Once upon a time, a woman discovered the runes. And her life was forever changed.
This is a story told in collaboration with the runes. Long story short – the runes supported me during a year of intense change and transformation. They helped me listen deeply to my life.
Curious for more details? Keep reading.
The runes are an ancient set of symbols that represent forces and elements in nature. The word rune translates to “mystery” and “whisper.” My first vivid memory of the runes was a rune reading on YouTube. I do not know how I found the runes or the channel, but I do recall this particular reading where the reader said something was positive because of Fehu being in the spread. I thought, “What does that mean? Why is it good?” (Spoiler alert – Fehu is a rune that represents movable wealth, life force, and new beginnings.) I was in awe of how the woman knew so many details of the runes, and I wished to understand these symbols as deeply as this rune reader.
Life happened and this wish got forgotten – at least by my human self. Flash forward several years to the start of the pandemic when many parts of life were put on pause. The surreal situation shifted society to a different reality. It was in this mind shift that I finally heard the runes whisper it was time for us to have a conscious relationship. These powers heard my wish and were there to actualize it with me. I began to study them intensely. I bought a rune set, read a great deal about them, watched numerous videos, and took copious notes.
The runes saw my passion and dedication and brought me to a group of equally passionate rune practitioners – a group led by my wonderful rune teacher Maggie Cunningham (of www.maginrose.com). I was in her first “Awaken to the Runes” program and have stayed with her ever since in her Mastery program. Her Mastery program is a collaborative space for engaging the runes, growing our knowledge of them, working on creative projects with the runes, and general support for each other and our individual rune practices.
Those in my group are drawn to the runes for different reasons; many use them as a bridge to the formless realm. They foster interactions with the spiritual dimension. Working with runes is a way to engage higher powers and intelligences without the baggage of religious dogma.
Just like nature, runes are portals to the invisible realms. Runes connect us to a space of pure energy, consciousness, and wisdom. The more I work with them, the more I consider them representations of the primordial consciousness behind these items in the natural world. Runes represent organized patterns of intelligence and organized consciousness. The symbols are used as a connection device to these cosmic powers; they help focus our intention to engage the specific energies or powers they represent.
One of the first “Mastery projects” I created for myself was to seek out rune energies in “real” life. I wished to see them in action so I could recognize how their power presents in the world. These powers, the runes, granted my wish. I asked them for conversations and they responded not with words, but with energy states and actions. Some interactions were rough and heart-wrenching, while others contained delightful surprises. They downloaded insights to me, which is one way the formless has conversations with each of us. And these insights led me to have different and kinder conversations with myself.
What my project ended up being was a series of journal entries for the runic year. The rune calendar is the same length as our standard calendar, but its start date and division of days are different. I shared this online diary with those in my small rune group; the group consisted solely of women during this time and we referred to each other as rune sisters. Finding this group felt like one of those rare celestial events where the stars aligned perfectly to place me with kindred souls, held together by our love of the runes. All were (and still are!) kind, compassionate, and those who preferred depth to superficiality. All of us were committed to our individual (and long-term) spiritual practices and to increasing our rune knowledge.
I presumed I would be the observer in this process, cataloging my findings and keeping things at a surface level with everybody. Sharing insights, but nothing too intimate. This was the case with my first post, but the runes had something else in mind for the rest of this project. The teachings got very personal after that initial share with my rune sisters. It was shortly after this first post that the possibility of marital separation suddenly became a reality. I moved out of my long-term home and started living apart from my family unit. This led to me unexpectedly experiencing empty nest syndrome, something I did not even consider would be a possibility for at least five more years. I couldn’t even conceive of this situation before it happened – it was that far out of my awareness.
These journal entries became a space for me to process the emotions I experienced, as well as the energies the runes flowed through me. The runes felt like rivers of emotion in my consciousness. Each river had a different speed, quality of movement, and temperature. They flowed through various landscapes and had distinct weather patterns. I did not know it at the time, but I was fully immersed in an epic journey during this year. The runes took me to – and through – places of grief, surprise, loneliness, joy, confusion, relief, and so many other lands. I did not know where I was going, but these intelligences knew my options. They used their power to read my potential trajectories and steered me to places, spaces, and faces with the greatest ability to warm my heart and soul.
Throughout it all, I processed the year via this online diary. I felt safe sharing my words as I knew our space was a sacred one. I never thought my journal entries were to be seen by those other than my rune group, but once again the runes had other plans. They came to me several years after this period of my life and asked me to share my journey with those other than my rune sisters. I agreed as I have learned to trust these powers. And I trust they will bring those who need to hear something about my journey to this piece of work.
Inside these digital pages is more than a story to keep you entertained. It is an introduction to the runes. I go over their names, symbols, what they each represent, and dates of the runic year. I give a narrative of the runes in action and the teachings they transmitted through me in this process.
This work does more than educate you about the runes. It gives you a chance to see inside another’s world and witness another’s process. I believe that is why many love “tell all” books; they wish to see others’ authentic lives more than the scandals in these pieces. Maybe that perspective is naive, but I believe folks hunger for knowing that others are equally as imperfect as they are. They read these stories not to judge others, but more so to judge themselves less. Many also want to know they are not alone in their struggles. There is a pervasive (and perverse) belief in society that being imperfect and having challenges is shameful. They are not shameful; they are big parts of being human.
This is not a “tell all” and my year was not scandalous. Many ordinary moments happened whilst newness entered my world. It was a year of evaluating priorities, processing guilt, questioning how I spent my days, and committing to what was truly valuable to me. I let myself feel a full spectrum of emotions. I found out that shifting to another version of myself felt like being broken open, a situation that produced birthing pains at times. This year helped me meet and then accept my real self. It was a time when cultivating intimacy with the runes led me to cultivate it within myself.
Should you proceed to hear about my year, please know that it is a portal to healing. Healing for all, not just for me. I understand spiritual technology and how to work with energy. I have a Master of Metaphysical Sciences degree; I am a trained clairvoyant; and my guides have taught me energetic techniques over the years. Infused into this program are healing frequencies for all those drawn to this work. In addition to the multidimensional energy added to these passages, the runes told me they have messages for all who read about this pivotal year of mine.
Healing happens in all directions of time and space; those witnessing me at this time have an impact on this past self of mine. I now know the great shifts I experienced came about not just from my internal work, the support of my rune sisters, and the guidance of the runes. Yes, those were all huge factors in my process; however, it felt like there was another element in the mix I could not pinpoint before. That elusive something was the greater community that will read about my year here. Maybe you’d like to be part of this community? If so, you have an open invitation to join at any time.
Healing begets healing, and I felt reverberations from the shifts this audience will feel as they witness me and learn about how the runes can support their own lives. To those who journey with me – thank you for the time you take to support another. I invite you to immerse yourself in the runes’ energies to also support yourself.
Start your relationship with the runes wherever you are in the rune year. Look for their energies in your world; have the intention to recognize and feel their guidance. Invite the runes into your life in whatever way feels appropriate for you and witness what takes place. This is an experience where all involved in my healing journey come out fuller than before entering this sacred space. For those ready to join me and my process – welcome to my year in runes.
