The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Bolthorn/Two of Wands; Gebo; Vafthrudnir/Two of Swords.

Would you just look at all those twos? And all those Xes? Every.Single.Card. Today is all about balance and choices. We have serious choices to make, and we have to balance what is right for us vs. what we want vs. what is for the higher good vs. what is totally beyond our control. Sure, easy.

Bolthorn is pushing us to act. Do it, do it now, just do something! Change is needed, and it’s always better to initiate change than to wait for someone else to decide your fate.

Not so fast! cautions Vafthrudnir. The companion book says, “one poor decision could cause the whole thing to fall one way or the other, so each choice must be made with extreme caution and careful thought.”

No pressure, but really, this is a Big Deal.

Vafthrudnir lost a riddle contest to Odin, and many view that Odin won unfairly by asking a question rather than a riddle–and a question to which only Odin would know the answer. Of course there was no way for Vafthrudnir to know what Odin whispered into dead Baldur’s ear. Nonetheless, Vafthrudnir conceded the contest to Odin. As he had wagered his life that he could beat Odin, this was not a small bet to lose.

We are thus cautioned to set boundaries (again!) against tricks and half-truths. We are charged with making serious decisions, but we may not yet have all the information needed to make good decisions. Do your research, ask all the questions, and do not accept any incomplete answers.

Gebo is the balancing point here between thought and action. In this festive holiday season with its emphasis on gifts, we are deeply aware of the psychological and emotional bonds and obligations involved in giving and receiving. It’s complicated enough dealing with gifts among family and friends and coworkers and the person who cuts your hair and everyone else who you feel you should give to and/or receive from, but then there are the Gods.

The Gods need gifts from us as much as we need Their gifts. We give devotion, service, and offerings, and the Gods give us what They choose. Perhaps wisdom, or strength, or a bit of luck, or simply the pleasure of service, or sometimes that well-timed last minute resource that truly is the answer to our prayers. It’s up to Them what They give, even though we don’t always choose what–or how much–to give to Them.

As you make your decisions today, consider what is given, and what is received, and by whom. Be clear in your thinking, and prompt in taking action.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Mundilfari/Six of Wands; Stan; Hrimthurs/Three of Coins.

Okay, then. Monday’s Active Influence Card reappeared on Tuesday as the Hidden Influence Card. Now, Tuesday’s Active Influence Card has appeared today as the Hidden Influence Card. No, I have no explanation.

Moving from yesterday’s Active Influence to today’s Hidden Influence, Hrimthurs brings us a consistent message–focus on your work, and focus on what you need to do the work. If you really need that last red Sharpie, don’t leave it sitting out on your desk. Hide it somewhere no one can take it. Your pocket, for example. Unless, of course, you work with pickpockets. Whatever it is you need to complete your work, guard it carefully.

Stan is the rune of building, connecting nicely to Hrimthurs rebuilding the walls of Asgard, and tells us to look at our foundation. We have made progress, but Stan counsels us to look at the work we have done. Is the foundation sturdy enough to support what comes next? Do we need to add a bit more mortar to those stones, or brace it up more thoroughly until the mortar dries?

Mundilfari is a Master Time Turner, father of Sunna and Mani. All possibilities and all worlds are contained within this card. Even more than an admonition to make wise use of our time (which is an important and strong message in its own right), Mundilfari’s appearance requires us to truly consider our options and the consequences of our choices. While we cannot anticipate every single possible result of an action, we can take the time needed to make a choice that is wise not only in the moment, but also wise in the times to come–whether that’s three days, three months, or three centuries.

Choose wisely, act promptly, and work diligently. The Universe is doing its part, and you need to do yours.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hrimthurs/Three of Coins; Eihwaz; Unn/Eight of Cups.

Unn reprises her role as the Hidden Influence, which She occupied yesterday. Eihwaz is all about defense and guarding, and appearing here with Unn is a strong message to set and maintain wide, healthy boundaries. Make time and space to process your own stuff, and let other people deal with their stuff. Things Are Happening (yes, we’ve been saying that a lot lately, but that’s because it’s true) and you need to focus on yourself and your stuff at this time, and everyone else needs to manage their stuff. And it is not your job to deal with their stuff if they choose not to do so themselves.

And, just in case that wasn’t clear already, Hrimthurs is here to remind you to set strong boundaries and focus on your work. Be protective of what you need to do your work–time, energy, materials, the last red Sharpie in the supply cabinet. Whatever it is, keep an eye on it, keep it close to you, and beware of anyone trying to make off with what is yours.

This is not a day for grand gestures or big decisions. Today is about focusing on what needs to be done, doing it well, and taking care of yourself while you do your work. Not glamourous, but necessary, and ultimately the best use of your time.

