Jeff Russell

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 betwixtworlds most need to understand about the plan to create an arts & crafts society"
Draw
Setting: Hagalaz (Murky) - "Hail"
Work: Laguz (Murky) - "Lake"
Outcome(s): Kenaz (Murky) - "Torch"

My Take on It
Ooof, a whole lot of murkstaves with this second batch of readings. For your Setting, I drew Hagalaz (Murky). Hagalaz is the Rune of sudden change or difficulty, but also the growth and opportunity that comes out of it. To get it murky implies either a sudden difficulty for which you are not prepared, or else an undesirable amount of stasis. Either way, things are not growing/developing around you as would be ideal. For the work itself of creating the society, I drew Laguz (Murky). Laguz has been coming up a for a lot of the questions on this post, often murky. It is the Rune of "the deeps," so any Jungian-style archetypal images or forces that go with deep, dark water apply here, but especially the idea of a journey into/across that water. To get it Murky implies that there might be some challenges in the work that you balk at - maybe wishing for it to go smoother, or certain aspects of the work you find unpleasant or distasteful, or perhaps even simply the fear of possibly failing. Unluckily, the Outcome also doesn't look great, especially given the question, as Kenaz is the Rune of craftsmanship and creativity, so to get it murky is not ideal. It implies either an unwanted breakup/dissolution of some kind, or else a stifling or blockage of creative energy.

As with dabilahro's question above, I am sorry to have such a bummer of a reading for you! What I might offer is that all of the Runes were very relevant to what you're trying to do - the crisis/opportunity of derelict buildings, the difficult journey of trying to make something happen, the torch of creative handicraft. This suggests to me that you are looking at the right problem, but that your current plan might not be the best solution. Maybe the focus on civic leaders is wrong, or the focus on physical spaces, or on forming a society rather than some other approach to bring people together and help them find opportunities.

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