June 22, 2018. I think of the Vikings as distant relatives, although there’s scant evidence that any came from Finland. They were nature-lovers, as I am. They needed the sea, as I do. They had wisdom, as I hope to; I discovered that when I uncovered an old volume of The Book of Runes years ago. (They also were fierce warriors and invaders, but I’ll leave that aside for the sake of my romantic fascination.) Seeking a way to make my personal mark on my new camp, I decided on a wind chime made of slices of balsam from my property. I decorated each slice with a rune of significance to me and resolved to use them for inspiration and guidance.
The runes are an ancient alphabetical script. “Reading the runes” means communicating with The Ancient Oracle. In Viking days, that meant visiting the village seer or wise-one. Today, it means communicating with one’s subconscious mind. It’s an inward-looking activity, not a fortune-telling one.
For my home-made chime, I chose runes that represent my adventure in the far-north woods: the ones for strength, gateway, growth, opening. I also included a few that scared me a bit — initiation, disruption, the unknowable — because fear can lead to powerful insights too. Will I remember to use these tools of inner growth, as I did a few decades ago? Will I dare to introduce them to my visitors? Time will tell. For now, it feels good to put my stamp — rather, hang it – on Camp Many Moons. Next, I’ll find a way to represent my Finnish genetic heritage and also the local American Indian heritage. Wisdom and insight is available from so many sources. I want Camp Many Moons to be inclusive, and that means cultural and historical inclusiveness too.
“Function determines form, use confirms meaning, and an Oracle always resonates to the requirements of the time in which it is consulted.” – “The Book of Runes” by Ralph Blum
For Many Moons 