The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Rym/Ten of Wands; Yr; Skadi/Justice.

Today is another day which holds much for you to do. Even if you don’t think it should be yours—if you’re cleaning up someone else’s mess, or having to cover a shift for a coworker—it has landed in your lap, and so it is yours to do. Too much is at stake, both for yourself and others, for you not to take responsibility for this work.

Yr reminds you that  you have the skills and focus needed to do the work. Whatever the day hands you, whatever onerous tasks are dumped on your desk, you are equal to the challenge, and able to complete the work well. Instead of dwelling on the unfairness of the burden, or the tediousness of the task, focus on doing the work for the sake of doing the work. The only way out is through, and the only way to finish the work is to do the work.

Skadi is the Hidden Influence, and Her energies are as cold and biting as a winter wind. She represents Justice on a universal, not a personal scale. You may be angry and feel bitter about what you feel you have been unfairly saddled with, and frustrated that others are getting away with things. That may seem to be the case today, but in the long run, dues are paid, and debts come due. Do you want to be in the karmic credit or debit side of the ledger? You cannot escape your Wyrd. Do your best to meet it with grace, courage, and honor.

Focus on your work, not your feelings about the work. Do what must be done, and then do something nice for yourself when you have finished your work.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Sinmora/Queen of Wands; Dagaz; Mengloth/Page of Cups.

Mengloth urges you to look at your self-care today. This has been coming up frequently of late, and from what I hear from those around me, it is an issue we’re all dealing with. If you are not in good health and a positive frame of mind, it’s difficult to do anything. So, once again, keep an eye on yourself and practice positive self-care.

You need your energy, because Sinmora is calling you to dance a fiery dance of creation. She calls you to join Her, to dance from the core of your soul, to tap into your passions and to create a better life. A life in which you have time for what’s truly important, for the activities that feed your soul, the people who bring joy to your heart. Life is too short to be miserable, Sinmora reminds us. Cast all the unnecessary things into the fire, and join Her in the dance.

Dagaz gives you the point of focus, the inflection point where those changes go from plan to reality. Filled with the light and heat of the sun, Dagaz brings you healing energy, and gives you the encouragement of your goals—in sight from your current vantage point—to keep going.

Burn away the old, and dance around the flames.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Billing/King of Coins; Ziu; Bestla/Ten of Coins.

Billing bids you welcome to Monday, and has a list of all those worldly responsibilities which have been waiting their turn (patiently or otherwise). It seems long, but Billing reminds you that, with yesterday’s quiet time off, you are recharged and ready to meet the day. One thing at a time, the tasks will get done.

Ziu brings the flash of inspiration and power you need to jump start the day—and yourself. Channeling the energies of Tyr, Zisa, and Zeus, you have a lot going for you. Make good use of it! Be wise and focus the power into a productive channel. Don’t just rage around and cause a storm.

Bestla reminds you that, even with all of this high-level authority and responsibility, you are still mortal and must tend to your human needs. Take breaks to move, drink water, remember to eat properly (a sandwich at your desk, or a fast food burger between shifts, is not what She has in mind), and pay attention to what your body needs to be well, so that you are in prime condition to deal with the energies flowing through you, and the various types of work you are doing. Keep in mind that She is the mother of Odin, and if She can make Him stop and eat, you might as well just cooperate. Accept Her nurturing, and thank Her for teaching you to care for yourself.

The Moon is also in Virgo today, a practical, earthy sign of physical and material concerns. The cosmos is making it completely clear—today is about taking care of things on the earthly plane.

Today can be a positive and productive day on many levels. Take care of yourself so you can take care of business, and then take the evening for yourself.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Mani/The Moon; Ac, reversed; Hronn/Five of Cups.

Are you feeling emotionally overwhelmed? Have you been putting off dealing with emotional issues because you have too much daily life stuff to do? Well, you can’t put it off any more.

Mani brings in the moon energy of emotions, intuitions, and dreams. If you’ve been having strong messages in your dreams, stop, write them down, and pay attention to what they are saying. You are bombarded all day with messages from your family, from your friends, from your coworkers, from strangers, from your culture. Put on your psychic noise-canceling headphones so you can hear yourself.

Ac reversed is Angrboda telling you that continuing to try to be strong and soldier through is not going to work. This rune is about flexible strength, and you have flexed yourself to the limits of your reserves. Strength comes from rootedness, and if you flex any more, you are going to start uprooting yourself. Withdraw from external demands, and tend to what you need. Everything and everyone else will still be there tomorrow with their requests and questions and problems. Today is for focusing on your own needs.

Hronn returns from Tuesday, although in the Hidden Influence position, rather than the active influence. The influence is just as strong, so do not think you dismiss or ignore it. The negative feelings threaten to suck you into a whirlpool of panicked despair and reduce you to paralysis. Move back from the edge onto a solid, stable place. Listen to your emotions, process the ones that are legitimately yours, and cast what isn’t yours into the whirlpool. You reclaim your emotional core, and Hronn has something to play with for a while, and will leave you alone. It’s a win/win, and it’s the only way you’re going to make it out intact.

