Divination 1

Divination 1

Passed 1/5/16

Reviewed by Rev. Barbara Wright

Laura (Snow) Fuller

1. Name and briefly describe one method of divination or seership technique common to three paleo-pagan Indo-European cultures. (minimum 100 words each)

Sortilege: Sortilege or drawing lots involves randomly selecting something (marked stones, bones, tiles, etc) to determine the best course of action.  The simplest form could be between two different colored stones for a yes/no, with the most complex often being based on written alphabets.

Germanic: The only surviving mention of pre-Christian Indo-European methods for casting lots comes from Tacitus where he writes, “Augury and divination by lot no people practice more diligently. The use of the lots is simple. A little bough is lopped off a fruit-bearing tree, and cut into small pieces; these are distinguished by certain marks, and thrown carelessly and at random over a white garment. (Tacitus 96).”  Using Tacitus as a source is somewhat problematic, like many scholars of his time, he was writing about things he didn’t himself see, instead relying on hear-say and his reasons for writing about the Germans can also be somewhat questionable.  That issue aside, his work does not note what marks were being cut into the pieces of wood or what the meanings of them were.  To fill in those blanks, Germanic practitioners have to turn to other sources.

For the marks, we turn to the Rune Poems, of which three have survived in at least fragmentary form: Anglo-Saxon, Norwegian, and Icelandic.  The longest and most complete of these is the Anglo-Saxon, which lists twenty-six runes.  While the poetry and intended meanings of the runes vary between the poems, they do have parallels (Albertsson Chapter 1: Location 745). 

Celtic: Ogham was a system of writing developed probably in the fourth century CE, with inscriptions dating from primarily the fourth to the eighth century CE where each symbol represented a letter for the writing system.  Most of the surviving examples are believed to be some form of markers, either for graves or boundaries.  There were several uses of ogham: as a normal alphabet, as secret writings, as codes, as a mnemonic list to memorize important information, as a gesture language, for divination and for magical purposes.  Though many people use Ogham today for divination, there are few ancient sources for this, the best known being to determine the sex of an unborn child (Ellison 1-12).

Greek: The Greeks also used a form of sortilege. In fact, there is evidence of several different types of lot drawing at the various locations of the Oracles but most strongly at Dodona.  Whether this lot divination was done when the demand for enthused prophecy couldn’t be met, either due to finances or to people being in a hurry, findings indicate that random choice lot was used.  Perhaps the reason that it was not well recorded was because it was less exciting, less epic, than the ecstatic trance.  However, Johnston rightly points out that the absence of evidence does not equal the evidence of absence (Johnston Chapter 2: Riddles and Lots: Location 796).

2. Within the context of a single paleo-pagan Indo-European culture, discuss three different forms of divination or seership, and give an example of each. (minimum 100 words each)

Sortilege/Runes: While there is ample evidence that the various Germanic peoples cast lots to predict the future or attempt to seek knowledge, there is no direct evidence that the Runic Alphabets were used in this way no matter how common it is in modern times.  The absence of evidence is not the same thing as the evidence of absence.   Tacitus describes the process of cutting marks into the wood of a nut-bearing tree which were then thrown onto a white cloth (Tacitus 96).  Further, we are told by Snorri Sturluson in The Ynglinga Saga that Odin “…taught all these arts in Runes, and songs which are called incantations, and therefore the Asaland people are called incantation-smiths.  Odin understood also the art in which the greatest power is lodged, and which he himself practiced; namely, what is called magic.  By means of this he could know beforehand the predestined fate of men, or their not yet completed lot,” (Sturluson Chapter 7). 

Dream Interpretation: The Germanic peoples, like many cultures both ancient and modern, considered dreams a form of seership.  This is particularly true of dreams that are recounted within a myth.  Prophetic dreams within the Lore are found in Volsungasaga (Magnusson Chapter 25).   In the saga, Gudrun has a beautiful golden hawk for which she gave up all of her wealth.  She didn’t know who he was.  However, her dream was interpreted by an old woman to be her husband.   Later, she has a dream where she and her company go into the woods and she alone manages to hunt a beautiful golden hart which is determined to be a portend of how her family and Brynhild kill Sigurd, her husband.  Though her dreams are strange and require interpretation, by the end of the saga, they have all come true.

