Grief Runes Day Two - Kenaz

This is Day Two of a series of meditations on the Runes (Elder Futhark) as they relate to Grief. Each day I randomly pull a rune and see what lessons it brings out.

Kenaz - blister, torch. Both are applicable to Grief.

*Blister: It is tender, it is under your skin, it hurts, it might never subside, it can get infected and poison our whole system. It can leave a scar. *Torch: It can be revealing, secrets you kept from yourself can be found out, it can lead you forward or enlighten the past in useful ways. It can light the fires of destruction or creation.

Runes show us what might come to be. We are the element of decision. If we choose path A, the Runes say, here is your likely outcome. Path B, this is what could happen.

How we handle our grief, or that of those around us, will determine how we heal and integrate. If we poke at the blister, the chances of infection increase. Poking at Grief looks like: Minimizing, ignoring, trying to hurry it up. However, if we let it run its course under careful watch, it will subside, though it might scar. Respecting Grief's course looks like: Feeling that pain, watching for the infection of depression, realizing our limitations while grieving (don't bump the blister by taking on too much), accepting the scar as being part of our selves.

The torch is energy. Controlled fire, or controllable fire. It can be anger, which is a common aspect of grieving. It can be deep introspection. You have lost something - a person, a planned future, a job, or___. What does this loss mean? Why did this loss happen? It is not fair. What will we do with that torch? Burn it all down? Light a fire for others to gather around? Cook to feed ourselves and others? Explore the caves of the unknown? These are (some of) the possibilities.

I think it's interesting that a blister can feel like a fire under the skin. Today I am looking at Kenaz as both. A friend of mine lost security through the violent act of another. I grieve that (too common) loss for her. I try to tend to her blister and to be a light. My own torch in this situation is one of anger that needs action. How best to apply that energy is still a question I am sitting with. The outcome reaches beyond the immediate situation, which is important to remember: Do not burn down the forest.