Runic Visions

Astral and paranormal experiences, dreams and visions.
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Silvaeon
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Runic Visions

Post by Silvaeon »

I'll start this thread by sharing an experience I had a couple weeks ago. It's been on my mind quite heavily since.

I was listening to music in a dark room one evening, which is a very common activity for me. I had a window open for some fresh air, with the blinds closed over it. The album finished playing, so I got up to get ready for bed. It was getting quite cold, so I opened the blinds in order to close the window. As I opened them, I was struck by a very vivid Ihwaz rune glowing in the window. It was a very bright blue color.

In my case, this is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have a passing interest in runes that I've never acted on, so I have essentially no prior knowledge about them, to the point that I had to look up what this particular rune was called. And secondly, I am not prone to having symbolic visions like this, so it was quite a unique and striking experience.

From my very brief research on the rune, it seems like it is the rune of the mysteries of life and death. It could indicate an initiation of some sort. "the axis or process of spiritual becoming." But like I said, I know basically nothing about them. Perhaps someone here could offer some more information?

My further questions to you: Have you ever had a similar experience - being struck with a symbolic vision in a window or some other reflecting surface, runic or otherwise? Did the symbol then go on to be a driving force for you in the period of time afterwards? Is there danger in placing too much emphasis on the astral vision and symbol? Thanks!
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Smaragd
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Re: Runic Visions

Post by Smaragd »

I don’t know about runes specificly but in general, I have regarded meaningful visions as a sort of blessings that I’ve tried to keep close to the heart and work with and throught them for longer periods of time. It could be just adoring the forms connected to this entity and little by little understanding it more intuitively. It might depend on ones temperament, but I’ve felt like getting too head on in to the theme (speaking of something almost nearing the borders of psychosis, or too one-sided emphasis) can sort of smother the inspiration, while keeping them within ones chest and cherishing it by leaving the doors open to learn what it is about, I might get intimately connected with the entity, and perhaps learn to carry the inspiration and powers in more permanent manner. There's so much subtle things in this and the individual way to get there is quite crucial that I think words fail too easily. Thus I hope my words are not taken too stricktly.

Speaking of entities, I think runes as well as any less obviously deeply meaningly letters can be seen as entities by themselves.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
Angolmois

Re: Runic Visions

Post by Angolmois »

An interesting vision for sure! Maybe you should delve deeper into runes since Eihwaz is one of the very essential runes.
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmFrom my very brief research on the rune, it seems like it is the rune of the mysteries of life and death. It could indicate an initiation of some sort. "the axis or process of spiritual becoming." But like I said, I know basically nothing about them. Perhaps someone here could offer some more information?
I know something about runes but like I have said before, it seems that even more questions arise the more theoretical and practical knowledge I come to possess about them.

For a short and basic introduction to the rune Eihwaz (and others) I have liked very much Arith Härger's interpretations and presentations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K1xmwh ... P&index=11
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmMy further questions to you: Have you ever had a similar experience - being struck with a symbolic vision in a window or some other reflecting surface, runic or otherwise? Did the symbol then go on to be a driving force for you in the period of time afterwards?
I have had one very peculiar experience in winter 2012 where the reflecting surface was my own mind's eye. I suddenly awakened from the state of deep sleep into a vision in which an unknown symbol was suddenly being drawn above Finland, and it gave me an assurance that "Finland is safeguarded". Can't really explain the form of the symbol or why I had that precise feeling when I saw the symbol being drawn in mid-air - it was only an intuition.
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmIs there danger in placing too much emphasis on the astral vision and symbol?
Everything of an "astral nature" should be questioned.
Angolmois

Re: Runic Visions

Post by Angolmois »

Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmIt was a very bright blue color.
From this came to my mind that maybe the vision had something to do with electricity?
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Silvaeon
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Re: Runic Visions

Post by Silvaeon »

