The Runes as Key to a Spiritual Awakening - Part One

 The Runes as Key to a Spiritual Awakening

The Old English Runes are a unique key that can be used as a means to a Spiritual Awakening, since they link directly to the 33 vertebrae of the Spinal Column. The human Spinal Column creates a link between the Earth and the Divine, and the 33 runes can be placed along this column, starting with Feoh at the top of the column. This has to be this way since it starts with the 24 Runes of the Elder Futhark, adding the 5 Runes of the Sacrum, and the 4 Runes of the Coccyx, these latter vertebrae being fused together. 

The Spinal Column, which in this Spiritual Discipline we call 'Mount Me-Ru', linked to the idea of the 'Measure of the Runes', is the Irminsul or Yggdrasil at a microcosmic level. It is also the 'Shaman's Ladder' by which he climbs the 'column' between Earth and Heaven, a Stairway to the Divine. As we find in the image of Ratatosk running up and down the World Tree, there is a two-way movement either from top to bottom, or bottom to top, and this is a vital part of this process of Awakening. 

The important symbolism is the World Pillar or World Tree, with the Serpent at the base, the Eagle at the top, and the Hawk between the eyebrows of the Eagle. The wings of the Eagle, or the wings of the Swan on the Irminsul, are symbolic of the Right-Brain and Left-Brain. The wings can also symbolise the lungs, the means by which air (and Life-Force) is drawn into the body. The Serpent, at one level, is thus the Kundalini Force or 'Fire-Serpent' that lies dormant at the base of the spine, and which can be awakened in the Initiate-Hero and which rises upwards along the Spinal Column and opens the Mind's Eye (in theory, of course). The key to this is the use of the 33 Ar-Kan Runes and the use of the Vital Breath - controlled breathing techniques. 

The runes, running from top to bottom, are -

Feoh - Ur - Thorn - Rad - Ken - Gyfu - Wyn : Haegl - Nyd - Is - Ger - Eoh - Perth - Eohls - Sig-el : Tir - Beorc - E(o)h - Man - Lagu - Ing - Daeg - Edel : Ac - Aesc - Yr - Ior - Ear - Cweorth - Calc - Stan : Gar. 

In the Ar-Kan Runes there will be variants of some runes used, to suit different purposes in their use. 

"I am the Beginning and the End - the First and the Last" - in this respect the Gar-Rune could be used as the first rune or it could be used as the last rune. This is one experiment that we shall be trying out in our work on the Ar-Kan Runes. (This is why we need not use the term 'Old English Runes' or 'Anglo-Saxon Runes', since the Ar-Kan Runes will be based upon these, but will be subject to experiment and change where necessary. Plus the fact we shall use variants in the glyphs of some runes.) In regard to the same theme, we may even start to study the Runic UTHARK system, where the F-Rune is moved to the end, leaving the U-Rune at the beginning. This was devised in the 1930s by a philologist named Sigurd Agrell, a professor at the Lund University in Sweden. This is not well-know and is widely rejected because it has no 'historical' basis - as if we always need 'historical proof' for something that could (like other things) spring from the 'Well of Memory'. I have not idea if this is valid as yet, but to be honest, anything is worth looking into, and nothing can be lost through doing so. 

When we speak of 'Awakening the Fire-Serpent' this is directly linked to Ingwe whose name suggests the 'Fiery-Serpent'. In a sense this is linked to the 'Resurrection of Ingwe', but in the sense of his being a Solar-God of Fire and Light. Just as important is the Goddess Freya, who's is a Solar-Goddess of Fire and Light, hence her symbol being that of the 'Fire-Necklace'. (The 'necklace' can also be symbolic of the female sexual organs, or more precisely this area of the body. The two versions of the Ing-Rune (Germanic-Diamond-Ing & English Ing) show the female and male - the former as the Female, the latter as the DNA which is passed through the Male-Line (it also contains the Female Ing-Rune too). In fact, there is another variant on the Diamond-Ing Rune, but with a line passing through and down, symbolic of the male sexual organ. We should think as much in terms of a Female Creative Force and a Male Creative Force, both of which have to be joined in a 'Sacred Marriage' in order for any kind of Creative Act to take place. 

The two-way movement of the Vril-Energy is important in that it gives equal importance to Matter and Spirit. Many eastern traditions place Spirit above Matter, and such views as some of the Gnostic and early heretical Christian sects dismiss Matter altogether. Germanic Lore recognises the body (matter) as being the 'temple' for the soul (spirit). Thus, importance is given to Body, Soul and Spirit. And the 'soul' is a multi-faceted form in man and is present in everything - in all life-forms, even rocks and stones. 

In Norse Mythology the link between Midgard and Asgard is the Bifrost (or Bilrost) Bridge - the 'Rainbow-Bridge'. This has been linked to the Milky Way, but also the Northern Lights, but what we can say it links to the Mystical North and the Home of the Gods. The Bifrost Bridge can also be linked to the Spinal Column, since this is the case with the Milky Way, but using the rainbow colours for the Seven Chakras must be seen in the light of its use by the 'New-Agers' rather than some archaic Hindu idea. The name 'Bilrost' appears to relate to a female figure named 'Bil', and Viktor Rydberg sees here as being the same as Idunn. Idunn is certainly related to 'regeneration' and to 'immortality' since she guards the 'Golden Apples of Immortality'. Another divine figure linked to Bifrost is Hama (Heimdall) who we know as a 'God of Fire' linked to the Vedic Agni; this link also relates to Ingwe, so for this we shall see them as both Archetypal Gods of Fire and Light. 

The transformation of The Serpent to the Winged Serpent (or The Serpent to the Eagle) is related to the Myth of Knit Mountain, where Woden achieves this whilst gaining the Sacred Mead of Inspiration. Woden, of course, is the God of the Vital Breath - Ond or Anda - needed to 'fan the embers' as the Fiery-Essence awakens in the Initiate. As for the Three Energy-Centres (ALU-ULA) we can see these as being placed along the spinal column, most likely (and this is open to experiment too) using the 24 Runes of the 24 vertebrae. Of course, to do this means that the A - L - U runes would be the 'Primal Runes' for the Three Energy Centres, which would also have other runes at the three points of the 24 Runes. What about the extra 9 Runes? Since the runes of the Coccyx relate to the Four Hallows - Gral Runes then these would relate to being 'beyond' this part of the spinal column. 

There may be a hint in the Edel and Daeg Runes being interchangeable, since if the Edel-Rune were place after the Daeg-Rune, thus coming at the end of this sequence, its meaning contains that of 'beyond'. The Sang-Real or 'Holy Blood' is the basis for the Gral-Mythos, and thus the Quest for Immortality. These runes would be linked to this, as may the Sacrum Runes - Ac - Aesc - Yr - Ior - Ear. 

The Gar-Rune - the Spear of Woden - represents the Spinal Column in itself, hence why it does not actually form part of the 4 Aettir. It is the 'Gift of Ing' and thus clearly related to Ingwe as well as Woden. To keep things simple for now Woden, Freya and Ingwe will be the main Gods/Goddesses concerned with this Spiritual Awakening. The Male Initiate would no doubt put more emphasis upon the Male, whilst the Female Initiate would put more emphasis upon the Female. A balance must be kept though but this is not unbalanced using these three, since Woden-Freya and Ingwe-Freya can be paired together.