Once again, a review by Geoff, this time of broadcast three of Season Two of Radio Free RUNA.

RFR2 #3 – Rune Uruz and Heroic Models

Ever the radical traditionalist, Edred is bound to raise someone’s hackles with his one. But by now you might have noticed he’s not afraid to go against prevailing conventional wisdom, especially when that “wisdom” is creating real harm.

Our topic is the sacred mystery of Uruz. Just how severely is it under attack today by our out-of-balance society? The section about the Oprah-ization of culture had me rolling.

Heroic archetypes and the need for each is discussed.

The mini-series Pacific gets a thumbs up and this leads to some frank and moving talk about some WWII vets Edred grew up around, which he dubs, “the good, the bad and the sad”.

Don’t miss this podcast, direct from the Star-Chamber at Woodharrow.

In September of 2008 Eormensyl Hall of the Rune-Gild held a successful day of public talks in London where the Hall is based. These talks were recorded as a record and here is your chance to hear the results of research carried out by Gilders working at the cutting edge of their particular area of expertise.

All of this series of five talks are available.

http://edred.net/community/members/2/vault.php?p=5

http://edred.net/community/members/2/vault.php?p=6

http://edred.net/community/members/2/vault.php?p=7

http://edred.net/community/members/2/vault.php?p=8

http://edred.net/community/members/2/vault.php?p=9

These are free downloads for Edred.net subscribers.

http://edred.net/2010/04/26/subscribing-to-edred-net/

Paul Fosterjohn

An Introduction to Germanic Traditional Astrology

A Rune-Gild Master who specialises in numerology and Indo-European astrology considers many and various aspects of this most arcane aspect of the Mystery.

Ingrid Fischer

Luck, Fate and Heroes

What can the stories of our heroes offer the modern man to help him understand the parts of his soul dealing with the concepts of luck and fate? R-G Master Ingrid Fischer muses.

Dave Lee

Ginnung and the Tools of Consciousness

How can stories from our mythology be used to inspire our magick? Former Head of the Illuminates of Thanateros Chaos Magick order and published author, R-G Master Dave Lee, who has reworked some of these old tales into modern versions, offers a way based on his many decades of work with writing and storytelling.

P.D. Brown

The Leader of Men of the Land of the Bittern – The Story of Hereward the Saxon/Thor’s Journey to Geirrothsgarth

Here we hear R-G Master P.D. Brown’s versions of two stories which show the truth of the previous talk. Master Brown has recorded and released many stories on CD and the effect of his charismatic and mesmerising style has to be heard to be believed. No-one needs a TV when P.D. speaks.

Jon Sharp

Wulfila’s Gothic Alphabet: A Northern Gematria

A Fellow of the Gild delves into the secrets of our mysteries that Bishop Wulfila encoded into his Gothick ‘Alphabet’. John Sharp sought for wisdom within the Western Mystery Tradition for twenty years and more before making the roots of any and all such mysteries in the West his life’s work.

Includes an audience question and answer session, which rounded up the day

MATT ANON is a contributor to a new series on Edred.net, called The Seeker. These are discussions of the path, the decisions that led to the path, and discoveries along the way.

