This is our last song for the Summer and a celebration of all the experiences of the year thus far.
We hope your Summer was full of great experiences and new lessons learned.
May all beings thrive under the Sun.
May all beings rise to new heights.
Hailaz / Namaste
-Ansuz Society
We are wrapping up the final edits for the second rune book by Hrukjan titled “Wandering the Runic Path: Esoteric Analysis of the Germanic Runes.”
These will be published early next month and copies will be available from us around Samhain.
For those interested in the book, we’d like to share some information from the introduction:
“This book is meant to help guide the runic adept through various untrodden paths regarding the runes and their use in esoteric Pagan practice. Through many avenues such as language, myth, religious comparison, and thorough analysis, one can expand the dimensions of each rune into the endless fathoms of space and time. Each rune of the Elder Futhark has been dissected and tirelessly studied so that no stone is left unturned in their usability and ultimate meaning. Along with in-depth study, each “aett” of runes has also been given a set of common themes that one can ponder in association to their roles within the entirety of the Futhark. Not only this, but it is speculated throughout the book that the order of the runes is not only important, but carefully tells a unique story regarding life, death, rebirth, and the ultimate truth of existence as expressed by the people who created and used them.
While much of this book is speculative in nature, offering a deeply subjective analysis of these symbols, there is also much concrete and objective information regarding their history, etymology, and journey through time. From their many connections to Sanskrit and other Indo-European languages, the reader can form a thorough understanding of these symbols based on thousands of years of transformation. The reader will see how these runes transcend culture and relate to the natural surroundings of the different tribes that used them as they migrated across much of Europe, Asia, and beyond. Through this approach, one will see that the use of the runes is not only universally applicable, but also, not restrained to a certain “folk” or people. By realizing the scope of their use, one can see them as a divine tool for Self-development and transformation, as each rune is a key to ultimate realization.
If you are looking for a book that is not just informative, but also applicable to religious and spiritual practice, then this book should offer you many avenues towards your own purified understanding of these ancient symbols as used by the greatest of sages and magicians of the past. My hope is that this book will act as a compass for the devoted reader as they traverse the dark and endless paths laid before them by these ancient symbols. By doing so, one does not get lost or steered in detrimental directions by those who would rather see you confused and reliant on outside influences. Runic knowledge and the wisdom inherent within them are present in every sentient being, especially those who have the memories of these signs within their very soul. These secret symbols mirror that which exists within us and each rune is a key to unlocking the mysteries that lie dormant within our experience of reality. May this book help you transcend the limitations of individual existence and soar into the ether as Odin once did upon the great World Tree.”
May all sentient beings embrace the runes.
-Ansuz Society
Rune classes will resume this Fall/Winter both in person and online via zoom.
Classes will range from basic introduction to advanced theory and practice.
In person group classes will be limited to 3 people at a time to ensure each person is given proper attention.
More details will be posted next month.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
If you are interested in teaching a class either in person or online, let us know!
May all beings thrive.
Hailaz / Namaste
Odin as the primordial state of consciousness applies to women as well, as Odin is said to have given soul to both. This innate awareness is formless and is beyond any associations with body or sexual identity. Therefore, one does not have to look at primal awareness as something based on these limiting and mundane concepts. This doesn’t mean that Freyja is not involved in the equation, as Freyja is the energy and flux of the natural/material universe, identical to great Kali/Shakti/Tara Ma. Freyja represents matter, while Odin represents consciousness. Without Odin, there would be no Freyja, and without Freyja, Odin would have nothing to manifest into. These are the two pieces of the puzzle that create what we know of our existence and reality; the Father (consciousness) and the Mother (material world). Each sentient being and all physical matter encapsulates these qualities. They are inseparable. Through training and practice, one can destroy the surface duality represented in these two halves, reuniting them into one single point of experience. Either deity can be venerated as supreme, as they both express one final outcome of creation.
Hail the Mother, Hail the Father!
We have uploaded a new galdr track titled “Ek Immi Óðinn” to our YouTube channel.