Seidhr:  Seidhr is a form of oracular divination where a seer goes into a trance state where she (it is usually a woman, though in modern times not always) is able to answer questions put forth by petitioners.  The only remaining description of a Seidhr session is found in The Saga of Erik the Red, Chapter 4.  The people of Greenland are suffering from a famine and one of the landowners, Thorkell, invites Thorbjorg to his hall to see if she can figure out why.  The saga describes in detail her attire and the ritual that she performs to receive her answers.  She also manages to find answers for those who ask her questions (Icelandic Saga Database).

3. Discuss both the role of seers within at least one Indo-European culture and the relationship of seers to other members of the society, including in that discussion how seers or visionaries would have supported themselves or how they would have been supported by their people. (minimum two paragraphs)

Seidhr is the best documented forms of seership in the Germanic cultures as it shows up in both the Eddic poems and in the later sagas. 

In the Eddic poems, we first learn of Seidhr in Voluspa when the Seeress tells Odin about  Gullveig.  Gullveig is a woman who is killed and burned three times by the Aesir (Orchard 8).  After her last death, she becomes Heidr.  She is initially killed because of her ability to foretell the future.  Some believe that it was killing Gullveig that began the war between the Aesir and the Vanir and that Gullveig is Freya.  Once Freya goes with her father and brother to live among the Aesir as a hostage, she teaches the skill to Odin (Davidson 162). 

The best (and only surviving) description of the technique is found in Eirik the Red’s Saga when Thorbjorg visits Thorkell’s hall and prophecies for those gathered there (Icelandic Saga Database Chapter 4).  In this part of the saga we learn that Thorbjorg travels around in a circuit where she is invited into homes.  While there, she is given food (a feast in the saga), a place of honor, and a good place to sleep so she can better communicate with the spirits of the land. 

These two different stories show us both ends of the spectrum of relationship between the Volva and the people.  In one, she is feared, hated, and killed.  In the other, she is respected and feasted for bringing necessary knowledge and messages from the gods.  The question of whether the Volva was loved or hated may have been a function of either the time period or her individual reputation.  Perhaps she is hated in the Eddic poem because it was being transcribed by monks who took a dim view of witchcraft.  On the other hand, Eirik’s saga was written after the conversion had at least begun in the region, since one of the reasons that Thorbjorg  has problems finding girls to sing the songs for her is because they no longer practice the old ways.  Thorbjorg, who was one of nine sisters who were all Volva’s, is the only one left.  Perhaps this is because her sisters ran afoul of the sort of fear faced by Gullveig.  Regardless, the relationship between Volva and her people was a complicated one.

4. Identify and describe one method of divination to which you find yourself attracted, and discuss its relationship to paleo-pagan divination. (minimum 300 words)

As someone who came to ADF through Heathenry, I began working with the runes long before I considered any other form of divination.  While Tacitus’ mention of drawing lots cannot be confirmed as runes, the runes’ use as magical instruments is attested and, more importantly, they work for me.

Tacitus describes how marks were cut into pieces of wood from a nut-bearing tree and then cast on white cloth at random.  Then the person who is doing the reading offers a prayer to the gods (presumably for insight) and selects three at random and interprets them (Tacitus 96). 

In her discussion of the relevant passage, Patricia LaFayllve points out that for the reconstructionist minded we do not need to know what the marks were in order to reconstruct a practice.  Instead, we can use Tacitus to reconstruct the form of our practice and combine this with the knowledge shared with us in the Rune Poems that have survived to have a useful divinatory tool (LaFayllve 126).

The runes as magical symbols are very clearly attested in paleo-pagan times.  The Havamal, or the Sayings of the High One, tells the story of Odin winning the Runes through self-sacrifice and suffering.  Hanging on the World Tree for nine nights, he finally saw the runes and ‘grabbed them up’ before screaming and falling back to himself (Orchard 35-39).  He then goes on to describe the knowledge he won about the runes, the spells and magic they gave him.  It is important to note that though the spells are written about in the Havamal, they are never linked to specific runes, nor do the number of runes written about in the Havamal match the Futhark (alphabet).  I would think it would be impossible to determine if these inconsistencies were linked to later editing, missing passages, or possibly different symbols entirely.

