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2 entries this month
Meditation 14:44 Feb 05 2010
Times Read: 595
First I must tell you that Meditation is not as easy as one might think. The hardest part of all is learning to clear your mind of all unwanted thoughts. Have you ever tried to completely clear your mind and thinking of absolutely nothing? For most people it is almost impossible to do.... but it can be done, and I will show you.
1: First I want you to learn the most popular meditating position used for centuries. It is called the Lotus Position or Posture... "Padma-asana". Simply sit on the floor ( I suggest you use a comfortable rug or large pillow under you ) cross your legs with your feet over top of your calves and place both hands on your knees. This may feel a little awkward at first but you will become accustom to it after a few times of practice and stretching. You might also want to do some stretching exercises before trying any of this..... it will help your body to relax and you will respond to meditation much better.
2: Now that you have learned the Lotus position, it is time to set the atmosphere... you know... set the mood for meditation. You will need some candles or just one candle will do... preferably white. Light the candle and turn off the lights. Now we will need to light some incense! The best you will ever want to get and it is the most used is.... "Nag Champa" it is in a blue box and you will find it most any place that sells incense. Do not use some other cheap crap that smells like perfume or crap that you buy at a convenience store.... it will only irritate your senses, thus making meditation impossible. I am telling you.... get "Nag Champa" and you will thank me. Now we may ant to add one more thing..... New Age music. All these combined things will set the mood for meditation.
3: Here comes the hardest part...... Clear your mind of all thoughts. How do you do this?.... simply imagine a big Dumpster or a very large metal box on your mental screen. Then see it open and put all your thoughts and worries in it one by one.... bills... your love life.... problems.... your children.... your job... everything you can think of. Then close the lid and lock it! Then push it off your mental screen. If this does not work for you the first time... simply try again the next day.... it will work for you.
4: Now that you have set the mood, cleared your mind and you are in the lotus position.... you are ready to begin meditating. What do you do next? Well now that your mind is clear you can choose from two types of scenarios. I will add more soon.
*Note: make sure you will not be disturbed while doing meditation. Turn off the phone and if anyone lives with you tell them to leave you alone!
Scenario 1:
This meditation is simply doing nothing and thinking of nothing. Simply sit there after clearing your mind and continue to think of nothing. After awhile you may have some visions or a symbol appear to you mental screen. You may hear an inner voice which is God within speaking to you.... so listen carefully to your message. You may hear or see nothing and that is fine. This is simple stress relief and giving your mind and body some peace. It is giving your mind a break from all the everyday worries. After ten or fifteen minutes open your eyes and return to normal life.
Scenario 2:
This one is more fun and very easy. After you have cleared you mind..... see yourself walking through a field of tall grass and keep walking until you find a nice shade tree by a river. Sit yourself under the tree. Relax even more and enjoy the cool breeze and the sound of the water flowing nearby you. Take in all the sounds of Mother Nature.... the birds..... the wind... everything. Just sit there for as long as you so choose and enjoy your special place of peace. For this is the place you will want to return to every time you meditate. Try to notice how you now feel... how at peace you are with yourself. For in this place you are carefree and have no worries..... no one to harm you no one to stress you out, no one to tell you what to do.... only you and nature as one. You may want to stay here forever, but you must return after awhile. When you are ready to return.... simply get up from under the tree and walk back up the path through the field of tall grass till you return home. Gently open your eyes and return to normal life. With this meditation you could even purchase a "sounds of nature" tape that will help you have more of an experience of actually being there.
I hope you have enjoyed your journey into meditation and I hope it has brought you peace of mind.
RUNE WORK ( Fehu )14:46 Feb 01 2010
Times Read: 618
Fehu (pronounced FAY-who) equates to the English letter F.
It is the first rune of the Futhark and first of Freyja's Aett. The name means cattle and derives from the Germanic root-word vieh. The modern English words fee, fine and fief (as in fiefdom) are derivatives. Fehu is called Fe in Old Norse, Feoh in Anglo-Saxon, and Faihu in Gothic.
Why is Fehu the first rune? Well it is not uncommon for cattle as symbols of wealth to come first. Phoenician, Hebrew and Greek alphabets all start with letters meaning cattle. There is also the Norse myth of Creation where Auðhumla the primal cow licks a block of salt to give life to the first man of the human race. So Fehu in the guise of Auðhumla could be seen as the origin of man, and so Fehu is a logical choice for the first rune.
