Laser-like Focus

From the Greenwood Tarot, the Eight of Stones (Pentacles); from the Rune Cards, Day (Dagaz):

The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. 

— Bruce Lee

A person sits alone in a cave, surrounded by beasts and beings he or she has carved and painted on the stone walls. Potter suggests this card is about the ability to work alone independently and with deep concentration. Such work comes from the depth of the soul, something AI could only semi-replicate. As Terry Goodkind wrote, "Art reveals the artist’s inner self. Art reveals a man’s ideals, what he values." Dagaz (Day) is a rune that symbolizes the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, which includes the potential for new growth. Working in solitude has its advantages, but coming back out of our cave can help stimulate inspiration and new ideas.

Those Who Dream

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the Cedar Runes, Dagaz:

The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were. 

~John F. Kennedy

From high atop a rocky outcrop, a woman surveys the land. This view gives her a much wider perspective than being closed in by the trees below. The companion book states that this card encourages us to expand our horizons and discover uncharted territory. But to do these things we must first believe in such a possibility, then we must push away from our comfort zone. We step away from our assumptions and broaden our scope, moving toward what is different rather than away from it. Dagaz means 'light' and suggests an awakening - a truth breaking into our reality. Moving out of our routines and usual trajectories can't help but awaken us to a wider, exciting world.

Lifting Up

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Six of Pentacles; from the Cedar Runes, Dagaz:

This piper sends what is needed to the plants down below. He doesn't judge them for not having what they need, nor does he give based on what he thinks they need. If we truly want to be generous, the only creed we need to follow is "first, do no harm" (to others or ourselves). Dagaz means "day" and is associated with the return of light (dawn). It implies an awakening, the ability to see clearly what was misunderstood before. In sharing resources, we realize that we all are dependent in some ways on others and the earth itself. Why would we not want to offer help?

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.

—John Andrew Holmes

One Step at a Time

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Six of Pentacles; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Dagaz:

          In this exchange, the hens get a safe place from predators to nest while the coop builder enjoys a supply of eggs. This type of sharing isn't about pity, but each party doing what they can. Robertson describes the Six of Pentacles as planting the seed of change through sharing resources (time, energy, material things, etc.). It doesn't mean a great change will come just from our actions, but if others (including the recipient) also help nurture that seed, transformation can happen. Simply taking the time to offer some encouraging words might be the seed that will one day bloom and produce its own crop of seeds. Dagaz means daybreak and implies a 180 degree turn in attitude and actions. Perhaps it is the realization that challenges and adversities aren't personal but universal that nurtures our own seed of compassion. 

Compassion allows us to use our own pain and the pain of others as a vehicle for connection. 

—Sharon Salzberg

Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time. 

—Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Prudent Course

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Herald (Page) of Autumn (Pentacles); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Dag/Dagaz:

... our aliveness depends on our ability to sustain wonder. — Mark Nepo

          The Heralds are the portals from one season to the next; they are a good analogy for the doors that knowledge and instruction can open. Perhaps none of the four Heralds/Pages is more enthusiastic about applied knowledge as this one. Dag/Dagaz represents the darkness turning to dawn and confusion being transformed into insight. But as the Herald/Page would tell us, knowing doesn't change things nearly as much as using that new knowledge.

The prudent course is to make an investment in learning, testing and understanding, determine how the new concepts compare to how you now operate and thoughtfully determine how they apply to what you want to achieve in the future. — Dee Hock

Night Turns to Day

From the Tarot of Timeless Truth, the Four of Pentacles; from the Rune Cards, "Dagaz/Daeg:"

           When my mother first remarried, I went from being an only child to having four step-siblings. It wasn't so much that I hated sharing my games and toys (it was actually nice to have someone to play with), but I hated sharing my space. I had spent the first six years of my life having plenty of time alone, and I had gotten quite comfortable with it. At one point my two stepsisters and I had to share one room, and I remember us drawing imaginary lines dividing our area into three zones. No matter what I think I have, it's just an illusion of control. That step family is gone as a result of infidelity and a nasty divorce. The old farmhouse we lived in was bulldozed long ago. No sense in getting possessive of people and things; I might as well enjoy them with a spirit of generosity while they're around.

          Daeg/Dagaz literally means "day;" its verse of the Anglo-Saxon poem reads:

Day, the glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord;

it is beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and poor,

and of service to all.

The fire on the hill has bones strewn among the flames. It may be a farm animal that died, or it could be the bones of a human. Yet Dagaz is about hope and change for the better. It is a reminder that losses are a natural cycle that will be followed by gains. My mother married a third time after I was grown. She got to find out what is was like to be truly loved by a husband, and I got to discover what it was like to be respected and cared for by a father-figure. Night turns to day.

Living on the Same Web

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Three of Pentacles; from the Cedar Runes, "Dagaz:"

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.

~ Isaac Newton

          Americans are known for our love of independence, for proudly proclaiming, "I'm my own person." We like to be known as individuals who think for ourselves. But reality shows a different truth if we're willing to see it. Almost all of my knowledge comes from those who came before me. What I've accomplished has been with the help and support of others. Cooperative teamwork with combined talents (minus egos) has proved it can produce amazing results. Multiple minds mean having more than one possible solution to combat a problem or challenge. Dagaz is often translated as "light," but in a metaphorical sense it could also be understood as "awakening." Such an understanding means I realize that everything and everyone coexists; we all live on the same web. As Charles Eisenstein puts it, I am more than a "skin-encapsulated ego."

Work with What Is

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Conjuror (Magician); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, "Dag/Dagaz:"

The Conjuror/Magician is the active half of his partnership with the High Priestess, who is receptive. He combines his will with the available resources to create, but he does it within the natural flow of things. For instance, instead of fighting gravity to bring a stream to a valley, he would use gravity to his advantage and just channel the flow of water in a new direction. He doesn't need to fight what is, he just works with it to manifest something that will be more beneficial.
The Dagaz rune literally means "day," and it is often interpreted as an awakening. With the Conjuror above, I see it as an "aha" moment - the pieces of a puzzle finally come together. It is interesting to note that the Futhark doesn't contain a rune for darkness or night, probably because this time of day was considered to be a quality of light (none or little). This aspect of the runes hints this is not an either/or situation, but one that will come full circle bringing light that will provide clarity.

Secure Boredom or Risky Excitement?

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Two of Wands:

From a high perch, a woman and her lion companion look to the land below.  Where they are, there are no problems or challenges; life just floats on by.  But the two wands she holds are a doorway - the possibility to leave behind the old for something new.  The spiral tattoo on the flank of the lion, resembling a fern frond about to spring open, emphasizes the potential for movement and change.  To stay with the routine that is rather boring but safe or to take a risk on an adventure is the choice that awaits.

     From the set of cedar runes comes "Dagaz:"

Sun is the light of the world;
I bow to the divine decree.
Norwegian Rune Poem

Dagaz is often translated as "day," and represents the heat and light of the sun.  This rune represents the truth coming to light; all deception and illusion are cleared away allowing life to be seen as it is.  Fighting reality is wasted energy, and putting my head in the sand won't make it go away either.  Only by accepting it can I ever hope to deal with it.