Pagan Virtue #4: Courage

 Courage
Acting appropriately in the face of adversity.
Doing the right thing.

Spirit of Courage
by Rev. Dangler

The winds of the season's change
Blow through the trees and leaves.
The y cry out, speaking of our place in the cycle,
Telling tales of the year ahead.

When the way is dark, I seek you;
Spirit of Courage, the Bull in the Woods.
I hear your voice, echoing in the trees.
A call that stirs my heart and lifts me
When all things seem too much to bear.

You help me navigate change and fear,
Leading me through dark forests at night.
For even when I feel abandoned by friends,
Your guiding light is shown to be internal.

I draw that compass forth and follow you.
My heart and my health are warm.
Spirit of Courage, Bull of the Woods,
I honor you for your guidance.

Reflections:

• Lessening dairy in your diet.  Adding yet another dietary restriction as you learn to listen to your body and to the things that hurt you.  Getting strict with portion control.  Doing all of these things for your health, even though the Food Addiction and Eating Disorder Monsters are huge and imposing.
• Exploring those roots--doing that Shadow Work--of the whys.  The acceptance.  Taking responsibility as an adult, where its needed.  Making those changes.  
• The courage of Healing the Mind to Heal the Body.  
• Facing another addiction--the Facebook/Internet Addiction.  On Aug 18 at 1800 hrs, I deleted my 18-year-old Facebook account.  Really the only thing that I've had to deal with is boredom.  How to fill that time?  I haven't had to urge to get back on it.  Week 1 a success.  
• I've also been working on my hunch again, which has put me in the throws of neck and shoulder pain again, but it's necessary.  Again for health.
• Often Courage isn't about helping others or standing up against outside bullies.  Most of the time, Courage is about standing up against and for, and healing yourself.
• My ex-step brother sent a picture of my mom and her abuser's new headstone.  Pretentious thing that it is.  Unfortunately, my ex-step ain't a good photographer, as he's reflected in the obscenely glossy headstone, which means I'm probably going to have to go and get a better picture of it.  I was thinking about going to visit her grave in October anyway.  Although I'm conflicted, since we didn't have a good relationship--to the point that her spirit isn't allowed in my home or around my children, as long as they live with us.  But then maybe I should go anyway for closure?  I don't know if that's an act of courage or not.  I'm not afraid...and I don't know if it would be the right thing.  Since her death, I've been working on my Mother Wound and coming to terms with the mental, emotional, verbal, and sometimes physical abuse that I endured--as well as the emotional and mental abuse that she put my kids through.  I dunno.
• Taking on the Courage of what Money Magik can be.  Doing spells for more money flow--understanding that sometimes that means losing jobs to seek out better ones.  That sometimes that means giving up something you love doing to make sure that your family has money for your needs and money for your desires.
• The courage of boundaries.
• The courage of cutting away the toxic and the dead weeds.  Making those hard decisions and sticking with them.  To not gaslight yourself.  The courage of not going back.  The courage of honoring yourself.

Show me a rune for Courage!

Personally, I pick Berkana to Heal and Algiz for Protection, or to Protect oneself and others.  

The Entities have picked:
Algiz

Elk

Blade

Cutting

Isaz - "The ability to stop and rest.  To know when to quit.  To know that Quitting doesn't mean failure.  

The courage to not be afriad of failing or being a failure.  The courage to learn from failures.  To rest.  To start again."

Uruz - Good Health, "Strength to be."

Ansuz - The courage to listen, instead of talking.  "The courage to silent your ego and pride."

Fehu - "Self worth.  The courage to know you're worth those riches."  

Jumper: Hagalaz - "The courage to not fear life's challenges.  Life is Chaos.  Life is TRICKSTERS.  Lokis.  Odins. Coyotes.  Foxes.  Crows.  Laughing.  Life is TRICKSTER.  The courage to learn to accept and navigate life.  The courage to not run, hide, futilely, in fear, in hubris, in arrogance, in fear, in ego."

- Dedicant and Hearth Keeper, Foxlyn Wren

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Resources

1. Ar nDraiocht Fein. Our Own Druidry. 2009.
2. Dangler, Michael. Song of the Flame: A Devotional Prayerbook. 2020.