Jeff Russell

Runes
Asking - "What does Borealbear most need to understand about committing to the study program he is considering?"
Draw
Setting: Kenaz
Work: Mannaz
Outcome(s): Tiwaz

My Take on It

Alrighty, to do this reading, I opened a sacred space, called upon the Wyrds (Norns) and concentrated on your question while shaking the Runestaves vigorously. I then dropped them in a dice tray, said a prayer to the Gods who help me with divination, and then drew three staves without looking, using the spread "Setting (context), Work (doing the thing you're considering), and Outcome(s) (whatever is most likely to come about if you do what you're thinking about). If I drew the stave right side up, it is "bright," and if I drew it face down it is "murky," which is roughly equivalent to drawing a card reversed in systems like Tarot. In the system of interpretation I use, "murky" means either that the forces represented by the Rune are manifesting in an unhelpful or harmful way, or else that they are somehow "blocked" - not manifesting fully or at all.

For the reading, "Setting" came up Kenaz, which means "Torch," and stands for creativity and passion. For "Work," we have Mannaz, which means "Man," and stands for the lot of mankind, for good or ill - our intelligence, potential, and fellowship, but also our suffering and mortality. For "Outcome(s)," we got Tiwaz, which means "Tiw (the God known to the Norse as Tyr)," which stands for justice, careful thought, planning, and sacrifice for the greater good.

Putting this together seems like a fairly, possibly extremely, positive, reading. For one thing, it's the only one so far that was all bright, with no murky Runes. Kenaz implies that something in your situation is characterized by creativity, willpower, or passion - what seems most likely to me is that you see this program as a way to strengthen and/or express your own creative drive, but it's also possible that you're in a situation characterized by it (maybe surrounded by creative/driven folks?). Mannaz for the "Work," and turning up bright, suggests that the work would, indeed, make use of your intelligence and help you along your path to individuation, it would increase your "humanity" in the old-fashioned sense of bettering and broadening yourself. Tiwaz for "Outcome(s)," is where I'm not sure if the interpretation is "good and worthwhile, but at a cost" or "victory," both of which are legitimate readings consistent with my experience. Tiwaz is also associated with a fixed point for navigation, speculated to be the North Star, via the "Old English Rune Poem." Given the rest of the reading, and my own intuition, I'm inclined to lean toward "this will take you where you want/need to go," but I bet that the undercurrent of discipline/sacrifice is at play as well. In other words, the program will indeed take you where you want it to, but along the way you may have to give some things up or make some changes that will be hard to get there.

Please let me know if you have any follow up questions, and if you're willing, I'd very much appreciate hearing whether this struck a chord or felt off, and if so, in what ways.

Cheers,
Jeff