Winter Solstice is the heart of the year’s darkness, through which we must pass to walk again in the light. Winter Solstice (often celebrated as Yule or Christmas) takes place on the shortest day and the longest night, but it is also the time at which the nights will begin to grow shorter and the days will begin to grow longer. Jera’s cyclical symmetry encourages hopeful thoughts and attitudes towards the passage of time, as Winter is not only the end of one year, but the beginning of the next. Jera is the rune of cyclical time, and reminds us that what goes around comes around, what we send out returns to us, and what goes up must come down. Jera, literally “year,” is a wonderful rune for end-of-year magic and meditation. When working with runes, as with any magic, I always recommend keeping a journal to record your thoughts, gnoses, and experiences! These written records will help you into the future as you deepen your relationship and practice with runes. The following are all elder futhark runes, and the information and suggested practices I’ve included come from a combination of study, practice, and personal gnosis.

Whether you’re busy decking the halls with boughs of yaupon holly and or hiding from social obligations in a dark corner of your castle, I’d like to offer you a little something to help you through this holiday season, and I think the runes have just the sort of magical medicine that December calls for. We’ve maybe two weeks yet to go until Autumn’s official end, but as they say… “‘tis the season!” This magical time of year (like any other) comes with its own unique beauties and charms as well as its own special downsides and pitfalls, and each of us experience this season differently.

Rune meanings elder futhark