This week’s PIck-A-Rune features Bison Teeth Runes and Iolite, Labradorite, and Charoite.
Look at the picture above. Now look away. When you look back, what calls to you? That’s your number. Note it here in the comments, or if you have already done this on my Instagram, then look below for the reveal. We’re in Aries season now, and the primal fire is hot.
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1) Iolite is Ingwaz; 2) Labradorite is Wunjo; 3) Charoite is Jera.
#1 – Iolite & Ingwaz.
#1 – Iolite & Ingwaz: The full moon is coming and you need to tie up loose ends. With those chores done you can release that anxiety that has been hanging around and truly rest. Take a day off from everything as soon as you can. Venture deep into nature. Dig your toes in the sand, your hands in the soil; or your back against a tree. Let the sun shine on you for a good moment. This is a time to use your third-eye chakra. Then look to see how you can help heal our dear Mother Earth, even in a small way.
#2 Labradorite with Wunjo.
#2- Labradorite with Wunjo. If you’re feeling in a rut, you need to look for wonderment again. Avoid intoxicants for a bit of time and listen to your mind, body, and spirit. There is a new detour on your path that will return pleasure and harmony to you. Use the passion and fire of Aries season to get it on!
Charoite and Jera.
#3 – Charoite and Jera have a message for you: Renew your commitment to getting that project done. It will be not only a gift to yourself but to all those around you. However, more joy will be yours if you’re humble about the accomplishment of it. You will succeed in your goal; just don’t let it go to your head.
Thanks again for accepting this casting. If you appreciate this weekly messages, let me know in the comments. Don’t forget I do full readings as found in my Magical Flea Market. You can find my offerings here: Book A Rune Casting With Runa. If you don’t have an Etsy account, you can always message me and we can book a reading privately.
Now go out and be the magic of this world by being your truest self and living your best life.
This piece was handmade in Hawaii by Erma O’Brien.
For women’s history month, I’ve been trying hard to get this post done. Instead, I’ve been busy treasure hunting for things in the Magical Flea Market. I scour yard sales and thrift stores and love me a good estate sale. I am always on the hunt for anything my fellow Witches would find useful or lovely for their own homes, altars, and sacred spaces. I especially love to come across things that are handmade and contain decidedly positive and/or elemental energy like the piece shown above. It was handmade, and carefully curated, and clearly holds some water energy. It’s vintage for sure, given the technique and the hardware to hang it. This one is likely from the 60s.
Love to find treasures like this and pass the magic along.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find other information about dear Erma’s work; but I do know she is still living in Maui and has achieved uber Crone status. I wonder if she knows her piece of art is up here in Washington State?
Regardless, I share this because this is a prime example of the things I try to put up in the Magical Flea Market. All items are cleansed and charged magically so that they arrive at your door step ready to imbue joy and good energy for your workings or just your pleasure. When something is handmade, featuring an elemental item (shells in this case) I’m immediately drawn to it, imagining the artist creating it. If I find, like this one, that it’s made by a woman, it ups my interest as well.
The history of women getting together and crafting both useful and just for the love of art items is long and many of our Pagan siSTARs through the years sat sewing, weaving, molding, and in Erma’s case here, designing, something that would grace walls, counters, altars, and the like for years to come. Before the internet or any modern communication technology, these circles of crafting women, were where lessons were learned, information was shared, and feminine bonds were created. It’s also, often, where movements for equality and progress were born. There’s a reason why the Patriarchy is so afraid of any kind of circle, whether it be a Witch’s ritual one, or just a knitting one.
Giacomo Ceruti, Women Working on Pillow Lace (1720s) (via Wikipedia)
This post is also a reminder that each week — most recently each Thursday — I post an “item of the week” from the Magical Flea Market. It sometimes comes with a discount if you purchase a featured item. So check back either here or in the Etsy shop to find that something with that special vibe that you just can’t live without and which some artist lovingly made. Unfortunately, our dear seahorse shown here has already been claimed. But there’s lots more to see over at the Magical Flea Market, so don’t despair, there’s something there for you.
