insecurity, betrayal and fear. 3) After you have written down the feelings you suspect you may be unconsciously suppressing, face North, read out loud the feelings that are holding you back and allow the power of Tiw to reverse those negative feelings into positive ones. 4) Write down whatever emotional experiences arise from this exercise. Rededicate yourself to your cause and imagine your victory.

Berkanaz - Inguz The Berkanaz - Inguz relationship relates to incubation and birth. Berkanaz is quite simply the power of the goddess to bring forth into manifestation any form of life. Even thoughts and ideas also have their own life force energy and can be brought forth into material existence. Berkanaz is also the Rune of the goddess Berchta, who cleanses the world of negativity before the arrival of spring. Berkanaz can be used to bring something into being and also to protect the new life of any being as it is being birthed. Inguz is the Rune of internal Spiritual Fire. It is the Rune of incubation. Before something takes birth, it must incubate and build up energy. Ing was the Germanic deity of the sacri ficial flame that sends the prayers of the petitioner up with the scent of the smoke of the sacrifice. “Ing” is cognate with the Vedic word “Agni.” Berkanaz and Inguz both vibrate at the level of Odin in the spiritual realm. Berkanaz Reversed When Berkanaz is reversed it represents a death or an ending. Living beings as well as concepts, ideas, projects, relationships and emotional patterns can all undergo a death experience. If we are experiencing a death on any of these levels, it can be a very challenging experience. In order to counterbalance the forces of death, we employ the power of Inguz. Inguz is the process of incubation that reminds us that death is only a transitional phase. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transformed. When a death occurs, Inguz reminds us that the Life Force Energy of whatever has died is going through an incubation process and will be reborn at the appropriate time. Berkanaz is in Asgard where Life Force Energy takes conception. Inguz is in Helhome where Life Force Energy is “recycled” in the underworld. Inguz insures that whatever has died will resurrect. We may not be able to say how that energy will be manifested. But, it will be reborn.

Suggested Exercise: 1) Face SouthWest and Chant “Eeeeng” 2) Meditate on Energy being transformed and recycled Inguz Cannot Be Reversed Inguz is the process of incubation. When this Rune comes up in a personal reading, it indicates that energy is building up strength to be later manifested. This always means that a birth is coming, but not quite yet. In spiritual matters, Inguz represents the internal spiritual fire of Kundalini. When Inguz appears in a reading, spiritual practice, meditation and rituals are always enhanced because the spiritual fire within has been activated. As one of the foundational spiritual entities of the Indo-European religions, Inguz cannot be reversed. It is an unstoppable force. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face SouthWest and chant “Eeeeeng” 2) Face NorthEast and Chant “Berkanaz” 3) Meditate on the process of incubation and birth 4) Perform a sacred fire ritual. (light a fire or candle, stare into the flame and chant to Ing) 5) Any ritual to any deity employs the power of Inguz

Ehwaz - Dagaz The Ehwaz - Dagaz relationship focuses on the intuitive connection to ones higher self. Ehwaz is the proto-Germanic word for “Horse.” In ancient times, horses were powerful sources of divination for the pre-Christian Germanic tribes. The intuitive relationship between horse and rider is reflected in the Ehwaz Rune’s ability to strengthen the shaman’s ability to channel the voice of the gods. Dagaz means “Day” and has a strong connection to the full expression of spiritual light symbolized by the light of the noontime sun. In Divinatory readings, Dagaz can mean “unbridled, exuberant fun.” Both Ehwaz and Dagaz resonate on the level of Odin. Ehwaz, unlike Dagaz can be reversed. Ehwaz Reversed When Ehwaz is reversed, it means that ones intuitive connection to ones higher self has become blocked. In order to open the lines of intuitive communication, we can employ the power of Dagaz. The lesson here is that when we have fun and allow the power of spirit to shine through, we automatically open ourselves to receive guidance from our divine spirit and the spirits of the ancestors who guide us all. As it happens, while having fun, we smile. When we smile, the facial muscles involved in smiling, automatically open the crown chakra at the top of the head. It is from this chakra that we have intuitive connection to our higher self and the higher beings who seek to help us on our path. Suggested Exercise: 1) Do anything that is pure fun! 2) Face West and meditate asking the Vanir to reinvigorate your intuitive connection 3) Once again, don’t be so serious and HAVE SOME FUN! Dagaz Cannot Be Reversed Dagaz is a very powerful force of the light of the sun. The sun cannot be extinguished in our lifetimes.

Dagaz is also the power of the expression of the human soul. The power of the human spirit is also infinitely powerful. It cannot be extinguished. Suggested Exercise: 1) Have Fun! 2) Be yourself 3) Meditate on the Power of the Sun 4) Spend some time in the sun allowing its warmth to penetrate into your being

