Divination Offering: Ask the Ogham or the Runes

[jprussell]

Doing divination with the Runes was actually the first occult thing I learned to do, and since then I've also picked up the Ogham. I do a daily reading for myself with one or the other, and as needed for specific questions where I'm looking for guidance. But I've never done a reading for someone else, and I think it's time I give that a shot.

So! Do you have a question that some additional information might help? A decision you're contemplating? If so, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer. Fair warning, as I said, this is my first shot at other folks' questions, so I can't guarantee how helpful or accurate I'll be! That being said, I wouldn't be offering this if I didn't think I could help.

In your comment, let me know your question, any details or context you think might be relevant that you're willing to share, and whether you'd like me to consult the Ogham or the Runes. For what it's worth, I tend to go to the Ogham for spiritual or magical questions and the Runes for life-direction or practical questions, but I've used both for all sorts of questions. If you have a simple "yes/no" question, I find that easier with the Runes.

With all that out of the way, fire away!
Thanks everyone, but this offer is now closed! Next time I'm offering readings, I'll post here again.

Comments

Re: Relationship question

[jprussell]

Alrighty, to do this reading, I opened a sacred space, called upon the Wyrds (Norns) and concentrated on your question while shuffling my deck of Ogham cards. when it "felt right," I drew three cards, using the spread "Setting (context), Work (following your current criteria for dating), and Outcome(s) (whatever is most likely to come about if you keep using this approach). If I drew the card right side up, it is "upright," and if I drew it face down it is "reversed." Reversed in Ogham is not necessarily a bad thing, the way it generally is in Tarot - it varies a lot from Few to Few (each Ogham letter is called a 'Few').

Asking - "What does anonymous most need to understand about his current approach to dating?"
Draw
Setting: Straif - "Sulphur"
Work: Saille - "Willow"
Outcome(s): Ioho (Reversed) - "Yew"

My Take on It
Okay, so for your Setting, I drew Straif, which is the Few of necessity, hard realities, and the consequences of our past actions. I think it's pretty clear that you're in this situation because of the divorce, so this is no surprise! I think what it's drawing attention to, though, is that you are very much operating in a constrained environment - what would work for a young, childless guy is not what will work for you, which you seem entirely aware of. For the "Work" (following through on the current approach), I drew Saille, which is the Willow, and as you might expect, stands for flexibility and "going with the flow," and somewhat pointedly "letting go of fixed ideas." For Outcomes, I drew Yew (Reversed). Yew is all about that which lasts and carries over from the past - and when it is reversed, it implies the past as a lingering burden, things better let go that are still holding on.

So, putting these together, what I would take from this is that you're already facing a tough situation with its own constraints, but if you impose too many more restrictions on yourself, you will find it harder to move on. I might suggest looking at what's motivating the criteria you're imposing on yourself and ask "can I get what I want another way?" For example, presumably the reason you're looking for single mothers is because you want someone demonstrably committed to being a parent and who will treat your son right. A single mother with a kid near your son's age willing to merge families would very likely fit that, but maybe someone else would too. Lastly, this is a bit of intuition on my part, as I have some personal associations with the Willow Few, but I'm getting a feeling that you might need to let yourself be swayed by love, and not just practicalities. That's likely very hard with the rough divorce and with your appropriate concern for your son, but the "softness" wedged between two very hard Fews speaks to me here.

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

Starting Devotion work with Loki

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Jeff, many thanks indeed for offering this service!

I recently had a divination done that advised me starting a devotional practice to Loki would be beneficial to me. This was done by a respected Heathen diviner. I'm not Heathen myself so the choice of pantheon (and, particularly, divinity!) was very surprising...

So I wouldn't mind a second opinion, something along the lines of whether taking up some sort of devotion work with Loki would be beneficial to me. I guess Runes would be more appropiate given the context, but I leave it to your discretion.

Many thanks again!

Re: New Job

[jprussell]

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.