In the meantime, I encourage you to explore where crafting circles exist in your ancestry and your community. There’s a good chance you have your own Erma in your family tree or in your own neck of the woods.
It’s that time of the week again, where you get a little Hump-Day pick me up with my weekly Pick-A-Rune. With the Moon in Taurus you may be feeling a bit wanting to be home-centered. I know that with the Covid Pandemic, that’s not a big guidance. But if you were thinking of going off on a new journey, maybe take a minute a make some more secure plans. So which of these rune pairs are calling to you?
This week we have #1. Bloodstone, the warrior stone; #2 Pyrite; also known as fool’s gold; and, #3 Citrine; that great healer.
Take a moment and breathe, and choose what aligns with your spirit right in this minute. Tell me below which you choose!
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What a reveal! These stones together with the runes are so powerful, but alone they are quite the source of energy, too. Now here’s the downlow:
#1 Bloodstone & Tiwaz (Merkstave*) – The Sky God wants you to sit down and just take stock. You’ve been in a constant conflict with yourself. You are overthinking and creating an energy block, especially where your creativity is concerned. If you continue in this pattern you may find yourself in a larger cycle of dwindling passions and even failure. Take some time to ground, center, and root and come back into the now. Future-tripping is helping no one, especially yourself. The order you desire comes with the practice of mindfulness.
#2 Pyrite & Ansuz – Your dreams are here to to provide you messages from your gods, ancestors, and/or the Universe. If you haven’t been doing dream work, this is a message to get back into it, start, or re-invigorate it. With this dream work you will find a new wisdom and mental agility you have been craving. If you do dream work on the regular it may be time to push yourself and begin the advanced work of visions quests and/or astral projection.
#3 Citrine & Berkano – The growth you have experienced lately felt like so much loss, but that transition has brought you new liberation, you just need to surrender and accept it — radically! That new venture you were fearful of trying? it’s time to dive in for it will bring you a new prosperity. Whenever you have Berkano come up in a reading, it’s also a message to do one small thing for the Earth right now. Plant a tree, pick up litter, or leave an offering of some sort.
Thanks again for accepting this casting. If you appreciate this weekly messages, let me know in the comments. Don’t forget I do full readings as found in my Magical Flea Market. You can find my offerings here: Book A Rune Casting With Runa. If you don’t have an Etsy account, you can always message me and we can book via that way.
Now go out and be the magic of this world by being your truest self and living your best life.
Bare feet on the ground is some of the easiest healing magic you can do. The more you do it, the more you’ll understand just how restorative it can be.
Yesterday My Viking and I took a day off. His goal for 2021 was to take one day a month to just be out in nature, whether it’s a day trip into the forests or mountains around us, or down to the coast to get some salt air and beach comb, we are making the time for it.
Being Outside is the number one thing we miss from our travel life and making time for it became a priority in 2021. We recognize after months of Pandemic Captivity in our home that our lack of time in nature was affecting us. And having done this now three times — once in a park, once in our own property, and now at the beach, the healing properties cannot be dismissed. Also, it gives me a good excuse to perform a little energy work whilst we’re exploring and communing with our dear sweet Mother Gaia. Such work always starts with grounding, centering, and rooting (GCR), which to have the biggest impact means putting my bare feet into the sand, grass, or dirt of this planet we’ve been charged with caring for — a mission I take very seriously. You have to take care of yourself, before you can take care of anyone, or anything. GCR is a great way to be in the present and clear away the anxiety, stress, and other negative things we are constantly being barraged with in modern life. You don’t have to call yourself a witch to do it. But if you’re a witch, it should be a regular part of your life. I’ve ended up craving it and I don’t feel bad about such a need.
Our most recent trip took us to the ocean, a place very healing for the both of us. It was a brisk 37 degrees F, when we arrived, warming up to just 45 degrees F by the time we left. But we hiked 5 miles through forest and along shoreline and sat up on a bluff looking out on the ocean and watching for Gray Whales (it’s migration season). We didn’t see any water spouts or breaches, but saw some suspicious looking darkness in the water that may have been some sea life wanting to be left alone. As a Solitary, I can relate and don’t judge.