I’m sorry the daily draws haven’t been daily of late–I’m on the road for work–or in the air, more correctly! I’m back on a sort-of schedule the rest of this week, so the daily draws will be more regular. Thanks for your patience!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Himinglava/Ten of Cups; Fyreudal; Unn/ Eight of Cups.

Today is an emotional day–conflicting and complicated emotions. Himinglava is the Undine of sunshine and fair weather. Smooth sailing, easy progress, joy in the journey–oh so nice! However, as we all know, weather changes, and our journey can become rough, the passage difficult, and we are tired out from trying and making so much effort for what feels like little or no progress.

Unn reinforces the underlying notion of the cycle of time. Things will change, Unn tells us. Make the most of where we are, who we are, and what we are. The circumstances will change; our core nature will remain. Be your best self, regardless of what the time brings.

Fyreudal, the fire-bellows, gives us the energy we need to navigate the seas of emotions, both our own and others’ emotions. Fyreudal brings the fresh air, the inspiration, the energy to start on our way, to take the necessary action, to take that first step along the path. Just begin.

Goethe speaks to us:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back — concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.“

Just begin.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Loki/The Magician; Uruz; Olvalde & Sons/Eight of Coins.

You have All These Things To Do. Today’s draw says, yes, you can do them.

Uruz provides the raw energy and drive to get going, and to keep going. Who needs coffee when you have Uruz energy flowing through you?

Olvalde and Son tell you that it’s time to settle down and work. You need to learn new skills as you move into new roles and responsibilities. Pay attention! You have much to learn, and you have the resources you need to acquire these skills. Whether it’s a teacher (human or divine), a book, a workshop, a random find on the internet–the knowledge you need is present and waiting for you.

Loki, our Trickster Magician, is here to help as well. In addition to practical skills and knowledge, you need magic (or energy, or focus, if you are not comfortable with the term “magic”), and Loki is here to inspire  you to create that magic and energy. Loki inspires you to find new ways to work with your existing tools to expand your skills and create new possibilities. Loki also reminds you to stop taking yourself so seriously. Treat your responsibilities with due seriousness, but never yourself. Laugh at your fears, laugh at your worries, laugh at yourself for being such a worrywart. Laugh and let the the fear and worry go–then make some magic and make things happen!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hela/Death, Eihwaz and Isa (they came out of the basket together), Gerda/Page of Coins.

Repeat along with me and the Vicomte de Valmont: It is beyond my control. Unlike the Vicomte, however, the situation we are in is truly beyond our control.

Things Are Happening. You have no control, or even influence, on what is happening. In modern society, we are constantly told that there is always *something* we can do to affect the outcome of a situation. The Universe, however, has other ideas, and the Universe is bigger than we are.

While the Universe is doing its thing, we aren’t meant simply to sit around and wait. We have plenty of work to do. Hela tells us that it’s time for serious housecleaning in both the literal and metaphorical sense. What do you need to get rid of? What no longer serves you in a positive way? What do you need to clear away to make room for your new life? You must release what is dead, or you will kill what is vital in your soul through your refusal to move into life.

Eihwaz and Isa counsel caution and protection. As change swirls around us and within us, strong boundaries are necessary to keep us whole.  Trust in your Gods, and tie your ship.

Gerda is the Lady of the Walled Garden, reinforcing the runes’ message of shelter and protection. Growing new things–whether plants or a new way of life–takes time, and the initial growth must be protected from undue influences in order to lead us on a true path.

Take care of yourself, take care of business, and prepare yourself for the next step on the path.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Fenris/The Devil; Wan; Daeg/Knight of Wands.

Starting the week with Fenris was probably not what you planned, but here you are, and here He is. All that stuff, those internal emotional and psychological and spiritual questions and issues and problems that you’ve been putting off to deal with “later”–well, today is “later”. Your stuff, others’ stuff, the world’s stuff–here it is. It’s not pretty, it doesn’t smell good, and a lot of it is probably stuck to your shoes. Deal.With.It. It’s not going away, it’s not going to suddenly become lovely and sweet and manageable. Accept what is, honestly accept it. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it.

Daeg is here to help you do that! The bright light of day illuminating the cave, bringing light to even the darkest corners, so we can see what is there. Small things cast very large shadows. When we can see what actually casts the shadow, we may find that it is not as big and scary as it seemed in the dark. It may still have sharp teeth and a bad attitude, but when we can clearly see what we are dealing with, even if it’s genuinely dreadful, we have more courage because we are dealing with what is real and not what is projected.

