Moving from Their Prime

This week I'll be using the Victorian Fairy Tarot, created by Lunaea Weatherstone with Gary A. Lippincott and published by Llewellyn (though recently republished via Kickstarter). Paired with it will be the Haindl Rune Oracle, created by Hermann Haindl and published by U.S. Games. As an additional resource, I'll be dipping into The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers. Today's draws are the Wheel of Time and Ing/Ingwaz:

Whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting.

―Haruki Marukami

When we're down at the bottom, we look upwards, dreaming of how good things could be one day. But when life does change for the better, it rarely looks as perfect as we imagined it. And the smug fairy on top might do well to remember the words of William Watson: "all things move with all things from their prime." Life constantly shifts and changes, and while some phases may be more pleasant than others, none of them are always ideal. Ingwaz is connected to incubation and harvest. No matter where we are on the Wheel, what we plant will grow and affect other phases later on. Rather than dream or worry about what comes next, we'd be smart to focus on what we are doing now. 

Heavy Loads

From the Animal Totem Tarot, Strength; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Ingwaz/Inguz:

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. 

—Lou Holtz

The ox in this card pulls a heavy load down a rocky path but doesn't seem to be snorting and stamping his feet about it. He just continues to take steps forward, knowing that the road won't last forever. Inner strength requires the same mentality: understanding that things change and that being angry or full of pity only adds to our load and suffering. The rune Inguz/Ingwaz means 'seed' and suggests being separated (planted) in order for transformation to take place. It can feel lonely and overwhelming when we think no one cares or that we have too much placed on our shoulders. But if we were to shine some light on our thoughts, how much is reality and how much is dramatic exaggeration? Both the pleasant and unpleasant in life is our spiritual path; we can choose to let it help us grow or keep us stuck in a rut.

Not Much of a Protection

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Seven of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Cards, Ingwaz:

Other thieves merely stole everything that was not nailed down, but this thief stole the nails as well.

― Terry Pratchett

A rogue fairy and his companion have stolen from the communal commissary that supplies the winter needs of all the fairies. Greed is never content with what is needed; it always wants more, seeing only what it doesn't have rather than what it does. What this fellow doesn't realize is that taking what is not given won't expand his world, it will shrink it. There is the isolation of feeling others have what he wants, and the paranoia of being caught when he takes it. The rune Ingwaz refers to the harvest and fertility god Freyr, who gave up his great sword in order to marry the giantess Gerd. It suggests that what we think is helping and protecting us is actually keeping us from being content and happy. 

Price of Freedom

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Eight of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Ing/Ingwaz:

Weatherstone's Eight of Winter/Swords offers a stickier situation than most. What happens when you're just 'the help' and have no authority? Here a maid/nanny is run ragged by ill-behaved children who all have cabin fever. Does she dare discipline them in any way and risk losing a job she depends on? Having worked with many children years ago, my guess is that she could punish them as long as it wasn't corporal punishment. The rub is that most parents don't care, they just don't want to hear about how badly behaved their offspring are. She can continue to be passively subservient or shake everyone up by claiming her worth and demanding respect, regardless of the consequences. Ingwaz represents Freyr, who was once a warrior god but after falling in love, swapped his sword for an antler to become a fertility god able to marry. He eventually was slain in the battle of Ragnarok, but I personally like to think he did not regret his decision. Paired with the tarot card, this rune seems to point to a seed of potential that will require some sacrifice. What are we willing to give up for our freedom?

Fallow Fields

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Star; from the Cedar Runes, Ing/Ingwaz:

          All of the elements - earth, air, fire and water - seem mixed up in this card. The mix reflects my emotional hangover after all the highs and lows of the week. (The fire and election being a low, and my cards being sent to the printer a high.) Now that the adrenaline rush has ended, I feel an emptiness. I am tempted to quickly fill the void with some kind of busyness, yet the Star encourages me to pause and take advantage of this quiet space. I need to relax, rest and breathe deeply; when my body and mind recuperate, the elements will sort themselves out. Ingwaz represents a harvest god and suggests a productive union. I get the impression that if I want to be creative again (in all areas of life), I need some time off. It is my nature to be doing or planning, but to let my fields lie fallow would better serve me by clearing my mental and emotional congestion.

The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done. 
~ Tim Kreider