But the most important thing that we do each time we take these GCR dates, is to take a moment to either sit on the ground and root/ground ourselves while focusing on our breath and connecting with not only our personal energy, but the energy this marvelous planet gives us. The Viking likens it to the process of grounding an electrical circuit. In electricity if an object is negatively charged, grounding allows the excess energy to flow into the earth instead of say, your body. Like lightening rods save the house by holding the surge from the strike. It’s a way to balance things. And that’s exactly what these monthly (hopefully we’ll get to go twice a month) missions have produced: balance. The amount of calm and focus I’m feeling right now is so incredible, I had to pen this missive to try to convince you all to give it a go. You don’t have to take a whole day to do it, and the more you do it the better you’ll feel and the quicker you can find your center and stand in your power. All the worries, all the stress, everything seems so healthily in perspective after you take this time.
As an Intuitive Witch, Dream Interpreter, Rune Caster, and Hedge Rider, grounding and centering is part of each and every act of divination and magic work I do. But to spend a whole day to just focus on that is like refilling your well of psychic energy. But if you begin to schedule even small moments to do it (like my morning coffee ritual), you can give yourself little top-offs to sustain you. It’s much like warming your tea or coffee before it’s all gone.
Never underestimate the healing powers of putting your feet on the earth.
If it’s been awhile since you’ve done this, here’s some quickie steps to finding your footing — pun intended — on connecting to your higher self through planting your feet on the ground. Now this method that I prefer is what many Witches call Rooting: putting your bare feet on the ground. I spend some time just feeling the grass, sand, soil (leaves, if it’s Autumn…you get the picture), against heels and spreading my toes wide and making sure I’m really rooted. If you practice Yoga, a good Mountain Pose is great here. Then I focus on my breath, taking in several long breaths in and out and then letting my mind imagine myself connecting to the Earth. Sometimes I imagine roots, sometimes fronds of seaweed, whatever imagery seems appropriate at the time. Then I continue breathing and with each breath in, I imagine the Earth’s energy coming into me (as well, you know it truly is, but focusing on it is where the magic is). With every breath out, I give back energy to the earth, and let the cycle complete until this wave of sheer calm, control and comfort comes over me. Sometimes it takes me longer to do this than other times. Regardless, the end result seems like some kind of miracle, yet it’s so simple to achieve, especially when you make it a regular practice.
For whatever reason you cannot put your bare feet on the ground (I get it, winter temps on bare feet are the opposite of healing for some folks) there are other ways to do ground and center yourself.
Wind: Just standing outside and letting the wind blow on you can be healing. If you’re a motorcyclist, like me, that wind in your face can feel so good. Maybe you didn’t realize that you were actually grounding yourself when you took your bike out on the trail. Or like when you were a kid and leaning out the open car window. Again focusing on your breath and doing that energy exchange, this time with the element of air is a quick and easy way to ground and rebalance yourself.
Water: Emerging yourself in the ocean, a lake, a river, even a hot tub, indoor pool, your shower, is a great way to balance yourself. There’s a reason a Moon Bath is so powerful — it’s another way to realign your energies when things get out of whack. Imagine the water taking away your negativity and leaving you awash in the fluidity of calm. Maybe it’s time to look at our shower as a portal to peacefulness?
Fire: Sit by a fire, a sauna, or in the sun, or breaking a sweat (exercise) is another way to rebalance those energies. That heat you produce when exposed to other heat is an exchange. Again, don’t forget to focus first on your breathing and imagining yourself connecting to that flame, that primal fire within ourselves and our planet.
GCR’ing yourself (yes, I just made that a verb) around any of the elements, but especially Earth, in my humble opinion, is some of the best tools in our magical workshop. But I think we get hung up sometimes on having to have these huge elaborate rituals to stand in our power. There’s a time and a place for that, for sure. However, setting aside some time to just commune with those elements, to exchange energy, to just be, even for 5 minutes, is such powerful magic. You just may find yourself wanting to do it daily, and seriously, you certainly could. Making it a daily practice and trying to take these monthly days in nature up to twice a month or even to weekly is a magical goal for me as well. And I have to say, my familiars really dig it, too.
