THURISAZ

Galdr-sound: Thu-Thu-Thu (a deep, violent, explosive grunt, pronounced and cut off very sharply, repeated rather than prolonged)
Meaning: giant, strong one, thorn
Letter: voiceless "th"' as in "thorn"

"Thorn is very sharp; for every thane / who grasps it; it is harmful and extremely cruel / to everyman / who lies upon them"
(Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem)

"Thurs causes the sickness of women / few are cheerful from misfortune"
(Old Norwegian Rune Ryme)

"I know a third for the event / that I should be in dire need / of fettering a foeman. / I can dull the blades of my attackers / so that they can strike by neither weapons nor wile"
(Havamal 148)

The rune-name Thurisaz means "giant"; etymologically, it means strong one, and, as such, is appropriate both to the race of thurses and their chief foe, Thorr, whsoe name also begins with this stave. The nature of thurisaz is phallic and aggressive, and is the shape of the rune itself. The rune-poem references make clear the forceful aspects of phallocentric sexuality shown by thurisaz. Thurisaz is the rune of forth-rushing power as brute force; it is the world when their wrath is aimed at the walls of the gardh, but also the strength that makes Thorr so powerful agains his woe-working likes.

Thurisaz is the rune of aimed might, melding, as is the nature of the thursar, the brute force of fire with the brute being of ice to create a violent but guidable reaction. At best this is the strikingof the iron hammer Mjollnir aimed outward to ward; at its worst, it is the mighty fists of the thursar beating in the walls of the world.
As a phallic rune, Thurisaz has both the woe-working powers written forth in the rune poems and the weal-working power to break barrenness and bring fruitfulness. You must remember that Thorr is a god of crops as well as a warder, as his being is shown forth in the summer thunderstorms which keep the grain alive. In parts of Scandinavia, it is still believed that the wheat will not ripen without the autumn lightning - the wedding of Thorr and his golden-haired wife Sif, who embodies the ripening grain. Thurisaz is the might which breaks through shields and barriers and clears the way for new growth and rebirth. The torment of women and the sickness of women referred to in the runic poems may well be the first pains of the loss of maidenhead and the illnesses which sometimes come with pregnancy - pain which is necessary if birth is to take place. This side of thurisaz´s being is shown clearly in an Eddic passage, where Frey, the lord of fruitfulness, has fallen in love with Gerdhr, the giant maiden who embodies the frozen winter earth. Her name is derived from gardhr, enclosure, indicating the barriers of coldness and unwillingness which ward her womb. Neither love nor riches, nor the threat of death can move her; only when Frey´s messenger Skirnir carves the rune thurisaz on a wand does she finally yield. Only the one who knows of the mind, heart and body of the beloved can reach out for her.

The main use of thurisaz is in settings of struggle. It is the main stave used for the purpose of revenge and harm-mighty warding and is useful in battles of both wizardry and weapons, as written forth in the Havamal. As a rune of warding, it is best set to strike back in answer to another´s thrust.

In the personal sphere, Thurisaz may be used to prick your will awake and to strengthen and aim your use of force. In certain. In certain bindings it aids in bringing on the rage of the berserker, which, however, is seldom a good thing in any settling less than open war and not always then. Used carefully, it may break down the barriers of closed mind and bring the lightning stroke of new thought. An understanding of the way in which thurisaz melds opposites into a single point of might bursting forth will make this rune a great source of power for the skilled vitki. For the novice, it is something to approach with caution. The skilled vitki willalso find this rune helpful in overcoming blockages of both the soul and the body,
especially certain forms of fertility magick where hindrances are met with.
Used with other runes, thurisaz is a worthy warder, aimer and awakener. In stories like Sleeping Beauty, the thorn of awakening is the phallus of the hero who wakes the enchanted princess, the act of Sex being discreetly symbolized in later versions by a kiss.

Thurisaz can be used in raising and guiding thunderstorms, either as a ward against the wrath of the storm or in aiming the lightning if you must, though this would not be wisdom´s rede.All in all, working with Thurisaz is like picking up a thorny branch barehanded. If you are careful and skilled, you can use it well; if not, you can do yourself much harm.
Agate is associated with the warding side of thurisaz. The Anglo-Saxons used this stone to gaurd against thunder, demons (thurses), witchcraft and the venom of snakes, all of which Thorr is mighty against. Bloodstone is fitting for this stave, having been a traditional ingredient in the raising of thunderstorms. It gives its wearer its strength and courage in battle. The iron oxide hematite can be used well with thurisaz, being a battle-help like bloodstone. It is, furthter, said to be a shield against electromagnetic energies.
The point of a terminated crystal works with thurisaz in its ability to meld energies and send them outward. You may notice the likeness between the shapes of the stave and the crystal´s tip. This shape isa large part of the power of terminated quartz-crystals as a focus for active workings. It may be worthwile to meditate on this in conjunction with the forth-rushing nature of thurisaz.

