draco @draco@witches.town

Yesterday I rode home from a meeting in a friends car and they were playing a song where some dude complains about growing up in a normal middle class family and I felt like saying "you know nothing".

A little down about my (very very long) todo list. I feel that way every time before meetings of the Nornirs Ætt. Suddenly time feels so short. #emotional #feels

Thanks to typing down the notes I take while learning math with my wife, I'm also learning a huge deal about LaTeX.

#runes Rune Nr. 5: Raidho. Sound: r. Traditional meaning: ride or carriage.

Modern interpretation: travel, movement (both literally and figuratively), development, setting things in motion, dynamic, acceleration.

Upside down: Inverted Raidho means a halt. Something doesn't get moving or is delayed or slowed down.

https://witches.town/media/9ZofTFLU_HR7TI7WMDM https://witches.town/media/bbpJ3lJ-oa7sbCW5s2s https://witches.town/media/cgoQTxPcbDWIVtzevKw

#freelance I may be slightly overcommitted. But the newest two projects n my queue are just the stuff I _want_ to do - proofreading academic texts and working on music *for pay*. (And I need the money.) The next weeks are going to be ... interesting.

#freiberuflerei vielleicht hab ich mir zuviel aufgeladen, aber die letzten 2 Projekte auf meiner sind genau das Zeug, das ich gerne mache - akademische Texte korrekturlesen und an Musik arbeiten *für Geld*. Die nächsten Wochen werden interessant.

#runes rune nr. 4: Ansuz.
Sound: a as in "art". Traditional meaning: As/deity, especially from the Æsir family.

Modern interpretation: The divine, the sacred; inspiration; being in touch with your best self or with (what is commonly called) spirituality.

Reversed: being out of touch with the sacred, mundane things.

https://witches.town/media/KWlpAIV28_wte4hZibo (that dirty brown spot? Yeah, cat walking over wet watercolor. Also, that sketchbook paper + masking fluid are not a great match.)

#runes and this is what Thurisaz looks like! https://witches.town/media/IHbu_vddxbF-V5iNeUc

#runes

Modern interpretation of Thurisaz: An explosive force or a discharge, thunderstorm, open conflict (not necessarily destructive; arguing out a conflict can clarify things and resolve tension). To me, Thurisaz is also about setting or enforcing limits.

Reversed: Something wants to discharge or explode, but can't get out (yet) - a great energy is (uncomfortably) contained, stuck or stagnant.

I'll post the image later :)

#runes third rune: Thurisaz. Sound: unvoiced th like in thorn. Traditional meaning: Giant or thurs, a group of primal, powerful beings in Norse mythology who are often seen as the chaotic forces that counteract the Æsir. (That is grossly simplified; the relationships of Giants, Vanir and Æsir are complex and diverse.)

Thurisaz is also associated with Thor, the god of thunder.

#runes
Next one: Uruz. Sound: u as in boot.

Traditional meaning: aurochs.

Modern interpretation: wild, animalic, vital, untamed power. Strength (of body, but also will - to the degree of stubbornness).

Upside-down: Lack of vitality or strength.

https://witches.town/media/mKb79r_ZfIyYEv8uono

#femme on femme attraction is another point that makes things weirder... because to many who use the term "femme", "butch" is a necessary counterpart. But my desire seems to be built otherwise than along an assumed polarity of masculine and feminine. Attraction to femininity is a strong constant for me; femininity can be many things, though, not necessarily opera diva type hyperfemininity.

Thinking about #femme as my gender again. For a few years now, the term "lesbian" seems to apply to me only very inexactly. Femme has become an identity I feel very at home with, and in many contexts, I don't identify as "woman" any more. It feels as if, in an imaginary multi-dimensional gender spectrum, my position was shifted from "woman" on an axis many don't even perceive or know of. Does that make any sense?

#runes Oh shoot, tusky ate the image. Here's what Fehu looks like: https://witches.town/media/gjjSL4dJr48iEdLoaFY

#runes here's the first one:

Fehu. Sound: f. Traditional meaning: cattle, especially cows.

Modern interpretation: Material resources, e.g. money, wealth. The materials needed for a project; your assets; stuff you can put to use.

Upside down: Lack of resources (e.g. being flat out broke), or no access to them.

#runes Second, read (esoteric) rune books with a sound dose of criticism. There's a lot of BS uncritically passed around as "old tradition" that's at most a century old, possibly sprung from some fabulations of early 20th century racist writers. Developing a good bs detector in that field takes time and some reading, but it's well worth the work.

Ok, I thought of a few caveats regarding that #runes series.

First off, what I will post here is a part of my own practice, learnt over many years from a multitude of sources of varying trustworthiness - namely books and a few close friends. Yes, it will be largely esoteric and a modern interpretation. This is my personal practice and meant as an example of how you can approach the runes, or a very basic primer. Do your own research!

#runes Bright side to the list runeset problem: I get to document the genesis of it's sucessor :)

#sortawitchy #magic Yesterday night, I was thinking about how I could honor a learning commitment about the #runes better. I work with the Elder Futhark exclusively, and I was thinking of writing one toot about each rune every day for 24 days. But I'm also ready to answer rune questions. (I might take some time, though, busybody that I am.) Can't offer any readings ATM, though, b/c I still have to replace my lost rune set :(