Heavy theoretical stuff coming up...you have been warned.

About two years ago in November 2009 I was undergoing a sort of magickal crisis, which shifted to a head around Samhain.  The conflict and crisis period co-incided with a huge period of personal enlightenment in my work with my patron.  Insights started coming thick and fast which helped me to see a silver lining in an otherwise pretty grim situation.  Much of the insights came in the form of a completely new way of looking at Rune working which I suddenly thought I should jot down here.  The Runescape is still a work in progress but I am writing it down here in the hope the that process of writing it allows it to further evolve and develop. I don’t believe this is the one true way the Universe works, I think this is a really useful tool and way of looking at the Universe which is going to help me in my practice.  If it is useful or sparks any interesting ideas in anyone else then I was right to post it up here.

It started with a vision…I never though I would ever see myself writing that, and I sort of cringe a bit inside as I am typing it but that was definitely how it started.  I was in the middle of the crisis, doing a series of meditations and rune magicks and suddenly Odin appeared to pull back the mask of the Universe and instead of seeing my working space, trees outside the windows and my physical body I saw nothing but strings of power all vibrating at different frequencies.  When I say strings it seemed like the strings you find in stringed instruments such as violins, cellos and harps. Everything was made up of these strings and there were 24 types of vibration – the 24 Elder Futhark Runes. 

The vision was clear, whatever human explanation I put on the Runes, however I draw them, speak them, whatever associations I give to them these are just a reflection of their true nature.  Their true nature is the 24 immense and mind blowing expressions of power which make up the Universe.  This includes my own body and soul.  Using the runes for divination suddenly seemed like the least important way of trying to connect/use the runes. To a greater or lesser extent the 24 vibrations of power are within everything, they are the building blocks of the Universe and by resonating in harmony with them or bringing those resonations into different situations we can alter or emphasis different elements and affect the Universe.  This is how I see Rune Magick working.

Then I hit a bit of a brick wall.  This was amazing, the idea was powerful and has stuck with me and filtered into my practice, but it was too big – and I got a bit frozen.  I couldn’t even get my mind around how to try and use this in my practice.  I managed a few small breakthroughs particularly in protective magick but until recently it was a great vision and nothing more.  I think I have finally started to work through that but that is for another posting!

I would love to hear other views on this metaphysical interpretation.

When I set out in Spring consciously trying to move all parts of myself into one whole I didn't even think about exercise.  Big mistake. My relationship with exercise has deteriorated since doing my Masters as I feel I barely have enough time in the day to eat and breathe.  Exercise is something which it is easy for me to drop, despite the fact that intellectually I know it is as vital, in many ways, as eating and breathing.  Now I am in the process of ramping up my daily practice I suddenly realised a connection with magick and exercise.  Not that simply doing exercise regularly is better for my magick (which it is!) but that I could be doing magick whilst I exercise.

This though came to me whilst I was in the middle of a rune working meditation on Uruz, the rune of the Auroch, of strength, vitality and courage.  I just couldn't quite get the working right and was thinking about why that might be.  Then it came to me.  In order to absorb and resonate in harmony with this rune I need to be in my body feeding my own vitality.  My practice over the last few months has moved very much into my head (something I will have to watch in future) but in order to fully integrate I need to be really present in my body.  In particular it felt like I wasn't going to get my work with Uruz without bringing it into a very physical place.

So I got up early and prepared my space with fresh water for drinking and an Aerobic Pilates DVD.  I wanted to start with a form of exercise which would allow me to work magick and get a good work out at the same time, Pilates has a great emphasis on core strength and breathing both of which felt very supportive of the magickal working.  The aerobic aspect would give me a great work out but without the ultra complicated steps of some of my other routines.  Then down to business, but only for a short work out - I wanted this to be a test run.

It was a challenge keeping the rune resonation going throughout the whole 15 minutes and I came and went with my concentration.  I sure that this will improve in time.  The session was hard work but focussing on Uruz definitely helped out with some of the postures and I felt a definite uniting of body, mind and spirit during some of the exercise. The best aspect was the 15 minutes of meditation I did straight afterwards - that was some of the most powerful meditation I have ever done. I am going to try and keep up something similar for the next month and move into a more physical realm again whilst bringing that magickal headspace with me.  If I can crack this then I will feel like I have been able to take a big step forwards.  I'll be logging some of my experiences as I try new ways of combining the two.  Hopefully next I'll be combining it with some wild dancing!