Hedge Witch

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Is Nature Indifferent to Us?

I love this Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, by Bill Watterson. It speaks to me on so many different levels, not least of all as a Mother of Cats. But it’s mostly the first part that I’ll be pondering over in this blog post today.

Is nature indifferent to us? Well, perhaps on the whole, yes. Nature could be indifferent to everything. The entirety of nature is such a vast concept, to me it’s like pondering deity, for in my own religious and spiritual view, nature is deity.

However, in my own personal practice, I feel that the gods are not indifferent to us, so where does that leave me with regards to the above? I’m just not sure. Could it be a paradox, that the deities care and don’t care at the same time? That would make them truly similar to cats…

It’s hard to come to terms with the darker aspects of nature, the pain and suffering that exists. Just yesterday there as a fox in the garden, and it looked like s/he had been hit by a car. One of their back legs wasn’t working, and there was definitely trauma to the back leg and hip. The fox had worried all the fur off of the back leg, hip and tail. It was taking respite from the wind in our garden, sheltered as it is by hedges. It also had a nice long drink from our pond.

After a while I went out to see just how badly it was injured. It couldn’t hear me above the wind, and I didn’t want to startle it so I called softly out to it. It turned its head and then quickly stood up. I gave it a quiet wave and it ran on its three legs back through the hole in the hedge and was gone.

I put some food out for it later that day, and will be doing so each night. I fear that the chances that this fox will survive are pretty slim, but at least it won’t die on an empty stomach.

I meditated that night on the suffering that goes on all around us, every second of every day. That poor fox was in lot of pain, but there was nothing I could do about it. Even had I called the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, chances are that by the time they got here the fox would be long gone anyway. I wondered at how such a thing could happen, could be “allowed” to happen to a beautiful creature as this fox. Tears flowed as I struggled with the suffering of so many lives right now.

People are in the hospital, wars are going on, wild animals are being hit by cars, the oceans and rivers are full of raw sewage and plastic – I could go on and on. It sure seems like the majority of humans today are indifferent to nature, so why shouldn’t nature be indifferent to us?

But nature hasn’t been indifferent to me. I have had wonderful experiences of true connection. I understand how we are all part of this one, great whole. I just wish that others could understand this, in order to save ourselves from our own self-destruction, and the widespread destruction of nature all around us.

But nature is also indifferent. The wind blows whether we like it or not. We have no say in earthquakes, sunshine or rain. Perhaps this is not indifference, but our own inability to see the bigger picture, the whole. 

I am not offended by the seeming indifference nature has for us. Rather, I see it as an opportunity to show nature how much I really care. I aim to live in this world as best I can, with as much sympathy, empathy and compassion as I am able to give. I seek to be a contributing, functioning member of my own local ecosystem, and thereby a part of the wider world too.

Maybe nature really is like a cat. Sometimes it appears indifferent, and other times we can feel the genuine affection that it has for us, if only we are sensitive enough to feel it and open enough to accept it.

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I have a new course: An Introduction to Freya

I am offering a new course! An Introduction to Freya: Goddess of Life, Sovereignty and Magic.

For more information, please visit my website at joannavanderhoeven.com.

If you are interested, please email me at vanderhoevenjoanna@gmail.com.

‘Freyja and the Necklace’, 1890. Freya. Illustration from “Teutonic Myths and Legends” by Donald A Mackenzie, 1890.
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New Interview!

Last week I was interviewed by Pagan for my new book, the Path of the Hedgewitch. The podcast is now available, so please go on and have a listen, and check out all the other great stuff on there too!

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The Runes: Rād

In this blog series , we will go through the runes as they are recorded in the Anglo-Saxon or Old English Rune Poem.

The fifth rune, Rād or Raidho  as it is commonly known, means “riding” and is mainly concerned with travel and roads, pathways and suchlike, but has lots of other lovely aspects to it such as partnership, co-operation, and sometimes even good luck. In the Old English Rune poem, Rād is defined thus:

“Riding is for every man in the hall

Easy, and strenuous for him who sits upon

A powerful horse along the long paths.”