My first conscious contact with magic happened, when I took ‘magic mushrooms’. They worked for me as a trigger and made me aware of the fact that consciousness – Óðinn’s gift to mankind – is a miracle and mystery in itself. It was clear from the beginning that I have entered the Devil’s way: „the way of the hero— the path of those who would dare breech the gates of eternity, to eat of the tree of life eternal“ (Flowers: Lords of the Left-Hand Path, p. 249) having discovered the most ancient of all forbidden truths: my own divine spark. Moved by my thirst for knowledge, stirred up by the dawning of óðr, I met the Devil’s advocate: the Beast 666, Aleister Crowley, called lovingly by us all who were ‘seduced’ by his exhilarated and energized enthusiasm, Uncle Al. Being who I am I found out EVERYTHING about Aleister Crowley and wanted only one thing from that moment on: to learn magic(k). While having been studying Crowley, I slowly realized that there were other systems  around that have a far more pragmatic approach to magic. This was the hour of the half-mad ‘Black Brother’ Austin Osman Spare and his ‘revolutionary’ method of sigil sorcery. Because reading AOS is like trying to unravel the fervour of a madman, it was the repeated application of ‘Thee Sigil Ov 3 Liquids’ in Thee Greyer Book that initiated a series of events that convinced me once and for all that magic WORKS as I got immediate results. It must have been what they call ‘beginner’s luck’! Thus my soul was sold to the Devil, the inventor of magic and anything else that is mysterious and forbidden. But at that moment in time I already knew that the Devil was nothing but the degenerated manifestation of a far older god of our heathen forefathers. Satan is but the repressed part of the untamed and dark aspects of Self. This was the time, when I entered the realm of chaos magic(k) – the current that synthesized the threads of the antagonistic twins Crowley and Spare in conjunction with the spirit of ‘free-form magic’ to bring forth a postmodern approach, where “Nothing Is True and Everything Is Permitted” (Hassan-i Sabbah). I found a lot in chaos magic that inspired me, especially the fundamental insight that Gnosis and Belief are important for magic to work, though some chaos magicians already come to the conclusion that “belief alone is … the basis of magick and gnosis is optional”, which is similar to Edred’s theory of Galdor based on the idea „that magick works because we decide that an action we are about to undertake has the value of causing the willed change.“ (Dave Lee). Simultaneously my interest moved ever stronger towards the Runes. I also understood intuitively that Runes are not just another ‘paradigm’. Rather the Mystery encoded in the Runes demands of the Seeker to dedicate his whole life – and beyond – to the quest for Her. And then, one day, when a mysterious urge spured me on to go out and to look for something I came across the German translation of Edred’s Nine Doors of Midgard. A rush of excitement, a sudden presence of the Numen made me shiver inside – I felt the mysterium tremendum and mysterium fascinans simultaneously.  And here, for the first time, I realized where my roots lie – hidden. From the first moment on I read about the idea put forth by Edred that the Seeker has to emulate the archetype of the First Runemaster Óðinn, to emulate His act of ‘Winning the Runes’, for gaining insight into Runa – the Mother of all Mysteries – I knew this is where my magic has led me. So, feeling attracted by the Mystery, I joined the Rune Gild. I swore my first oath to Óðinn whilst holding my Sax against my beating heart and ever since I’m feeling the pull from Runa becoming stronger and stronger. Thusly the trail of the Devil turned out to be the demon’s footprint of the one-eyed God whose Rune-Might still manifests in Midgard. „When the written codes of Gods and Man are abandoned, what remains but the footprint of the Demon?“ (Fire + Ice) 36 years ago Óðinn whispered the Word into the Yrmin Drighten’s ear. Now that I entered the Rune Masters’ dragonship the greatest adventure life has to offer begins! And I hear the knocking of Sleipnir’s hooves and the winds on the raging sea, whispering from eternity: Reyn til Runa!

Radio Free RUNA Season Two-Talk Two is now available. Of course, subscribers get this talk for free.

http://edred.net/community/members/385/vault.php?p=9

Following is another review by Geoff:

RFR2 #2 – Guns, Lawns and Esoteric Methodology
(45:37)

The Rune-rede section of this offering is a follow-up on some ideas central to Runarmal II, soon to be released. That’s a way of saying you may find it useful now and even more useful later. It concerns “the methodology of discovering esoteric truths” – and if that doesn’t whet your appetite, I don’t know what will.

Simultaneously whimsical and serious, competing philosophies of the 18th-19th centuries CE are shown to underlie the current debate on the care of lawns. This interplay neoclassicism and its antithesis, romanticism, remains especially relevant to the Odian, and traces can be found in the most apparently pedestrian of topics. As we see, at times the philosopher needn’t go further than his own yard.

In “Ripped from the Headlines”, Edred has something to say about a recent Supreme Court decision on gun rights and the origins of the 2nd Amendment.

Toga or spear, what’s your preference?

To those who Seek after the Mysteries,

Greetings.

On July 13, XXIV Ipsissimus Michael Aquino brought news of the Recognition of Stephen Edred Flowers to the Degree of Magus.

It will be 21 years that the Temple has had a special interest in the notion of Mystery.  Now Flower’s Word is Runa.  By rune-tally it has a value of 21.  Flowers had a dream in which one of the Nine asked him if his word wasn’t “Futhark.”  You will note that by rune-tally it is also equal to 21.  This is interesting because the natural and logical order of the Runes F-U-Th-A-R-K is the same as the Hidden order that Odhinn saw by sacrificing himself-to-himself.  We gain our Initiation in a Hidden order.  Setian A may gain insight first, then patience, then magical power while Setian B may start with magic, then reasoning skill, then finding a Teacher.  The sum total of experiences (Fehu through Othala if you will) will be needed, just as we need every letter to be able write and read.  Some of the Mysteries of life may be easy for you to get, others hard.  You might envy the person who Understands Laguz (the 21st Rune) easily, but she may envy you for your grasp of Perthro.  The tensions and ambitions, the sharings of insight and the sharings of struggle make the great Working we call the Aeon.  On Wodensday of this 45 Year of the Aeon of Set, the Temple will see its 21st anniversary of Runa, when we gained the 13th Magus in the Seventh month.  To some this will open Doors, to others merely give a day to raise a glass of mead to toast Dr. Polaris.

