Uncle Thor's Lessons, Anecdotes and Humor

Before we can solve the great questions of the universe, we have to settle the matters that affect us right here. We can think of universal principles and the possibility of a Universal Mind, but to what end? Of more immediate importance is our experience here and now. Matters of Mind, the Gods, magickal power and spiritual law have to be settled in our own everyday world. That is where they bear most on us. It is more important to discover if one’s luck can run out than if there is a single event was triggered to create the Universe. Knowing the origins of the Universe is a luxury, but overcoming a sudden lapse into misfortune is a necessity. We can explore the larger scheme of things at our leisure. It is the immediate concerns that demand our attention right now.

Today’s runecast is:

Sig – Gyfu – Yew

Sig is an expansive, bright force which abides openly. The Yew is dark and lives below the surface. In this reading, Gyfu is the crossroads. It is the balancing beam and the connection between two seemingly opposite forces. Bright and dark are not allegories for good and bad. They are just what it says: light and dark.

This reading calls us to consider the Sig and Yew Tree runes as both reciprocals and as forces that can support one another. In Gyfu we can find the means to do so.

Faith is a popular theme in conventional monotheistic religion. Their idea of faith is a belief in something because their church says so, even if no evidence exists to support that belief. They go so far as to extol those who believe without having any evidence whatsoever.

Real faith is neither blind nor gullible. Faith is confidence. It comes with experience. For instance, if you turn the doorknob of your front door and open it easily every day, you have faith that it works. Another example: if a person has always proven trustworthy and honest to you, then you develop faith in his character. Now switch the word “faith” with “confidence.” Obviously, faith is built on evidence. The greater and more enduring the evidence, the greater your faith will be.

Those who believe things without evidence may think they have faith. They may even take pride in having great faith without proof. That is not faith. That is superstitious gullibility.

Believe because you have reason to believe. If you do not have the reason, then doubt. Do not stop doubting until you have your proof. Real faith can only be built by proof. Doubt is the recognition that there is not enough evidence. Better to be skeptical than gullible.

Today’s runecast is

Dag – Eh – Ing

The Dag Rune can represent a short period of time. It is also a symbol of revelation and exposing the truth, much as daylight exposes that which had been hidden by night. A new revelation can set forth a journey or a process leading to a destination. Here that destination is Ing, a Rune of luck, good fortune, and the spark that sets things in motion. It is the beginning of something good.

The actual power behind spellcraft is a matter of much discussion. Everyone has a theory of why spells work. They also speculate on the ultimate source of the power behind them. At the end of the day, the only thing that stands out is that whatever it may be, it works. We do not need to define it to let it work for us.

The power is both a force and a principle. It works like any other law of nature. We do not need to know it in detail or define it. Look at gravity. We do not have to name it or know it or understand the theory behind it. Gravity works. We can apply it to work for us, provided we work with it. Gravity will not work for us is we go against its principle. It will perform if we apply our effort to work with the principle of gravity. For example, if we wanted to move stones from the top of a mountain to a specific spot at the bottom, we can build a chute. Gravity makes the stones go down. The chute uses gravity to direct them where we wish.

The power behind spellcraft is like gravity in that it works if we work with it. It will not work if our effort is in opposition to the power’s principle. Just as we must make our effort work with gravity in order to benefit from it, so it is with spellcraft.

Today’s runecast is

Bjork – Mannar – Isa

Tonight I am not going to interpret this reading. I am going to leave that to you.

Most spellbooks are collections of various formulae, rituals and actions purported to apply magickal force. To be fair, most of their spells are superstitious nonsense. A good number of the spells are copied from older works. In almost all cases, the authors have little or no knowledge of the principles underlying spellcraft. At best, their belief in the spells is superstition.

The most important part of spellcraft is a matter of the spellcaster’s mind. 90% to 100% of spell work is an operation involving the conscious and subconscious mind. The spell is a tool to set that process in motion and focus it on the objective. A good spell is just that. It accesses the power, controls and forms it for the purpose at hand, and then directs it to that goal.

The secret to magickal power is to get to know the power sources of your tradition intimately. Meditate on them a couple times a day. Think about them. Look for places where they manifest in the everyday world. If a power source had a sound, what might that be? How about a scent? A feel? A texture? Get to know those power sources, be they Elements, Runes, Gods, etc. Know them so that you know how they operate and how you can work with them.

As you do this, take time to learn a handful of spells that you can use and adapt for any circumstance. You need no more than seven, and will rarely use more than three types of spell. With the spells and your growing appreciation of the power sources, you can make it work for you. It tales three to five years of this to get really good, but even newcomers get some results.

You will not get any titles or any degrees, but if you work consistently you will be able to do it. That is more than most of the folks with titles and degrees will do.

Today’s runecast is

Lagu – Wunjo – Thurs

Water is a symbol of the realm of subjectivity. It is the place of moods and feelings. In its negative side, Lagu can be the realm of illusion. Wunjo is a rune of elation. Its negative side is the place of insanity. It is the manic state. On the other hand, both Naud and Lagu can be depressive. Thurs is the outcome. It is harm, rage and pain. Thurs is the sickness.

The warning is clear: the subjective side cannot be indulged unless the anchor of objectivity is in place. With no objective standard, the subjective becomes less and less real. It leads to insanity and all the woes that come of mental illness. Safety is a matter of always keeping one foot in the objective world. Without an objective pole on which to balance oneself, subjectivity becomes a danger to oneself. At best it leaves the individual in how own little world of make-believe. At worst the delusions become so pervasive that the afflicted has an adverse affect on others as well as on himself. How often does the news tell of some deluded individual who goes on a rampage of mayhem?

Never lose contact with objective reality.

To continue yesterday’s discourse on spellcraft, the knot spell can be very effective. It is an application of a binding power. One can bind to keep a thing out. One can also bind a thing to bring it to oneself. The power of binding is a form of Naud. Knots provide symbolism and give a bit of a physical boost. The act of tying and then tightening the knot adds a physical element which can enhance a spell’s success.

A simple three knot spell is all it takes. Make a statement and repeat it each time you tie and tighten a know. There are more complex knot spells. The symbolism is an effective trigger for magickal work.

A spell can be as simple as writing a symbol on a piece of paper. The mind of the spellcaster must have great familiarity with the symbol and the power and principle it represents. After all, it is not the inked drawing which does the work. It is the inner mind of the spellcaster.

Remember that a spell is a vehicle to access, control and direct magickal power for a specific purpose. We need to tap the appropriate power, and then render it useful for our purpose. We then send it forth to fulfill that purpose. Though there are many kinds of spells, the basic principle remains the same: access, control, direct.

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Our Master Spellcraft series is the compilation of the master class we used to give on spellcraft. It covers everything from spoken spells to knot spells to sigils and more complex methods. There are five parts to it. If you mention my Daily Lessons when you order, I will include a free monograph on spells as a bonus. Try my course. The lessons are brief and to-the-point. The focus is on getting you to working with the spells rather than wading through long texts.

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Today’s runecast is

Bjork – Gyfu – Tyr

Bjork is the Female, Tyr is the Male. Gyfu is the Gift. It can also be an Exchange or Interchange…or Intercourse.

Consider yesterday’s runecast. Here, we see Gyfu as a crossroads where the realm of Nature meets the world built by Man. One of Gyfu’s meanings is a Bridge. The crossroads can be a bridge connecting two things.

Another reading might be taking Natural things and transforming them into manufactured goods.