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

Thinking of quitting my job

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Jeff- Could you please ask (whichever oracle is best) about quitting my job? “Should I…” questions are rarely given useful answers… so how to frame the question…. “What would be the consequences if quitting my current job?” might be a better way to phrase it. I don’t know. I’ve tried doing my own divination, but having difficulty interpreting the answer….perhaps because of my emotional involvement in the situation? Thanks much

Re: Thinking of quitting my job

[jprussell]

Howdy,

I propose asking "What does anonymous most need to understand about quitting his/her job?" with the spread "Setting (context), Deed (the quitting itself), and Outcomes (what is most likely to happen if you go through with quitting)." I'm getting the feeling the Runes are better suited to this one, so I will ask them, unless you feel otherwise.

I'll do your reading today and post when I have the chance to write it up.

Cheers,
Jeff

Re: Thinking of quitting my job

[(Anonymous)]

That sounds like a good way to phrase it. Thanks very much! I will be looking forward to it.

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: 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.