Jun
Aesc Rune Exercises: Anglo Saxon Additional Runes
Aesc Rune: The Anglo-Saxon additional Runes do not have the same weight as the 24 Elder Runes. The Additional “runes” actually denote a specialized application of a rune or other magickal potency or principle. I decided to explore these additional Runes further. They are a good exercise in further understanding the Elder Runes and Northern magickal symbols
The Aesc Rune is the second of the Anglo Saxon additional runes. It has the same shape as the Elder Futhark’s Ase rune. The Anglo Saxon Futhark uses a slightly different shape for its Os Rune, which is the equivalent of the Elder Ase Rune.
Exercise 1: Aesc is the Ash tree. It is a very hard and reliable type of wood. Aesc holds firm against opposition,. It is unmoved, resisting opposition and retaining its dignity. No act or word of its adversaries can tarnish the Aesc as it stands proud and strong. Ac, the previous Anglo Saxon Rune, pushes through resistance. Aesc withstands resistance. It stays in place and lets resistance break around it.
Get ready to list some Aesc experiences you may have had. Have you ever been faced with a heavy wind that could have pushed you, but you stood your ground? Have you ever waded at the beach and stood unmoved as a wave broke against you. ? Has someone tried to push you, but you stood firm and remained unmoved? Did you even go so far as to push them off? In situations where you stood firm against force, you were applying the Aesc principle. This is not the whipping give-and-rebound of the Yew / Ihr Rune. Aesc is standing unmoved.
Go over the list and think of what your experiences had in common. Try to remember how you felt at the time, physically and mentally. These are the points where you are in tune with the Aesc Rune.
Exercise 2: The firm stance of Aesc can be used to anchor. A common example is seen in the wooden stakes to which tomato plants are tied. The stakes stand unmoved, providing stasis for the flopping plants. Consider situations where you had to anchor yourself. For instance, did you ever have to hammer something from such a precarious position that you had to anchor yourself by holding a door jamb, tree or other stable object with your free hand? Have you ever beached a small boat, and held a tree or piling with your free arm to anchor yourself so you could pull the boat out of the water? Would you have fallen into the water without the help of that anchor? Consider other situations where you used your free arm to anchor yourself so you could accomplish a task.
That use of an anchor to stabilize you is an application of Aesc. Think of how it felt, and how much more secure you felt when you took advantage of the anchoring. That feeling is where you actually connect with the Aesc Rune.
Alternate Exercise: Aesc contains the ability to stay calm amid chaos. It is the stable ash that remains unmoved while all around it is in a frenzy. Consider chaotic situations you experienced where you calm and kept your composure. It can be any variety of things, from a child’s birthday party to a meeting that had turned into turmoil. (School teachers will know this well.) Try to recollect how you felt while staying apart from the chaos. Remember how you felt as you kept your head while others were acting like maniacs.
Alternate Exercise: Aesc can also impart the ability to use that calm as a place from which to stabilize the chaos. It is the feeling of being untouched by the chaos, yet able to address it effectively. Have you ever brought . a class of unruly children to order? Have you ever gotten children at a birthday party to stop running wild long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song? Have you ever called a meeting to order? (People’s attention is usually scattered and the room is in a state of placid anarchy until someone calls the meeting to order.) Have you ever had to go into a room full of agitated knuckleheads and got them to stop their nonsense? Perhaps you have had other experiences similar to these. Aesc is experienced as the ability to keep your head above the level of the chaos, and then calmly call things to order. Consider how you felt before you brought order, and how the air seemed to change the instant you calmly called folks to order. That feeling is where you again touch the Aesc Rune.
You can try the flip side of this exercise. Have you ever been part of a disordered or chaotic situation that was brought to order? If so, how did it feel as you made the shift from disorder to order? This can reveal a little more of this aspect of Aesc. It always helps when we can draw on experiences of both sides of the situation.
Alternate Exercise: the ash wood is hard, sturdy and reliable. If you have ever used a tool with an ash handle, you know how strong it is. Ash wood is used for axe handles, maul handles and baseball bats. Consider the wood. There is a reason this Rune is named for that wood.
By the way, the Germans referred to the Vikings as Ash Men. “Men of the Ash Wood.”
As you can see, the exercises draw from very simple and common experiences. They make the Runes less mysterious because they make the Runes tangible for you. Your everyday experiences are the best way to understand Runes. These are not abstract forces. They are part of your everyday experience.