SLEEPING BEAUTY REVISITED

Purposefully, you ignore the garlanded castle, the music, the stalls full of goodies, the gardens and ribbons, as well as the banquet and the crowds that had been invited to celebrate the 15th birthday of the princess, the daughter of the house. Determined, you abandon the laughter, the music and the noises of the party and head for the highest tower. Alone you find your way through the steep stairway that leads to the chambers of the Witch and Sorceress. Why you want so see Her? Quite simply, you have some questions to ask Her, if She cared to answer... of course, you have to find within the guts to ask the inflexible sorceress your questions in the first place!

Up and up you go, for how long it is impossible to say. Only the Will leads the way, because after some time Iyou lose count of the steps. Only the resolve to succeed guides you. Then, a door looms ahead. High, made of the finest yew, it is half ajar. With the heart pounding with anticipation and a bit of apprehension, you knock on the door to announce your presence and step in.

There She is, weaving Her Thread, the Archetypal Witch and Wise One. Dressed in black and hooded, She indeed looks old, but not broken by the millennia or life´s hardships. On the contrary, She seems to have been made of the hardest steel, serious and definetly a master of Her Craft. The precision of Her touch over the loom and the exquisite patterns She weaves are a sight to behold. And somehow Her Seriousness, Mastery and Craft are not that intimidating, but curiously reassuring to you. Perhaps one day you too will be a master of your craft? Seriousness is not alien to you. You take everything I do, especially High Magick, with joyous seriousness... without being stiff or too strict.
But you had come to the Sorceress with a purpose and this should be fulfilled.

"Lady, I lend you graces", You greet. Isn't it right to treat the Elders, magickal or otherwise, with due respect whenever we meet them?
"Go away", replied dismissively the Old One, Her tone not to be denied.
"I can't", you countered with absolute honesty. "I came for you, Lady, to hear your version of the Sleeping Beauty tale. I need some answers. I need to know why, not only for myself but for all who could or cannot come to You. I also came for your sake, to understand your motives to make a girl fall asleep for a century or so. Please, Lady, give me your answers."

She looks at you measuringly.
"There is always a way to understand the mystery of sleep and dreams, but the price may be high", She replies cryptically.

You take a long steadying breath. So there was a secret. And a price to pay...
"I take both. And will try my best shot."
"Why?"
"I need to know and to know I need to experience... in the highs and lows likewise."
The Old One traces the glowing sigil of the rune Thurisaz in the air and you hear Her voice loud and clear before the world turns into darkness and silence: "The Challenge is accepted!"

Dizzying moments of spiralling through space and then you are left utterly alone.
Darkness. Everything is so dark and cold, so utterly lifeless. The only certainty is the floor you are standing upon. I tap on it and stretch my arms, but cannot feel a thing. Only silence, that is all around.

"Get a grip on yourself", you command your body, mind, heart and soul. "What is your magickal training for? Live it, for gods' sake!"
You sit on what seems to be the only solid thing, the floor beneath my feet, to decide on what to do, the course of action to take next. The Wise One's last words had mentioned a challenge. Everything is so dark... perhaps the Challenge is to face first that Darkness, converse with the forces within and seek for a way out... wherever this is.

"For a little longer, I´ll experience this Darkness", you decide, not exactly in the highest spirits though.
Voices then start to be heard, humming first to become loud and demanding: "What blocks do you have? What prevents you from living fully? What is the energy that you should learn to use constructively? What are you repressing right now?"
You start to shiver. Humming or loud, the voices have the persistence of unfulfilled longings and dreams. Tears roll down your cheeks. Sadness so great and yet there is a raging storm within, fighting for release. For agonising moments you face some of the dreams you did not have the guts to conquer or fulfil with your deeds. Situations when you should have given a bit more of yourself, of your time and enthusiasm to succeed, but somehow had not managed to direct the full extent of your resources, and so failed in the attempt. And this hurt, like a bad bruise.