As someone who has worked with horses for many years, I can see the truth is this kenning quite clearly from a literal viewpoint. When we have a powerful horse beneath us, we need to learn how to work in co-operation with its own power, instead of trying to overpower it ourselves. Horses work best with us if we use a “power-with” model, instead of a “power-over” model, especially when working with dominant or lead mares.  If you are fighting against the horse’s own power (and it’s way bigger and stronger than you) and are on a long road, then you will be exhausted by the end of it. Instead, learn to work with the horse’s energy, a blending with your own and form a true relationship, one of reciprocity, of give and take. You’ll get where you need to go in life a lot easier that way.

This rune also makes you consider your “seat”, or how you sit in the saddle. You have to work with the horse, and your seat is just as important as the reins. How you sit will greatly influence the horse, as it can feel the slightest movements in your weight, legs, hips, even the turning of your head. Many people think that riding is all about the reins, but first and foremost, it’s about your seat. If you weight is too far forward or too far backward, for instance, it will impair what you and the horse are trying to achieve. So Rād/Raidho is a good reminder to be mindful of how you are in the world, in order to move through it better.

Pollington suggests that this rune may have been used as a good luck charm for travel.[1] If you are planning a journey, or wish to go on one, using this rune could be very beneficial. The shape of the rune even suggests travel, as the rough outline looks like the head and neck of a horse. As stated above, it could also mean power, and even wealth, for horses have always been expensive to keep. Don’t forget that not all travels occur in this world – this rune could symbolise travelling between the worlds too.

Even the deities used horses – Odin has his eight-legged Sleipnir, and the wains of the Sun and Moon are drawn by horses. There is a beautiful Bronze Age solar chariot in Trundholm, Denmark, with a very lifelike representation of a horse (strangely, on wheels) which may symbolise the turning of the year.

Rād is to work with a powerful ally. Use it in your travels, both in this world and the Otherworld. Be mindful of your seat, and work in co-operation. Rād is not only the means of travel, but the road itself.

Sources:

Albertsson, A. Wyrdworking: the Path of a Saxon Sorcerer, Llewellyn (2011)

Gundarsson, K. Teutonic Magic: A Guide to Germanic Divination, Lore and Magic, Thoth Publications (2007)

Pollington, S. Rudiments of Runelore, Anglo-Saxon Books (2011)

Rance, S. The English Runes: Secrets of Magic, Spells and Divination, Dragon House (2017)

Waggoner, B. A Pocket Guide to Runes, The Troth (2019)

[1] Pollington, S. Rudiments of Runelore, Anglo-Saxon Books (2011)

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Surrendering

Since the release of his book, Surrender, I’ve been thinking about this concept that Bono talks about in so many different ways. In one tale, presented live on the “The Late Show” (see video below) it really struck a chord within me (pun totally intended).

He talked about how he had (and still has) to approach his wife of 40 years within such terms. He spoke of approaching her like this: “Only if you arrive at her fort defenceless, do you have half a chance in challenging her own, almost unbroachable defences”.

I thought that this was utterly beautiful. It could be applied to so much in life, not just your loved one. For me, it’s about being authentic, about being truly and utterly you, to whomever it is you are trying to connect with. It could be your life partner, your parents, your children, your gods, your ancestors, your community.

When approaching the gods, there is no point in putting up a mask, surrounding yourself with defences. They are gods. They see through all that crap. If you choose to open up your soul to a god, then there is no need for games, for duplicity or falsehoods of any kind. There is only you, and the deity.

It’s much the same with your life partner, family, ancestors, even those of your community. Those who think that they are fooling you with guises and masks are only fooling themselves. People are more perceptive than many think. We know when something or someone is “off”, it’s just that often we choose to ignore that instinct.

Authenticity is about surrender. It’s about being utterly human, being utterly you. It’s acknowledging the good and the bad and everything in between. It’s about working towards being the best person you can be, without masks, without disguises.

This doesn’t mean you have to let go of all boundaries. But if you truly want to connect on a soul-deep level, it is about being totally, utterly you. Letting down your defences also allows those to come to your aid. Keep them up, and they keep everything and everyone out.

The concept of surrender, and of defences, is one that I am going to chew over for quite some time this winter. In the stillness and silence of a winter’s day, in the overarching darkness of a long winter’s night, I am taking this to heart and really experiencing what it is to live in this manner. It will will, I think, open up new ways of living and being that before were only imagined.

This winter, I am surrendering.