Hello, my friends, again! Oh, wow, we are already almost into summertime, phew! This year seems to be speeding by, leaving me breathless. I just reached into my Runebag, right now, to see what I should focus on for this month, and withdrew the Rune, “Dagaz”, Breakthrough. Dagaz is the twenty-second Rune, and is the last Rune in the Cycle of Initiation. When you draw this Rune, you can expect a major shift or breakthrough  in the process of self-change, or transformation. This can be a very good thing, but it is wise to be prepared for unpredictable results, because this Rune often requires an unswerving and radical trust; in your self, and in your Higher Self, or your Spiritual Warrior, as He/She is sometimes referred to.                                                                                   In ancient cultures, Runes provided a means for the elders or shamans, to determine the best direction or course of action, to take at any given time, among other uses, and was also used as a sacred tool in many of the tribes’ religious ceremonies. One school of thought is that an Oracle would “speak” to [one], by guiding the hand to choose the most relevant stone, in order to find an answer. Another legend has it, that all of the Runes would be tossed into the air, and all the Runes that landed face-up, would then be read by the Holy Man (or Woman), to learn the next course of action to take. There are other origins ascribed to this particular tool, and there are several historical sites where evidence can be found of their usage. I use my Runes when I am struggling to find a sense of clarity, or when I have issues with a situation or circumstance, that is difficult to resolve. What I find amazing, is that the Runes I draw are almost always consistent with  the Tarot Card reading I follow up with. For that explanation, I have never found a scientific or religion-based answer, nor has my research uncovered one. If you have a story or article of relevance to this subject, please respond by subscribing to my newsletter/blog, and rest assured, I will not Spam you, as I hate spam as much as anyone else, and the only reason I request your information is to be able to reply to your requests. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, today, and may your day be Blessed. Goodbye for now, from Mellie Mystic!