In the Year IX he had Heard the word and the Work of Set-HarWer (known to the profane as Satan) was wrought.  In the Year X Set would stand forth in His glory.

Xeper and Remanifest,

Don Webb VI*

Reyn Til Runa!

For more of Don Webb go here.

The Mystery Scribbles have been solved!

The first talk of Radio Free RUNA Season Two is now available!

Here’s a review by the erstwhile Geoff:

RFR2 #1 – Season Two Inauguration:
Norns, Thurses and the Founding Fathers
(34:21)

An auspicious first sending of Radio Free RUNA, Season Two, has been released. It’s faster paced, with a juicier new sound and format. The content mix of individual episodes will have greater variety. As much as I liked last season’s talks – and some of you already know I was absolutely nuts about them – these promise to be even better!

Each show is slated move along the following lines:

*Overview
*Rune-rede
*Culture and History
*Various Grab-bag, with features like;
Listener Questions/ “Ripped from the Headlines!”/ Reviews/ “What’s the Big Idea?”
*Ragnarok

If this podcast is any indication, the esoteric, exoteric and cultural sections will harmonize well. A weaving of relational ideas of nornic mysteries, the divine mind and the thursic realm was breathtaking and revelatory. Any attempt at summarizing on my part would be a disservice to you, Rune-seeker, so listen in.

A timely and patriotic segment detailing the predominately pagan roots of out country is enough to cause Bible-toting delusionals some frowns, particularly those who claim the US was founded as a “Christian nation”.

Finally, a so-sad-it’s-ridiculously-funny story about a local war on squirrels there in Austin ties it all together in a way only Edred can.

Hail Radio Free RUNA, a beacon in the darkness!

You can subscribe to Edred.net and receive very large discounts.

The staff at Rune-Gild Magazine has done it again. Kudos to a wonderful, enthralling work!

Contents

From the Editor

News and Events

Runes in Action by Michael Kelly

Runes are often used in a manner that suggests that they are somehow separate from and outside of the everyday business of life. They will be consulted in divination, or carved and sent in an operative Working, but only in a place set apart for that purpose. It is essential to set aside a time for these operations and to create a hallowed ground (even if only temporarily) in which these rituals can be worked. But so long as your runes remain in that place only, their effectiveness will be severely diminished.

Deadheading Our Lives – A Harvest Ritual by Hjalldis

Our ancestors did not need to be told these things. They were intimately connected to the land. It fed them and kept them warm and dry. We too are nourished and protected by the resources of our world. But unlike our ancestors, most of us are not intimately connected with the cycles of birth, growth, death and rebirth.

They knew the connection. The dead nurture the living.

Interview with Rune-Gild Master Ristandi by Ariman

From the other side of the fence, as it were, I’d like to see the Heathen Community become aware that the Gild offers a sophisticated and well-established methodology for re-awakening sleeping Traditions — I would argue that we offer the best methodology for doing so, the only truly effective methodology for doing so. This process involves one aspect of the Polarian Method, and is expressed pretty succinctly in Edred’s seminal essay: How to be a Heathen. While undoubtedly many modern Heathens are tacitly or unconsciously applying this approach, I’d like to see its adoption made more explicit, more deliberate, and more widespread.

Ancient Stories, Timeless Wisdom: Ragnarök by P.D. Brown, Ristandi, and Lothar Tuppan

The Norse mythological cycle is brought to a close with the Ragnarök, a cataclysmic and catastrophic narrative where a host of frost giants, fire ogres, troll wives, monsters and legions of the dead invade Asgarð and close battle with the gods and einherjar in what will be the latter’s heroic last stand.

