Jeff Russell

Runes
Asking - "What does Psychedelic_Raccoon most need to work on this year toward finding a loving partner?"
Draw
Setting: Othala
Work: Isa (Murky)
Outcome(s): Gebo

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 (what's going on around you and in your life relevant to the question), Work (whatever you actively do toward the goal), and Outcome(s) (what's most likely to come about if you work in the way indicated by the reading)." 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 this reading, "Setting" came up Othala, which means "Homeland" (either the homestead or the wider land of your folk) and stands for the wealth, stability, and prosperity that comes from being embedded within a social and physical context. For "Work," we got Isa (Murky), which means "Ice," and so stands for fixedness (good or bad), and by being the "I" sound, for the ego bit of the self (again, for good and ill). For "Outcome(s)," we have Gebo, which means "Gift" and stands for everything wrapped up in mutual gift-exchange culture - hospitality, reciprocity, and the interchange of power/wealth.

To put these together, this seems like a fairly positive reading (for once this go-round, huzzah!). It seems you are embedded within a supportive context of some kind - the obvious reading would be a literal community of friends and family, but maybe something more symbolic. In any event, this seems to imply you don't need to go off to a far land to find someone. It doesn't necessarily mean your loving partner will come from within your community, as one aspect of this is how you can more productively interact with the "outside" when your "inside" is well-ordered and properly functioning. The "Work" part is a bit harder - it says that what you most need to work on is yourself. Something about yourself, and specifically the (self-)conscious part of that self, your own conception of who you are and what you're about, is out of whack from where it should be. Murkstaves can mean either a blockage/lack, or else an unhelpful expression, so in this case, it might mean either that you're too wrapped up in yourself and need to "check your ego," or it might mean that you aren't giving proper attention to yourself and may be overly swayed by others - I suspect you have a feeling of which is more likely, but if not, journaling and/or meditation might help. Either way, your goal should be to recognize and respect your self and your independence, but not at the expense of others. Combined with Othala for setting, it might indicate that you should aim to be a recognized and valuable member of whatever community/communities you count on for strength. Lastly, Gebo for "Outcome(s)" strikes me as very positive in this reading, as one of its many connotations is the "exchange" of sexual relationships, especially the energetic side of that. The precise interpretation of this likely will depend on the nature of what you most need to do for Isa (Murky) - if what you face is a lack of clear self-definition, Gebo may indicate that you get a "gift" of recognition or power, whereas if you are overly focused on yourself as is, Gebo may indicate that you will find strength and honor in giving, rather than receiving. Either way, both Gebo and Othala speak to a wider context of give-and-take, but Isa (Murky) implies you need to better understand your place in it as an individual.

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