[Vilturj] 20 - Laguz

[moonvoice]

Laguz (LAR - gooz) - Also known as Lagu, Laukuz, Lauguz, Laugrzh, Lauk, Laug, Logr, Laghoz

Value - L

Numeric Order - 20

Traditionally Represents - Lake. Leek.

Represents - Lake. Leek. Waves. Health. Alternative Therapy. Becoming. Renewal. Life. Imagination. Psychic Strength. Psychopomping. Water. Acceptance. Conscious Decisions. Decision-Making. Empowerment. Sea. Fertility. Flow. Dreams. Mystery. The Unknowable. Underworlds. Ucza (underworld goddess).

'the rushing waters
the ocean lakes
seas of fish
over golden rocks.'

- Vilturj Rune Poem.

Laguz has a dual meaning. It is both representative of a lake and great waters, and also of the leek as a vegetable of great health. Both of these meanings generally apply to most rune-masters, and are also applicable in Vilturj.

Laguz is the rune of becoming, it is moving from being adrift on a river with no control, to finally being in possession of a boat on a still lake, and being able to move in any direction if you make the conscious choice to do so. In this sense, Laguz is also a rune of acceptance, accepting that you have choices, accepting that you have resources, and accepting that you have a brain and spirit with which to make choices that benefit you! Take control of your life! It is time to initiate yourself, and take charge of your health and become yourself.

The waters of life are rushing over you, they are under you and they run in your veins. They constantly bring nourishment and acceptance with them, and it is us who choose to turn away from both for whatever reason. Laguz reminds us that the power sits with us, we can ride the waves of our own energy meridians, or we can block them ourselves by placing rocks there and other obstacles. Sometimes we have good reasons for choosing paths of ill-health and sickness, but Laguz in a reading suggests it's time to reverse our ills and make some conscious decisions about health and quality of life!

Laguz as the water rune is a rune of generally what is thought to be gradual change. When we block ourselves, we create illnesses and dis-ease, but Laguz gently erodes all obstacles and eventually renders them indistinguishable.

In addition to the water imagery, Laguz rune poems sometimes indicate the presence of gold and/or fish in the water. It indicates in other words, the richness that lies in the waters if we are prepared to look with skill and with open-mindedness. The fish indicates the ability to find physical nourishment, and the gold indicates the ability to find prosperity through our decisions. When coupled with Fehu, this rune indicates financial security through our conscious choices.

It is time to bite the bullet and initiate yourself into a new stage of being. This of itself will make you healthier. There may be health problems in the querent's life which will benefit from taking control of a decision-making process when it comes to health. It suggests that the person will benefit from more vegetable matter in the diet, and could even commence the process with a hearty leek soup, celebrating the dual meaning of Laguz. Laguz suggests that you need to overcome your pride or traditional misgivings about health and healing and seek out alternative therapies, or perhaps a new doctor. Naturopaths, chiropractors, homeopaths etc. will help you very much. Herbalists are indicated. Working with plants at a time like this will yield very much. You need to ask yourself questions like 'how will seeking out healing practicioners help me?', 'What skills do they have, that I don't?', 'What is holding me back from healing myself?'

The presence of Laguz in a reading can also indicate a time in which the querent is in a place where they are able to employ or strengthen psychic abilities. Dreams will be important this time, and using the imagination to visualise positive outcomes will work its own magic. Laguz can indicate voluntary magical workings, and can draw querents closer to personal and external mysteries and hidden worlds in the process. The underwater world is deep, mysterious and filled with hidden knowledge. Laguz makes this accessible.

Merk - Why is it that the positive runes have such negative implications when Merked? This rune can often indicate someone who consciously chooses to stay sick and ill, or mired under by their own anxieties and depressions. They very rarely choose to heal themselves, or if they start the process, they often stop immediately when they realise they might be losing the attention of illness, or the excuses that illness and pain afford them.

Laguz merked can indicate great confusion and a complete inability to make any decisions at all. The runes that surround a merked Laguz will indicate in what areas of the querent's life the person is unable to make decisions, or decisions that are healthful. It might be a time where the person should avoid major decision-making, because they will have poor judgement. This might be because of emotional, physical (such as health) or spiritual reasons. Again the surrounding runes will influence this.

People who are unable to make decisions, and who consciously choose ill-health because of the 'benefits' they receive from it, will often experience a lack of creativity. These people - particularly if professionally creative - may be experiencing a block in the ability to imagine. They may have stopped dreaming, literally and metaphorically, and they may be unable to be creative. It can indicate an extremely stifled or suffocated person, who has created the trappings for themselves.

Merked Laguz almost certainly indicates illness on some level, the seriousness will depend on surrounding runes. It usually indicates illness at a level of madness, obsession, despair, depression, mental disorders in general, perversion (such as animal cruelty or a penchant for abuse), and can indicate a querent who might be in desperate need of some counseling. These people tend to live lives that are filled with fear and avoidance. Rune-masters must be careful not to victimise those who express a Merked Laguz personality, even though these people victimise themselves. Empowerment tends to be more possible with community support.

Warning: When coupled with a Merked Iorija, this rune can indicate suicide.

In Ritual - Can help people bump themselves out of creative ruts, particularly ruts akin to 'writer's block' and other afflictions that cause our imagination and inspirations to disappear.

This rune is excellent for all aspects of magical work, as it tends to indicate an increase in this and boosts all magical and visualisation activities. It is a good protective rune for those investigating psychism and can help one to access the third chakra and open it.

I invite you to explore the ritual potentials of Laguz, it is a highly positive rune that is also very versatile. If I were to list every single thing that I felt Laguz was appropriate or beneficial for in ritual, I'd end up with sore fingers and a whole lot of writing.