Odin Seizes the Magic of the Runes and the upcoming Rune Wisdom Telesummit
This post tells you about how a powerful magical gateway was opened when the magnificent warrior magician god, Odin, seized the magic of the runes, for the greater perception, healing, empowerment and magical transformation of his people, and now for the world.
You can enroll on my Runes Course at: www.rune-path.com
And there is also a wonderful worldwide Runes Telesummit where I am one of the teachers. It’s run by Kim Wilborn of Guardian Gateways from Monday 22nd October to Friday 2nd November, and you can find out all about the Telesummit and join in:
[button link=”http://www.mcssl.com/app/?Clk=5626781″ type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Visit Rune Wisdom Telesummit Page[/button]
The runes are the alphabet of the ancient Norse and the Germanic peoples of northern Europe. Each Rune is not only a letter of the alphabet. It is also a very powerful Gateway to knowledge and insight about our life.
I teach the meaning of each rune, worldwide, using a presentation and a journey. But I also teach a deeper connection to each rune: methods to greatly enhance our connection, by also practising Rune Stance and Galdr (rune chant). This is where deep body and mind connection is found. This is where enduring individual lessons are seen. Each Rune tells us something about a special area of life. And each Rune can be used to tell us about how we are doing in that area of life: doing well? or doing badly! And if we are doing badly, then we need to develop good insight and heal and seize our power and magic.
In this video, we hear how Odin seized the Magic of the Runes. He did this great act of vision power and magic, as he led the Folk Northwards, when he hung upside down trancing in the World Tree for nine days, and on the last day, he fell from the tree screaming the meaning of the runes that he had seen in trance and pain: seen in the twigs and branches of Yggdrasil.
There are nine worlds in Norse Mythology, they are called Niflheim, Muspelheim, Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, Helheim. The nine worlds are held in the branches and roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. You can read all about Odin and the gifts he won for humanity in my Novel Rune Magic. It’s available on Amazon worldwide, as paperback or Kindle, but here is the Amazon UK link:
swa.ie/RuneMagicBook
In this passage, Declan, the hero of the novel, tells how Odin seized the Magic of the Runes: ‘Odin could also shape-shift and journey. While his body lay still like sleep or death, Odin could become a bird or beast, fish or dragon, to travel instantly to far countries, on his own or on his people’s interests.
‘Odin had a ship called Skidbladnir that helped him across great oceans but could be folded into his pouch.
‘Odin woke dead people out of the earth.
‘Odin befriended two ravens whose speech he learned, who flew far over many lands, bearing many news. Through these things, he became most knowing. He learned all the arts through runes and songs, the arts which are called Gladrar or sorcery. And that is why the Aesir are called Galdrar-Smidir or Sorcery-Smiths.
‘Odin also understood the art that has most power and used it himself, which is called Seithr or seething. And it was from the Seithr magic that he knew the fates of people and events yet to happen. He could give death, ill-chance and disease to people. Also he could steal the wit and power from some people and give them to others. And this sorcery, when it is practised, had such an agre nature that men thought it shameful to deal with it, and so the art was taught to Goddesses.
‘Odin knew all the treasures in the earth and where they were hidden, and he knew such sorceries that the earth opened before him.
‘Odin sacrificed himself,’ Declan told them thoughtfully, ‘he sacrificed himself to gain all these magical powers, first and foremost, so that he and the Aesir might escape the doom the prophecy rumoured.’
Suddenly, Declan shivered, the words ‘sacrificed himself’ took on a frightening immediacy for him and Magda because Declan intended to do exactly just that: seize the magic of the runes, knowing that gain can demand its sacrifice, its price.
‘Odin undertook a terrible Vision Quest to be granted knowledge of magic,’ Declan explained, and a wondering look coming on his face, as the prick of magic and its excitement suddenly replaced in his heart the earlier shadow of the knowledge of the sacrifice it demands, ‘but I the magic that is contained in the Runes.
‘I have already worked with some of the Runes,’ Declan told them. ‘I have learned a way of bringing their energy into yourself called Rune Stance. You stand in the shape of the rune,’ he told them. ‘You open your mind to the images of its energy. Each rune is a code. It is a gateway. Together, they are a gateway to the all the spiritual and physical forces in the universe.
‘Naked and alone for nine long days, Odin hung on the World Tree: Yggdrasil, until he became magically initiated,’ Declan read the Tablet. Overawed, he added: ‘and I intend to follow Him.’ The words hung almost shocking in their immensity. The atmosphere in the small hut grew awesome. ‘He wants me to do it. And I want it, even though I don’t really know why. But I do. Is that because he wants me to do it? How exactly will he need me to use it?’ Declan furrowed his brow and looked perplexed. He suddenly shot another crafty unexpected look at the Ravens to see if they might have let their psychic guardedness slip, and he was delighted when it worked. He actually picked up an echo dropped unawares by Munin. Declan’s sudden mind-dart caught unguarded words from Munin’s mind: ‘‘Lif and Lifthrasir they will hide in Mimir’s Grove. They will have the morning dew for food. From them the generations will spring’. These words dropped like ripples from the startled Raven’s mind into Declan’s. Declan gave a sudden cheer of triumph and laughed full face at the Raven. He resolved to file the words away for later consideration as the outraged Raven screamed and whirled in its anger at Declan’s cunning trickery and its own untypical, unawares lapse. Declan laughed. ‘Lif and Lifthrasir they will hide in Mimir’s Grove. They will have the morning dew for food. From them the generations will spring’ he shouted. Then Declan took up the rune tablets again. He put The Havamal, the sayings of the High One on top, again. Now, Declan began to trance and speak:
‘I speak the words of the High One:
‘Nine long nights I hung
Upon that windswept tree
Pierced by a spear and pledged to Odin:
Sacrificed unto myself
Upon that tree whose roots arise
Whence even the wisest know not.
None gave me drink; none gave me bread.
Then, looking down, I saw the RUNES.
I seized them with a scream.
I fell down from that tree.’
They all sat round in silence at the strange message that had come from the rune tablet.
You can enroll on my Runes Course at: www.rune-path.com
And you can find out all about the wonderful worldwide Runes Telesummit and join in using this link: http://www.mcssl.com/app/?Clk=5626781
And here are my novels:
And I teach an Ogham Course as well: www.druidforestschool.com/ogham
I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you,
Michael