Then you remember the Wisdom of Conquering Fears and Tears:
"Dive into the meaning of what once made you weak and fearful and sad. There is a seed of Wholeness in the Awareness of What Could Have Been Done, and the Strength to learn from one´s own mistakes. There is always a Way Out, but sometimes we are so overwhelmed by our own inner barriers, which can be seen as giant thorns we are afraid to get enmeshed into, thus numbing ourselves into paralysis."

The word paralysis seems to have the opposite effect on you this time.
"NO MORE", you shout to your Shadow, to your Inner Giants and Thorns, the ghosts which had tried to defeat you so many times... sometimes getting their own rewards.
For now though you stiffen your back, dry up your tears with a decisive gestture. Enough with self-pity, or contemplation of past mistakes. That was then and this is now. Time is never the same twice, and what this all had to do with the tale of Sleeping Beauty?
The thunderbolt of consciousness strikes you then. What is the opposite of sleep? Full Awareness. To live to the fullest one needs to be aware of one´s needs, of the worlds around, within and without, one needs engagement in all levels and spheres. To oneself, one´s ideals and ideas, to life in all worlds.

In that very moment the fundamental question comes to your mind. Why would a Wise One put a girl into an inanimate state? Because this was the True Riddle. In the distance, light is flickering and you advance towards it. You see then that you are not alone anymore. I stand in a huge room with high ceiling and no furniture apart from a bed. A princely bed and someone sleep peacefully on it. You approach and see the princess, Sleeping Beauty herself, asleep to the world around her, the castle, to her life which had been put into a standstill. She holds in her right-hand a red and a white rose bud, thorny, but looking extremely fresh.

I approach the bed. Young and beautiful, but so lifeless. Dreaming, she is. But what is the true purpose of dreams, if we cannot make them come true? For this is one of the mysteries of dreams: they are indeed beams of light to ensoul Reality so that we can find the strength and the purpose to make them come true. Thus, to make dreams come true we need first to be aware of them; second, we should engage ourselves into their reality, working out all means to achieve the dream for real. And this is the very important part of making dreams come true which depends only and exclusively upon us, upon our willingness to take chances and risks for the Highest Goals in us to be achieved. Every dream is a hope that calls for fulfilment through Inspiration, Vision, Love, Dedication and Deeds of Today.

In the tale of Sleeping Beauty, she sleeps for a century before the prince comes to wake her up with a kiss. But you don´t have a century to live and don´t want to wait for a century to get on with your life. It is in fact you who need the prick of the Thorn of Reality, to engage in life to the fullest. Because Awareness is never easy, but should be seen as a neverending Exercise in Balance and Hope to bring fruition in all levels and spheres. Very gently not to wake up the princess, for you are not her prince, you prick your finger in the thorn of the Red Rose and watch the fine trickle of blood emerge from it.

"By my Vison, Strength, Passion and Acts, I command myself to be the Sovereign of my Destiny by waking up to Reality, to the Giants and Thorns of my life, as well as the Promises of Fulfilment and Wholeness that stem from the Source and that I want to make be as I live."
Your right finger traces with your blood the stave of the rune Thurisaz, and energy starts to flow within you, healing the fears, easing the storms of past failures. The Shadows, Thorns and Giants of my life, past and to come, for this very moment totally overcome!
To your delight and surprise, the sleeping beauty awakes and changes from Maiden, to Mother and finally, She becomes the Crone of the Thread you met before. Only now She is smiling:
"Have you found your answer to the Mystery of Dreams?"
You look at her in wonder, with a mix of love and gratitute so great it is impossible to describe. Your turn to answer Her Questions. Take your time and use your own words to answer the Crone.

(your answer)

"Not a bad answer to the Challenge...", replies the Crone and you can´t help but laugh at her. Of course the Wise One would... be economic in Her praise!
In the distance, you hear the sound of lightning and rain pouring over the fields and you laugh with sheer delight. For according to ancient lore, this is the moment Thorr, the god of Thurisaz, weds his beloved wife, Sif, of Golden Hair, and wheat is made golden in the fields.
Thus, you blow another kiss to Thor and Sif, asking Them to receive the energy of thurisaz that flows through you for the healing of the earth, the Earth that by Their power is made fruitful again and again.

I acknowledge the subconscious strength and riches in me, using them wisely when need be
I am a Giant Within and Warrior of the Spirit without
The Hammer of Enthusiasm, Integrity, Passion and Balance is my weapon to Open the Ways
I consciously want to be aware, alert and balanced
I make my Dreams Real and True as much as I can... day by day.

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