Asking - "What does roobyalien most need to understand about his/her new job?"
Draw
Setting: Algiz (Murky) - "Elk" or "Protection"
Job: Sowilo (Murky) - "Sun"
Outcome(s): Uruz (Murky) - "Aurochs"

My Take on It
Oof, again, this batch of readings had a heck of a lot of murkstaves. This is not exactly an easy reading. For the setting, Algiz (Murky) implies that there is some kind of hidden danger in your life, perhaps with a spiritual/archetypal dimension. It implies that subconscious forces (yours or others) threaten to overwhelm you. Also, if you are a spiritual or magical practitioner, you may be cut off from an important source of your power. For the Job itself, I drew Sowilo (Murky). Sowilo is the Sun as shining beacon and source of orientation. To draw it murky implies that this job is not on the path to your true goals. Perhaps you have taken it on the advice of others, or out of a lack of more positive direction. For Outcome(s), Uruz is the Rune of raw, vital power, and to draw it murky implies either that power being wielded somehow unhelpfully (at the wrong time or by the wrong person or to the wrong ends), or else a blockage of that power, bringing lethargy and ill health.

It is striking to me that all of these Runes have to do with power and attainment, especially of a spiritual kind, and yet all came up murky. This implies to me that this job might be some kind of barrier to you expressing your full power in the best way.

I'm sorry for such a bummer of a reading, and I could be over-estimating its severity. 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

Re: Thinking of quitting my job

[jprussell]

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), Deed (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.

Asking - "What does anonymous most need to understand about quitting his/her job?"
Draw
Setting: Mannaz (Murky) - "Man"
Deed: Inguz (Murky) - "Ing" (Name of the God, usually thought to be the same as Frey)
Outcome(s): Ansuz - "Ancestral God"

My Take on It
Hmm, this reading is a bit nuanced, so I may have to give you some alternatives to see which bits make sense in your situation. First off, for Setting, I drew Mannaz (murky). Mannaz is the Rune of embodied human consciousness, and so to get it murky implies that either missing or being misapplied in your context. This tends to either take the form of hopelessness and depression (too much focus on material difficulties, not enough on the capacity to handle them) or else being somehow out of touch (too much focus on capacity, and not enough on the difficulties!). Either way, it suggests that your understanding about what's going on around you, presumably what is driving you to consider quitting your job, is off somehow - maybe seek some other opinions from those you trust. For the deed of quitting itself, I got Inguz (murky). What's interesting here, is that Ing is exactly the Rune of cutting yourself off as a step toward future growth, which if bright, would be perfect for quitting your job. Unfortunately, it came up murky. This seems to imply that quitting your job, at least in the way/on the timeframe you are currently considering, is not truly getting in touch with the potential that it might be, but instead is "movement without consequence" or a false sense of "I've finished." Now, what makes this weird is that the Outcome, Ansuz, is rather positive. Ansuz is the proto-Germanic word that developed into Áss, as in Aesir, the main tribe of Gods for the Norse, and the pre-eminent Áss is, of course, Woden. So, anything that comes to mind about Him and His myths is appropriate to this Rune, but most of all the powers of speech, consciousness, and synthesizing intelligence. A transformational spiritual experience might be indicated, but lest that sound too fun, remember that Woden' most famous "transformational spiritual experience" was sacrificing himself to himself by hanging and stab wound!

Now, trying to put this together, there is a lot here about consciousness and transformation, especially of a divine sort, but the first two Runes suggest that your understanding of the situation and what to do about it might be mistaken. If you go ahead and quit as/when considered, you will likely still learn something and it might ultimately be to the good, but likely not in the way you think, or as easily as you might hope. I might recommend looking at what you are hoping to get/leave/solve by quitting and ask what other ways you might achieve those ends, and/or consider re-assessing your plan about what to do after quitting, maybe with the input of someone you trust.

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

Re: Starting Devotion work with Loki

[jprussell]

Huh, now that's an interesting one! I'm going to have to get my daughter up from her nap soon, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get to this one today, but I will do the reading soon and post when I have the chance to write it up.

First, a caveat: I know that for one diviner to ask a "second opinion" from another oracle or just to ask again can lead to some less-than-ideal results, and I don't know if the same rule applies in asking another diviner, so take anything I come up with more salt than usual.

Secondly, I propose asking "What does anonymous most need to understand about starting a devotional practice to Loki?" with a spread of "Setting (context), Worship (how the worship itself will go), and Outcome(s) (what is most likely to come about if you do start the practice)." I agree that Runes seem more appropriate here, so I'll go with those.