How do you repair an energy imbalance? Do you use any of these techniques? What other ways could you share with all of us to help balance energy and be grounded and centered?
Granny Shadow really loves the days we focus being in Nature.
Look at the photo. Which one calls to you? Is it 1) Tiger’s Eye; 2) Green Flourite; or 3) Sodalite? See the full Casting below.
Dear friends, readers, and fellow Witches:
As is often with how I operate, Spirit sent me lots of messages yesterday about how I’m conducting my readings and its benefit to others, as well as myself. In response to that Divine Download, from today onward you will find the Pick-A-Rune Reveal post here on Wednesdays. I will continue to post the Pick-A-Rune prompt on Instagram; but the Reveal will be here. It’s an extra step; but, it means the messages to those it should reach will be stronger.
Additionally, there will changes coming (think Aries season) to The Magical Flea Market and my website here, which will reflect the things I have learned since becoming a Mystical Business Owner, aka a Boss Witch. When I first started in this practice, I underestimated the amount of effort required to provide a quality experience. Clearly I’m still learning the lesson on Psychic Energy Use I blogged about not too long ago.
Because it is important to me to take the time and invest the energy to deliver a high-quality experience for my clients, especially for my dream interpretations and Rune castings, how I offer my services and goods will begin to change. Some things will only be found here at RunaTroy.com, whereas my magically curated items (Witch Bottles, Dream Recall Bags, e.g.) will remain offered over on Etsy via The Magical Flea Market. At some point, I hope to have everything in one place (TBD). But for now, this is my way of letting those who regularly use my services to know that I have received the messages from not only my clients, my fellow Witches, but also Source, that I have been devaluing my knowledge, skills, and abilities and that is not good for anyone. As a Crone, I should know better; but, there’s one thing true about practicing Witchcraft — you are always learning.
In the meantime, I hope that my movement to knowing my value and worth will rub off on all of you. I think that is a message we all need especially in these times of late-stage capitalism and late-stage pandemic.
Now to the weekly Pick-a-Rune Casting:
1. is Fehu Merkstave (reversed); 2. is Naudhiz; 3. is Raidho. For full reading on your pick see below.
Here we find Fehu Merkstave (reversed) under the Tiger’s Eye stone. Freyja has a message for you that you are doing too much and are headed for burnout. Such a crisis will sow discord and impact your finances. So take some time TODAY and re-prioritize and re-value what is truly important. Remember without personal happiness there is no true wealth.
Here we find Naudhiz under the Green Flourite. If you are taking unnecessary risks, this is not a good time for that. Yeah, yeah, you have to risk it to get the biscuit, but the biscuit for you right now means a big ol’ stone of distress, because those risks are harming those around you. Take a pause and check yourself before your wreck yourself. You’re missing a key something to make things right.
Here we find Raidho under the Sodalite. Hitch up your wagon and know you are moving forward. Just don’t forget to focus in on the logistics to arrive safely to your goal. Don’t rely on others to achieve your objective right now. You must rely on your own chutzpah. The journey will lead you to bigger and better things; just don’t forget to trust yourself along the way.
Thanks again for visiting. I hope this weekly reading on the ramp up to the New Moon in Pisces resonates with you. If you are interested in a deeper Rune Casting reading, please consider booking one with me. Again, please note that the current prices will be changing in a couple of weeks, so booking now under the lower price might just be what the gods ordered for you. I have openings still for the New Moon time. If you have questions about how that looks, feel free to email me at Runa(at)CountryDwellers(dot)com
Look at this lovely. Her messages were just as beautiful.
Since arriving at Villa Westwyk, there’s been many messages from Spirit to let me know I’m in the right place and on the right path. We found this property, honestly, in the knick of time. We had looked at dozens and dozens of properties and this one just randomly popped up on my search parameters and wasn’t even on our realtor’s radar. The property had a pending offer and went off the market, but I found it just as it went back on because the buyer pulled out. It checked all our boxes and although there were compromises (there is in any living situation), the important stuff on our list was met.