Spend time writing, journaling, making art, dancing—whatever it takes to help you sort this emotional tide. If you feel you must do practical things today, give yourself permission to putter and take care of all of those quick things you never get around to because you can do them “anytime”. Glue the handle back on the teacup, organize one shelf of one bookcase, wipe the dust off the caps of your spice jars.

Today, give yourself time and permission to feel and to be. Tomorrow can be all about the doing; you will be much more focused tomorrow if you sort out your internal world today.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Jormundgand/The World; Nauthiz; Sigyn/Temperance.

Two major arcana cards out of two cards drawn. Fasten your seatbelt and keep your arms inside the ride at all times. Today is going to be intense.

Jormundgand says you need to finish things today. Whatever is incomplete, today is the day to wrap it up with a bow and check it off your list. Set up whatever physical, mental, or emotional boundaries you need in order to focus on your work. Draw Yr on your forehead if you must. Whatever it takes, you must complete things today.

Sigyn provides the encouragement and support you need to meet your obligations. She knows a thing or two about endurance and unpleasant tasks. Ask Her to help you, both with the work and with self-care. Just because you have a lot of responsibilities doesn’t mean you can skip taking care of yourself. You need to be rested, hydrated, fed, and attended to; your responsibility to care for yourself is as great as any other you are dealing with today.

Nauthiz brings in more of Siygn’s energy, and requires you to look at what you truly need to get through the day and the work. Do you need to just buckle down and do it, or do you need someone to help? Are there things someone else can do? Remember the Four Ds of Getting Things Done: Do, Delegate, Defer, Ditch. Everything you must do falls into one of these categories. Sort things accordingly, and get to it.

You will get through the day, in one piece, and end the day better than you started it.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Hronn/Five of Cups; Mannaz, reversed; Vafthrudnir/Two of Swords.

Today’s energies are many and mixed, and you may not be at your best, or want to deal with anything. Hronn incites fear and paranoia, and Vafthrudnir’s mental dilemma is not helpful.

Mannaz turning up revered indicates low energy and poor boundaries. Not an ideal space to be in when confronted with the energies of the cards.

Defer, delay, postpone, and push off to tomorrow as much as you can. If someone presses you for a decision, let them know that they need to take a number, and that their turn will come tomorrow. If they really must have an answer today, withdraw to a quiet place (both environmentally and internally) to sort out the energies so you can make a reasonable decision.

Take extra steps to care for yourself today, both physically and emotionally. Use the physical world provide boundaries where  your own energy is insufficient today. Let the calls go to voicemail, set an autoresponder on your email, put out a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. Or on the entire day.

Use today to process what’s going on for you, so you can return to life, and business, tomorrow.

The bindrunes workshop on Sunday was *fantastic*! Thank you to everyone who participated, and created some unique and amazing bindrunes!

The workshop materials are here:

Quick Reference Rune Meanings – Anastasia Haysler

Bindrune Worksheet PantheaCon 2016–Anastasia Haysler

Runes – Reading List and Resources from Anastasia Haysler PantheaCon 2016

For those who weren’t able to attend, I’ll be offering the workshop again later in the year, both as an in-person workshop in the San Francisco area, and as an online workshop. Stay tuned for dates and details!

Email me and let me see your fabulous designs, and let me know how you are working with them!

Friday night’s workshop, “The Futhark and Beyond”, was great! I appreciate all of you who chose to spend Friday night learning about runes with me!

Here are links to the materials I handed out:

Paper Runes Template – All 41 Runes -Anastasia Haysler PantheaCon 2016

Quick Reference Rune Meanings – Anastasia Haysler

Gothic Runes and Gothic Alphabet–Nigel Pennick

Reading List and Resources for Runes

For those who weren’t able to attend, I’ll be offering the workshop again later in the year, both as an in-person workshop in the San Francisco area, and as an online workshop. Stay tuned for dates and details!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Daeg/Knight of Wands; Raido; The Volva/Four of Swords.

Things are moving along, and you need to move with them. You must actively participate in creating the progress, not merely allow yourself to be swept along by it. Change is in the air, and opportunities abound.

The Volva reprises her role as the Hidden Influence from yesterday. Her message to you is concise and clear: the past holds no answers, no information, that is of use right now. You must look to the present to create your new—and better–future.

Go!

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Today’s Draw: Farbauti/The Tower; Stan; The Volva/Four of Swords.

In case Hela’s message yesterday wasn’t clear enough for you, today Farbauti appears in the Tower card. You cannot remain in the burning rubble; you must move on. Nothing remains to take with you. Leave the ashes to cool, and walk away.

Stan is a stone, sometimes seen as the keystone or capstone. However, since the Tower has fallen, the keystone is simply another piece of rubble. Let go of old thinking and beliefs. Living in an in-between state can be difficult; without the anchor of “I think” or “I believe”, we struggle to define ourselves and to move through the day.

Being truly open to the new ideas which come through in the new circumstances is your best path for making your way through this transition. The old answers will not work–those keys do not fit any of the locks in the treasure chest, and you must find new ideas and new keys. The process may seem scary, so find a new way to view it to make it an adventure of discovery, rather than simply an ordeal to endure. You do not have to suffer over your suffering; instead, take that energy and transform it into new power to meet the challenges.