Eihwaz – Yew – Eihwaz doesn’t come up often as The Weekly Rune, though it when it has, it always portends an end. Following on the heels of Kenaz reversed last week, our journey into shadow will end, as will some erroneous perception of ourselves.

Note that Eihwaz cannot be reversed. It can’t be avoided. We are going here.

The 13th and middle Rune in the Futhark, this stave represents the turning point, or death. As it is symbolized by the yew, which is both sweet and poisonous, so its teaching will either make or break us–likely both. What is significant about this stave is its emphasis on self. While the evergreen yew can be sweetly enticing, its seed is deadly, which made it a perfect toxin tipping arrow points in battle.

Isn’t that the greatest challenge of authenticity–knowing our strength without killing what we adore, what we need–without doing ourselves in? Yet, we also have to realize that we really can’t take prisoners or passengers on our life path. This is the true bittersweetness of Eihwaz. It is the reminder that as we rise into our True Selves, we are alone.

This means we can take no skeletons.

This means we can take no BFFs.

What does it mean to have to leave past perceptions of self behind? To leave behind who we want to be and realize who we are?

This week expect truth to be challenged in a way that requires revealing the True Self rather uncomfortably. There likely won’t be a lot of support stepping into and expressing personal truth, though the support that comes after is genuine. It’s all about the risk in culling out the reward.

Because if being our True Selves was merely realizing that bright spot in a vacuum, we’d all live who we really are on the outside. It’s never that simple is it? There are always forces in our lives that want us to remain hidden in shadow. Negotiating that balance is one we can never win, and Eihwaz is the reminder that such gambles are a facade. We are all-in, always. Know that now.

Eihwaz is the mirror image of self we can’t look directly into, yet crave most deeply. Through it we learn that we are the point of power we want to attain without realizing we’re already its center.

Go gently, go boldly.