Womanrunes: The Cauldron of Reflection. Rune of Solitude. Retreat, Withdrawal, Creative Solitude.
When you draw this rune, you already know what it is you need, what your soul is craving, and what you are asking yourself for over and over and over again. Time to spend alone in your own company. Rest. Reflection. Renewal. Retreat. Pull back, draw in, cocoon. It is time to come into relationship with yourself. To investigate that which you need to know from your own heartspace, your own soulsong. What is crying out from within you to be heard? What creative impulse wishes to be followed? What heart message longs to be expressed? It is time to steep in your own knowing. Time to incubate your dreams, creations, and inspirations. Time to merge inner experiencing, to prepare a rich stew, a hearty brew, a precious potion, of your heart’s desire. When you draw this stone, pause. Rest. Take a time out. Give yourself permission to take a retreat, to withdraw from external demands, and to sit with yourself. Savoring your own flavor.
I’m having a great time with this little experiment. I wasn’t sure I had interpretations for these womanrunes within me, but apparently I do! Once again, the rune I picked today was perfect. And, in fact, I went ahead and gave myself permission to take a mini-creative retreat and focus on writing blog posts and rituals during my break while the kids are gone today, rather than grade the papers that are waiting for me. I will work on the papers tonight after they go to bed. I have a headache and feel overtaxed. Schoolwork with my kids today was frustrating and exhausting and sloooooow and I just wanted to be alone. So, when I drew this rune, I laughed!
Still noticing the unfolding tapestry of change within the woods today. The tulip tree has lost all of its blossoms and leafed out:
Yellow cinquefoil flowers have joined the spring landscape:
And the lilies the kids got me for Mother’s Day last year are coming back up!
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Update: this project evolved into a real book!
The first post in my Womanrunes series is available here. The runes and the names of them come from Shekhinah Mountainwater’s Womanrunes system for which there are no written interpretations available other than the name and one word meanings. I’m engaging in a semi-daily practice of drawing one and then going down to the woods with it to see what it “tells” me–basically, creating what I wish I had, which is a more developed interpretation of the meaning of each womanrunestone.
WoodsPriestess 