The linking of symbols and meanings instead comes from the various Rune Poems.  Three survive: the Norse, the Anglo-Saxon, and the Icelandic.  The poems vary from culture to culture with somewhat different takes on the meanings of the runes (LaFayllve 126).  However, even when the meanings seem quite different (such ask Lake and Leek for Laguz), there are often underlying similarities to the mystery begin described (in this case, that there is often more beneath the surface).  This is why the runes take skill and insight to interpret them in ways applicable to the question being asked or the situation at hand.

5. Briefly describe the symbology of your chosen method of divination, and include a method of application for that system. (minimum 100 words overall description plus at least one sentence or line per symbol)

The origin of the word Rune is debated.  Proposed meanings of the root of the word vary from secret, to mystery, to song, to the verb to roar (LaFayllve 122). The most common, however, seems to be the idea of a secret or mystery (Thorsson 2).  Though there are three different cultural ‘futharks’ that have surviving Rune Poems and are thus used for divination work (Elder, Younger, and Anglo-Saxon), the most common and the one I am most familiar with is the Elder Futhark.  The Elder Futhark is made up of twenty-four letters, called staves.  These staves are then divided into three sets of eight, called aetts.  Though the meanings I give to the runes are drawn from a variety of sources that I have worked with over the years, for this question I will be using Thorrson’s book Futhark.   

Fehu. Mobile property, wealth.  For the early norsemen, wealth took the form of Cattle.  For a modern interpretation, to me this means the flowing wealth of a healthy economy where income and expenses are in balance.

Uruz. Wild Ox. Aurochs, Slag, Drizzle. Uruz speaks of the primal cow Audhumla who licked the first man free of the ice.  The strength to stand in the face of wild forces and turning into the wind.

Thurisaz. Thurse, Giant, Thorn.  Thurisaz is an obstacle.  This can be a passive defense the way a plant protects itself or the way a rabbit will use a bramble patch to hide from predators, but usually it’s an obstacle that hurts you or even poisons you as you try to pass. 

Ansuz. A god, Mouth, Odin.  Depending on where it is in a reading, Ansuz either means communication or magic to me, although they are very similar in some ways since reading was magical to the ancestors.  It can also mean inspiration.

 Raido. Wagon, riding.  Raido is about a journey, usually a physical one, or some major change that requires you to get from point A to point B.

Kenaz. Torch, Sore.  Kenaz as the torch is fire controlled by man.  It is the harnessing of this primal power that consumes and changes what it touches. 

Gebo. Gift.  Gebo is about the exchanging of gifts that forms relationships.  It is the rune that signifies both hospitality and *ghosti.

Wunjo. Pleasure, Joy. Wunjo is the rune of primal happiness and the fulfillment of whatever is the deepest desire.  True happiness.

Hagalaz. Hail.  Hagalaz shows hail as the destructive force that is can destroy everything in its path and injure anyone unlucky enough to be caught in it.  At the same time, sometimes this clearing of the old is needed to allow new growth, and when hail melts, it carries within it the seed and the water to begin new growth.

Nauthiz. Need, Necessity.  Nauthiz is a rune of necessity and fate.  It is a rune that points to something that is required of us, but when we find or give it, allows us to purify ourselves of the constraint.

Isa. Ice.  Isa is antimatter.  It is the rhyme of the ice world that, when combined with the sparks of the fire world gave rise to the universe.  It is a building block, but it is also locked in statis.  It needs that spark to be useful, otherwise it holds energy captive.

Jera. Year, Harvest. The cycle of the year.  The turning of the seasons, everything in its proper place.

Eihwaz. Yew tree. Eihwaz is the tree that is most common in cemetaries, connecting the lands of the dead with the living and the gods.  The yew tree was also the prized wood for bows because it would bend but not break.  This rune calls for connections between the realms and flexibility.