Ek Immi Óðinn can be translated to “I am Odin” and is meant to invoke the supreme awareness within. After one feels the deity present in their surroundings, one is to merge this primordial consciousness into oneself, replacing the mundane qualities of their hindered state of being associated with ignorance, weakness, and delusion. This method is mirrored in the Sanskrit mantra “Soham,” meaning “I am That.” This is a technique which allows the practitioner to become the deity (Odin) through the replacement of one’s limited state of mind, substituting it with the primordial awareness represented by the all-pervading consciousness of Odin. Through chanting this galdr repeatedly, one can transform themselves with immense speed and precision if one practices with single-pointed focus.
May all sentient beings seek the source of their consciousness and realize Odin within.
May all beings benefit.
Hailaz / Namaste
ALU represents orally transmitted knowledge that is passed down or transferred between individuals. This is akin to one “vessel” pouring liquid (ALU) into another vessel, representing the passing of tradition and secret wisdom from teacher/guru to student/disciple. This can be visualized like a great fountain, where water cascades down from one source point, representing the head of the spiritual lineage, falling down into further basins which overflow into more and more, representing each member who retains the teachings.
One could also speculate that the magical phrase ALU, while being associated with an “intoxicating” beverage, could be a reference to the “madness” that Odin is said to bring forth in his devotees. Other Proto-Germanic words like aluh (amulet) and alh (protect) can bring us to see ALU as being “protected by the intoxication of Odin.” It is quite possible, as with the Vedic and Egyptian ancient temples, that this ALU was a mix of substances, kept within the temple for sacred use. Other ingredients were likely various herbs and psychedelic mushrooms.
ALU can also be associated with inspiration and the “Mead of Poetry.” This magical liquid is said to cause consumers to become skalds (poets) and scholars; created by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar by mixing honey with the blood of the wise god Kvasir. Odin steals this magical mead disguised as an eagle and brings it back to Asgard. He then (through his mouth) delivers it to the gods and those skilled in poetry, emphasizing the concept of orally transmitted wisdom. This story can be found in Skáldskaparmál.
May ALU flow within all sentient beings and may divine intoxication drive your spirit forward.
Hailaz / Namaste
-Ansuz Society
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One could spend a lifetime soaking up Elderberry lore. Please, if we have missed something important, let us know!
Elder can be found most prominently in European history and mythos. Elderberry gets its name from the Old English aeld, which means “fire.” This association with fire comes from archeological evidence suggesting the use of its hollow branches to blow into fire to get it going.
In Celtic Ogham, the Ruis (ᚏ) symbol represents the Elder. In Old Irish, ruise means “red” or “redness”. This Ogham refers to blushing, intense emotions, shame, being red in the face and the glow of anger. It also refers to the practice of using Elderberries to redden one’s cheeks. Ruis shows sacrifice must be made in order to gain. We must face our failures and pain on our path to achievements.
Elder is sacred to many goddess-traditions and especially to the goddess Frau Holle. It is said that Frau Holle lived inside of the elder bush and she has been referred to as the Elder Mother. Frau Holle has been represented in various ways in several cultures and has gone by many names in Germanic mythology including Mother Earth, Perchta, Odin’s Wife, Frigg, Holda, and several more. She has many faces.
Frau Holle is alternately a hag and a nurturing mother, believed to be a bridge between life and death; communicating with and helping souls to pass over. She holds the power to unleash a variety of magicks on all beings and things in the world. Not one part of the Elderberry bush is to be cut or burnt without permission from her. If one does, you may experience her wrath.
In Danish, the Elder Mother is called Hyldemoer and is associated with Elves, commonly perceived as living within the roots of the Elder tree. Elder wood was considered dangerous to use when building cradles for fear that the Elder Mother could torment or steal the child away.
In an ancient Irish collection of stories known as “The Lays of Fionn Mac Cumhail”, there is a tale called “The Headless Phantoms”. In this tale, Fionn stays in a strange and otherworldly house where elder logs are burnt. He spends the evening being forced to face a myriad of horrible monsters.
