Wow. I'm sort of at a loss for words. This was such an incredible and unexpected gift. My Santa must've done some seriously thorough stalking, because they found out that I am a witch! Or at least I assume they figured out I was of the pagan persuasion, because they sent such a perfect pagan present! But let's start from the beginning.

This evening I went down to the mailbox (we have group mailboxes at the end of the road), expecting mostly bills & junk mail. Admittedly, those had piled up in my box as well, but I was excited to find a small brown first class box from Illinois. It was hand-addressed, and I wasn't expecting anything, so I figured it was probably from RedditGifts! So exciting.

I took the box inside to inspect it (along with help from my cat Cheeto). Upon opening it I discovered a beautiful little blue bag, printed with shimmering gold roses. And it had the most amazing treasure inside...

Handmade dragon-scale runes. They're blueish greenish, leading me to expect they were made from the shed of some sort of water dragon ;) Each bears a carving of one of the Elder Futhark Runes, with a single blank rune. For a while Cheeto and I just sat on the floor inspecting them, turning them over in our hands/paws. Each one unique and stunning in their own right.

Finally, I realized there's really only one thing for a witch to do when she's presented with such a beautiful new tool: time to do a reading!

So I went into the spare bedroom, where all of my pagan accouterments are kept. I set out a cloth, along with sage, one of my goddess figures and my unorthodox ceramic cauldron. I blessed the new tool with citrine and smoke before I set about my work.

I don't have extensive experience with runecasting, so I did a simple past-present-future spread. Here is what I got:

Past - Fehu - Cattle - This rune represents wealth, sustenance, luck & prosperity. I have a spouse I adore. We both have good jobs & carry very little debt. We have had the immense privilege of living comfortable lives. I consider myself extremely lucky.

Present - Thurisaz - The Monster - While I love my job, I work for an anti-domestic violence agency. I come up against the most horrific aspects of the human experience every day. This rune is associated with strength & battle. I fight for our clients every day, and take this as a reminder that I am strong enough to endure the trauma I come into contact with on a regular basis.

Future - Dagaz - Dawn - Apparently, I should be expecting a major awakening or change in my future. Perhaps it will involve moving to a new place, moving careers, having our first child? I don't know. But I'm sure some sort of change will be coming.

In closing, thank you SO MUCH Santa. I don't know whether you made these yourself or ordered them off of etsy, but they are absolutely incredible. I could not have asked for a more personal, beautiful or perfect gift. You are amazing!!