“We acquire the strength we have overcome.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hardship lies heavy on the heart
Yet oft to the children of men
It becomes nonetheless a help and a healing,
If they heed it in time.
Any journey through the runes, including this series of 24 runic affirmations, is nothing if not transformative. It’s been nearly three months since my last post, and the time between has been full of Naudiz’s energy, the second rune of the second aett (“rune family”) in the Elder Futhark.
In my case hardship took the form of an employer who, having recently experienced a great personal tragedy, proceeded to make the lives of those working for him very difficult. As I was already splitting my time between two jobs – this one, which provided for me financially and another, which doesn’t pay as well – I decided to resign from the former and focus fully on the latter. Looking back over the last few months, I realize this was the only viable choice. I certainly could have remained without financial worry by keeping the old job, but would’ve been miserable had I continued subjecting myself to a boss incapable of separating his personal life from work. What good is money if it comes at the cost of happiness, and what good is a job if it doesn’t allow me to contribute in a satisfying way? Though the choice to focus fully on the second job (which is really a career) will bring short-term financial hardship, it’s one that has already brought greater freedom and joy. Given time and hard work, it also has the potential to create more income than the job I’ve left.
And so the meaning of Naudiz becomes clear: hardship as something to be endured, with “help and healing” for those who “heed it” and persevere. Said another way, we can choose to see any unpleasant situation life presents as a chance to create something we love. Of course we can also choose to do the opposite, and many do. For some, playing the victim and assigning blame instead of taking responsibility for their happiness is the safer, more predictable bet. After the last few months of unhappiness, I’m done with “safe” and am ready to unfold into a joyful new world of unknowns.
The affirmations offered in this series’ previous post are also fitting for Naudiz:
I peacefully and lovingly release situations and relationships that are not for my higher good.
I view every situation as an opportunity to grow stronger and more joyful.
These affirmations by Orin and Sanaya Roman appear in the book Living with Joy. If they don’t ring true for you as they’re written above, feel free to change them! The words don’t do the work on their own…it’s words + repetition + intent and emotional connection that make affirmations such powerful catalysts for positive change. Create ones that feel good and reflect who you are.
Click here to see other affirmations in this series.
Additional source material: Oswald the Runemaker
I’ve been a runology student for 20 years. See the About page or click here to learn more about my work with the runes.
24 Days of Runic Affirmations: Day 9, Hagalaz
Posted in 24 Days of Runic Affirmations, tagged Affirmations, Asatru, Chaos, Deepak Chopra, Heathenism, Imogen Heap, Intentional Living, Law of Attraction, Living with Joy, Neo-Paganism, Northern Mysteries, Orin, Paganism, Positive Thinking, Rune Lore, Rune Meanings, runemaker.com, Runes, Sanaya Roman, Social Commentary, Spirituality, The Occult on October 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
“So let go…it’s alright, ’cause there’s beauty in the breakdown.”
–Imogen Heap, from the song Let Go
“All great changes are preceded by chaos.”
–Deepak Chopra
Do you feel like a storm is brewing? If so, get out the candles, stoke the fire, and prepare to wait it out.
The first rune of the second aett (or rune “family”) in the Elder Futhark is all about challenges that delay and disrupt your plans. In situations like these your choices are usually few, but clear. Do you face the storm with courage, then pick up the pieces and rebuild after it has passed? Or do you deny the storm is raging around you, then stare with disbelief at the damage it leaves behind? Worse, do you spend your valuable time and energy demanding the Universe “make things the way they were before,” instead of moving forward?
It’s hard watching something we’ve spent time and energy building come crashing down around us, especially when we feel powerless to stop its collapse. But nature’s cycle of birth, growth, and death is something neither we nor anything we create can escape. At best, some of the forms we create – friendships, intimate relationships, careers, beliefs about ourselves and others – eventually stop helping us grow. At worst, these can become stifling to the point of making us feel imprisoned. Whatever the case, old forms that no longer enliven and empower us have to be shed to make room for different opportunities that bring renewed freedom, inspiration, and joy. By holding on to the old instead of embracing the new, we rot ourselves from the inside out and become what compassionate spiritual warrior and well-known medium Faye The Tattooed Psychic calls “the walking dead.”
If you’re not ready to face the challenges in your life, ask yourself why. If you’re ready for the peace that comes from accepting things as they are and would like help mustering the courage to move on, try these affirmations by Orin and Sanaya Roman, from the book Living with Joy:
About these affirmations: if the words presented above don’t ring true for you, change them! The words don’t do the work on their own…it’s words + repetition + intent and emotional connection that make affirmations such powerful catalysts for positive change. Feel free to create ones that feel good and reflect who you are.
Click here to see other affirmations in this series.
Additional source material: Oswald the Runemaker
I’ve been a runology student for 20 years. See the About page or click here to learn more about my work with the runes.
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