Apr
Feeling the Ing Rune
Ing is a Rune of luck, protection and male fertility. It is the igniter, the spark that starts the fire, the catalyst, the essential thing needed to make it work.
Warning – my Loki side was at work, and I managed to interject a couple of jokes. Note that these humorous bits are presented in italics so that they will not be confused with serious material.
Exercise 1: Life begins with a spark. Human life begins when a sperm cell sparks an egg and thereby sets off the process of gestation. Ing is a catalyst. On the intellectual level, Ing is the one idea that sets off an endeavor, from making a better mousetrap to inventing a cure for cancer. Ing embodies a pure natural energy.
There are several ways to experience this. It can be as simple as lighting a barbecue. The charcoal, lighter fluid and all the ingredients are totally inert until the spark ignited the fire. (This also works if you use other forms of fuel.) If you own a gas-fueled stove, the pilot light is an ever-burning Ing that is necessary to turn inert gas into heat for cooking. Ing is the part that makes a match light. Ing is the initial tiny flame that sets off large bonfires and boxes of fireworks.
If you work in the military or demolition fields, Ing is the spark that sets off TNT, “det cord” and C4. Ing is the spark created when the firing pin hits the primer, be it a pistol or a howitzer. Consider all these things. In them is the secret of Ing as the essential energy which, no matter how small, starts large things.
For those who do resin casting, Ing is the catalyst that turns liquid to solid. Consider all these things, for there you will find Ing.
Exercise 2: Ing is a Rune of good fortune. It is the key to that thing we call “luck.” As heathens, our definition of Luck, is not as capricious as that on conventional society. Luck may seem to “just happen,” but usually there is more to it than happenstance.
In looking at your own life, look at places where you have been particularly lucky. Some folks have an uncanny knack for turning up money, some for finding the right people, and some for securing obscure information. It might even be a penchant for finding a great parking space while others have to drive around and around to get one. It seems like more than a mere talent. Where is your luck? At what thing do you have a peculiar advantage?
It helps to write these things down.
Along with the one thing at which you feel luckiest, is there anything else at which you have more “luck” than others? Write them down. When you write, your mind assigns a location and imparts a bit of “tangibility” to an idea, thereby making it easier to work with.
After looking at the list for a while, put it away. look at it again 24 hours later. A fresh look is good because it tends to reveal things you might have missed earlier.
This exercise will give you a handle on your “luck” quotient. One benefit is that it helps show that your luck is more than odd chance. You will have a better appreciation of Ing’s lucky aspect as it works in your life.
Alternate exercise: Ing is a catalyst of moods as well as energy. Though it is focused mainly on male fertility, it is also the thing that sparks the sexual urge. Ing is the energy behind arousal and stimulation. It is that which turns you on. This works for both men and women.
Here is another exercise where you can use a list. What turns you on? In the first part, what is that that turns you on to another person. Is it a look? A movement? A scent? A particular body or facial type? What makes one person more desirable than another?
Let’s put this from a man’s point of view. Redheads, blondes or brunettes? Tall or short? Big or small? Thick or thin? Big rack, big butt or nice legs? Shaved or natural? Is it an ethic thing? Do you prefer, say, the Nordic girls over the Mediterranean ones? Or do you find the love of a pixie-faced Irish harpette more appealing than, say, a cuddly Bayern lass? Write down the stuff that turns you on the most.
I cannot write from the ladies point of view, but they can probably extrapolate their criteria from the list. For instance, do they prefer large or small. (A humorous but true interlude: One of my old girlfriends told me that she could tell I was not Irish because I am well-hung. She said the Irish are small men. That being the case, a woman could ask herself if she prefers sexual satisfaction or an Irish lover. 
I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to shine the light of truth on the shortcomings of Hibernian culture. It certainly gives a new twist to the pairing of Mickey and Mini, and of course the analogy to mice.)
Now, think of situations that get you turned on. Where and when are you most likely to feel the urge? Is there something else that affects it? Atmosphere, music, a specific place, etc.?
Write it down and look it over. After a while, put the list away. Come back and look it over again 24 hours later. This exercise can reveal a lot about yourself.
Alternate exercise: You can experience Ing and put the “turn-on” into action through sex. You can evan have extra fun with a new product. K-Y makes an oil called Yours + Mine. The stuff is excellent for a couple who wish to try to experience Ing in bed. (A humorous note to the ladies: judging from what that old girlfriend told me, if your mate is German or Nordic, you need to use several large drops in the palm of the hand to apply it to your mate. If he is Celtic, a drop on the fingertip should be more than enough. )
Alternate Exercise: As an igniter of life, Ing also has the will to Life. This is the spark of enthusiasm for living. Ing is a great help in situation where the will to live must be enhanced. As you experience more of this Rune, you will touch that spark that increases the will to live. Those who work in the medical profession can see this with patients who have a very strong will to heal. You might notice a common feeling or “spark” around them.
Alternate Exercise: Ing is protective, just as Life is protective against disease and decay. Consider the Rune as one where strength deters weakness, health repels illness and well-being fends off poverty. One example is in sports. A healthy man can shake off physical damage better than a weak one. Things that would hospitalize a weak man would hardly faze a healthy one.
As much as Loki is a prankster, Ing has its sense of humor. The God Ing, also known as Frey, is prone to enjoy a little sport now and then. So it is that this exercise included jokes about a culture that deserves them. And in case you did not know, Frey’s jokes are frequently sexual. Unlike Loki, Frey is not given to spite.
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