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How to Create a Cosmic Energy Rune Set, by Karen Glasgow

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

All energies form an interconnecting matrix that embodies the entirety of the universal One. The cyclic movement of stars, planets, suns, and moons create a cascading interplay of cause and effect potential that has been observed and analyzed since the most ancient of our ancestors looked to the sky.

From those early observations of the naked eye to the modern technology that continually demonstrates the infinite and ever mutable character of our universe, we continue to honor this matrix of Oneness through astrological guidance, magical and devotional rite and divination.

The tools that we create for these actions often function as points of focus and intent as we draw in or invoke energy, as oracles that speak to our universal minds, and as bridges that connect the thoughtforms of intent in the higher planes with the desired manifestations in our earthly planes.

The tools that can be made in this pattern are runes of the cosmic energies. While these crocheted runes bear twelve of the most observed and documented energies, you are not limited to the confines of these chosen symbols or to the listed messages that I've associated with each of the energies. As you work with each symbol, you blend your conscious (studied) and subconscious (inherent) attributes with the traits of each rune. This blending creates (depending on your intention) a living magical essence that is attuned to you and your intent and/or a divinatory oracle that speaks the language of your unique heart and soul.

To make these runes, you will need:

• A size 7 steel crochet hook
• Size 10 crochet thread in the main color and in a complimentary color
• Large eye needle
• Cotton balls
• Optional fabric glue (to further secure the thread ends)

You can refine the materials list to include choices in thread colors and in herbs, oils, and gemstones (that you can mix with or include with the cotton ball batting) to enhance your desired purposes or the traits of the particular cosmic energies.

If you choose, you can review the crochet pattern, so during the construction of each rune, you can direct your focus more to your intent instead of being concerned about the next step of the pattern. The stitches that you will need to be familiar with are: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), single crochet increase (sc inc), single crochet decrease (sc dec) , slip stitch (slp st) and half double crochet (hdc). As you begin each rune, focus the energy with these or similar words: "By hook and by thread I focus—state intent—into thee, Enriched by my desires, embedded by my stitches, so mote it be."

The following pattern makes the approximately 1¼ inch oval shape body for each rune. Make 2 bodies for each rune that you want to create.

Row 1: Begin the pattern with a ch 6. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (5 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: Sc inc in first sc, work 1 sc in each of next 3 sc, Sc inc in last sc. ( 7 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 3: Sc inc in first sc, work 1 sc in each of next 5 sc, Sc inc in last sc. (9 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 4: Sc inc in first sc, work 1 sc in each of next 7 sc, Sc inc in last sc (11 sc) Ch 1, turn

Rows 5 - 10: Sc in each sc across (11 sc) Ch 1, turn

Row 11: Sc dec (through first 2 sc) Sc in each of next 7 sc, Sc dec (through last 2 sc) (9 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 12: Sc dec (through first 2 sc) Sc in each of next 5 sc, Sc dec (through last 2 sc) (7 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 13: Sc dec (through first 2 sc) Sc in each of next 3 sc, Sc dec (through last 2 sc) (5 sc) cut and fasten off thread.

With the thread of the complimentary color, and utilizing the graph, stitch the symbols on one side of each of the rune bodies. While I have included some very basic cosmic messages with this pattern, allow your conscious knowledge and subconscious intuition to guide you to more profound meanings as you focus on the energy of each rune.

To complete the runes, hold the two body pieces together with right sides facing out. With complimentary color, join thread to top right corner. Ch 1 and sc in same corner stitch. Work sc in each sc to the corner and work one sc in the corner. ( Since we want the corners to be rounded, no extra stitches are worked into the corners) Work 11 sc down the side, and 1 sc in the corner. Work 3 sc across the bottom and 1 sc in the corner. Stuff the rune before stitching the last side. Work 11 sc up the last side to corner and slp st into beginning sc.

Skip the st to the left of the corner and work 5 hdc in the next (center) sc. Skip next sc, slp st in corner. Slp st along side to corner. Slp st in corner sc, skip next sc, work 5 hdc in next (center) sc, skip next sc, slp st into corner. Slp st down last side to corner and join to top of beginning slp st with slp st. Cut and fasten thread. Weave in all ends.