To the farming peoples of ancient Europe, wealth was measured in cattle. Cattle were - and still are - so versatile. They supply us with food, leather for shoes and clothes, and until quite recently they worked at ploughing and carrying burdens. Cattle are also moveable assets both physically and financially. You could drive a herd to another place and sell for a profit, or you could trade them for almost any commodity. A herd of cattle was not only a measure of wealth to the ancients, but a status symbol, like a Mercedes or Rolls-Royce in the drive would be today.
In literal terms then, Fehu means cattle, wealth, reward, generosity, ownership, livestock, nourishment, a beginning, or an opening gambit. In modern interpretation Fehu symbolizes money, a fee, a payment the ability to achieve and sustain success, or greater wealth. In other words, realized ambition. In a broader sense it can be interpreted to mean good health, love fulfilled and good fortune, but you are reminded of the need to be generous, to be charitable and to show compassion.
Fehu is associated with both Frey and Freyja and in the context of personal relationships may be taken to represent sexual love and even fertility - although this is usually the role of Berkanan. In my opinion the Frey/Freyja connection is a little suspect because there are more appropriate runes for those concepts as we will discover as we continue with this series.
The Fehu/Freyja tie-up may very well have sprung from the naming of the first Aett after Freyja, who otherwise has little connection with this rune. It is true that the Ox is sacred to Freyja, and also that Fehu is the initial rune of Freyja's name, but I feel these are rather tenuous connections. The ancients were usually a bit more brash and obvious with their associations. My personal theory is that mediæval runologists misinterpreted the name of the first Aett as Freyja's Aett instead of Fehu's Aett, and this misidentification has persisted down the centuries to modern times.
Another misconception I have seen is that Fehu means fire. It is associated with the element fire, but that is primarily because of the color-orientation of light red. The rune of fire is Kauno and I am not aware of any traditional sources for Fehu adopting this role.
The rune poems are pretty definite about the meaning of Fehu. The Anglo-Saxon Rune poem runs:
Wealth is a consolation to all men
Yet much of it must each man give away
If glory he desire To gain before his god.
The Icelandic Poem says:
Wealth source of discord among kinsmen
and fire of the sea and path of the serpent.
I think the last line is referring to the color of gold reflected by the rising or setting sun on the sea.
And the Norse version is very similar:
Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen;
the wolf lives in the forest.
I think the wolf is a metaphor for greed and envy, and refers to squabbling arising from disagreements over money and inheritance, or perhaps to the unacceptable nature of meanness. In Anglo-Saxon and Nordic culture, miserliness was eschewed. The wealthy were expected to be generous to maintain respect and authority. The wolf message to me means "don't hoard your wealth, be generous to be loved".
If we now turn to the interpretation of Fehu in a divining session, the wealth concept is paramount. You could read possessions won or earned, earned income, good fortune, abundance, financial strength in the present or near future. It could be a sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness or social success
In the reverse position, the antonyms are true: loss of personal property, poverty, debt, destitution, loss of respect, failure, greed, reduction, or slavery.
Fehu may also warn you to take care of the physical things in your life before undertaking a spiritual adventure. All your decisions must start by taking into account the day-to-day reality of your life, an assessment of your wealth in material things, knowledge, skill and talent. How do these things equip you for a spiritual journey? What other "wealth" do you need before jumping off into the unknown abyss?
Your spiritual wealth should be shared with others, but do not waste it on the undeserving. However, spiritual wealth is not reduced by use. Share as much as you can and you will become stronger, not weaker. To be ignorant of your talents doesn't mean you have none, only that they are undiscovered.
So we come full circle, back to the original Norse and Anglo-Saxon concept that wealth should be shared, not hoarded. And you, the benefactor, will be stronger and richer for the sharing, not weaker or poorer.
Magickally, Fehu can be used to attract wealth, to attain a goal or protect assets already gained. In this sense it symbolizes power over the environment and enables you to tap into your spiritual energy thus increasing your power to achieve and to hold what you have.
Fehu is associated with the color red - and sometimes with brown as the natural color of cattle. Its runic number is obviously 1. I am told by those who know about astrology that it is associated with Venus (presumably because of the Freyja link), the star sign Taurus (that one is obvious, too - even to me!), and I learned from a Tarot site that it equates to the Empress card (I guess that is Freyja again).
The two elements fire and earth are appropriate to Fehu, and the Elder tree, the stinging nettle and the moss agate gemstone are the other associations. Fehu is naturally enough, of feminine alignment.
Fehu may be invoked as a talisman, amulet, charm or magic formula to help those who feel unwell, neglected or deprived. Its purpose is to rebuild inner strength - increasing richness if you like - both mentally and physically. I often include Fehu in custom made practical bindrunes. Not only to symbolize wealth in all its forms, but also when there is a need to bolster someone's self-esteem, resolve and confidence.
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