Runes and Grief 23: Hagalaz

Here we are now at the second-to-last entry of this series of thoughts on runes and grief. Tonight we see Hagalaz. Hagalaz: hailstone, hailseed, sudden change, held force awaiting release and flow.

Personally, I relate Hagalaz to Hel, the hostess in Helheim, where those who have not died in battle go. Regular people. She welcomes in and provides for the ancestors. The daughter of Loki, she was granted the position by Odin. She presides over a place of transformation - from life to death. Unlike other versions of places with her name, Helheim is said to be fairly pleasant for the most part, and that has been my experience in trance as well. It serves as a place to regroup, and rest from the struggles of Life. A place where the hardness has melted into soft, cool water.

Hail melts seemingly invisibly - turning to liquid and seeping into the earth. It still exists in this new form, and feeds the ground, reaching roots and seeds that will eventually change and enrich the landscape. So, too, grief. The hardness of the initial phases become less obvious, though they have seeped into our souls, nourishing...? What? That is, as I have said before, a matter we get to/have to decide.

We can let our hearts stay frozen, become brittle, and crack into sharp shards. This might be our initial choice, in deep grief when everything seems lost or worthless in the darkness of immediate shock. It does not have to become our permanent choice.

We can let our hearts soften, joining the flow of the world, becoming part of something so much larger than we are. We can feed the best parts of ourselves and those around us.