Do You Resist Resistance?

How many times have you heard you should create a life of ease and flow? How many times have you been reminded to focus on attraction rather than "efforting?" Granted, many situations in life could be made easier if such principles were in place; however, what about those times that call for something else?

In my year-long rune course "Returning to the Well," I recently addressed these questions using the wisdom held in the rune called "Nauthiz," also known as the need-fire rune. First you have a need, and within the need exists the solution.

I asked my students, "Do you resist the resistance?"

I used a story of sorts to illustrate the question as well as the answer.

Imagine you are alone outside: perhaps in the woods or in the mountains—maybe you are at the beach. It is cold, damp and dark, and night is fast approaching. You need to build a fire not only for light and warmth but also to cook your food and perhaps even keep predators a bay. All you have is the bow drill: the two sticks you rub together to make a spark that can start a small flame.

You have a need. You have an intention you must couple with determination and persistence. What is also called for in this situation are friction and restriction, because without them the wood will never heat up enough to start a fire.

This is not the time to oil the wood. You would do that to a wagon wheel to keep it from catching fire. This is not the time to tell yourself this should all go smoothly and flow easily. No, in this situation what is needed is determined efforting and resistance. If you resist the resistance or stop too soon, your need will not be satisfied.

In such situations you can call upon Nauthiz when you need the strength to face trials or difficult times; or, in this instance, when you need to start a fire. Sometimes in life efforting and resistance are vital. To be able to determine when this is so requires stillness, wisdom and paying attention to the need—and not just listening to the popular jargon of others.

It is of value to remember that once the fire has started you no longer need to rub the sticks together.

And it is also of value to remember that there are times when fire is not always the tool you need to use when approaching a problem or situation.

Happy Solstice,
Ingrid

Ingrid Kincaid is an internationally known storyteller, teacher and spiritual mentor. She is an intuitive reader of ancient runes. She gently shows her clients how to tap into their own inner wisdom by weaving together creativity, spirituality and ancient knowing. Ingrid is available for interviews, private consultations and group presentations. You can contact her at ingk@ingridkincaid.com or 415.652.3990.