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Kenaz - Kenaz is the sixth rune in the first Aitt,
or group of the Elder Futhark.
Kenaz makes the hard “c”/”k” sound in Modern English.
Its basic meaning refers to illuminating the path forward,
a torch or beacon that leads the way.
Reversed, Kenaz refers to arrogance, incuriousness and illogic.
Kenaz represents the tools one must employ on their journey:
a torch to light the way, a map to stay on the course,
a sturdy pair of shoes to protect the feet.
While there are other runes that deal with choosing the correct path,
Kenaz deals with actually treading the path:
the practical things that get you from point A to point B.
This rune also represents the willingness to seek truth,
employing such tools as the Scientific Method,
logic and basic curiosity.
Kenaz counsels us that simply choosing the path
is only the first part -
the second, more labor-intensive part is putting
one foot in front of the other, intellectually speaking.
If you want to know something,
you have to seek it out, be curious, and think.
Another way of approaching Kenaz is
to think of it as a light to gather people together.
On your journey, you will find
like-minded people who have the same curiosity, interests and desires.
Kenaz draws you all together to form
a community of seekers, each sharing their journeys
and discoveries so that all may find what they seek.
Kenaz reversed represents an arrogance, an intellectual laziness
that fools you into thinking you’ve got all the answers.
You don’t - none of us do,
and Kenaz is letting you know that.
Writer and comedian Stephen Fry said,
“Incuriousity is the oddest and most foolish failing there is,”
and Kenaz agrees with him.
We’re presented with an amazingly complex world every day,
and this rune reversed tells us that we can’t take it for granted.
Curiosity is where awe, wonder and inspiration are born.
Reversed, this rune also refers to treading a path
that is clearly not the correct one -- for you.
You are slogging onward, but doing so unthinkingly.
If Kenaz reversed comes up in a spread,
you’re being warned to stop where you are,
and work out a new direction.
The one you’re currently on leads nowhere.
In a typical three-rune spread where the first rune
represents the Objective, the second represents Opposition,
and the third represents the Outcome, Kenaz tells us the following:
As an Objective, you have to commit to the entire journey, and not stop part way through.
Be ready for a longer journey than you expect.
In Opposition -- Are you following the right torch?
Kenaz in opposition questions whether you’ve been misled.
And as an Outcome -- Kenaz tells us to be the inspiration to others,
to be their torch. Light a beacon for someone else.
For those who use the Kindred spread, asking for messages
from the Gods, Ancestors and Nature Spirits,
Kenaz reveals the following:
From the Mighty Ones, “Be selective in your choice of leader.
Sometimes those who claim the mantle of leadership are unfit to wear it.”
From the Ancestors, “You are part of an unbroken chain of beacons.
Honor those who led the way before you,
and guide those who come after you.”
From the Nature Spirits, “Wandering off into uncharted territory may be dangerous,
but the untrodden wilderness is where imagination becomes manifest.”
And finally, focus on Kenaz when you need inspiration on your journey.
Let this rune show you the riches that lie ahead.