“Now do I see | the earth anew
Rise all green | from the waves again;
The waters fall, | and the eagle flies,
And fish he catches | beneath the cliffs.“
- Völuspá
Rise all green | from the waves again;
The waters fall, | and the eagle flies,
And fish he catches | beneath the cliffs.“
- Völuspá
Literal Meaning & History
The literal meaning of this word is day, not as in 24 hours, but as in the part of that period that is the daytime and not to be confused with night.
This is also a reference to Dagr, Day with a capital D, the personification of the day and not to be confused with Nótt (night).
Day rides a horse called Skinfaxi, which literally translates to “glowing-mane” and it’s said in some of the old texts that Skifaxi brings Dagr to mankind.
Figurative Meaning & Symbolism
Nearly all references to Dagr refer to the bringing of light and so this rune can best be linked to two words, Dawn and Light. Keep this in mind when you work with this rune.
This rune, as is apparent by it’s shape, refers to a change.
This isn’t just the light, this is the rising light, the move from darkness into the light.
This is moving from the darkness of depression into the light of joy. Though it doesn’t tell you how long that will last, or how far into joy you may go.
This is gaining success, and with it attention, finding the spotlight pointed at you, turned on you. With all the risks and rewards this entails.
This is the drive, the passion, the ambition that lifts you up, without any promise of how it turns out.
This is the the soft touch of sunlight on your skin, conferring warmth, pleasure, contentment, calm… and you know what happens if you fall asleep in the sun, don’t you?
Some things are better in the dark.
Context is important.
Suggested Homework
Imagine two rooms and draw two boxes on a page.
Within one box, write down all the things about yourself that you wish others would see, the things you like about yourself, the things you think are most important about you, the things you feel would make it easier for you to be you in interactions with others.
Within the other, in code if it helps, write down things about yourself that you don’t necessarily dislike, but really would prefer remained hidden, because they’re private, because they make you or others uncomfortable, because they would make your life more complicated if everyone could see them.
Now, get a flashlight and turn out all the lights, try to create a complete darkness, and shine the flashlight onto one box, just the one you want to be seen.
Light spills, will always spill. If it’s bright enough so that the things you want to be seen stand clearly and are easily legible, practically leaping from the page, then you can always catch a glimpse of the things in the other box.
The light is indiscriminate about what it illuminates, and everyone has something to hide.