Cosmic Messages
Mercury:

• Governs the intellect and logical reasoning and communication
• Processes data posed to the senses
• Oversees the labeling and filing of data in a "make sense" logical order
• Governs study and conversion of knowledge to wisdom
• Acts as the gateway to expand the abstraction of wisdom by expanding the abstraction of the labels.

When unbalanced, the energies of Mercury can lock you into concrete and confining thought and reality construction—the information, communication or knowledge may be intentionally deceptive in the forms of untruths or may be unintentionally misrepresented by your misinterpretation of the facts.

Venus:

• Governs harmony and love of self, of others, and the ability to appreciate and allow harmony and love into your life
• The balanced energies of Venus balances desires and values produces a serene self acceptance and contentment with the reality of your life.

An imbalance of Venus energies can bring a narcissistic, materialistic, and overly possessive tendencies—the feeling that "what you have isn't good enough"—and loss of meaningful relationships and friendships.

Earth:

• Is our realm of manifestation and bears these energies of your ability to survive and thrive as you manifest on your planet
• Growth and nourishment of yourself and others
• "Being comfortable in your body"
• Respect for your body vessels and your right to be here.

Unbalanced flow can produce an overly materialistic attitude or the opposite of being so "stuck in your head" that you can't manifest in the physical realm, a constant struggle for even the basic needs of life.

Mars:

• Has the focusing energy that turns thought into action and promotes the courage, ambition, and physical vigor to get the job done
• The ability to assertively express needs and desires
• protection.

Unbalanced energies turn assertion into aggression; the inability to muster action from thought turns to resentment and "sour grapes" attitudes, which promote a cycle of victimization and physical inflammation and infection.

Jupiter:

• heralds the opening of opportunity and your ability to recognize opportunity
• Love, joy, trust, and confidence
• Freedom
• money and generosity
• ability to connect with"something bigger than yourself"
• expansion.

The imbalance of Jupiter brings an unrealistic over confidence and tendency to follow an "untoward" path of laziness, scattered energy, self absorption, and unmet financial needs.

Saturn:

• Creates form (physical and societal form and structure, including government and big business)
• Grants the precision, discipline, and intensity needed to meet a goal
• Grants access to wisdom during or as a result of intense situations

Unbalanced Saturn energies bring about resentment, bitterness, and depression, and situations where you are lacking discipline and focus, easily frustrated, and not learning life’s lessons.

Uranus:

• Releases the structured and confining expectations that are placed upon us by others or by societal structure
• Helps us discover who we are and what we want
• Aids in recognizing our "oneness" with the universe and the insight of the universal consciousness
• Innovation and "out of the box" problem solving

Energy imbalances of Uranus can cause the feeling of being trapped, tense, and nervous, and we may be more accident prone as our concentration may be scattered.

Neptune:

• Associated with the dream or trance state
• Meditation
• Dissolving the boundaries and limitations of the physical world and of overly concrete thinking
• Contact with writer, artist, or musician energy.

An imbalance of Neptune's energies bring self deception and delusion and their associated poor choices: addictive or self abusive habits and the deceptive rationalization of those habits.

Pluto

• Is the energy of dissolution
• The death of the old to create the new
• Regeneration
• The shadow work that resolves the unseen issues
• Working with the underworld.

Unbalanced Pluto energy can cause paranoia, stagnation, and a refusal to clearly see "yourself" and any unwarranted fears.

Lunar energy:

• The healing, peaceful, feminine energy of growth and fruition
• Love
• Psychic awakening and perception

Unbalanced moon energy equates to self deception and delusion of "remaining in the dark" (particularly of a psychic nature), as well as extreme passivity and victimization

Solar energy:

• Success, work, power, and health
• Continuation and fortitude

The imbalance of solar energy leads to workaholic behavior, aggression, and stubborn attitudes and actions.

The blank rune:

• One of the Universal Divine
• Represents your connection with your Divine Self and the Universe
• Seek answers through meditation and prayer; connection with the higher realms

The unbalanced energies of the universal divine occurs when you give up your right of free will and "blame your actions on the forces of the universe." Not heeding the universal guidance.

If there is one thing that our recognized"Oneness" with the universe teaches us, it is that nothing is ever "completely complete." We are a progression of discoveries on both the inner and the outer planes. The use of the cosmic runes can help in the focus of these discoveries. Discoveries that can lead us on a path of insight and awareness.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2006. All rights reserved.

