Ramblings of a Rambling Rune Caster
| The rune Othila is the twenty-fourth and final rune in the Elder Futhark. It is the rune of separation and inheritance. This may sound like an unusual combination. But let’s think about it. In the mundane world, a person cannot inherit the family fortune until their parents pass away. This is a traumatic experience. | |
| When it occurs, we are separated from those we loved.
We may retreat from society, remembering what we have learned from our parents and
considering the blessings they provided. But, eventually we come back into the light,
claim our inheritance and accept our new place in the family, clan, and society as a
whole. If our parents have taught us well, and we have learned well, we will use our inheritance and new position in the clan and society to help others as well as ourselves. So it is with Othila. It represents our mundane and spiritual inheritance from our ancestors. It is the walled compound of our clan stronghold. It sets the boundaries of our clan grounds, protecting those within from the “unholy” without. But, like other runic glyphs we have looked at, Othila operates on more than one level. It represents our financial and real estate inheritance. But, it is also the history of the clan. All the myths, legends, and stories which tell of the past, and teach us eternal lessons. These lessons which make us greater than our ancestors, not because we are individually greater than our ancestors, but because we have learned the lessons from countless generations, each building on the past. All of these are part of our mundane inheritance. However, we must also remember the changes which time has wrought. In Odinn’s time a clan was little more than an extended family and a country was often about the size of a county in one of our states. Now, a country is larger than the whole world was envisioned to be in Odinn’s time. So, how big is our clan today? Is it still our extended family? Or, is it the whole of the human race? On the spiritual level, Othila represents the inheritance of the virtues of our forefathers, those deeds which are imprinted on our spiritual “genetic code”. That spark of the divine which comes to each of us through the protection of generations of ancestors. Each protecting that inheritance and adding to it with virtuous deeds. When we refuse to follow the examples of our noble ancestors we lose the gain. We give up our spiritual inheritance, much like an heir who loses his or her inheritance by foolishly spending it instead of investing it for another day. You can get the feel for the meaning of Othila in a particular spread by identifying the glyphs related to it. For example, when it is connected to Fehu, the rune of possessions, it suggests gain on the mundane level. However, if it is found with Mannaz, the rune of the Self, the spread is giving a clue concerning the spiritual level. If it is with Gebo, the rune of partnership, look at friendship and other close relationships. When you see this glyph be prepared to make a trade-off. Some trade-offs are easy; for example, giving up the single life for a new, exciting romance. However, some are not. Giving up a behavior which has been part of our personality and behavior patterns for years is not easy. Nor is it easy to give up a belief we hold as true about ourselves or the world around us. But, sometimes we must if we are to grow closer to the Self. I know a young man who thought of himself as a shy, intelligent follower. But, when he learned that he could be intelligent — enjoying religion, history, and other research — and still be decisive when needed, this young man started helping others. He became a leader worthy of the best general. As a search and rescue team leader, he saved lives and trained others to do the same. His skills in research meant that even the tiniest clues where not missed. If you see Othila reversed, question your use of your inheritance. Are you using it to benefit others as well as yourself? Have you accepted your inheritance, or are you still living in the past? These are questions which only you can answer. |
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