Analysis and Review of Orality and Literacy by P.D. Brown

As literate people, it is fascinating to have this book show you the literate bias of our modern world view, which sees orality as only an inferior variant of literacy, resulting in the contradiction in terms of phrases such as “Oral Literature,” used by academics to describe the creations of purely oral poets and storytellers. Indeed, such is the extent of this bias that we tend to conceptualise and see words as print rather than as sounds. Yet articulated sound is still paramount. Gesture, sign language and writing, however rich, are dependent upon, and substitutes for, speech. Written texts still have to be related to sound, either in the mind or out loud. Though orality can exist without literacy, literacy cannot exist without orality. Yet words used to describe orality, such as “preliterate” are perjorative and define orality only in terms of what followed it.

True Homesteading: A Bit of Butter Lore and How-To by Angi Killough

As it turns out, there are records of butter use from as early as 2000 BCE, and butter is among the earliest commodities in oversea commerce. In the first century CE, butter was shipped from India to ports of the Red Sea. Nearer to our interests are records of Scandinavian butter being shipped to Germany in exchange for wine. There is also speculation that butter-making in north and middle Europe actually originated in Scandinavia.

A Call to the Fylgja by Lothar Tuppan

The following is a formal ritual specifically designed to strengthen a Gilder’s relationship with the Fylgja, especially with its transpersonal aspects for the purpose of deification. I first started doing this working at the beginning of 2007. Since then it has been refined to the best of my abilities.

A Journey Into Fellowship by Jon Sharp

My own journey along this most demanding and rewarding of paths began in earnest in October 2006, when I enrolled on one of Ian Read’s courses in the Germanic Tradition at Arcanorium College. The gulf between the work required for this beginners’ course and my previous experiences of magical work was huge. The distinction was not only one of required effort, but lay also in the fundamentally practical approach offered by this Tradition. This should not be misunderstood: as anyone working within this Tradition will know, there is plenty of room for philosophical musing and analysis, but there is no room for the mutual re-enforcement of indulgent fantasy. Nor is there any tolerance for the sort of sloppy thinking or circular self-referential justification that mars so many contemporary ‘occult’ systems.

Cinematic Mysteries: The Mad Scientist and “The Little Man of the Gallows”: Mandrake’s Mystery and the Promethean Folly in Galeen’s “Alruane” by Angela Holm

By 1928, Hanns Heinz Ewers’ influence clearly helped to establish a tradition of investigating old legends in early German cinema. This was due in large part to his groundbreaking and influential script for the 1913 film “Der Student von Prag” that unleashed a wave of Romantic, Faustian nightmares. Henrik Galeen and Ewers made another version the same film in 1926 shortly before they decided to continue their fruitful collaboration with a new film in 1928. At the height of the chaos and enlightenment that characterized the myriad artistic movements of the Weimar Republic and the apex of German silent cinema, comes “Alraune”.

Reviews

Music Review
Born Again — Blood Axis, Storm/Tesco, 2010.

Book Review: Become Who You Are
Paradox Games by Waldo Thompson. 153 pages, Rûna-Raven Press, 2009

Book Review
Runarmal I (The Rûna Talks. Summer 1991ev ) by Stephen Edred Flowers. 64 pages, Rûna-Raven Press, 1996.

Book Review

3 Paths Through Midgard: A Rune Poem by D. Jonathan Jones, RavensHalla Arts, Portland, Oregon 2010

Online Course Review
The Essence of Germanic Soul-Lore by Ingrid Fischer (taught online by Ian Read). Arcanorium online College of Magic (www.arcanoriumcollege.com)

Contributors

Kopp is a contributor to a new series on Edred.net, called The Seeker. These are discussions of the path, the decisions that led to the path, and discoveries along the way.

For as long as I can remember, I had always sought a deeper, a more meaningful understanding of myself, my surroundings, my place within it, as well as those individuals involved. But with roots that never had a chance of settling into solid ground, a proper (and consistent) guide thru it all was hard to come by. With many questions going without any satisfactory answers (if answered at all), being discouraged, and often shunned and ridiculed, solace was found early in the shadows, observing from the sidelines, learning what I could, and applying what felt right at the time.

Most of my youth felt as if it was in a restless sleep state, conscious though not fully aware. Mystery tickling my thoughts as a gentle breeze would while gently touching your shoulders on a hot balmy day. With many lessons learned thru the experiences and wonder that life has to offer, it wasn’t until early adulthood that I made a conscious decision to search for something more. To remove the veil and see the truth for what it really is, and not what it’s made to be.