Perthro. Dice cup.  This is a rune of chance and luck and risk, the idea that you have to play big to win big but also that you can lose it all and might be wise to rethink the risks you take.

Algiz. Elk-sedge. Blade grass.  Algiz is a protection rune, but it’s a passive protection. 

Sowilo. The Sun.  Sunna.  In Germanic traditions, the sun is feminine, the gently source of energy for all life on earth who makes an arduous journey every day across the sky.  Therefore, Sowilo is both the energy of life, but also the stamina (energy) to complete the task at hand.

Tiwaz. The god Tyr.  Tiwaz is a rune of justice, but true justice not just getting what you want.  Sometimes that justice comes at a very dear price, such as Tyr’s sacrifice of his hand when he broke his oath in order to bind the wolf Fenris. 

Berkano. Birch.  Berkano stands for the birch tree, one that provides for people in the form of medicine and materials.  Berkano also represents motherhood, the female ancestors, and female fertility.

 Ehwaz. Horse.  Ehwaz is a rune of partnership.  Of horse and rider, working together to achieve their goals.  Sometimes we are the rider, but sometimes we are the horse (especially in relation to the gods).  Without the horse, man and civilization would look very different, so this rune reminds us that we have to work together.

Mannaz. Man.  Mannaz is humankind, and community.

Laguz. Lake. Laguz is the waters of the lake.  You can only see so far, and there are things hiding beneath the surface.  Sometimes those things will feed you, sometimes they’ll kill you.  Caution is needed to determine which.

Ingwaz. The God Frey.  Ingwaz is about male fertility, the seed that contains all of the potential of the new plants and next generation, decendents.

Dagaz. Day. Dagaz is the day, a symbol of awakening but also of the reward of a good day’s work.

Othala. Inheritance, homeland. Othala is the natal home, the birthright that cannot (under old Norse law) be taken away.  It is also the family, the roots, the traditions that get passed down through generations.

6. Describe the results of three divinations performed by you. These divinations may be text assisted. (minimum 100 words each)

September 16, 2015.  Question: Should we submit a request for a new protogrove charter?  Three rune draw: Eihwaz, Raido, Wunjo.  My interpretation: Eihwaz, the rune of partnership.  There is a task at hand.  Our common goal is to build a thriving norse-pagan community here in central/southeast Ohio.  That is not something we can do alone.  Instead, we need to form partnerships so that each can help carry the load of this task and play to their strengths.  Raido: The rune of the wagon, the journey.  We have a long road ahead of us, and it won’t always be easy.  It’s going to be a long haul to get where we’re going and it’s going to take dedication and stamina to not give up.  Wunjo: Joy.  If we stick to the path and play to our strengths, working together in a partnership, we will not only succeed, we will find our hearts-desire and true happiness in what we build and the work we do.

October 5, 2015.  Weekly divination work check in.  This was a pretty stressful time for me as large grant at work that I am responsible for was being audited by the USDA.  Three rune draw: Jera, Fehu, Tiwaz.  My interpretation: It is that time of year when cycles are coming to a close.  As I have just started this job, I am cleaning out the last of the old cycle left by my predecessor and getting ready for the new year.  It’s also a new year for me in a new job doing a new thing in a new place.  The cycle turns.  In the turning, it brings wealth.  In this case, it brings greater access to funding streams for the work that I’m doing since completing the reports and audits will allow me to qualify for more and substantial additional grant dollars.  Doing the required paperwork is the necessary evil of working the grant game.  In the coming year, make sure to fulfil your obligations and duties.

November 27, 2015.  This is what would have been my sixteenth wedding anniversary had Mike and I not chosen to divorce.  Question: What should I focus on to return health to my interpersonal relationships?  Three rune draw:  Raido, Eihwaz, Hagalaz.  My interpretation: Life is a journey.  We only think there is a destination.  Instead, focus on the journey and live in the moment.  The journey may be one that requires flexibility.  The roots may run deep, the connections may be strong, but in the end you have to be able to bend under pressure to be successful and launch yourself towards your target.  There is still work to do in clearing away the old relationship.  Let it be killed off, because it is in that clearing that new relationships have a chance to grow. 

