When I was able to produce Birth Rune Snapshots, I included a bit of research into what the runes of the Age of Aquarius would be. I think observation of these runes bears more attention, given the big voice context that TWR has had in this runic cycle. Aquarius is home to two runes in Pennick’s calendar. Both are very on pointe for the transition of the world stage right now. What do you think?

The same way that we can track personal birth runes, we can also examine those of Ages. As this span moves more slowly, these runes have less of an impact on our day-to-day, and comment more on the overall tones, attitudes, and concerns of our time.

The runes that represent the age of Aquarius are Sowilo and Berkana. Sowilu corresponds with Uranus, which represents the day/light aspects of Aquarius, while Berkana is Jupiter, which represents the night/shadow aspects of Aquarius.

Sowilo- Intentional Insight's Weekly Rune by S. Kelley Harrell

Sowilu in the place of Aquarius’ light hints a pay-it-forward feel. The foundation of Sowilo lies in realizing our own divinity, which requires that we be confident enough in our understanding of Source and Self to find their common traits. In short, that means we have to be pretty emotionally healthy and spiritually literate. People who don’t have these skills will struggle more than those who do. Culturally, many folx won’t realize they need such, and that the lack of them limits their personal growth and community rooting.

This means folks who are emotionally and spiritually mature carry a degree of responsibility for those who aren’t, which really means we are all responsible for each other. Always, every step. The actions we take to fulfill our personal divinity must also promote the health, wellbeing, and advancement of the community. It’s not an option for them not to at this time, and in keeping with functionality of Old Norse culture, effort to ensure the individual’s viability inherently encompassed duty to community. One wasn’t just responsible for the Whole, One is the Whole, and vice versa.

Part of the challenge of Aquarius is cleaning up Piscean hierarchies that created an even greater divide between us. Where Pisces is bent on a leader and followers, a teacher and students, Aquarius seats us all at a round table open for diverse contributions. Those classist leftovers create problems in holding that One-Whole relationship, as well as bring their own toll to the personal emotional and allostatic load of providing safe, nurturing, healthy space for all.

As 2023 is early in the sign/Age, we can take heart that the general support of the cosmos leans toward good results coming from taking care of each other. When we understand that personal divinity carries community responsibility, we realize what we bring to the world as our unique gift. We know our calling.

Weekly Rune - Berkano, Intentional Insights by S. Kelley Harrell, Soul Intent Arts

The shadow aspects of the Age of Aquarius are still very supportive in Berkana. They encourage us to honor where we may be getting too emotionally involved, to the point that such involvement distracts us from actually doing our unique work on the planet. This could mean ego involvement, such that we don’t feel we have the skills, confidence, or resources to carry out our calling. It could mean that we revere our unique gift so much that we become elitist or too precious. It could mean that the current version of the world can’t see or support our gift, and sitting with the grief involved in what that looks like psychologically, professionally, spiritually, etc. As well, that the Piscean leftovers make all of the aforementioned harder and heavier to bear is part of the shadow of Aquarius. Coming into Aquarius we don’t have cultural support for the changes that will happen. Wherever the emotional involvement lies, it’s our job to be certain it isn’t keeping us from actually doing the work. We have to be willing to confront our trauma, our shadows, our biases to make sure we remain embodied and in direct personal relationship with our calling. This is the boundary of Berkana. Care and realize personal divinity, yet not so much that doing either or both paralyzes us.

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Originally published on Soul Intent Arts.

Meet Kelley

S. Kelley Harrell, M. Div.

Kelley Harrell is an animist, author, deathwalker, and death doula held by Tuscarora, Woccon, and Sissipihaw land. For the last 30 years, through Soul Intent Arts she’s helped others ethically build thriving spiritual paths. Her work is Nature-based, and centers soul tending through the Elder Futhark runes, animism, ancestral tending, and deathwork. She hosts the podcast, What in the Wyrd, and also writes The Weekly Rune as a celebration of the Elder Futhark in season. Work with her in the Runes for Change community or in her intensive soul tending training, The Spirited Path. Full bio.