Gar: mind blown.
Gar
ᚸ
Yes or No?
Where to go from here?
Go forward.
Pronunciation: Gar: Gahrr
Literal Translation: Spear
Sound: G
Magical Correspondences: Alchemy, Sacrifice, Spear, Gungnir, Odin, Galdr
What exactly is Gar? To put it plainly, it is the last of the Futhorc. To put it not-so-plainly it very well could be the first Bind Rune to make its way into the Runic systems. In my eyes, thanks to Kenn Edwards and their book “Rune Walker”, I see this enigmatic concept of a Rune in a different light from my previous knowledge. That is the light of a door that opens and shuts. When the door is shut we see the Rune for what it is in the most basic of representation that it divulges. Gar is a Rune of sacrifice, a symbol of Odin's ordeal at Yggdrasil being pierced by his own spear. Gar is a Rune of challenge, calling to us to open the door to make the same challenge as Odin's spear Gungnir flying over the battlefield. When the door is shut Gar reminds us of what alchemy looks like as it inspires our brain to tinker and dissect it; much like a Bind Rune (which we discuss later in the book). How does a Rune or Bind Rune with no new phonetic or Rune association or Rune poem associated with it, entice us(me) so fervently?
That my readers is the door made apparent; this is when we place our hand on the knob and begin to crack the door ajar. As we begin to allow the light to filter from behind this heavy door in front of us that's vibrating with energy, we begin to see the inner workings of Gar. We see Gifu and Ing, a pair most suited for what comes after adversity, Runes of growth and newness. After we note Gifu and Ing we see Calc and Eolh: finality and protection together. It's here we now begin to step across the threshold and we start to see a third coupling: Maðr and Tiwaz, symbols of the self, and of courage and honor.
With the entirety of our body inside the door we now see Gar for what it is. It is our awakenings, our deaths, our rebirths, our shadow work. All the times we push forward and sacrifice to make ourselves better and come out stronger, a healthier and better version of ourselves, we are invoking and becoming Gar. Gar is indeed a unique and fitting end to the shapes of the Runic Systems, and I challenge you to spend time with this rune and see what it reveals to you. Maybe it will give you a hunger for the next sections to come, to become a Rune Smith yourself.