Smaragd wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 7:33 pm I don’t know about runes specificly but in general, I have regarded meaningful visions as a sort of blessings that I’ve tried to keep close to the heart and work with and throught them for longer periods of time. It could be just adoring the forms connected to this entity and little by little understanding it more intuitively. It might depend on ones temperament, but I’ve felt like getting too head on in to the theme (speaking of something almost nearing the borders of psychosis, or too one-sided emphasis) can sort of smother the inspiration, while keeping them within ones chest and cherishing it by leaving the doors open to learn what it is about, I might get intimately connected with the entity, and perhaps learn to carry the inspiration and powers in more permanent manner. There's so much subtle things in this and the individual way to get there is quite crucial that I think words fail too easily. Thus I hope my words are not taken too stricktly.

Speaking of entities, I think runes as well as any less obviously deeply meaningly letters can be seen as entities by themselves.
Your approach sounds like a quite healthy one, and has more or less been my own thus far as well. It's partly why I've only done some cursory research so far, so that my ideas don't become too rigid and things are left a little more open to inspire and play out as they will. But now that the initial period has had a little time to settle, I do feel a bit of a drive to dive deeper and see what happens.


Rúnatýr wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 8:57 pm An interesting vision for sure! Maybe you should delve deeper into runes since Eihwaz is one of the very essential runes.
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmFrom my very brief research on the rune, it seems like it is the rune of the mysteries of life and death. It could indicate an initiation of some sort. "the axis or process of spiritual becoming." But like I said, I know basically nothing about them. Perhaps someone here could offer some more information?
I know something about runes but like I have said before, it seems that even more questions arise the more theoretical and practical knowledge I come to possess about them.

For a short and basic introduction to the rune Eihwaz (and others) I have liked very much Arith Härger's interpretations and presentations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K1xmwh ... P&index=11
Indeed, I think this has probably been the push I needed to start researching the runes in earnest. Thanks very much for sharing that video, it was enjoyable and informative. I'll have to check out his others in the series as well.

Rúnatýr wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:34 am
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmIt was a very bright blue color.
From this came to my mind that maybe the vision had something to do with electricity?
I had thought that the blue could be important to consider as well, but I wasn't able to land on anything myself. You could be right here - I've certainly been starting to feel a lot more energized than I have in months since the vision occurred.

Rúnatýr wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 8:57 pm
Silvaeon wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:31 pmIs there danger in placing too much emphasis on the astral vision and symbol?
Everything of an "astral nature" should be questioned.
Good to keep in mind as well, thanks.
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Nefastos
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Re: Runic Visions

Post by Nefastos »

My own practice with runes is nearly non-existent. I have one weird "runic vision" anecdote to share, though. I think it is something that happens quite a lot before one has actual occult knowledge, but we tend to forget things like that in case nothing in our world view supports their significance (i.e. if we not believe in esoteric connections).

Thirty years ago, when I was in my early teens, just before my spiritual awakening that collapsed my whole world as it was, I made for myself a roleplaying character alter ego. Because I always had to be the game master in our games, I just made it to explore my inner world, for I had no possibility to actually play with the character. Thus it was like an early attempt in astral meditation, one might say. I thought nothing about this alter ego character, although I remember that that was the time when I first started to think what "occultism" would actually mean, and inserted that as a skill in our game.

It took me many years to notice two things from that character of mine: First, I had named it after a little known Kashmiri Shaivite adept. Second, I had drawn as his sign the Gibor rune. To this day I still have never studied what the Gibor rune means, but I remember the astonishment I felt the first time when I realized it was an actual rune; I think it was when seeing Ulver's William Blake cover art.

Mind you, this was early nineties in a small town in Finland, so there really was not too much information available. Truly a completely different world than the present flood of images & (half- to un-digested) ideas. Of course, it is still possible that I had seen Gibor rune somewhere & it had stuck into my subconscious. But if that is the case, it might be interesting to at some point think why my mind had chosen that particular rune. But like I said, the subject has felt distant to me; my mindset in esotericism is not Scandinavian in a way that I would feel runic working very interesting. Similar characters in Paleo-Hebrew &c. seem to me more interesting.

