Musings on a Fire Rune in the winter.
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 rebirth of the sun.
For in the rebirth of the sun, for as of this day, and each day forward until June, the days will be gradually lengthening, growing in strength, warmth and light.
There are three runes that have strong fire aspects associated with them, one in each of the aetts. They are Kenaz, Sowilo, and Dagaz.
Today we'll look at the first one Kenaz......
This is the torch rune and looks like <, the "less than " symbol. There is nothing "less than" about it though. Kenaz means torch, and it's shape is reminiscent of the light on the miner's hats of old, leading them through the dark, winding seams of coal. Dangerous in itself since their lanterns and all were lit by flame of candle.
Still, it is a light to guide one forward, to keep one looking ahead, illuminating the way before us.
Yet it also means fire, the primal fire that we need to warm our homes, cook our food and light our lamps. It represented Muspelheim, the land of fire among the nine worlds of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and one of the primal elements of Norse creation, the other being ice.
We cannot exist without fire, the sun gives us warmth, itself being another life source. but cannot cook our food. During winter, it stays low in the southern sky, and gradually hits its weakest point now, in December, so, we light fires, like the Yule log, to welcome it back and encourage it to get stronger with each passing day.
The torch is a beacon....think of the lighthouses that guides ships safely to harbor, and keep them from running aground or hitting the rocks. The ancient lighthouses were lit by great fires at the top, and reflected out by great disks of polished metal.
The fire of Kenaz is also transformative, think of a volcano, whos lava flows can create new land mass, as well as destroy what man builds. How about a steel plant, molten metal being purified, refined, and eventually molded into items for our use.....cars, weapons, building materials, etc. Think for a moment about gold, it its purest form, beautiful, but soft, it needs refinement, to have the impurities burned out of it and it then gets blended with other metals to temper it and give it strength as well as beauty.
Lastly a forest fire, some initiated by careless people, but most by lightning strikes to dry timber. I've seen parts of the Black Hills in South Dakota still recouping from fires twenty years ago. Just talk to anyone that lives in California or other western states that have been challenged by droughts about the impact of wildfires in their states. Yet there are some plant species that require the intense heat of such a fire ignored to germinate and grow. Thus, there is renewal
So ponder on this,......fire, when controlled and respected can be one of our greatest allies, but misused and abused, can also be one of our greatest enemies.
Finally, Fire also represents our passions, not necessarily sexual, but yes, that could be included, but more for knowledge and learning.
It helps us to create, to inspire, to be that beacon for another.
So as we get ready to welcome back the sun to take its place as our light and life source, we keep the home fires burning, as candles, furnaces, fireplaces, and even an occasional bonfire to have our own "mini-suns" with us while Sunna/ Helios/Sol, etc...grow the days longer, lighter and stronger.
May the fire of Kenaz burn away that with you which is no longer needed and fill you with the light, warmth and life of passion, creation and knowledge.
Happy Yule!
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 rebirth of the sun.
For in the rebirth of the sun, for as of this day, and each day forward until June, the days will be gradually lengthening, growing in strength, warmth and light.
There are three runes that have strong fire aspects associated with them, one in each of the aetts. They are Kenaz, Sowilo, and Dagaz.
Today we'll look at the first one Kenaz......
This is the torch rune and looks like <, the "less than " symbol. There is nothing "less than" about it though. Kenaz means torch, and it's shape is reminiscent of the light on the miner's hats of old, leading them through the dark, winding seams of coal. Dangerous in itself since their lanterns and all were lit by flame of candle.
Still, it is a light to guide one forward, to keep one looking ahead, illuminating the way before us.
Yet it also means fire, the primal fire that we need to warm our homes, cook our food and light our lamps. It represented Muspelheim, the land of fire among the nine worlds of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and one of the primal elements of Norse creation, the other being ice.
We cannot exist without fire, the sun gives us warmth, itself being another life source. but cannot cook our food. During winter, it stays low in the southern sky, and gradually hits its weakest point now, in December, so, we light fires, like the Yule log, to welcome it back and encourage it to get stronger with each passing day.
The torch is a beacon....think of the lighthouses that guides ships safely to harbor, and keep them from running aground or hitting the rocks. The ancient lighthouses were lit by great fires at the top, and reflected out by great disks of polished metal.
The fire of Kenaz is also transformative, think of a volcano, whos lava flows can create new land mass, as well as destroy what man builds. How about a steel plant, molten metal being purified, refined, and eventually molded into items for our use.....cars, weapons, building materials, etc. Think for a moment about gold, it its purest form, beautiful, but soft, it needs refinement, to have the impurities burned out of it and it then gets blended with other metals to temper it and give it strength as well as beauty.
Lastly a forest fire, some initiated by careless people, but most by lightning strikes to dry timber. I've seen parts of the Black Hills in South Dakota still recouping from fires twenty years ago. Just talk to anyone that lives in California or other western states that have been challenged by droughts about the impact of wildfires in their states. Yet there are some plant species that require the intense heat of such a fire ignored to germinate and grow. Thus, there is renewal
So ponder on this,......fire, when controlled and respected can be one of our greatest allies, but misused and abused, can also be one of our greatest enemies.
Finally, Fire also represents our passions, not necessarily sexual, but yes, that could be included, but more for knowledge and learning.
It helps us to create, to inspire, to be that beacon for another.
So as we get ready to welcome back the sun to take its place as our light and life source, we keep the home fires burning, as candles, furnaces, fireplaces, and even an occasional bonfire to have our own "mini-suns" with us while Sunna/ Helios/Sol, etc...grow the days longer, lighter and stronger.
May the fire of Kenaz burn away that with you which is no longer needed and fill you with the light, warmth and life of passion, creation and knowledge.
Happy Yule!
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