Perthro: Tilting the Shaker

Perthro: the Lot Cup

Meaning: Chance, Change, Gambling, Guesses, Luck, the Yet to Be

Affirmation: I generate my luck through my actions.

Associations: Fate, Karma, the Three Norn

Perthro resembles a cup tilting over onto it's side. The viewer can envision the contents of the cup spilling out, or nothing at all pouring forth, depending on the energies this cup holds for them individually. Associated with the cauldron or weaving of the Three Norn, three ancient and immortal Giantess maidens who brew or weave all of creation at the foot of the World Tree, and who also represent the past, present, and future, Perthro embodies the energies we have put in, the energies we are, and what we may yet become. It is a very complex energy, as a result.

As a whole, Perthro is very much a cup. It collects things, holds them for a time, and then lets them back out. As such, it is one of the more useful runes to use in magick or sigil work, as the energies of the other runes can be "poured," into this rune's receptive and retaining energy, allowing for a combination and blending of the Elder Futhark's energy to go on!

This rune asks us to analyze all of the contents or innards of a situation very carefully, to assuage what is needed, and what is not. The energy of Perthro comes into play while gambling or taking chances, because we analyze the situation, and all its parts, before taking each risk (hopefully!). If we do not use the wisdom of Perthro when facing risk, we most often will find our cup tipped, its contents spilled, and very little reward having come our way. Becoming addicted to the payout of this cup can also lead to problems with addiction, or an over-reliance on magickal manipulation, luck, and chance, and not our own physical power to create these changes for ourselves.

When I observe Perthro, I see Isa, Kenaz, Sowilo, and Laguz. Isa provides Perthro the ability to firmly hold energy for however long is necessary. It also gives Perthro a certain degree of stability, allowing it to tilt when the tilting is beneficial or absolutely necessary. Think of Isa as the bottom of the pot or cup; without the flat, still, reliability of Isa, the cup or pot wouldn't be able to stop wobbling and tilting, and it would never be able to truly hold much at all, as a result.

Kenaz feeds elements of enlightenment and truth into Perthro, so that the cup only begins to collect those things that will promote our growth and development over time. Nothing contained within Perthro is unintentional, as a result, lending to this rune's (and the Norns!) powerful ability to shape our destiny and fate. It would certainly make any master maker's job easier if the project they were working on simply spit back out or rejected any changes that were harmful, or didn't belong! The path we take, guided by Kenaz's light, is also very pivotal in shaping the overall energy and effects of Perthro's contents. Just as Kenaz guards the contents of the cup from being pointless or toxic, it also guides the cup itself to collect more and different contents which are most needed in our current path. Lastly, Kenaz encourages us to add knowledge, wisdom, and items to our cup over time, and also to improve on the quality of what we have already put in.

Branching from Kenaz, Sowilo gives Perthro the energy and gumption to spill, and also helps align these tilts with divine timing. In addition to creating spiritually guided momentum, Sowilo lends more power and impact to the contents of the cup. It creates inspiration to continue to work on the contents, and adds a degree of impact to the energy of Perthro so that we are more able to recognize the value of the lessons it offers. It is Sowilo that lends Perthro its motivational efforts to improve our knowledge and vision of ourselves, turning the Lot Cup, at times, into a mirror of ourselves, and our current course towards enlightenment.

Lastly, Laguz gives the contents of the cup their fluid nature. This allows for Karma to flow in and out of our lives regardless of time and circumstance, allowing the contents of the cup to take whatever shape is necessary to flow forward. Our emotions, or "gut," are also a good key indicator of our current luck or the energies contained by a situation, which the energies of Laguz ask us to master through receptiveness to our intuitive abilities. Energies that are very emotional can also indicate that they have flowed to or from your Lot Cup, taking from or adding to your luck and karmic flow. Learning to recognize the difference between surface emotions, and these more meaningful emotional reactions, are another lesson of Laguz in Perthro.

Armed with your knowledge from above, it's time to meet and work with the rune! This spread is called "The Tilting Glass," and asks the energy of Perthro what karmic or energetic events are next to arrive from our collective energy. It is one of many spreads featuring Perthro in my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom! If you enjoy this spread or share it on Instagram, I'd love to see. Please tag #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomPerthro to make sure I get my peepers on it!