We have come to the 12th rune and the fourth in Hagal's ætt. This rune is not only number 12 in the rune row, it represents the year, and the year has, as we know, 12 months.
After the runes Hagal, Naud and Isa it is good to get a breather. The three aforementioned runes are quite intense. But Jera too has a time perspective in it – while Hagal, Naud and Isa dealt with the past, the present and the future, Jera is a "season rune". We who live here in the north, we notice well that the seasons shift – spring, summer, autumn and winter. And we know that birth precedes childhood, then you become an adult, then you grow old, and then you leave the census and enter … something else, the memory book, the shadow land or something like that. :-) Events arise, events are shelved or die out – and so on. Jera governs time on earth.
If Jera were to come with an inscription it would have to be: "What you sow, you reap!", but do you really do that? Well, that's another discussion :-)
When the rune Jera comes up in a reading, the harvest is coming. It is important to see which rune supports Jera, because Jera in itself can be quite unclear. Change, yes – but what change? Does it delight? Does it dismay? Can you live with it, or would you rather be without it?
Jera together with Fehu encourages you to work steadily and persistently, for the reward is coming. Together with Hagal – brace yourself, now the storm is coming, and so on.
In healing, Jera is said to be life-giving and a good rune to work with. I have to admit that I often draw Jera and Uruz on the bottles of tinctures and elixirs before I hand them over. Another place Jera is placed is on my plant sticks. I don't know if this is true, but I think Jera gives the plants a little extra growth … try it yourself and see what happens.
Many witches celebrate sabbats such as Imbolc and Beltane and the like. I am very particular about marking the solstices, and then Jera is carved into the candles I light for precisely this occasion.
Jera is also a rune I resort to when the day is heavy and difficult. The rune reminds me that the seasons change and soon there will be better times. Sometimes I take Jera with me to the cemetery. For some reason (could it be my Scorpio ascendant?) I enjoy walking in cemeteries and looking at graves, sitting on a bench and philosophizing over the course of life.
Master painter Andersen has a large gravestone. He, his wife and six children lie there. Little Grynet who only got a few weeks here on earth … Agate lived to be 96 and surely believed very much in Jesus. Jera reminds me that there are many fates, and it is in death that the real harvest comes.
We don't know where we come from and we don't know where we go, it is the time here on earth that counts most. Jera is good at reminding me of this.
Of the star signs I think it is Taurus that most resembles Jera's energy. Taurus is good at ambling forward at a leisurely pace, and Taurus has the strength to take things as they come. Taurus has a lot of strength, and strength is a blessing. Taureans are not good at letting go of things, but Jera makes sure to teach Taureans to let go, they have to, and let go we all must, sooner or later. (My Taurus moon turned pale just now).
After a bit of pondering I concluded that Jupiter and Jera understand each other well. Jupiter is adventurous and likes to set out on journeys – sometimes very impulsive journeys. How will the journey turn out? Well, who knows – it can be anything from an eventful journey to a boring one. Jupiter travels, Jera and time show what comes of this adventure.
Among the tarot cards it is the card "The Wheel" that resonates best with Jera.
Among the crystals Irene Resaland picked out Chrysoprase. This is said about this crystal:
Chrysoprase is a semi-precious stone known for its green color and its connection to growth and renewal. In magic, Chrysoprase is said to promote hope, optimism and personal growth – qualities that we believe harmonize well with the Jera rune. Chrysoprase can be used in rituals where you want to reinforce gratitude for the processes that give results over time, or when you want to support positive changes and new beginnings in life.
Moss agate is also a stone that is often associated with the Jera rune. This beautiful, green agate is said to strengthen the connection to nature's cycles and to promote growth and balance. Many believe that moss agate can help us see the results of our actions more clearly and inspire us to patience, just as Jera reminds us that everything has its time.
Plants and Jera
The creosote bush was the first plant that came to mind when I was working on "sorting" Jera. This is a tough plant and it adapts quickly to different types of weather. And it tastes so bitter that animals steer clear of it. But although the taste is bitter, this bitter plant has an astonishingly fresh scent. I am happy every time I get hold of a bit of this plant and get to use it as incense. The creosote bush together with Jera in a little pouch can also give you spiritual clarity. Now and then it gets a little dark on our spiritual plane, and then the creosote bush, together with Jera, works like a tiny torch. And if you then burn incense from this plant, you are nudged onto the Spiritual Path.
Medically, this plant is said to be beneficial for those with HIV. It is also said to be pain-relieving. I have never used this plant in any other way than as incense, so I don't know how potent it is. I heard some rumors that out in Europe it was used by cancer patients, but whether that's true, I don't know.
Hawthorn is a plant that has been valued in medicinal and magical traditions for many generations. In Norway, hawthorn is often associated with protection and the power of the heart, both literally and symbolically. The berries, leaves and flowers are used in herbal medicine to strengthen the heart, regulate blood pressure and contribute to peace of mind. When it comes to magic, hawthorn is said to promote transitions and welcome renewals. Some place hawthorn twigs on the threshold to keep negative energies out. Carrying a small piece of hawthorn together with Jera can reinforce the wish to reap what one has sown, especially if one wants protection, healing or a fresh start. Put in a little pouch together with other herbs, hawthorn can help open the heart and give courage to meet the year's cycle with strength and hope. In this way hawthorn becomes both a physical medicine and a magical tool, rooted in nature's rhythms.
Hawthorn is often associated with fertility and death as well. The course of life, plain and simple.
Honeysuckle, sometimes called woodbine, is a plant that also has a long history within the world of medicine and magic. People have used honeysuckle flowers to calm the nervous system and ease cold symptoms. The plant has a sweet and fresh scent, and the flowers can be used to make a tea that has a relaxing effect. Honeysuckle is also known for having mild antibacterial properties, and in traditional herbal medicine people have made decoctions of flowers and leaves to ease coughing and soothe a sore throat.
Dr. E. Bach used honeysuckle elixir for people who lived too much in the past and had too much "homesickness" – everything was so much better in the old days. (Hmm? Maybe I need a few drops of honeysuckle?) Dr. Bach also gave honeysuckle to people who struggled to adapt to changes and move forward. I never hand over a bottle of honeysuckle elixir without writing the Jera rune on the bottle. Jera is added to give a little extra nudge.
Gladwin iris is called (hold on tight) Kirjokurjenmiekka in Finnish! It took me three weeks to learn this name for the gladwin iris! Well, as you sow you shall reap, and if I come to Finland one day and am missing the gladwin iris, then I'll know what it's called in the local language … It's a pretty cool mantra to say while working in the garden … kirrrr, yo, kurrr, yen, mi-ekka… Try it yourself :-)
I weed, pick, decorate and chant. The plant is fairly hardy, so perhaps it will grow in your garden?
It is said that the gladwin iris's flowers attract wisdom, and we can never get enough of that … joy in the mind, which is nice to have. I hope it can attract a little hindsight to use when one's foreknowledge of wisdom has been lacking. Ahem! I have actually grown very fond of this plant. I most like to make tinctures of this plant.
A tincture made from fresh or dried gladwin iris root has a strengthening effect on digestion and helps cleanse the body of waste products. Many use the tincture in small doses to aid healing processes and to promote inner balance, especially in periods where one wants to renew oneself, exactly what Jera symbolizes. The energy of the gladwin iris can, together with Jera, remind us that patience and steady, calm growth give the best fruits in the end.
Then we amble onward to Eihwaz – and look at the mystique of this rune.