Cheers,
Jeff

Re: New Job

[roobyalien]

Dear Jeff, Thank you for the reading despite that fact that it is not joyful.  Here is some insight that may help you to make sense of the reading. I am hesitant to start my new job because I prefer to be a gardener and mother-but they do not pay the bills.  My new job is with my best friend and I am nervous because she has high expectations of me and I can see that she will not have the time to help me get started in an industry where I do not know much.  (I will be selling vending machines to EMS and Hospitals and Agencies that provide harm reduction services). As for the Algiz, I have to admit I have spent the last three years in a state of panic after I realized that the governments all around the world are trying  to kill as many of us as possible.  It has been a horrible realization that most of what I believed to be true is false.  I think this threatens my well-being regardless of my job which is the reason I spend most of my extra time in the garden! So, if the runes where sensing my hesitation they were correct.  I will start the job and see how it goes.  My main sales objective is always to help and to meet interesting people.  I am intuitive and curious and have been able to make a difference to people through the mundane work of selling. I am not surprised that this job is not my true path.  However, I am a skilled and talented sales person and I would like to spend more time with my best friend.

Please let me know if this provides any clarity to your interpretation of the reading.

Re: New Job

[jprussell]

Hmmm, okay, that does help. What that suggests to me is that the new job is likely to pull you into putting more time and attention toward it than might be best for you - whether on the advice of your friend, or because you start making good commissions or the like. You mentioning that you're good at sales and that you main goal is to meet and help interesting people suggests to me that there might be some other ways you could meet those goals and use those strengths that might be better in the long run.

Of course, as you say, you have to do what you need to take care of your family, and the world is a mixed up place right now, so we all have to make some calls that might not be our favorites.

Good luck!

Re: Starting Devotion work with Loki

[(Anonymous)]

In all earnest, the initial divination was a generic one, with no question, so I'm not sure if the same rule would apply here, but caveat accepted! and thanks again!

Re: New Job

[roobyalien]

Dear Jeff, I agree with you and I thank you for your insight. This reading has inspired me to draw the line on the gloom porn and to spend the same amount of time in prayer, meditation and gardening.

Re: Will my arts and crafts society be successful?

[betwixtworlds]

Thanks, Jeff! Ouch, for sure. It makes a heck of a lot of sense though and I wonder if it means my plans are not very exact yet.

I have approached two city officials and I never get a reply. I always get their voice mail and they never follow up. I'm learning as I grow older that people in government (and in most institutions, private and public) really do not want to put any effort into anything, even if it is for their benefit. So this reading strongly reflects that.

I don't want to give up on the idea, though and I'll let you know if anything happens. But you may not hear from me for a year or two!

Thanks again. I really appreciate the time you took to help me.

Re: Thinking of quitting my job

[(Anonymous)]

I’m sitting here laughing as I read this. You, sir, are the real thing. I deliberately provided no information beyond asking the question, not wanting to influence the outcome. So there is no way you could have known…

First, your dadgum runes must be in cahoots with my i-ching. The time is not right, it says. The way is not ready. Not what I wanted to hear, obviously. Wanted to hear that I was justified in quitting etc etc etc

I suppose it is possible that I am misunderstanding the situation. It seems to me that I have caught the 2nd in command of the company taking some shortcuts that are potentially deadly (literally: we deal with hospitals). I sure hope I’m misunderstanding anyway.

But as for timing and talking it over, I brought it up with one of the other employees who I usually don’t confide in just this morning and while he agreed he had seen the same thing I had seen, he said forthrightly he couldn’t afford to go on attack. He needs this job. We talked some more, and I learned he has additional concerns about the way we (as a company) do some other things too. Anyhow, there is a conference next week, at which we will both be doing presentations. He said he is presenting his concerns as a sales pitch, and had some useful suggestions that calmed me down a bit (not easy to do: I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about this guy for a couple years and seething at this most recent, potentially deadly transgression, for almost 3 weeks). His advice (perfectly reasonable now that I’ve calmed enough to hear it) present it as a class on how to handle a situation such as I had witnessed (as if it were a theoretical situation) and let the discussion unfold from there. I can always quit later if things don’t improve. I agreed and promised in any case I’d do my best to limit collateral damage (ie NOT get him in trouble too).

Oh, and the career change I’m considering? Serving an ancestral god: I had already (two months ago) begun the process of application to holy orders, which if I am accepted would mean leaving here and going off to seminary in 2024. (Wtf? a potential christian priest asking a heathen for a divination? Yep. Sometimes I don’t hear so good and my god has to ask one of the other guys to do him the favor of shouting at me a bit).

Re: Thinking of quitting my job

[jprussell]

Hah, wow! Thanks for the praise, but if anything, this convinces me even more that I'm tapping into something else here and just reporting what I found. Wherever it's coming from, I agree it sounds like someone wanted to reiterate the message. Whatever you decide to do, good luck, and I hope this has been helpful.