I recently saw an episode of The Ghost Whisperer that sort of freaked me out. In it, there was a dark entity like Satan that was battling for all the souls of the people who had died in a plane crash. I always thought that our own choices and actions would determine what happens to us after we die. Is there some dark force or being that may try to steal our souls away when we cross over? Is there really a battle between "good" and "evil," like a competition to see which side can get more souls? Thanks for your advice!

- Heather

Dreamchaser:

I just knew when I watched that episode that it was going to make people wonder about this, and fear that there is some dark entity like Satan out there fighting for our souls. I'm sure that like many Christians, there are lots of people who truly believe that Satan is a singular entity that exists and is very powerful in today's world. However, as I discussed here a few weeks back, the "devil" was created during the Crusades.

After a successful hunt, pagan people had a tradition of giving thanks to the God of the Hunt. The God of the Hunt was depicted as having a man's face and body, but also antlers. He had the leg and cloven hoofs of a deer. The Crusaders took that image and turned it into a devil - an evil being that would steal your soul, complete with horns, cloven feet and a tail.

Of course there are dark forces at work. With light, there is darkness; with day, there is night; with right, there is wrong. Everything has an opposite.

However, we are either on the light side, or we are on the dark side. People who choose to live on the dark side are not evil or possessed by demons; they are just giving in to their own personal demons. Our own personal demons are things like rage, fear, doubt, lack of self-love, etc.

When we give way to our demons, we are not walking in the light - we are walking in the dark. Sometimes people choose nothing but the darker side of themselves. People like that are the ones who end up committing crimes upon others or themselves. They are the ones who feed off of others' negative energy.

So rest assured: there is no dark man in a dark cloak running around, trying to steal your soul.

If you ever feel any negative or evil force around you, simply stop, breathe and say, "I command you to leave this space in the name of God (or whatever name you choose for the higher power put your faith in)."

The area around you will then be clear of all negative entities. This also works for just clearing out any space, whether it feels negative or not. This statement is your spiritual armor against any force you feel is dark or negative in any situation.

There is definitely not a battle being waged for the souls of the newly departed. When we die, our souls all go to the same place. We get debriefed on what we learned in this life, what we did wrong or could have done better, and we begin to prepare for the next life.

When we finally learn everything our soul has to learn, we ascend, and do not come back as a human any more. Hell is something we choose to live in LIFE, not in death - but that is another column.

I wish you knowledge of higher truths.

*****

Astrea:

In a world where Christian churches are showing The Da Vinci Code to their followers with as much rabid glee as they presented The Passion of Christ, it doesn't surprise me that you were freaked out by a weekly television program.

You should write to the show, because that's probably the response the writers were trying to elicit from its viewers: Fear. People LOVE to scare themselves with thoughts of the Devil!

I haven't seen that episode myself, but SO MANY people have brought it up with me in conversation that I must try to see it when it repeats, or get the first season on DVD when it is released.

During the days before and after 911, most of the psychics I know (myself included) were bombarded with "voices." I don't like to think about that time, but I can tell you, EVERYONE in that massacre went to heaven just as quickly as they could accept that this was where they belonged.

Not many of those souls hung around, wandering the lower astral. God "took them up" in the way that the Christian fundamentalists perceive "the rapture," except for one crucial difference: God takes EVERYONE, not just the people who fit some abstract idea of "good." Those people were ALL rewarded with fast and easy entrance into Paradise. It was the least and the best God could do for them.

The battle between Good and Evil is probably the first and oldest story of humankind. It's a great story, too - so many things can be taught with it. We learn about choices and the consequences of those choices, which is one of the basic lessons of life.

Television, movies, and literature all love to push the scary idea that there is a battle being waged for our souls. Unfortunately, shows like The Ghost Whisperer have done a lot to mangle and misrepresent what really happens when a medium encounters an earthbound spirit.

When a person is "lost" between worlds, it takes more than 48 minutes (not counting commercials) to help that soul cross over to the Other Side. Some people go so far with evil, unethical behavior that when they die, they don't feel they deserve to be in Paradise.

All the world's religions have their own versions of the story of the battle between good and evil, and they all end with the people who made poor choices suffering. What a shame that we are taught through fear of pain and suffering instead of desire for Spiritual Harmony.

Personally, the only battle I see that is being waged for our "souls" is going on within us. We try to live a moral and ethical existence. When we don't, the Devil doesn't win, but we certainly lose an important part of ourselves.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.