Once here, the abundant wildlife was prevalent. So many song birds, but also bald and golden eagles, hawks, ducks, geese, and hummingbirds. The first weekend we spent here we saw fox, bobcat, and coyote. And the frogs. Oh my, the frogs are everywhere, telling me our property is pretty healthy despite the neglect from the former owners, whose lives took them away from the Villa to other paths. We have a resident raven, for which we’ve named SplitWing, because he has this seeming birth defect that has one wing kind of cattywampus and a deep split in it. You can pick him out of a crowd for sure. He tolerates the dogs chasing him a bit and visits each day to aerate the west lawn and get his fill of bugs and worms. When I put out seed for the birds, he’s always first to come along, but he shares with the others, to include a Pileated Woodpecker who’s call always makes me laugh.
Then there was the visit from my (deceased) Father — one of the strongest clairvoyant experiences this ol’ Hedge Crone has had in her life thus far. He told me to hang onto this property. To my family. To my friends. His spirit seems to hover here often. I’ll be working in the yard and I can smell the pipe tobacco he often smoked when I was younger. The fact that I’m writing this today, his birthday, seems very serendipitous. He would have been 75 years old today.
Then as summer moved closer to fall I was blessed with visits from many, many Praying Mantis. Every time I worked in the yard, I found them. One special time, a particularly beautiful one just landed on my hand as I held a shovel. The strange thing was that shortly before the first one descended onto our property (they fly rather spastically), The Viking (my spouse for those who are new here) had told me he hadn’t ever seen a Praying Mantis in person. Why we were even talking about such a thing, I don’t recall. Therein lies the magic of Divine Downloads.
That clearly was a sign from spirit. Therefore, the visits from the Praying Mantis got me thinking. What was Spirit trying to tell me? About the time of their visits I was feeling rather verklempt over losing our travel life (this time last year I was in the Mojave doing magic in the desert and looking forward to moving towards Alaska on our sailboat come summer). But Pops message kept repeating in my brain “Hold on to what you have, Betty (his nickname for me).” What I have is wonderful. I love Villa Westwyk, but the restlessness of staying in one place after being nomadic for almost two years was draining me. And then the Praying Mantis came and made their home my home. In many cultures, the Praying Mantis is considered good luck. From a permaculture standpoint, they are an indicator of a healthy land space (much like frogs are) and they reduce the population of harmful insects. If you check my instagram from last year and you’ll see one taking care of a wasp — although wasps are typically pollinators, we had an imbalance of them on our property when we first moved in. The Mantis took care of that imbalance.
Even now their presence is about — I’m finding egg sacs all over the property — even one in our cold frame, which means we’ll be blessed again this year with more. After sitting with the message and meditating and, of course, doing my dream work and divining runes, it all pointed to one thing: Sometimes we give things up, regardless of how that sacrifice came up (mine was prompted by the global pandemic), only to learn that we are stronger and more sure of the path we are now on. This is much like the Praying Mantis, where after breeding, the female often eats the male. Well-nourished females produce healthier eggs. The sacrifice of the mate is returned many-fold by the hundreds of nymphs that emerge from one egg sac.
The sacrifice(s) that have brought me to this point in my life have produced hundreds of blessings. These Wild Familiars, not just the Mantis, hold messages when we have questions about our way forward. For now, everything points to I am where I need to be and doing the work I should be doing. That knowledge was brought forward by these Wild Familiars. When you have questions and feel that restlessness about which path allows you to be your truest self and live your best life, take a breath and see the messages about you through Nature and her creatures.
What are your Wild Familiars? What messages have they brought you?
Every day items can be used to enhance the magic and accessibility to our higher selves. This is what some term “Old World Magic,” meaning people wanted the things they used every day to be full of positive energy.
Open doors in this world and in your magical world.
This vintage door handle set can be used to create some great design feel in your covenstead. The bonus for this set is that it has been cleansed and charged under the Super Blue Moon by an elder witch to help gain access to your best and highest good. This particular set has a shabby-chic patina, but is fully functional.
For those Country Dwellers out there looking to use this set for spell crafting, they are ready for your work. Often door knobs are used to provide access to our dreams, new pathways in our lives, manifesting new opportunities, or even deciding which route to go when you have too many choices.