P.S. That sucks with your boss, a lot. We've all got a lot of different things to balance, and very few choices are easy.

[dabilahro]

Thank you Jeff, I am not discouraged and it was I who asked so no worries!

I am taking this not too negatively whatsoever. When I thought of the question my specific area was in more ambitious targets. Which maybe would be like trying to reach 2 places at once, or planning my next stop before I know what I will find at my first.

For myself currently I don't feel depressed and my ambitious drive was rather to see if I could push myself more or if I may have set the bar too low, which I don't think I did.

I am definitely due to my "PMC" environment in a balancing act of obligations so this is a long term goal I have put myself on and am always mindful that I do not have the luxury at this time of taking a risk so major it risks my existing livelihood.

Of course, I may never see how things really are, but I would say the part which did feel off to me is depressed or hopeless as I feel very far from that. I do anticipate friction as with all risks.

Regardless, I very much appreciate you taking the time and effort to do this for me and would be happy to have you practice more for others if that is something you plan on continuing to offer.

Sometimes too when I do my own divinations I feel a sense of oh no what have I drawn, but I always am reminded of the timeframe or conditions I am asking of. Sometimes it is just a weekend, or a tiny sliver. I tend to stay away from grand questions as they are incomprehensible to me. Here I've really asked, should I up my goal from generating income ONCE this year from my idea, and to be honest, I think that is plenty ambitious and if I surpass it then I will have earned within myself the right to set the next goal and the next, as it should be. Like a ship going from port to port, one at a time.

Re: Starting Devotion work with Loki

[jprussell]

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), Worship (actually doing the devotional practice), and Outcome(s) (whatever is most likely to come about if you do begin such a practice). 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.

Asking - "What does anonymous most need to understand about beginning a devotional practice to Loki?"
Draw
Setting: Eihwaz (Murky) - "Yew"
Worship: Berkano - "Birch Goddess"
Outcome(s): Ansuz (Murky) - "Ancestral God"

My Take on It
Hmm, this reading is something of a mixed bag, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the subject. For "Setting," I drew Eihwaz (Murky). Eihwaz is the Rune of the World Tree, of the vertical unifying pillar of the universe that brings together the darkest depths with brightest heights. It is a Rune of initiation, inspiration, and disciplined striving for enlightenment. Drawing it murky implies either that this Rune is manifesting inappropriately, perhaps too early, or in the wrong directions, or else that it is somehow blocked, leaving you cut off from deeper/higher sources of meaning. Given the question, my guess is that this indicates some dissatisfaction with your current spiritual life, and a desire to take up some practice to deal with that. For the worship itself, I drew Berkano, which is the Rune of Birth, Death, and Rebirth. It is associated with the "Mother Earth" archetype. Personally, I especially associate this Rune with spiritual or religious awakenings/rebirths, as it played an important role in my own. So it seems that this devotional practice would indeed be a kind of renewal for you, though "rebirth" of course implies some amount of "death" - parts of yourself that need to be let go and left behind, and that's not always fun. As for Outcome(s), I drew Ansuz (Murky), which represents Woden, and most especially his skills with language, intelligence, and magic. To draw it murky implies lies and manipulation (surprise!) or else dullness and and an inability to speak.

I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that the Runes drawn for both "Setting" and "Outcome(s)" are closely associated with Woden, and are murky. This is perhaps fitting for Woden's murkier blood-brother. It suggests to me that such a devotional practice might sour any relationship (or potential for one) you might have with Woden, so consider that possibility as you make your decision.

Altogether, I would synthesize this as saying such a devotional practice would indeed address the spiritual dissatisfaction in your life and would lead to your "rebirth" as a new person in some way, but down the line you would be subject to some kind of manipulation or control through deceit. As I said, a maybe unsurprisingly mixed bag, given the subject matter of the question, which I think you'll have to decide on for yourself.

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

My relationship

[(Anonymous)]

Hello! I saw your comment on ecosophia and I’d be grateful for your time. I was wondering—what would help my relationship to improve?

Re: My relationship

[jprussell]

Howdy!

I propose asking the Runes "What does anonymous most need to understand about improving his/her relationship?" with a spread of "Relationship (the context of the overall relationship), Work (the action or change that would cause the improvement), and Outcome(s) (what's most likely to come about if you follow this course of action)."

I will likely not be able to get to this tonight, but I'll try to do the reading tomorrow and then will post a write up when I get the chance.

