Rune Study: Isa
Isa: Ice (Old Norse)
It is winter here, and the lesson I am focused on right now is Isa. Isa’s energy is quiet and pensive. It represents a time to be still, focusing inward, and patiently awaiting the right time to act. Patience is hard for me. Really hard. But I know that good things come to me when I wait patiently for the right timing to present itself. I am planning a garden this year, and Isa is teaching me much as I begin this process. Patience as I wait for the right time to plant a seed, and as the seed begins to grow in its own time.
Isa challenges us in relation to the ego as well. Isa embodies the “I” in a very psychological sense. It teaches us to balance the ego, and control our inner selves, for if we do not, it can lead to ego-mania and narcissism. Isa teaches us to hold onto things, and release them at just the right moment. It is a balancing rune, influencing our inner self to be still and focused.
Just as an iceberg has much of it’s mass hidden under the water and invisible to someone on the surface, so too Isa has hidden lessons to share with us, that can be dangerous if we are not careful and consciously aware. This awareness is born of stillness and observation. Introspection is very important.
Isa encourages a deep stillness of reflection on ourselves, and extreme patience. For glaciers move terribly slowly but their force is unstoppable, even by earth. We must be patient, waiting for the right time to act. This is a challenging thing to face (I say that alot when talking about rune teachings haha!) but if we are still within ourselves, and quiet our thoughts, we can observe the conditions and energies around us. The time to act WILL present itself, if only we can be quiet enough to listen and look.