Nov
Feeling the Wunjo Rune
These exercises connect you with experiences of the Wunjo Rune in the everyday world. Rather than see Wunjo as an abstract principle, you will come to understand it from personal experience of the Rune.
Exrcise 1: An aspect of Wunjo is joy as an expression of harmony. Dancing is the harmony of human movement and music. For Wunjo, any dance that is fun will do. Whether dancing to rock, disco, country or ballroom music, there is a joy to moving with the music. Within the feeling and the action is Wunjo. Think of the Rune as being at the place where music, movement and the feeling of happiness meet. You can dance alone with someone or dance alone.
Exercise 2: Think of a time when you have won a raffle, door prize or lottery. These are things that you win by luck or chance. There is no competing, and no striving for victory as in the Tyr or Sig Runes. In this case, winning is not the same as victory. Think of how you felt when you won the prize.
Maybe you found money on the sidewalk or got lucky on Ebay. Perhaps you made a ‘fund’ at a flea market or yard sale. Think of how it felt.
(While luck is the province of the Ing Rune, the feeling that accompanies it is Wunjo.)
Think also of a time when you have received an unexpected gift. Try to call up the feeling of instant joy. Ponder this feeling and compare it to how you felt when you won the unexpected prize or made a ‘find.’ Here you get an appreciation of Wunjo from two sides.
Substitute Exercises: singing alone with music can be called the “Ase” aspect of “Wunjo.” Ase is the Rune of good and of inspired words. Wunjo is joy and harmony. If possible, choose a fun song that evokes happy feelings in you.
Wunjo can be a Rune of insanity. It is the “high” elation which can become the rapture that overwhelms reason. Within Wunjo there is a shadow of “unreason.” Have you ever done something on a whim, especially something that made no logical sense? Perhaps you took a day off work and made a run to the shore or the mountains. Maybe on a whim you had a one night stand, or perhaps you bought an item on an impulse. These actions abide on the wild side of Wunjo where joy turns to reckless abandon. If you have ever done anything on impulse or whim, or if you have tossed caution to the winds and jumped in with both feet just because it seemed like fun, then you have experienced the place where joy borders insanity.
Review such episodes. Try to recall the feeling. Look for that moment when you abandoned discretion. Think also of that elated something that drew you forward into reckless abandonment. It is best to ponder those incidents that ended well for you.
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A good aid to exercises is pen and paper. When you write a thing down ,you give it a “place”. You make it tangible, and that makes it easier for your mind to work with it. For Wunjo, list the feelings that go with each exercise. Take five minutes or less for listing each exercise. When you complete a list, set it aside. Come back and look at it again in a few hours. Looking at it with fresh eyes has its benefits.
I am a great believer in using pen and paper to augment training. The simple lists are excellent tools for giving you insight into how you relate to people, places, things, situations, and even the Runes. The use of lists was first introduced to me over 25 years ago. Since then, I have taught their use and have seen many benefit from them. It may be simple, but the results can be profound.
