Jeff Russell

Runes
Asking - "What does SamChevre most need to understand about his responsibilities and promises?"
Draw
Setting: Ansuz (Murky)
Responsibilities & Promises: Isa (Murky)
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 (what is going on around you and in your life), Responsibilities and Promises (a way of looking at these things that will help you think about them more clearly) and Outcome(s) (what is most likely to come about if you act on the insights from 'Responsibilities & Promises')." 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, we got Ansuz (Murky) for "Setting," which means "Holy Ancestor/God" and is most closely associated with Woden (Odin), and so stands for His strengths - consciousness, synthesis, skill with language, and inspiration. For "Responsibilities & Promises" Isa (Murky) came up, which means "Ice" and stands for both the self, especially the self-conscious part of the self (the Ego) since it is the Rune for the sound "I," but also for that which tends toward fixedness (good or bad), stability/immobility, and "order" (again, good and bad). Lastly, for "Outcome(s)," we have Tiwaz, which means "Tiw (Tyr)," and stands for discipline, law, planning, self-sacrifice, but also, victory.

So, altogether, this is a somewhat harsh, but not wholly unfortunate reading. It seems that the setting relevant to this question is characterized by the blockage or misapplication of Woden's gifts - maybe you are applying intelligence or learning inappropriately, or someone persuasive is manipulating you, or else you feel confused and lacking agency or inspiration. For your responsibilities, Isa (Murky) implies that you may be overly or inappropriately focused on yourself, or alternatively, that you are not enough focused on yourself - in some way, your ego is out of balance with the situation. Another alternative is that you are "frozen," feeling stuck or maybe even lifeless. All of which sounds pretty bleak, but Tiwaz in the "Outcome(s)" gives some reason for hope, as it is, as I said, the "victory Rune." For this question especially, Tiw is literally the God of promises and responsibility, so that seems rather significant to me.

Putting this together, it seems that your sense of self is somehow out of whack with your responsibilities and promises, perhaps due to some outside influence, or perhaps due to pursuing the gifts of Woden (for example, you might have had some kind of initiatory or learning experience that brought previous promises or responsibilities into question). Tiwaz, however, suggests that if you stick with them, you will "win," but perhaps at a cost (He did lose His hand to the Wolf, after all). One possible reading of this is that the hoped-for benefits of keeping your word will not come, but staying true to it will benefit you in the long run somehow. Again, I'm sorry this is not a happier reading, but I hope it proves helpful nonetheless.

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