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Mannaz, Uruz, Wunjo

I’ve discussed my use of Rune Stones infrequently in the past. A little over five years ago I wrote an atheism essay* for my website where I said:

My father (and grandfather, apparently) were interested in Runes. While I was in high school I had made my own set of runes. I saw the Rune stones for what they were, not some magical all-knowing oracle, but a method in which to focus my mind on my current place in life. A tool to relax me and organize my thoughts so I could evaluate them rationally and in perspective. This really helped me relax and be settled!

I’ve pretty much backed off from all things “spiritual”** this past year, it wasn’t fitting into my work flow, the whole divorce threw me so off-balance that I needed quite a bit more than reflecting with a pile of rocks to get my thoughts sorted. But tonight I needed some “relax and settled” and for the first time since last year I pulled out my father’s Runes*** and did a quick three stone cast (past, present, future) and the results are the subject of this blog entry.

As is typical when I need to do a cast, I was in a receptive mood this evening and reading it was simple and accurate (I believe readings should always be simple and accurate when you’re feeling receptive, any stone in any position will probably coincide with something going on in your life if you pause to think about it). In this case it was even quite hopeful. Deep down I am quite hopeful about my future, as tough as things have been and sometimes continue to be. And as much as the “sitting around thinking” self-reflection and talking with friends has helped me get through the very difficult time I’ve had these past couple years, I think it’s time for me to reach back and tap back into some of the “spiritual” tools I’ve lost touch with. They help me focus my self-reflection more, and now that I feel I’m starting to be at a stable spot in my life (much less grabbing at anything to hold on) I think cultivating such focus could be helpful again.

I am glad I reached for that bag of Runes tonight :)

* While I am still technically an atheist, these days I instead refer to myself as a secular humanist. This is primarily because I am not defined by my lack of faith in God, I am defined by the philosophy outlined in secular humanist doctrine.

** So since I’m a secular humanist, I don’t believe in the supernatural and using the term “spirituality” is often misplaced for me. But I am not sure what else to call these things that other people believe are spiritual tools (like Rune stones) but which I use for self-reflection under the assumption that there is nothing spiritual about it and the random chance of something like rune stones just has me focus my thoughts on specific elements of my life that can be applied to the cast.

*** My father’s Runes? Why not the ones I made in high school? I still have the ones I made, but an unfortunate accident caused several of them to crack. Making a new set of Runes for myself may be in my immediate future. Does anyone know of a kind of material that can be shaped (or etched) and fired (well, baked) at home that would be pretty decent and durable? I no longer have access to a free kiln like in high school (even something for pay… I wouldn’t even know where to begin!). I’m willing to consider materials that aren’t clay, one of my four sets of Runes are made out of glass.

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