Cheers and thanks for stopping by,
Jeff

Re: Starting Devotion work with Loki

[(Anonymous)]

Many thanks Jeff!

Interesting that you got Berkano, with its associations with Loki!

More to ponder yet, I think... I´m certainly not one willing to end on the wrong side of the Allfather, though my original divination was made by a long-standing devotee of both Loki and Odin, and Odin was not in the picture (though Frey was).

Divination

[candace_k]

Hi Jeff, thanks for offering this. I am starting the process of job hunting. I would like to know if I should concentrate my efforts in any particular area, above and beyond just the normal steps of polishing up my resume and applying for positions that fit my skill set. Suffering from burn out from my last job, really hate job hunting in general.

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings, Jeff. Thank you for offering this service. I understand it's new for you to try divinations for others, but it appears your intuition has keyed in a lot of people's situations quite effectively so far.

I am seeking to move out of my current apartment into a cohousing or shared apartment situation, in response to a reduced budget. I sense this is a bit of a karmic trial for me, as I didn't take one great housing opportunity I had and now am choosing among more mediocre options. I'm less interested in identifying the best place to move into at this time, so much as understanding what I should understand about this housing search as it relates to me - what about me is being tested by this search? The way you've been phrasing question has been helpful - let's go with similar phrasing: "what does Anon need to know about his current housing search?" You can adjust the question as needed.

Thank you in advance!

Re: Which job to take?

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't read it yet, but I want to thank you for taking all this effort. Many thanks!!!

Re: My relationship

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you! I am excited/nervous to see what it shows.

Re: My relationship

[jprussell]

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 "Relationship (the context of the overall relationship), Work (where to focus your efforts to improve things), 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.

Asking - "What does anonymous most need to understand about improving his/her relationship?"
Draw
Relationship: Algiz (Murky) - "Elk" or "Protection"
Work: Eihwaz - "Yew"
Outcome(s): Berkano - "Birch Goddess"

My Take on It
For the overall relationship, I drew Algiz, which is Rune dealing with archetypal forces and mankind's links with them. When drawn murky, it implies that there are hidden dangers, perhaps that you are in danger of being overwhelmed by archetypal forces. Algiz also sometimes is linked with the "roots and branches" of a question - the less obvious, more twisty parts of a situation that are nevertheless important. What all this suggests to me is that your relationship might be look like everything is fine, but perhaps there are hidden elements causing tension that you and/or your partner might not be fully aware of. I'd look especially to anything to do with archetypes, which here might mean traditional gender roles, and any tensions that might be around those. The work suggested to improve thing is Eihwaz, the Yew, which stands for the World Tree and calls to mind Woden's self-sacrifice upon it. It implies cultivating inner strength through tough, flexible discipline. Given the context and the question, this suggests to me that you might paradoxically need to work on yourself to be a better partner in the relationship - maybe it is your own views toward those archetypal forces and how you relate to them that need to be worked on? In some ways, Woden's act was supremely self-focused - he sacrificed himself to himself and was utterly alone in order to gain the Runes for his own knowledge and power. And yet, he then taught those Runes to the wise among mankind. Lastly, for Outcome(s), I got Berkano, which is the Rune of birth, death, and rebirth. It has a "Mother Nature" kind of vibe, and in my own personal experience, I associate it especially with spiritual/religious awakenings/rebirths. Since this is about a relationship, I feel like I should point out that this is the Rune of literal birth and motherhood as well, so it could indicate a child (please, please do not take this to mean "go make a baby to fix a relationship you're not sure about"!). Given the spiritual nature of the other two Runes, though, I'm inclined to think it's more in keeping with those.

So, to sum up, it sounds like there are hidden risks related to archetypal forces in the relationship as is, the work you need to do is disciplined transformation of the self, and the outcome of such work is likely to be a "birth" or "rebirth."

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

Re: Divination

[jprussell]

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.

