Ramblings of a Roving Rune Caster
The rune Dagaz is the twenty-third rune in the Elder Futhark. It is the rune of breakthrough, transformation, and the day.
As the rune of the breakthrough, we can easily understand that Dagaz is seen in the dawn, that unidentifiable instant when night becomes day. We can also see Dagaz in that instant when a butterfly breaks free from its cocoon and faces the world as a new, more beautiful being.
The breakthrough element of Dagaz's meaning is demonstrated by these examples. But, remember it is also the rune of transformations. So, not only does it represent the instant a new butterfly is freed, but the process it goes through. Dagaz is seen in the dark of the cocoon, in the struggles and trials of transformation; in the changes which neither the caterpillar inside or those observing from outside the cocoon are fully aware.
Our example of the sun at dawn suggests another aspect of Dagaz. Before dawn it's dark after dawn it's light. Dawn is the perfect balance between dark and light. It is the process of the world working through the trials of night, the dark, and the becoming into day, the light. Finally, it is the instant when they are one. Dark and light combine to create something more than each of them, dawn. This balance point can be found in nature, and our lives, from many aspects. They include dark/light, life/death, pleasure/pain, matter/energy, and body/soul.
The thing to remember about these pairs of states is that none of them are good and none of them are bad. They just are. The significance of Dagaz is working through the transformation process to the point of breakthrough. Some ancient mystics thought Dagaz represents the dusk as well as the dawn. Not just the instant of breaking through to the light, but also the instant of breaking through to darkness. The dawn and the dusk balance each other. They are represented by the morning and evening stars, the cosmic twins of the sky.
Even the shape of Dagaz tells us about its nature. Some say it represents a butterfly or moth. We've already discussed the natural miracle of a butterfly's transformation. It also represents a figure eight made with straight lines and laid on its side. This symbol, a figure eight on its side, is also called a moebius strip, and is used to represent infinity. So, what does that have to do with breakthroughs and transformations? Well, try a little experiment.
Get a piece of ribbon left over from your Christmas presents. A piece fifteen to twenty inches long will do. Now tape the ends together to make a circle. Finally, give one end of the circle a half twist so that it looks like a figure eight. To understand how you can have a breakthrough on the way to the Self, imagine you are walking a path. Start on the inside of one loop of the moebius strip. Move your finger along the ribbon. When you get to the junction in the middle, go straight through. As you do, notice that you are still on the inside of the ribbon. You can follow along the ribbon several times with the same result. Next time through the junction, don't go straight through, but take the side path. Now you are on the outside.
That's how most of us go through our walk to the Self. We keep plodding along working through the process of life. Over and over we make the same mistakes. Then, we finally figure out how simple it is to break out of our rut and see the light to become closer to the Self.
Finally, the magic and mystery of Dagaz may not be something we can think out for ourselves. When we draw Dagaz in a spread, we must recognize that we are being given knowledge to use on our path to the Self. When I was growing up, I was always told, "God works in mysterious ways." So, I've learned to look for divine instruction in unusual places. Therefore, I was not surprised when I heard an elf in the movie Santa Clause give one of the best examples of the nature of Dagaz yet. In explaining the post of Santa to the new holder, Elf Judy said, "Seeing is not believing, believing is seeing."
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