Dagaz: a Portrait of Sunlight

Dagaz: the Dawn, Day

Meaning: Awareness, Duality, Hope, Realization, Synthesis, Transmutation Affirmation: I am Divinely designed.

Associations: Daybreak, a Day's Time, Divine Inspiration, Enlightenment, the Letter D

Dagaz is the rune of the Dawn or Day, and feels very similar to those celestial energies when I connect with its energy. Understanding, acceptance, and wisdom flow through this rune, but in a gentle, suggestive way. The clear vision and wisdom to be found in Dagaz is found slowly, much like how the sun slowly makes its way to the sky to clear away the dark, mysterious night, much the same as how we slowly accrue knowledge and wisdom with each passing day of our lives.

The main intention of Dagaz is to awaken us to the beauty of and our integration within our present reality. It does so slowly and with good cheer, so that we can make the changes that we need to make on our own, without loosing hope, or sight on the ultimate goal. A very important part of becoming enlightened or awakened to who we are, and the higher truths of the universe as a whole, is learning to see our role, and participating in that role in the ways we are meant to. We have to be willing to see the whole picture, and to keep looking for the missing pieces, as well.

Some of these experiences or understandings are going to be very hard for us to express to others. Some may not ever be understood, or understood by very few. Dagaz lends us the ability to see, very clearly, that being ourselves, and remaining positive no matter what, are what is most important at the end of the day.

When I look at Dagaz, I see Isa, Thurisaz, Kenaz, Gebo, Hagalaz, Wunjo, Eihwaz, Naudhiz, and Ehwaz. I won't be going into all of these individual components for this entry for the sake of time! Instead, I will comment that there must be so many aspects to this rune, because so many things are necessary to become truly enlightened. It is not an easy task, and as such, should not be a simple rune to fully understand, either. Part of why Dagaz reflects into itself is because, once you have understood it, it is time to begin the work to understand again. The truly enlightened surely know this to be true!

Thurisaz is a primary rune in Dagaz for this reason, which is seen twice, looking into itself. Achieving what Dagaz asks of us is challenging, and will, at times, require the guidance and protection of spirit to accomplish. Delving into the deep secrets of the universe will also require breaking through the various safe guards and barriers that the universe has put in place to protect its most valuable wisdom.

Kenaz involves knowing yourself well enough to know your place in relation to the wisdom and knowledge you are gaining. Enlightenment and realization of the truth is not possible if we are not accepting our own role in what is coming to pass, or how our energy is effecting and interacting with the energy around it. Having a clear and correct vision of who we are is absolutely pivotal in fully understanding the energies of Dagaz, of which we are all a part.

Also found in Dagaz (and very apparent, if you ask me), is Gebo. Gebo brings the power of balance and integration to Dagaz. If there is not perfect balance, there is no enlightenment. If we did not know that there was an imbalance between what we actually know, and what all there is to know, we would never seek deeper wisdom. If we were not imbalanced, we would not feel the deep need to be balanced. Gebo asks us if we are giving as much as we take, taking as much as we give, and providing the overall balance of energy that the universe needs of us.

Isa (which is in all runes) gives us time to assess, overcome, and recover from those challenges, by allowing us the power to break old cycles, and to change or maintain energies as needed. Isa holds situations in our lives until we learn from them, and clears them away when we have. It is only through the coming and going of these lessons that we can attain the ultimate message of Dagaz, after all: enlightenment, and ultimate wisdom.

The following spread is called "Shadow Play," and uses the ability of Dagaz to transmute and integrate energies to ask what energies we may be perceiving as detrimental, or shadow aspects, that can actually be used to our advantage. It is one of several spreads featuring the energies of Dagaz from my upcoming book Runic Wisdom. If you use this spread, I'd love to see! Please tag #runicwisdom or #runicwisdomdagaz to make sure I get a peek!