7. Discuss your view of the purpose of divination. (minimum 100 words)

For me, divination is a tool that I use in different ways to seek wisdom.  Sometimes, that wisdom is a direct request from the Kindreds.  As an Odinswoman, I feel a strong connection to my patron through my use of the runes.  However, I do not always phrase my questions or put myself in the mindset of reaching out to the Kindreds.  Sometimes it is more general, a reaching out to the very runes themselves which are tools to tap into the mysteries of the universe.  Either way of looking at it, divination is a tool to help connect humans to the undercurrents of energy in the universe so that they can better understand what is needed in a situation and can hopefully act in a manner appropriate to that situation to have the best chance at the results and outcomes that they want or are needed.

8. Discuss the relative importance and effect of divination within your personal spiritual practice. (minimum 100 words)

Of the various ‘mystical’ skills that I have been working to develop within my practice, divination is the one that comes easiest to me and that I find the most useful.  Perhaps that is because my work with the runes predates my joining ADF and so it is a skill I have been honing a lot longer than the others.  As a part of my personal practice, I do a weekly rune draw.  I do this for a number of reasons that include a desire to see what currents are moving around me, to get a heads-up about anything major.  While I don’t put much stock on the very specific predications you see in a daily astrology column, I do find that when I turn to the runes for advice, it always speaks to the situations I am facing.  When I have a specific issue or concern, I find that the runes are even more accurate in pointing me in a steady direction to see a favorable outcome. 

9. Discuss your view and understanding of the function of the Seer. (minimum 100 words)

The seer is the intermediary between humanity and the Kindreds.  They interpret the messages that the Kindreds are trying to give us whether that is a blessing in a ritual context, or an omen, or a request for guidance on the behalf of the seer or someone else.  The tool used is just that, a tool.  The message that the tool gives is often interpreted differently by different seers or even by the same seer in different contexts.  That’s why the tool isn’t as important as the seer’s connection to the deeper currents and messages.  Yet while that is the case, the more a seer uses the same tool, the clearer the messages they receive through it.

10. Discuss the importance and value of divination as it relates to ADF. (minimum 100 words)

The most important role that divination plays within ADF is in the taking of omens within a ritual context.  ADF ritual is built on the idea of sacred reciprocity, the exchange of gifts, the offerings we make and the blessings we receive in return.   Because of this, divination is the key to knowing if our offerings have been accepted by the kindreds and what blessings they are bestowing upon us.  I am pleased to say that I think that this might be shifting slightly with the work being done by the new Order of Raven and Falcon, which is in the process of building a study program that will have courses specifically on the runes, but also on Seidr.  I have never seen Oracular work performed within the context of ADF (not saying it isn’t, just that I have not seen it).  I would love to see that change in the future if the Order can manage it.

Works Cited

Albertsson, Alaric. Wyrdworking: The Path of a Saxon Sorcerer. LLewellyn, 2011. Kindle.

Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe. . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1988. Print.

Ellison, Rev. Robert "Skip". Ogham:The Secret Language of the Druids. ADF Publishing, 2014. Kindle.

Icelandic Saga Database. The Saga of Erik the Red. Ed. J. Sephton. n.d. Website. 4 December 2015. <http://sagadb.org/eiriks_saga_rauda.en>.

Johnston, Sarah Iles. Ancient Greek Divination. Blackwell Ancient Religions, 2008. Kindle.

LaFayllve, Patricia. A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru. Llewellyn, 2013. Kindle.

Magnusson, William Morris and Eirikr. The Story of the Volsungs. Ed. Douglas B. Killings. 1888. website. 4 December 2015. <http://sacred-texts.com/neu/vlsng/vlsng00.htm>.

Orchard, Andy. The Elder Edda: Myths, gods, and heroes from the Viking World. London: Penguin, 2011. Print.

Sturluson, Snori. THE YNGLINGA SAGA. n.d. Website. 5 December 2015. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm>.

Tacitus. Germania (Illustrated). Trans. W.J. Brodribb, T. Gordon A.J. Church. Charles River Editors, 2011. Kindle.

Thorsson, Edred. Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic. San Francisco: Weiser, 1984. Print.