The Night Dances

A smile fell in the grass.
Irretrievable!

And how will your night dances
Lose themselves. In mathematics?

Such pure leaps and spirals—
Surely they travel

The world forever, I shall not entirely
Sit emptied of beauties, the gift

Of your small breath, the drenched grass
Smell of your sleeps, lilies, lilies.

Their flesh bears no relation.
Cold folds of ego, the calla,

And the tiger, embellishing itself—
Spots, and a spread of hot petals.

The comets
Have such a space to cross,

Such coldness, forgetfulness.
So your gestures flake off —-

Warm and human, then their pink light
Bleeding and peeling

Through the black amnesias of heaven.
Why am I given

These lamps, these planets
Falling like blessings, like flakes

Six sided, white
On my eyes, my lips, my hair

Touching and melting.
Nowhere.

~Sylvia Plath

Andromeda, by Perseus sav’d and wed,

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.

This week’s bindrune is for creating strong boundaries and protection. If you are heading into a difficult situation, or find yourself having to deal with undesirable people, or are just feeling generally vulnerable, this bindrune will help you create a solid energy foundation to keep you whole.

Bindrune for Boundaries and Protection: Ior, Teiwaz, Algiz

Ior (green): The rune of Jormundgand brings to you the magical protection that the Midgard Serpent provides to our realm. Your energies are safely protected inside your circle of energy, and others’ energies are kept out—quite firmly.

Teiwaz (purple): The rune of Tyr, the One-Handed God. Tyr brings in the power born of right conduct and honorable action, strong defense at all times.

Algiz (brown): The strength of the elk and the protective space created by its antlers are yours as well. A secondary association with this rune is sedge grass, which has razor-sharp edges and viciously harms all who try to invade. The two combined offer a reservoir of “touch me not” energy to create a clear field around you.

The bind rune on the left was done in colored pencil. The one on the right was done with fine point calligraphy markers. They are shown in two different media to give an idea of how the same bind rune looks different depending on how it is created.

You could also put a drop of rosemary on the bindrune to clear your mental space and keep your wits sharp, or a drop of your favorite oil  on it to reinforce the energy with your personal scent.

Be strong in your self, and in your belief in yourself.

from Notes on My Father

The old man moved into his night

a boat all lights on the evening harbor.

The island was in small spring,

The sun came out suddenly

struck the tiles

and disappeared again.

What could the old man know now of spring?

He spelled it out like a child the ABCs

comprehending the flower slowly.

Already something like soil

he had become only surface.

This mortal moved into

the crack in coal

the old sack

loaded with the four seasons

the four ages

with deep aging.

Brown spotted hands

and desperate blue veins.

The dawn of his birth

the village was in snow

the melon patch purple with cold.

His father came from the woods

with a dead boar

slung over his shoulder;

he dropped it in front of the fireplace.

Snow and game

small magic signs

around a wintry belly

Silence . . .

someone is swaying in the garden

someone is fondling the soil

the white soil of night.

I’m waiting for the moon to grow

for all to ease in me

to remember

to remember all miracles

the unmet

most of all.

I want to be in what’s being born

and in what’s ending,

I cast spells on my departing father

spells of love.

At the end of night

at the end of the gully

at the setting of the moon

it was me leaving in love

spellbound

exempt in death

all my forces unmouldered

for eternity.

In a green pasture

in a shady pasture

in a barbarous pasture of oleanders

from under comes all this vegetation

I praise

from under begins

the ascent of fate.

~Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke

Today’s poem (selected at random) connects perfectly with today’s draw.

Be softer with you.

You are a breathing thing.

A memory to someone.

A home to a life.

~Nayyirah Waheed