Ready, Set, Fly

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Kano (Kenaz):

Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.

—Jack Welch

The Six of Swords is illustrated with a sugar glider, a small, gliding opossum with a predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar. Much like a flying squirrel, it can spread the membrane that extends from their forelegs to their hindlegs and glide up to 55 yards from tree to tree. With nothing solid to grasp onto, necessity is what launches it through the air. What makes us ready to leave the beliefs and mindset we cling to? Kano (Kenaz), symbolizing a torch, suggests that the darkness we've been hiding in (ignorance, denial or avoidance) has been illuminated. Wisdom convinces us that change and action is now a necessity.

Acting From Love

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Empress; from the Handl Rune Oracle, Kenaz:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ―Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Empress stands with her children for a family portrait, yet in truth she feels all beings are an extended family. She rules with a strong but tender heart, seeking to improve the well-being of all. The Empress understands that the kingdom will run smoother when no one is left behind. Kenaz is often translated as 'torch,' suggesting a light that brings clarity. Today, my family and I are participating in our local "Hands Off" political protest. Sometimes you have to raise a torch to shine a light on atrocities, especially when so many beings are negatively affected while a handful benefit.

Back Into the Flow

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Five of Cups (Capybara); from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Kenaz:

It takes strength to make your way through grief, to grab hold of life and let it pull you forward.

~ Patti Davis

Shakespeare wrote, "Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it." It is an odd thing to notice that the world does not stop turning when a relationship ends. Grief can be immense and powerful; it seems that the polite thing for all humanity to do would be to stop and acknowledge our loss. But people have figured out that while grief may stop us in our tracks for a time, we must learn to move back into the flow of life, even as we carry it with us. The rune Kenaz means 'torch' and implies a search for understanding and clarity. Kenaz points out that everything in this physical world is constantly changing and impermanent, even relationships. When we lose the smaller things - a favorite mug broken, a flat tire, etc. - they are our teachers for learning to accept the larger losses that come. 

Don't Overlook the Other

From the Greenwood Tarot, the Ten of Stones (Pentacles); from the Rune Cards, Cen/Ken:

          In the words of L. Frank Baum, "There is no place like home." Home is a sacred place where we find refuge, where we feel most secure and loved. My heart hurts today for the thousands of people who have lost their homes and loved ones in the fires on the West Coast. Life has literally pulled the rug out from beneath their feet. May those who leave to find safety also find hospitality and compassion wherever they pause along the way. Cen, or literally 'torch', suggests a light in the darkness. Sometimes it is knowledge or leadership, but it can often be a light of hope. There's so much darkness in our country right now. Even though we have our own, let's not overlook the suffering of others.

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

—Sharon Salzberg

Running with Foxes

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Cedar Runes, Kenaz:

This adventure-loving knight doesn't want to chase after foxes, he'd rather run with them. He enjoys all the twists and turns they take as he's not a straight line kind of guy. "Change is afoot!" he yells gleefully, "so stay light on your feet and keep your ears and eyes open." Kenaz means 'torch,' and much like the Knight of Wands, it can bring energy and warmth or burn everything down. A day full of energy and enthusiasm is a good day if that surge can be appropriately channeled. Charge ahead, but have a plan that is adaptable.

Compassionate Clarity

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Ace of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Kan (Kaun, Kenaz):

          Winter is a tough season on plants. In the forest, the canopy that normally shades the earthen floor becomes open to light when the deciduous trees lose their leaves. Where there was once a dense thicket, only bare bones of branches and trunks are left. The only hint of color besides the dull browns and grays comes from the evergreens. Places to hide among the brush and leaves are few, as the woodland's underlying structure is revealed. This Ace suggests a time for clarity and truth-telling; a need to see without the encumbrance of the ego or emotional drama.
          Kan/Kenaz can represent the heat and light of fire, which can be understood as inflammation or a source of light. I thought of the unkind way I often view myself after realizing I've strayed from the spiritual principles I hold. Insight and awareness is a good thing, but I don't need to "burn down the forest" because I screwed up. It reminded me of a story Pema Chodron told; she was trying to encourage her students to be gentle with themselves when they realized they were off fantasizing rather than focusing on the breath. A cowboy came up to her later and said he took her words to heart. Now when he catches himself ruminating or planning, he tells himself, "Thinking, good buddy." What a great tool this would be if I were to use it every time I've slipped off the path! I could own up to what I've done, but rather than self-flagellation, I could use tenderness. "Time to change course, dear one."

Gravity Boots

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Hanged Man; from the Cedar Runes, "Kenaz:"

          This Hanged Man seems to be hanging of his own free will from a tree branch. His inversion made me think of gravity boots that became so popular in the 1980s. They were purported to aid in the relief of back pain and increase oxygen flow to the brain (which was said to facilitate clearer thinking). It would be nice to be able to get a new perspective of things, especially when I'm in a mental rut. Along with this card comes the rune Kenaz, which is often given the meaning "torch." What better way to find one's way in the dark? But before either will be of any help, I must first realize my mind is stuck in a holding pattern. I'm going to have to be willing to let go of those ideas and beliefs that I've been holding tightly with both hands.

Keep Riding but Change Course

This week I'll be using the Victorian Fairy Tarot, a deck and book set created by Lunaea Weatherstone and Gary A. Lippincott and published by Llewellyn. I will also being using the Haindl Rune Oracle, a deck and book set by Hermann Haindl and Nigel Pennick and published by U.S. Games. However, I prefer the text The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers instead of the Pennick book, so I'll be relying on it as I interpret the runes. Today's draw is the Knight of Winter (Swords) and "Kan (aka Kenaz):"

With his cloak billowing behind him and a crystal sword in his hand, the Winter Knight rides his mink at top speed. He's a man on a mission; he has a solution or an idea that he believes requires immediate action. The blackthorn in the background is a hint that this knight isn't much of a diplomat. He might have intelligence and be able to express his opinions well, but like the savage thorns on the shrub, he has no tact. His sharp words and insensitive delivery often fall on deaf ears.
Kenaz (also written as <) represents something hot and flaming. The Old English rune poem describes it as a torch burning clear and bright. There is an emphasis on seeing the truth, a breakthrough that can allow someone headed in the wrong direction to change course. I am encouraged by these cards to be kind and respectful in delivering my messages or opinions. If I want the information to be heard, I'll have to shine a light in the shadows, looking for any stubbornness or intellectual pride hidden underneath.