Thurisaz

Description

Structure, boundaries, protection, barriers, shelter of safety or a cage of restriction. Ultimately I use Thurisaz to set protective filters to help me grow and not let those boundaries restrict and stop my growth.

“It was sitting with Hawthorn, watching her grow throughout the seasons that taught me so much about Thurisaz. At first I noticed the small birds flying in and out of her canopy, feeding off the small insects, the birds protected by the thorns from predators. It showed me that boundaries aren’t meant to be hard, solid, impervious but that porous enough to let the good in but protective enough to keep the bad out. On closer curiosity I noticed that the spikes grew only on the new wood, with the older wood becoming thickened, strong and gnarled. This showed me that boundaries need to grow and change, that the lessons of old boundaries become embodied protection, supporting the new growth, expansion of self that moves past old structure, getting new boundaries to support further growth.”  (Duncan White Dartmoor Rune Lore)

Duncan’s words helped me to understand Thurisaz through the Hawthorn tree. So this image is dedicated to all the Hawthorns of Dartmoor growing across Dartmoor. Inside my protective shelter of  Hawthorn and Bramble is growing an Ash tree sapling, maybe Yggdrasil the world tree at the beginning of time. For me the sapling represents my core self, my vulnerability, and the thicket is my shelter and protects me.

The thicket and it’s thorns, the fae spirits within, the light filtering through all help the sapling to thrive and if I continue to work with these energies of Thurisaz then my boundaries should be flexible and grow with me.

(painted 2025)