After this anecdote, a question. Do you think that runic working has got more dangerous after patriotic neo-pagan groups like Nazis have converted their use into their own downward path systems? If so, what kind of security processes one could use when dealing with runic magic?
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
Angolmois

Re: Runic Visions

Post by Angolmois »

Nefastos wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:33 pm Do you think that runic working has got more dangerous after patriotic neo-pagan groups like Nazis have converted their use into their own downward path systems?
More often I equate National Socialism with modernity, (secularized) monotheism and Christianity, being even hostile towards (neo-)paganism, and the runes they used in the third reich and still use as political identity symbols are just and only that, not reaching into the depth and magic of the runic energies. But I do understand what you mean: one guy said to me that if one is following Odin it is impossible not to start hailing at some point, and I have also felt this atavistic insurgence in my own work as well; as I see my own rune work being a purification of ancestral energies into the upward path, the atavistic energies naturally arise during the work causing possible sideways.
Angolmois

Re: Runic Visions

Post by Angolmois »

Nefastos wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:33 pm ...what kind of security processes one could use when dealing with runic magic?
As all esoteric paths have their dangers and any wordly ideology or organised religion can work as a support for grey horizontal occultism or even the downward path, I think that the best safety measure when doing for example rune work is to stay out of extremist politics, groups and currents that have their own agenda and have their psychic current in the internal worlds. Personally I think that every Runester should forge their own path (which can of course have collective representations and group -work) and follow their personal system, as this ensures that the current one creates in the spiritual and psychic worlds stays intact; when this is rooted in the tradition, the individual current then joins the more universal structure with coherence and one doesn't end up creating astral fantasy-worlds for oneself nor collective streams of violent and separative tendencies - hopefully eventually reaching out towards the Gods themselves and the universal energies that the runes for example represent, activating the magical link between the so called subjective and objective worlds.
Angolmois

Re: Runic Visions

Post by Angolmois »

And of course a sincere intention for upwards strive is the best safety measure. "The only real fall is to stop trying." One can also always counsel the Gods, Norns etc., and there are certain runes of protection and guidance that one can invoke and evoke if facing troubles in one's work.
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Nefastos
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Re: Runic Visions

Post by Nefastos »

Rúnatýr wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 5:44 pmBut I do understand what you mean: one guy said to me that if one is following Odin it is impossible not to start hailing at some point, and I have also felt this atavistic insurgence in my own work as well; as I see my own rune work being a purification of ancestral energies into the upward path, the atavistic energies naturally arise during the work causing possible sideways.

Yes, this is an interesting question. In the brotherhood we have seen the same challenge rising its head repeatedly: A member is first interested, in a healthy and beautiful way, of his own North-European (Teutonic, Scandinavian, Finnish) culture. But when he starts delving & focusing into it, he starts to feel more and more of its shadow side. It is like the "national dêvas" – to use the bit clumsy expression of Ervast & Bailey – of these lands are in our post World War times in an extremely tense state of agitation and utmost defence, ready to strike all that seems like a danger to their deep-rooted cultural being. Everything alien becomes to seen as hostile, and deeper into the fathers' land spiritual soil one goes, immersing more and more into one cultural heritage, the more he subconsciously seems to see only the bad things in our new time, which is irreversibly multicultural. Fighting against this is to start fighting wars again, for the world will not change back to what it was, not even close.

This is, by the way, one of the reasons why in the model of the eight paths, I placed the dêva path as the right sideways path: it gets stuck into subconscious agencies which still see hostility & need to defend against differences, thus sliding into compromises with the use of forcing & even violence. I think this is partly because the "national dêva" is a gestalt being, holding in it also the base national needs of our "ancestral energies", like you said. And after the World Wars, some recent ancestral energies – of the astral soil – are filled with heroic but bloody will to kill the alien invasion to our beautiful national spirituality.

This problem will dilute in time, of course, but right now it is good to notice. There are spirits both good & bad in everything we do, and they bring to our work their karma of past wishes.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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