MVP

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Six of Wands; from the Cedar Runes, Hagalaz:

This fellow has climbed to the top of a statue to emphasize his great success. Even if he was the MVP, leaving behind his comrades below seems a bit arrogant. Why would he not want to share this moment with everyone? He has forgotten the magic that happened when many people worked together, had each other's backs, and shared resources. I bet it didn't slip his team's mind. That dizzying surge of self-importance will only last a day or two; when success is shared, it's joy can last a lifetime. The rune Hagalaz means hail, a destructive force of nature. It implies drastic and unpleasant change that will bring back balance and order. Sounds like the mighty is headed for a fall. He might take Rainer Maria Rilke's advice: "Make your ego porous."

Breaking Out

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Queen of Wands; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, 'Hagalaz/Disruption:'

The lioness surveys her surroundings, possibly looking for the next meal. The wildlife channels on television usually show a group of female lions working together to bring down an animal. What they leave out is how many times they try and fail. She encourages us with the reminder that it doesn't matter how many times we get it wrong, it is about our perseverance in reaching the goal and what we learn along the way. Her fiery temperament goads us to quit sulking and get moving. The Rune Hagalaz is a revolution that won't be stopped. It involves events beyond human control, but it is also known as the 'awakener.' It liberates us from linear thinking and straight line movement and requires us to see from a wider, more inclusive perspective. It may feel like loss or failure, but Hagalaz is the egg tooth that will break us out from our enclosed shells.

Clearance

From the Greenwood Tarot, the Seven of Wands; from the Rune Cards, 'Hail (Hagalaz):'

          Potter gives her Seven of Wands the keyword 'clearance.' Rather than friction from the outside world about our plans and goals, this conflict is within us. There is dead wood that weighs us down, that makes us second guess every action we take. It brings up past mistakes and keeps a running loop of whispers of unworthiness in our head. Turn it into tinder, Potter urges us, so that new growth has a chance to grow deep roots and develop. Hail (Hagalaz) is the mind's response to our attempt to change a pattern of thought or behavior. It batters us relentlessly, and so we look for shelter in old habits. Hail, thy name is Perfectionism, an expectation that will surely kill any progress we attempt to make. Our focus gets detoured from striving for success to avoiding failure at all cost. It is not our advocate but our oppressor.

Fix the Ladder

This week I'll be using the Tarot of Timeless Truth, a book and deck set created and self-published by Leila Vey. The oracle I'll be using is the Rune Cards, created by Tony Linsell and Brian Partridge and published by Anglo-Saxon Books. Today's draws are the Four of Wands and "Haegl/Hagalaz:"

          Instead of people dancing around four decorated staffs, here's a guy who just landed on a beach. I imagine him to have left his homeland in search of a more peaceful place with more opportunities. He literally has nothing but the shirt on his back, but the fact that he's made the long journey across the ocean in one piece is reason enough for celebration. Yet he'll have to find food and shelter soon, especially with the next card, Hagalaz. The Anglo-Saxon poem for this rune reads:

Hail is the whitest of grains.

It descends from heaven's air

and swirls in the wind.

Soon it returns to water.

Right in the middle of your happy dance comes a jolt that even the Weather Channel couldn't predict. Indeed the rune itself looks like a ladder whose rungs have broken. And that's what it feels like - climbing the ladder to success only to find yourself sliding back to the ground. But the last part of the poem is important - "soon it returns to water." This is only a setback, not the end. Unless I give up, sit on the beach and fill my boots with tears. No, I think I'd rather find some nails and fix that ladder.