Kaunaz, Eihwaz, and Melting ICE
Pre-S: My "Queering the Runes" course is still available for registration through January 31! Register here.
Hello everyone:
Well, it's been a hell of a week in Minneapolis. I've been working prayers and spells for community members who are at risk of being abducted by ICE. I've been doing work in community, but I don't want to talk about that here. It's not about me, it's about the people who are being taken.
At the beginning of last week, I pulled two runes to help me meet the moment.
I didn't know how much I would need them.
The runes I drew were Kaunaz and Eihwaz.
I was actually surprised that Kaunaz was the fire rune that came up. Given how strong ICE presence in Minnesota has been over the last few weeks, I was fully expecting to pull Nauthiz. It feels like a time of need, a time where intense action is required, where we need to strip down to the bare minimum. But it was actually heartening that the rune I pulled was Kaunaz and not Nauthiz.
You see, Kaunaz is a fighting rune, but not in the same way that Thurisaz is a fighting rune.
Kaunaz is the ability and energy to envision a better world. Kaunaz reminds us that there is a community around us that is worth protecting. It helps us to build the stories that make a place special. Kaunaz is the spark, the reason we fight. Keeping that in mind is essential.
It's so easy to burn out in this time. This is exhausting. I keep repeating to myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint, that we need to preserve our energy for the long fight. Kaunaz reminds me to fuel my fire through music, to take care of my body by stretching, doing pilates, to get energy out through shadow boxing.
Kaunaz is a bonfire, and you need to tend bonfires. You need to feed them, to make sure they stay in their circle, to build them for more light or let them dwindle to make for a better cooking flame.
Meanwhile, Eihwaz is a warlike rune. The Yew tree was used to create longbows, and I am feeling the strong affinity for that this week. One thing to note about longbows is that they are a long-range weapon. They changed the course of warfare when they were created because they brought in layers of attack. This reminds me that there are many different roles in the fight.
This rune also has a message for people outside of Minneapolis, or Chicago, or Los Angeles: You have a role to play as well. It takes people at many different levels to fight fascism. You can participate in mutual aid, you can help people on the ground, and you can work with other activists to prepare for when ICE comes to your city. Because they will come to your city.
The other thing about long bows and archery in general is the reminder that we need to keep our eyes on the target. Archery is a precise method of both hunting and war, requiring patience and skill. It may be that you need to sharpen these skills, and it may be that you have to be ready to react when things happen around you. I think of this especially as I'm out running errands. I may have to step up if there is a raid happening, which will mean needing to be ready and to be precise and specific in how I help people get away from ICE.
These are incredibly difficult times, but we have the grit and vision to get through them. We are stronger than we think. We can do this.
And now, for a course announcement:
I'm officially extending the registration period for Queering the Runes through January 31st.
If you are inspired by this kind of rune reading, and you're ready to take your own practice further, please consider registering for my course Queering the Runes. It's a six month course that focuses on queer, anti-fascist, radically inclusive spirituality as a way of creating a better world.
I hope to see you in class.