Asking - "What does Candace most need to understand about her job hunt?"
Draw
Setting: Algiz - "Elk" or "Protection"
Work: Sowilo - "Sun"
Outcome(s): Thurisaz - "Thurse" (a "Giant" - a wicked semi-divine being, "thurse" tends to have a more explicitly negative meaning than "Ettin" (Jotun))
Surprise: Raidho - "Ride" and Ansuz - "Ancestral God"

My Take on It
For the context of your job search, I drew Algiz, which implies that there are risks, but that if you are crafty, you can turn them to your advantage. This has come up for the context of other job-related questions on this post, so I take it as a commentary on the state of the economy/world right now - things are topsy-turvy, but that presents opportunities for those willing and able to spot them and act on them. For the search itself, I got "Sowilo," which is the Rune of goals and the guidance to reach them. Pay attention to any "steering" you might be getting, whether from within yourself, or from the outside, about your goals and how to reach them. This Rune can also be associated with sailors or teachers, so if anything in your job search speaks to those areas, they might be indicated. This is a very positive Rune, though, and it implies that your search will be successful. That being said, for "Outcome(s)," I drew Thurisaz, which is a somewhat harsh Rune. It is the primal force of aggression, either your own or that of others toward you, and so it suggests that though your search will be successful, there will be some kind of risk associated with that success. Your answer to that risk should be controlled aggression - "fight" for yourself and your loved ones, but with care and wits rather than brute force.

As you may have seen from other answers on this post, sometimes Runestaves "make themselves known" to me through seeming coincidence - they land outside of the tray I drop them into, or bounce onto the floor, or the like. When that happens, I have found it helpful to see them as an overall commentary on the rest of the reading. You got not one, but two of these "surprise Runes, as one bounced out onto the floor, and another kept falling out of my hand as I tried to pick it up after the reading (seriously, like three times, and I was like "okay, I get it, I'll put you in the reading!")

So, the first of these was Raidho, which is the Rune of ordered, rhythmical movement or change. This implies that your search will involve "change" or "movement" of some kind - maybe a literal move, or maybe moving on to "the next step" in your career path or the like. This will take discipline and ethical action, though - especially given the indications of risk and attack we already talked about, you need to take care to do everything right, so as not to open yourself to any more dangers. This Rune can also indicate people or jobs involved in the Law or Transportation, so those may be relevant to your search.

Lastly, the Rune that refused to be put away until I noticed it was, fittingly, Ansuz, which is the Rune of the God Woden and all that he stands for, but most of all language, synthetic intelligence, and magic. This suggests to me that the "ordered change" implied by Raidho may be intellectual in nature - maybe you need to put disparate ideas/skills together, or perhaps "speak up for yourself" in some way. In any case, this further reinforces the strong message in this reading of striving for excellence - that which is "higher," but not easy.

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

[jprussell]

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), Search (the actual search itself), 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.

Asking - "What does anonymous most need to understand about his housing search?"
Draw
Setting: Hagalaz (Murky) - "Hail"
Search: Isa - "Ice"
Outcome(s): Raidho - "Ride"
Surprise: Kenaz - "Torch"

My Take on It
So, for "Setting," I drew Hagalaz (Murky). This is the Rune of sudden change or crisis, but also the growth that comes from that - hail is destructive, but it turns to water. Drawing it murky implies that some kind of change or crisis has come upon you that you were not ready for, or else that you are trying to force a stasis where it is inappropriate. Given some of the other Runes here, I suspect it's more the latter. For the search itself, I drew Isa, which is the Rune of contraction or focus, especially on the self, which is what I think it stands for here - I think it suggests that for your search, you will need to look within and work out what you most need, and to draw on your own, deeply personal resources to make it happen. Anything that you have spent time and concentration developing might be especially relevant to your efforts here. For "Outcome(s)," I drew Raidho, which is the Rune of movement and ordered change. For this question, the most obvious interpretation is that you will end up moving somewhere, maybe farther than you're currently contemplating. But it might also mean a more metaphorical movement/progression, such as stepping up/into a new role, transitioning into new responsibilities, or the like.

As with some of the other readings, one Runestaff drew some attention to itself as I was putting them away, which I've learned to take as a commentary on the overall reading. It was Kenaz, which is the Rune of focused, creative energy and craftsmanship, but also of needed dissolution - think of a welding torch for a good image. This suggests to me that your search either needs to be "creative," or else that what should guide it is your ability to express yourself creatively (maybe a skill or craft that you can put to work that you haven't before?). The other possible interpretation is that there is something that needs "breaking up" or "cutting apart." Given the other Runes that came up, I'm inclined to think this latter interpretation might apply - maybe there are some ties that are holding you where you are that might be better cut?

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

Re: My relationship

[(Anonymous)]

Interesting! Yes, our relationship is troubled. I think my partner has mentioned me needing to be more disciplined financially. I was wondering more about the archetypes? I don’t quite understand what they are or how they could present a problem.