Mannaz - Othal The Mannaz - Othal relationship declares that the spiritual mind of Man is his eternal inheritance. Mannaz means both “Human” and “Mind.” The divine Mind of Man is the result of millions of years of human evolution. We humans have worked very hard over millennia to achieve the state of Odin. It is the spiritual Mind that allows humans to achieve equality with Odin, the king of the gods. Othal means “Ancestral Land.” By itself, Othal can represent inherited land or title. Esoterically, Othal represents the spiritual inheritance of the Divine Mind of Odin. The Othal - Mannaz relationship on the Rune Wheel promises that Divine evolution is the destiny of all humans. Mannaz and Othal both resonate on the level of Odin. Mannaz Reversed When Mannaz is reversed, it means that the shaman has temporarily blocked himself off from the power of his objective, Meditative Mind. This blocked state of mind opens him up to being influenced solely by his animal instincts. Without the objectivity that the Meditative Mind brings, the shaman is open to be influenced by self-destructive instincts that can mire him more deeply in self-deception. Since the Mind is most effected in this instance, it is unlikely that the shaman will be able to think his way out of his predicament. In order to reverse this blockage, the shaman calls upon the power of Othal to reinstate him in his inherited state of incarnated Divine Mind. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face NW and chant “Othal” 2) Chant “OOOOO” Pronounced “Oh.” 3) Meditate on Odin’s mastery of mind that allows him passage into all nine worlds. Othal Reversed Surprisingly, Othal can be reversed, meaning that we are capable of sabotaging our inherent nature as the inheritors of Odin’s sacrifice for spiritual realization. When Othal is reversed it can mean a change of residence. If we are not moving to a new residence, the reversal of Othal can indicate a

profound state of being “ungrounded.” The Othal symbol seems to represent a house that is firmly planted in the earth. When upturned, that house can be swept away. To operate in our inherited state of grounded Divine Mind on Earth, we must remain grounded in our essential human nature as the Embodiment of Odin on earth. When we experience a profound lack of grounding in our essential nature, we can employ the power of Mannaz, the Divine Mind of Man to reconnect us to our inherited state of being. The objective meditative state embodied in the symbol of Mannaz helps us to get an objective outlook on our situation. This enables us to relax into our inherited state of being. When we relax, we rise above whatever we are experiencing that is seeking to dislodge our roots in our inheritance and allow our true natures to emerge. We can once again feel the grounded power of Mind on Earth. Othal is the culmination of all the powers of the previous Runes. The relationship between Mannaz and Othal reminds us that it is our Divine, Meditative Mind that empowers us to remain steadfast in our essential natures as gods on earth. Suggested Exercise: 1) Face SouthWest and chant “Mannaz” 2) Practice any meditation for 1,000 days 3) Chant “Odin” or “Othal” 4) Meditate on or write about the inheritance of Men as gods on earth 5) Chant “Ong” (Like “Om” but with an ‘ng’ sound at the end. This is Odin’s seed sound of total awareness

Conclusion

Now that you have been introduced to the counterbalancing method of Rune Shamanism, you will need the above Rune Wheel diagram when seeking to correct an energy blockage. So, you will need to either draw this diagram by hand or do as I did and create it with a computer program. Then, I suggest printing it out and keeping it handy next to your Rune staves. When you cast a reading, if Runes come up reversed, you can glance at the Rune Wheel chart and determine what areas can be corrected. Keep a copy of this book with both the Rune Wheel chart and your Rune set. If you are not clear on exact counterbalancing methods, you can use this book as a general guide. I wrote this book because I use this exact method of Rune counterbalancing in my daily Rune counseling. I have been using this method every day in my practice and it has brought amazing results in my own personal life and in the lives of my clients. Even though I have created and/or transmitted this particular style of Rune shamanism, I do not have these counterbalancing relationships

memorized. So, I still need to keep the Rune Wheel chart handy so I can see what counterbalancing methods are applicable to each reading. While I have not yet seen this exact Rune Wheel counterbalancing method used by any other Rune teachers, I am merely the transmitter of this method. I did not “create” it nor have I thoroughly mastered it yet. I am learning it as I gain experience in it. My suggestions and observations herein are just that, my observations. Please feel free to surpass my knowledge and mastery of this method. Once you own this book, you are now the keeper and master of this method to use and improve upon as you feel led to do so. I stumbled onto this method quite by accident one day when I simply placed the existing three eights on top of the Shamanic Direction Wheel and observed the corresponding connections to the eight directions and the external eight worlds of the Teutonic World Tree. It was as though I was reconnecting two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Everything just automatically and seamlessly fit right into place. Everything else I have taught here in this book is simply my observations. I have not tried to impose any of these understandings onto the Rune Wheel nor have I consciously tried to inject any of my personal beliefs onto this method. The fact that the three eights merely fit themselves onto this emerging shamanic method I have observed only reassures me that these teachings are not the creations of our minds. They are eternal, objective spiritual sciences that are self-evident in the cosmos and operate independently of us whether we see them or not. I offer this method of Rune Shamanism to you, the reader, and I acknowledge that I am not its creator, nor am I its master. It is my genuine hope that you, as a self-initiated Rune Shaman, take this template and practice it and improve on my observations. It is my sincere hope that people who read this book and practice what is presented here become the future Rune Wizards of modern times who can resurrect and even improve upon the ancient knowledge of our ancestors. It is my deepest desire that in this lifetime, we moderners can return our world to its shamanic origins. This path of Rune Shamanism is one such path wherein we can reconnect with Mother Earth. Let us hope that it is not too late.

For those seeking it, I am available for private instruction as well as personalized Rune readings. Students seeking further instruction or readings can email me at [email protected] For those seeking more online tools for selfempowerment, please feel free to investigate these websites: www.ThunderWizard.com www.SpiritTao.com www.TheHealingDrum.com May the gods and ancestors bless us all. Michael William Denney October, 2014