Not Interested

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Four of Cups (Octopus); from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Algiz:

 

Regardless of what initially caused you to feel so unmotivated, it’s your present-day outlook on it that now keeps you stuck. Your immediate task, then, is to alter this outlook. In short, you’re much better off focusing on how to fix what’s inside your head than what lies outside it. ―Leon F. Seltzer

An octopus swims without interest past a treasure chest that includes golden goblets. It sees nothing that is worth noticing. Apathy is an absence of emotion that leaves us feeling indifferent and unmotivated; it is a state that can feel like a hole too deep to climb out of. Algiz (Elhaz) is a rune that symbolizes elk sedge, a reed with sharp-edged leaves that cut. It represents protection and defense and asks us how we can relieve the funk we're in without making any impulsive choices. Dr. Leon Seltzer has some suggestions, though he warns us it will require forcing ourselves to act:

• Determine where your apathy is coming from and contest its underlying assumptions.
• Transition from passivity to problem-solving. What is the easiest, most do-able first step you can take? 
• Inject some novelty into your routine. 
• Challenge your apathy in every way you can. 
• Recall—and reawaken—happier times when you felt more enthusiastic and alive. 

Magical Things

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Conjurer (Magician); from the Haindl Rune Cards, Elhaz/Algiz:

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

~Eden Phillpotts

What does it take to materialize a desire? In the words of Stedman Graham, "To get where we want to go in life, we have to keep at it. We have to create a vision, make choices based on what moves us most swiftly toward our goals, and go after them with determination and single-mindedness." Props  and tools - journals, affirmations, vision boards, etc. - can remind us of our intention, but we must make a persistent effort in that direction. Algiz, whose shape resembles antlers, is the rune of the elk. It suggests protection and shielding. A caution against a lack of preparation, it instead points to  formulating a plan, adding to our knowledge, staying flexible, and listening to our intuition. Above all, we avoid provoking others by taking advantage of them in the pursuit of our goal.

Burning Down the Tower

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Tower; from the Cedar Runes, Elhaz/Algiz:

 The real treasure begins in the breaking... Only when impermanence is fully apprehended do we really have the chance to serve, to give without bargaining.

—Bonnie Myotai Treace

A seed is planted and a strong tree grows. But it loses its normalcy and health as it is taken over by others and used to form a tower. Yet no matter how formidable it may seem, it can not bypass the law of impermanence. It feels like my governor (who just passed an executive order stating that no local government can pass a mask mandate) and the White House are intent on burning down everything just to make a point. My reaction is to find my own flame thrower, but Elhaz encourages a different strategy. Named for elk's sedge, which is sharp on both edges and can easily cut, this rune symbolizes protection. It is not aggressive or vengeful, but the patient type that protects what is important, stays rooted, and eventually replants a healthier version of itself. 

Drunken Monkey

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Six of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Elhaz/Algiz:

          A group of fairy refugees flees the Winter court, hopefully to a place with less quarreling and strife. But what if they are taking the problem with them? Perhaps the outer chaos is only a trigger for the inner turmoil. If that's the case, then what's needed is an inner change of attitude and thoughts, otherwise (in the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn) "Wherever you go, there you are." The Elhaz/Algiz rune can signify protection in the mundane world, and 'rising above' in spiritual-speak. Both apply in this situation. When we are constantly in conflict, it can feel necessary to protect ourselves, but often what we are protecting is simply a rigid set of beliefs and opinions. To 'rise above' would mean we stop looking for something outside of ourselves to make us happy or feed our ego. We may still need to get away from a group to maintain our sanity, but we want to make sure we are taking a healthy mindset on the journey.

In the attempt to get away from being with ourselves, we search for something or someone to make us happy; the grass constantly appears greener someplace else. But in every relationship and every situation, there we are again. Meanwhile, our mind is like a drunken monkey doing its best to distract us by jumping from thought to fear to drama to anything that will keep us trapped in an endless round of worries and concerns. ~Ed and Deb Shapiro