Sleeping on Horseback
~ Po Chu-I
Translated from Chinese by Arthur Waley

We had ridden long and were still far from the inn;
My eyes grew dim; for a moment I fell asleep.
Under the right arm the whip still dangled;
In my left hand the reins for an instant slackened.
Suddenly I woke and turned to question my groom.
“We have gone a hundred paces since you fell asleep.”
Body and spirit for a while had changed place;
Swift and slow had turned to their contraries.
For these few steps that my horse had carried me
Had taken in my dream countless aeons of time!
True indeed is that saying of Wise Men
“A hundred years are but a moment of sleep.”

– Po Chu-I, translated by Arthur Waley

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Draw for December 9, 2016:
Active Influence: Mani/The Moon
Rune: Perthro/Chance (reversed)
Hidden Influence: Ymir/The Fool

Two Major Arcana cards bring extra intensity to the day. Mani’s dreamy receptivity is the active influence, meaning that you could find yourself inspired and/or distracted today. Inspired is good; distracted, maybe not the best choice if you have things you need to be doing. Ymir encourages you to approach the same old situations with new ideas and energy, and Mani’s inspiration can help with that. Perthro reversed suggests you double-check timetables, directions, etc.; leaving things to chance is not your best choice today.

For the Anniversary of My Death
~ W. S. Merwin

Every year without knowing it I have passed the day
When the last fires will wave to me
And the silence will set out
Tireless traveler
Like the beam of a lightless star

Then I will no longer
Find myself in life as in a strange garment
Surprised at the earth
And the love of one woman
And the shamelessness of men
As today writing after three days of rain
Hearing the wren sing and the falling cease
And bowing not knowing to what

I choose the poem at random, from a book chosen at random. This is today’s bibliomantic selection. And then I logged and learned of the deaths of Greg Lake and John Glenn. Rest in peace, gentlemen.

The Giants’ Tarot, Raven Kaldera

Draw for December 8, 2016:
Active Influence: Thjassi/Three of Swords
Rune: Ehwaz/Horse
Hidden Influence: Fafnir/Four of Coins

Today is going to be complicated by things not turning out as you had hoped, or expected, or even imagined. Short-sightedness, selfishness, and sheer greed throw a wrench into the mechanism. Be careful about who you choose to trust today, and be honest with yourself (if no one else) about your real motives and goals.

The day will end, eventually. Even if you don’t find yourself where you wanted to be, you have moved forward. Take time to assess the new situation before taking further action.

If you are new to working with bindrunes, I suggest you read the introductory bindrune post here, then return to this post to read about this specific bindrune. Remember that working with bindrunes, as with working with any kind of magic, does not carry guaranteed results, and may produce results quite different from what you expect.

Whether you have a little bit or a lot of personal property, it’s important to preserve what you have from loss and theft. This bindrune will help protect assets from risk, and help protect property while traveling—either the property you have left at home, or the items you carry with you. You could put this bindrune in your suitcase for extra protection to help it arrive at your destination at the same time you do.

Bindrune of Perthro, Eihwaz, Fehu

Perthro (left tile, dark blue in bindrune): Perthro brings in the element of chance. There are so many things you can’t control in life, and Perthro represents all of those random elements.

Eihwaz (middle tile, brown in bindrune): Eihwaz brings in protective energies. Think of  it as the branches, trunk, and roots of a tree. Eihwaz binds the energies of Perthro, creating a shield between you and the uncontrollable and unmanageable in the world.

Fehu (right tile, green in bindrune): Fehu is the rune of material wealth and possessions, particularly liquid or moveable wealth (thus the use of this rune in travel). Fehu represents that which Eihwaz guards from Perthro, preserving it and keeping it safe for you.

This bindrune was done in colored pencil. I drew it in colored marker as well, but the inks blended and muddied, and the result was less than inspiring.

You could put a drop of sage or cinnamon oil to increase the energies, or a drop of your favorite oil on it to reinforce the energy with your personal scent. You can also use a magical oil, such as a hoodoo oil or other type of specially prepared oil.

While you don’t want to become a Fafnir and spend all your days sitting on your treasure hoard, it is important to carefully guard your wealth in all its forms.

Use this bindrune—and all bindrunes—entirely at your own risk.