The Romani were so fearful of the wrath of the Elder Mother that they would go through great lengths to inspect each bundle of firewood to be sure there was no Elder before casting it upon the fire. It is said that “should you doze off under an Elder bush, you may be taken away to the otherworld or you may never wake at all.
The Elder is known as a great protector and powerful ward against evil. Elderberries are still commonly planted in gardens to watch over the plants. Leaves of the bush were placed above doors to ward off witches. Elderberries on windowsills are supposed to keep vampires from entering. The vampire’s compulsive need to count all the berries would keep them occupied until dawn.
It has also been used in a variety of burial rituals. Green Elder branches were placed in fresh graves to protect the dead from evil spirits. Carrying or wearing any part of the Elder would protect you from harm. Elderberry oil (or water) has been used in blessing rituals. Among Christian traditions, the Elder was a fearful symbol of sorrow and death. In medieval times, some Europeans would tie Elderberry twig hoops to parts of the body that had rheumatism and believed that this would cure it. The Romans created hair color from the dark juice of the berries.
“…We tend to think of Mara as something ferocious that is going to come along and cut us up or drag us off; it is not necessarily that dramatic or that overtly unpleasant. Mara is anything that obstructs the practice of Dharma and seduces you into abandoning the practice of Dharma and favoring worldly activities…”
-K.K.R.
Mara is a Sanskrit word meaning “death” and has relation to the Vedic god of death Mrtyu. This word stems from a more archaic Indo-European root mer-, which means “to die.” With this in mind, and in the context of Buddhism, we can associate Mara with anything that makes our focus on the Dharma “die”, become distracted, or diminish.
It is important that we consider all distractions in our practice as potential incarnations and activities of Mara. If it is more applicable to your vocabulary, viewing these distractions as demons can be equally beneficial. However, this concept isn’t to be externalized in meaning, as the root of Mara lies within us and not on the outside. Even in the case of a wild animal devouring us, we cannot view the animal as Mara, but instead, our attachment to our own body as the essence of Mara’s activity.
Mara(s) can generally be classified into four different categories. The first applies to our “unskillful” emotions such as greed, hate, and ignorance. The second applies to death and the circumstances that cause death. The third applies to conditioned existence and its symptoms. The fourth applies to the being Mara and his daughters, who tried to prevent Gautama Buddha from attaining liberation on the night of his enlightenment.
Although some of these have “external” sounding features, it is important to remember that all phenomenon we experience as Mara can be associated with our own ignorance in perception, and therefor, exist within us as obscurities. For instance, during meditation, a barking dog only exists as a Mara/demon in the sense that our perception is being disturbed by it, due (most likely) to our attachments to silence, control, and comfort. If one shifts their perception to pure emptiness, one makes their mind like the space inside a cave, where sound may enter and echo, but ultimately, moves through like wind and attaches to nothing.
If our mind rests in this realization of emptiness, then all external phenomenon move through it like clouds in the sky or waves in the ocean.
May all sentient beings conquer the Maras that obstruct their Dharma practices.
Hailaz / Namaste
Last year, during the time between Samhain and the November Full Moon, we carried out a 9 day ritual which covered many different aspects of reverence and renewal.
On the evening of the full moon, we concluded ritual operations by dropping off our letter for non profit approval at the local post office. Since then, we have been waiting patiently for the process to unfold.
Today, we finally found out that we are indeed approved by the state of New York to operate as a not-for-profit corporation. This opens up many doors for the future and will give us the opportunity to put together more events to benefit all.
Our purpose and dream for this project since the beginning was to create a space for all beings to practice on this path; a spiritual center that can be a source of refuge whether one is near or far. Whether Pagan, Hindu, Buddhist, or nondenominational, we aim to create a Sangha of practicing individuals with mutual respect and understanding for one another.
We are very happy to share this news with you.
May all beings thrive.
Hailaz / Namaste
-Ansuz Society
Ansuz Society 