Hurt, confused, and very angry at the world, it wasn’t until I was 19 that the hint of a whisper had turned into a deafening roar. What was then set in motion would become the catalyst to a series of events that would change my life as I knew it. For well over a decade, time and energy was spent in the efforts of mastering myself within the world of the martial art, but it wasn’t until I had reached my darkest hour though, that true understanding began to shed its revealing light on previously hidden pathways, winning for myself a better glimpse of the greater mysteries, as well as furthering my initial goals.

Now with a clearer sense of direction, and the mysteries beckoning me ever forward, deeper and deeper into what is still yet unknown to my mind, heart and spirit, can I now begin to not only focus on my studies with more intensity, but to start piecing together how I can apply my knowledge and experience to help guide others along a similar path, and contribute to the efforts in bringing the ways of the Germanic Folk back into the everyday lives of her sons and daughters.

It’s been a challenging road so far, with a long way yet to go. From time to time though, across my path will come those who will guide me even more, either directly or by way of their own example. It is indeed my good fortune that I had found my way towards the Gild. Already within the short time I have spent as an associate, much has been learned, and much more has been realized within myself. As I think on where I am going now, with what I am beginning to do, I cannot help but to allow my excitement and anticipation build on things yet to come, experiences to be had, knowledge and wisdom to be one….as well as the friends to be made along the way. Won’t you join me on my journey?

Werden is a contributor to a new series on Edred.net, called The Seeker. These are discussions of the path, the decisions that led to the path, and discoveries along the way.

“When Zarathustra was thirty years of age he left his home and the lake of his home and made his way into the mountains.”

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche

Who am I?

Why am I?

What am I?

These, and many other questions, I could attempt to delve into at this juncture however I could only answer with partial honesty in any such attempt at the moment.

Through my life I felt a deep draw to discover and explore any mystery available, and at times even those unavailable.
This, to me, has always been a ‘natural’ state, which has at times placed me at odds with those around me.

Over the past several years I have spent much time exploring and working to find the secrets within and without. Here I will discuss much of what I have found, many of the questions which I have – and continue – to discover, as well as discussing topics related (books, film, art, philosophy, etc).

By way of background I have been inspired heavily by the Runic esoteric systems; A.O. Spare’s work; Peter J. Carroll and Frater U:.D:.’s modern synthesis of Chaos Magi[c|k|q]; the work of Andre Breton and his contemporaries in the world of Surrealism, Dada, and Cubism; philosophy; psychology; several Eastern and Western spiritual technologies; philosophy of mind, and much more.

This exploration increasingly lead me to seeking traditions which fortified and worked on the healthy development of the individual into the full potential available. This leads me increasingly into the world of psychology with Jung’s Individuation among other places which I will discuss in greater detail later.

More recently this has lead me to investigation of the writings of those connected with the Initiatory Schools of the Temple of Set and the Rune‐Gild, and at the moment my application is on its way to the Executive Director of the Temple of Set –after a long period of research and work to decide if this was something which was an avenue of proper pursuit for me.

I feel both to be amazing in their quality of Initiates and what they have – and continue – to create, however for reasons which I am currently not wishing to discuss I feel personally drawn to the environment of the Temple.

What I will then use this space for, as well as my personal blog in the Edred.Net community, is to chronicle my current thoughts and questions on matters, discuss such ideas and topics which I investigate, and generally create what may be presentable as a public record.

This then will hopefully be a useful tool for myself during my growth to look back at how my thoughts progress and how my understanding and questions/questioning change over time.

Additionally this will hopefully act as an inspirational tool for others and an area for discussion. This will then be my chronicles of Seeking, and what I may discover on the journey to mySelf and beyond.

What I discuss here will be my own opinions and should not be seen as official thoughts related to any organization or even Edred.Net.

I will attempt to do justice to everyone involved, however my experiences will by Necessity remain personal and individual.

My best wishes on your own Journeys, and I will send with you my blessings if you are Seeking honestly for the Mysteries and your Higher and more Perfected Self in earnest!

Xeper & Remanifest!

Werden

:RtR:

************************************************************************************

Werden’s blog can be found at http://edred.net/community/members/460/blog.php

Above are instructions hand-written on an envelope by Edred, today, June 25, 2010.

Login to Edred.net Community and tell us what you think these instructions are.
Follow the instructions here:
http://edred.net/community/comment.php?mode=view_comments&band_id=1&message_id=597&type=message&template=script_comment.tpl

Those who guess correctly will receive either a free one-month subscription to Edred.net or (if they are already subscribers) a free copy of Runarmal II.