Instagram, TikTok, and the like have been a great way to stay in touch with your community throughout this Coronovirus Global Pandemic. If you’re like me, it’s allowed you to expand and strengthen your community and relationships. But, you must remember it’s full of haters and dictators, too. That said, as mentioned before, it’s also full of love and teachers. You have to decide which one you are and if you’ll make space for the other.
For every post where practioners of the Craft say “you’re doing it wrong” there’s at least one if not more with, “here’s what I do, maybe it’ll work for you, too” post. I tend to be attracted to the latter and try my best to model it as well. The former however seems counter to all that Witchcraft offers those on its path.
That said, we all get in a mood sometimes and it’s easy to hit that button and bomb a missive into the ether of the Internet. So perhaps we need to ask ourselves – this is something I tried to get teach my children: T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak (or post, as the case may be).
This poster hung in our home while our kids were still living with us. It’s a great guide for social media posts, too.
Let’s look closely at those parameters again:
T – is it True?
H – is it Helpful?
I – is it Inspiring?
N – is it Necessary?
K – is it Kind?
If what you’re about to put out into the world as a constructive criticism is a knee jerk, maybe take a breath and run it through a filter. And I don’t mean the Moon filter, but rather, check whether it supports the T.H.I.N.K. frame work. Because otherwise, edicts of “you’re doing it wrong” will fall flat and maybe even get you your own cancel hashtag.
In regards to being a witch and practicing, I believe, and most witches I know do as well, that inclusion is the key to determining if you’re walking a legit path. Do we want to exclude hate and oppression? You betcha! Do we want to include as many people into the world of magical practice? Without a doubt! Prostelyzing is not a core tenet of Witchcraft, which in itself may open the door to these Negative Nancies. But how we leverage inclusivity is just as important as not being exclusive in our creeds. Ranting “you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it like me!” isn’t very inclusive. Refer back to T.H.I.N.K.
Honestly, if someone is doing something that you don’t find authentic, walk away. The Universe will teach that person in due time. And we all started somewhere. As someone who has spent most of her life in the broom closet, huzzah for photos of Tarot spreads, tiktok quick spells for the New Moon, and notifications of the Cosmic Weather. How wonderful that people can be so open with their Craft. Unless someone is being hurt physically, emotionally, mentally, or financially, calling out someone who practices the Craft differently than you do amounts to being a bully, mean girl, and a general judgie mcjudgy pants.
Witches have been judged for too long. Acceptance, leading by example, and minding our own path seems way more like being a Witch, than what the stereotypes would have anyone believe. Don’t understand why someone is practicing a certain way? How about opening up a dialogue and ask questions. Your questions and their answers may teach both of you something.
Fairy Rock; an uncommon yet powerful tool to unlocking dreams.
According to long-time Witch and Country Dweller knowledge, this rare Fairy Note or Fairy Writing Rock is found along natural river shorelines. This particular one came from the banks of the Colorado River. A Fairy Note Rock is a type of igneous rock included with crystals of what is usually Feldspar in patterns resembling the script of the land’s good neighbors (fairy). These stones are untouched by man. They are naturally river tumbled. They are sometimes called “frogs” because they are found sitting on top of river rocks. Fairy Note rocks are said to offer help to access information whether it be from dreams, ancient sacred texts, Akashic records, or other divination, by providing clarity in translation. It is a stone to support dream work, helping us into the dream state and to direct our dreams. Use on your altar, your tarot table, bedside, or keep on your person for clarity of intuition and universal messaging. This particular one fits in your hand as if it was a natural writing stone; makes for nice comfort as you meditate with it.
This rock was traded for other gifts to the fae under the New Moon in Capricorn, as well as when first obtained under the Full Worm Moon of March 2020. They leave their mystical messages and energies embedded in these unusual rocks. Working with the energy of this stone is very powerful even for the most experienced practitioner. Be sure to ground and center before use.
There’s only one of these in my shop, so if you’re interested, I suggest you head over to the Magical Flea Market on Etsy today!