Wan is the rune of the unknown, of Ginnungagap, of all possibility. You may not know how to do what needs to be done, but you can learn. Everything you do with ease today was once something that you didn’t know how to do. Even the Gods had to learn how to work with Their powers–it’s okay for you to learn as you go, too.

You may not know exactly what to do, but trust that, by taking action, you will make progress. You don’t need to know everything right now; you don’t need to worry about next week. Take care of today, and then you can take care of tomorrow when it comes.

You will get there, one step at a time.

If you are new to working with bindrunes, I suggest you read the introductory bindrune post here, then return to this post to read about this specific bindrune.

You have Something You Need To Do. Something that requires deep focus and concentration. Turn off the internet connection, turn off your phone, create this bindrune, and get to work.

Bind Rune for Intense Focus

Isa (blue): The rune of ice, Isa forms a shiny, thick barrier to deflect energy away from you, sending it back to its source so you are impervious to outside energies and distractions.

Ior (green): The rune of the Midgard Serpent, Ior calls in the strong magic of Jormundgand in blocking external energies and keeping internal energies contained so they can be directed constructively.

Yr (brown): The rune of the archer and master artisan, Yr brings in the intense focus required to complete the work and hit the target. This is the absolute attention of mind, body, and being necessary for creation and completion.

The bindrune on the left shows Ior backing Isa, creating a solid barrier to block anything that is not deflected by Isa. Yr sits behind them, sheltered and protected, able to work its magic.

The bindrune center and and right has a slightly different arrangement–Isa and Ior form boundaries on both sides of Yr to visually reinforce their magical functions of setting and enforcing limits.

Both versions draw on the energies of the three runes; the second depiction of the bind rune can offer a subtle psychological boost with the direct representation of the boundaries in place on either side of Yr. Work with whichever version appeals to you, or, make both and see which one resonates more deeply for you.

The bindrunes on the left and in the center were done in colored pencil. The one on the right was done with Sharpie fine point markers. They are shown in two different media to give an idea of how the same bindrune looks different depending on how it is created.

You could also put a drop of rosemary on the bindrune to clear the space and create mental focus, or a drop of your favorite oil  on it to reinforce the energy with your personal scent.

Focus your will to finish your work!

If you are new to working with bindrunes, I suggest you read the introductory bindrune post here, then return to this post to read about this specific bindrune.

You want to do a Specific Something. You make A Plan. And yet, somehow, it doesn’t quite happen, because you don’t start it. This week’s bindrune helps you to focus your energy and intentions to put them into action.

Yr, Uruz, Dagaz

Uruz (brown): The primal energy of the wild aurochs kicks you into action. Once you have decided your goal,  you need to do something to make it happen. Uruz gives you the energy to jump in with abundant enthusiasm and joyous vigor.

Yr (green): The Rune of the Archer infuses you with focus to collect your thoughts and energies. Like an archer focuses with intensity on their target, you intensely focus  your thoughts on your plan and outcome, and focus your energy on useful activity. Yr keeps you on track when life, other people, or your own self-doubts try to derail your progress.

Dagaz (orange): This the rune of transformation and change. Dagaz keeps the prize in front of you, urging you along, reminding why you are undertaking this particular course of action, and encouraging you to persist and to fulfill  your vision.

The bindrune on the left was done in colored pencil. The one on the right was done with calligraphic marker. They are the same bindrune, shown in two different media to give an idea of how the same bindrune looks different depending on how it is created.

You could also put a drop of rosemary on the bindrune for clarity of purpose, or a drop of your favorite oil  on it to reinforce the energy with your personal scent.

It won’t happen if you don’t do it!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Loki, Angrboda & Sigyn/The Lovers; Os; Fenja & Menja/ Two of Coins.

As humans, we often put ourselves into difficult situations because we fall into either/or thinking. Sometimes the situation is truly either/or–you can go only do one thing at a time, so either you are at home watching television or you are out with friends. But you can’t be home and be somewhere else at the same time. (If you can, please teach me how to do that so I can be at work and at home at the same time!)

However, once these limitations are acknowledged, we can look at the situation and see if we can find the both/and possibilities. You can go out with friends for a few hours, and then go home and watch television. You can do both, if you do them sequentially.

Os is the Rune of the God Voice. Listen to your Gods, to your own soul’s divine wisdom. The Gods are good with figuring out the both/and approach. Especially Loki, pictured here with His two wives, Angrboda and Sigyn. The Goddesses could not be more different, and yet Loki finds happiness with both, and works out His both/and with a combination of charm, affection, cleverness, and some really good time management.

Fenja and Menja ground us in the reality of the work needed to accomplish the both/and. We may be acting on advice from the Gods, but we still must take action for anything to actually happen, and to continue working to keep the both/and balanced and viable.

You can do it all, one thing at a time.