In my childhood my mother took on a one-year temporary post up in Svanvik, outside Kirkenes. For us, the southerners, it was incredibly exciting to come up there. We arrived there early one autumn day and there we were to stay until spring.
Gradually it grew darker and even darker … and one day the sun disappeared. For a short while there was a bit of "grey dawn light", otherwise it was very dark. Both my mother and I found this pleasant. We lit the stove, we enjoyed ourselves with oil lamps and candles. I don't think anyone in the neighborhood used as little electricity for lighting as us. No, we enjoyed the darkness and the candlelight. Grandmother and grandfather came to visit at Christmas. Grandfather swore that he would have gone mad if he had to live in such darkness, while grandmother liked this darkness, she too.
Even so, it was very nice when the sun came back. If I don't remember entirely wrong, it was the 15th of January that was "sun day". A day that was celebrated, especially by the southerners stationed at Svanvik military camp.
The rune Sol or Sowilo, I don't know which you prefer? I say Sol. Sol is the last rune in Hagal's ætt and number 16. After a wandering through Hagal's ætt, it is good to see Sol. The sun lights things up, it strengthens us and it brings growth into the picture.
In astrology the Sun is something we reach for, and in the Sun lies the foundation for growth of the character traits we need to develop in this life, the astrologers believe. The Sun is symbolized by a symbol that shows a ring with a dot in the middle. Maybe you are the dot, and the ring is the Sun? I believe so. :-)
Our society follows a "sun calendar" and that sun calendar works well. Our spiritual self can of course follow another calendar, but society follows the Sun.
There is much that is good about the Sun and there is much that is good about the rune Sol – but remember now, that when the sun peeks out, a great deal is revealed. I get a shock every time the sun peeks in at my place and reveals all the dust … I KNOW I am good at dusting, tidying and cleaning, but the sunbeams thumb their nose at me all the same and: "nyah, nyah, we found the dust!"
The rune Sol can give us personal growth, put us in contact with our higher self and make much clear to us – but the rune can also point to our "dust" and our "shadows". It can be a little embarrassing, but – never mind – wipe away the dust and bring the light over to the shadows. For light, that is the most effective shadow medicine there is.
Unfortunately the Nazis were completely enamored with this rune and they dragged Sol down into the "sewer", together with the swastika and in the same way that some fools do with Thor's hammer today. But we shall take back our symbols and use them in the service of reason. Sol is a rune with good and some not-so-good sides – but the rune must not be misused by "hateful people". Used in the right way, Sol is a wonderful rune that gives growth and nourishment to nature, body and soul alike.
Surely the rune Sol must be the rune of Sol and of Leo? I believe that this is how it must be.
Sol gives, as mentioned, growth to most things. We need Sol for our personal growth, and the sign of Leo is a sign that loves "self-development" and it is a creative sign.
Of the tarot cards I believe that the tarot card The Sun fits well into this company. The tarot card reminds us that we should have contact with our inner child and that we may well let the sun into our minds. Life is serious, but it also has room for play.
Of crystals, Irene Resaland says that she would recommend the Sunstone. It is known for creating joy in the mind, awakening creativity and promoting the leadership in us. The Sunstone creates that independence in us, which we need to have the courage to stand on our own feet. It is also said that the Sunstone can protect us against negative energies from outside. This is a good and strong crystal that casts light over uncertainties and that protects us in dark surroundings.
Plants that resonate with Sol/Sowilo
Marigold is the first that comes to mind, for me. I have heard some call the marigold Calendula, but I prefer the name marigold. I love to put a little marigold in my teas and I love to put a little marigold into my oils. I also use marigold in many of my "magical pouches". If you need success, joy, a lift to the mood, to bring up the will to live … marigold is the thing. Drink a little marigold tea, put it in your food, put it in oil – rub it on yourself. Marigold is wonderful. If you mix marigold and ginger in your tea you have a remedy for a quarrelsome stomach …
Fenugreek is the next plant out. Many experienced witches say that you should never make any important decisions before you have drunk fenugreek tea and rubbed a little on a sunstone or a sun rune. I like to bring a handful of this herb and make an offering out in nature around Midsummer. I call on Tapio, the Finnish forest god, and lay down a handful of fenugreek. Then I talk a little with Tapio and relax out in nature. That is balm for the soul!
*Tapio is known as a forest god in Finnish mythology, and is often associated with nature's mystique and the deep, dense forests of the north. Together with Sol/Sowilo one can imagine that Tapio takes care of the balance between light and shadow – where the sunlight breaks through the treetops and gives life to everything that grows under his protection. Tapio also reminds us of the interplay between nature and humans' place in the landscape, a thought that often characterizes our Nordic outdoor life and respect for nature.
Medically, fenugreek takes care of blood sugar, cholesterol and eating disorders. The herb creates balance in our body. Some claim that people who suffer from dementia benefit from eating fenugreek. The herb is actually good to have in food, especially in soups that can take a bit of seasoning. Experiment a little, you quickly grow fond of this plant.
Goldenrod was a plant I became acquainted with in northern Sweden. It was actually a Sami who introduced me to this plant. He believed that tea made from goldenrod was mildly diuretic and very beneficial for the respiratory passages when you had a cold, but goldenrod was great for kindling the inner fire and getting us going. The "threshold mile" is not only valid when you are going to exercise, it is valid in several areas. Goldenrod can remove the threshold mile. Not only this, but goldenrod can also get our clairvoyance going, the man said. I could try it next time I dawdled away something. (As if I dawdle, you) :-)
I actually dawdled away my car key. I drank a cup of goldenrod tea. Then I suddenly remembered where I had put the car keys … clairvoyant? Clear-thinking? Goldenrod? Whatever it was, I found my car keys. :-)
I heard on Danish TV an herbalist woman who said that goldenrod was effective against athlete's foot if you put goldenrod in the foot bath. She also told that oil with goldenrod was a wonderful compress to use on sore muscles and aching joints. This I have never tested, but I include it here, in case you want to test it out. :-)
Reishi mushroom is absolutely a "Sowilo mushroom". It strengthens the immune system, it helps to stabilize your sleep and with this, it reduces fatigue. This mushroom I tested out during a period when I had taken on too much work. I was overtired and stressed for a long time and a homeopath recommended this mushroom to me. It didn't take many days before I felt the effect, so this mushroom I can really recommend for you if you suffer from poor sleep and a somewhat stressed feeling. It is also a mushroom you can resort to if you are going through a difficult time. I used it when my father became ill, through his period of illness and death. I really believe that the mushroom helped me through this period. So, try that mushroom if you are going through a tough time and see if it doesn't help you too.
Many say Reishi is also good to use against allergies and against "internal inflammations".
I believe this mushroom is a miracle mushroom and I have recommended it to many.
St. John's wort is also an herb I associate with the Sol rune. In Yiddish this plant is called "shudim shuts", that is, demon protection. I don't know if this herb scares off many demons, but it is a proper Sol-rune plant and it resonates well with our Solar Plexus chakra. This is a chakra that governs our empathy, our charity and our potential for personal growth. It is said that if you hang up a bunch of St. John's wort by your front door, you ride out all variants of storms that blow your way.
Medically I know it is used for mood swings and mild depressions. It is also said to help with nervousness and restlessness. But you must not use this herb without checking whether it collides with other medications.
In Serbia I heard that Hypericum, a homeopathic remedy, was supposed to be effective for mononucleosis and nerve pain – but I don't know much about this, so talk to a homeopath if you struggle with nerve pain or mononucleosis.
And with that I am finished with Hagal's ætt.
The next rune is Tiwaz and it begins Tyr's ætt.
