Shay's Rune

It's hard to believe we're two-thirds of the way through Spring and Summer is only another month or so away. Where has the time gone? When I looked at my last blog date, I was like, dang, they must think I fell off Midgard into space or something. This late Spring season has been busy and one of growth for me. So what's been going on? Well, let's see......my husband and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary, we had a number of family birthdays, oh and I was asked and honored to make jewelry for a wedding. I was to create pieces for 4 bridesmaids and 2 flower girls initially which consisted of crystal bracelets and earrings for the bridesmaids, and pearl bracelet, necklace and earring sets for the flower girls. But then the mother of the groom contacted me to create a 3 piece set set for her, and finally, the bride herself requested earrings and a bracelet. As I was able to attend this wedding as well, I had the opportunity to see what I made in use, and that was...

So Spring has officially started, Easter has come and gone, and it looks like warmer weather is finally here to stay. Note I said "warmer", but not "warm", I know better......Mother Nature may still have a trick or two up her sleeve. Hail! And a joyous, happy Spring to you all! Spring is a time for new beginnings, hope, fresh starts. We talk of Spring cleaning and clearing out old brush and leaves, or of planting seeds, or hopes or goals. We also start new projects, whether they be home improvement, self improvement or otherwise. For me, this is a time of new beginnings as well. Last year I was invited to join a Heathen group on Facebook in the UK.....Odin's Hearth of the Blue Raven Kindred. While not the youngest age-wise, I was by far young as a Heathen compared with many of my sisters and brothers. I have learned much, still am learning much, and been privileged to share as well. A month ago or so, our Hearth Guardian announced a next phase in the devel...

Doesn't it just seem like winter has dragged on?  Well, kind of....maybe....I mean, let's think about this. Last year we got whipped with the polar vortex, which kept most of us inside for what seemed like weeks on end with bitter, below zero temperatures and wind chills you used to hear about only for Russia, Arctic regions, or the Antarctic. People living or working in those regions were no doubt chuckling (okay, laughing hysterically) at our complaints and whining, and to themselves were thinking, "and you thought all these years we were exaggerating....suck it up and deal with it!" Well, we did, only to have a p.v. junior this year. True, not as severe, and nowhere as long lasting as last year's, but THEN, various parts of the country got hit with snow.......and a lot of it. We in the Chicagoland area got a taste of it as well, and having had to deal with ONLY about 20 or so inches, have a measure of sympathy, if not empathy, for those in the other areas th...

We're an month past Yule, and we are noticeably aware of the longer days and warmer temperatures. The returning light makes us feel better. While we enjoy it, and wait for  Spring, and the earth to wake up so we can plant those seeds of ideas, dreams and hopes, we plan. Mind you, we are in a Mercury retrograde until February 11th, so, since, if you've been thinking about the plans you started after you read the last blog post, this would be a good time to refine them, refresh them, renew them. Do not though, act upon them, until after the retrograde ends. Since it has influence over communication and travel, even the best laid plans are apt to go astray. What does this have to do with relating to the runes you may ask? Ansuz-reversed comes to mind. This rune looks like and upside down "F", with the staves pointing up instead of out. Ansuz is the "breath" rune, and is associated with creativity, knowledge, communication and messages. When it is inverted,...

Hail! And Happy New Year too! So, it's been a busy start to the new year, hence the delay in getting this out. Thanks for your patience. For me and my husband, our ringing in of the new year was actually really nice. For the first time in our nearly 20 years of marriage, we actually went out and stayed overnight to ring in 2015. To ensure we didn't have to worry about people on the road for what gets referred to as "amateur night", we were back in our hotel room late enough to have had fun, but definitely early enough to be safely off the road. As the year closed, I couldn't help thinking about the rune Jera, which represents harvests and cycles, as a symbol for ending 2014. As I reflected on all the comings and goings of the last year,...having the honor being rune reader for Treibh na Tintean, and finally following my bliss of reading in a shop (Transformation), of having to let go of my old car, but getting a new one, then the loss of some good friends. Ind...

This coming weekend, December 21st to be precise, is the Winter Solstice, at least here in the Northern Hemisphere.  Since the Summer solstice in June, the days have been shortening a bit each day,  and it culminates in the longest night of the year, when the sun is at its most southerly point, and has likewise given us our shortest day of the year. And, despite the cold weather experienced, this marks the actual  first day of Winter. The final harvest of winter crops and thinning of the herds and flocks yield a bounty that must last throughout the cold winter months ahead, but first a celebration for the abundance. For the Norse and Germanic peoples, this was a time of merry-making, feasting and much revelry before the bitter cold kept people indoors and hunkering down for warmth for the next few months.  The Celtic peoples saw this as the battle between the dark Holly king, who has reigned since summer, and the Oak king, who now re-asserts his dominance with the ...

Last Thursday I wrote about my excitement with participating in the vendor fair at Jack Desmond's that evening. Well, I wasn't disappointed. The food was tasty and service was great! And while there were about 23 different vendors, I was the only rune reader......actually the only reader of any sort. The four hours went fast and I was honored to share some info on the runes with a few curious people, and three honored me with the opportunity to read for them. Mark had a great time wandering between the two floors checking out the various offerings. With all the wonderful tables, he could have spent a small fortune. I pretty much stayed put, but was certainly not bored. All in all, it really was a wonderful evening. My friend Kim coordinates these vendor fairs a couple of times per year, and I have to tell you, she does a fabulous job. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to participate in the next fair (well, future fairs) when she gets it scheduled. I can't begin...