A Message from the Runes

Perth
Initiation
Something Hidden
A Secret Matter

A hieratic or mystery Rune, Perth points to that which is beyond our frail manipulative powers. This Rune is on the side of heaven, the Unknowable, and has associations with the Phoenix, that mystical bird which consumes itself in the fire and then rises from it's own ashes. Its ways are secret and hidden.

Deep inner transformational forces are at work here. Yet what is achieved is not easily or readily shared. An integrity is involved that may be masked, disguised or secret. After all, becoming whole, the means of it, is a profound secret.

On the side of the earthly or mundane, there may well be surprises, gains or rewards you did not anticipate. On the side of Human nature, this Rune is symbolized by the flight of the Eagle. Soaring flight, free from entanglement, lifting yourself above the endless ebb and flow of ordinary life to acquire broader vision - all this is indicated here.

Another of the Cycle Runes, Perth signifies in intense aspect of Initiation. Nothing external matters here, except as it shows you its inner reflection. This Rune is concerned with the deepest stratum of your being, the bedrock on which your Destiny is founded. For some, Perth means experiencing a death. If need be, let go of everything, no exceptions, no exclusion. Nothing less than renewal of the Spirit is at stake.

Reversed
A counsel against expecting too much, or expecting in the ordinary way, for the old way has come to an end: you simply cannot repeat the old and not suffer. Call in your scattered Energies, concentrate on your own life at this moment, your own requirements for growth. More important, Perth counsels you neither to focus on outcomes nor bind yourself to the memory of past achievements. For in doing so you rob yourself of a true present, the only time in which self-change can be realized.

You may feel overwhelmed with exhaustion from meeting obstruction upon obstruction in your passage. Yes always you have a choice you can see this apparent negativity as bad luck, or you can recognize it as an obstacle course, a challenge specific to the Initiation you are presently undergoing. With each set back, each humiliation, becomes a test of character. When you're inner being is shifting and reforming on a deep level, patience, constancy and perseverance are called for. To stay centered see the humor, and keep your faith firm.

The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum.