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For those that didn’t realize it, I’m Jewish. Not that great at being Jewish, but that’s what I identify as. This is necessary information for this college story.
Back in college, I befriended a variety of people and tended to get adopted by some odd groups. For example, I somehow got brought along for events run by the Latino Student Association. Not really sure how that came about beyond my roommate being Puerto Rican and pledging to them. I just happened to be standing there and . . . alcohol was involved, so you know where this went. By the way, I did go to a meeting of the Jewish Student Association and it wasn’t very interesting.
Anyway, I became friends with several Wiccans and went along for a bunch of their events because it was fun. One event was a table being run at an Earth Day celebration. I went along to help set things up and make sure none of the gear was taken. My title was ‘Pack Jew’ and the promise of pizza was my payment. It ended up being Chinese food, but college Charles never turned down free food.
Well, I was helping unpack and I pulled out a bag of Rune Stones and a book on how to use them. It was something new and nobody had bothered to figure them out yet. I sat down in the corner to read the book since I forgot a notebook. Somebody mentioned going for food and I mumbled my order. Time passed and I hear someone talking to me. I look up to see members of the African American SA and the Latino SA standing there. We were in the middle of them. This is when I noticed something:
I WAS ALONE!
The Wiccans left the Jew at the Pagan Student Association table! A few people were curious and I did the best I could with the questions. I had to admit that I wasn’t allowed to touch the tarot cards. There’s the belief that one never touches another person’s deck without permission because of the energy in the cards. That’s an overview, but it also meant I couldn’t tell fortunes like they wanted. Then they saw what I was reading and I realized that nobody had claimed the rune stones . . . I’ll skip to the comedy here.
The Wiccans returned to find the Jew reading Nordic Rune Stones to a crowd. I had figured them out pretty easily and was having fun. A conversation started about me and the following question was asked: WHO LEFT THE JEW ALONE HERE? That seemed to confuse everyone because suddenly I wasn’t supposed to have any knowledge of what I was doing. Tarot readings were done and I kept going with the runes, which caused quite a lot of fun during the overall event.
Sadly, I have no idea where the rune stones I was given later have gone too. I think I lost them when packing up in Florida.
Legends of Windemere 
LOL! I thought you really were reading ‘Jewish Runes’ when I read the title of the post. Funny story.
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Thanks. I don’t think we have Jewish runes. Though there’s a surprising amount of Hebrew in some of the Wicca stuff I was shown.
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Such an interesting story Charles! I do agree ( as a Pagan) most people tend to avoid the runes!
Too bad you ahve lost the set, but am glad you told the tale!
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It’s mostly Tarot Cards from what I remember. I’m sure the rune set is packed up somewhere. I still have the book on how to use them, so that’s a plus. Why do people avoid the runes?
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I don’t know why all of them, but from people I have met, who were all practicioners of something occult, using Runes for divination is seen as a tedious process. Mostly because all the books on them are either too same, too different, or too vague. If you compare it to Tarot cards, you can have symbology as your guide – colors and sceneries on the card usualy pull your mind towards places and people find it easier to navigate. Runes often require the more natural, free, open connection.
People also like to debate sometimes that after a while, you learn the shape of wood or rock that carries each rune and your divination becomes faulty, because you know what you are picking (but I call this bull!)
They are popular for creating sigils thought, more then ever 🙂
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The funny thing with runes and Tarot is that I always saw it as having a touch of personal perception in it. One person would see a sign and connect it to their life, but it doesn’t mean someone would have the same connection. I saw that people who went too exact with their predictions had trouble while all the books I read left things at general themes that can be attached to life events. Not sure exactly how to explain.
During the readings I did, there was a point where somebody got the same rune as the person before them. They immediately thought of the same explanation that their friend had. I asked if it made sense for their situation and they realized the rune meant something else for them.
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Yes, that is the way that it goes. When you do divination, you very fast learn that the book and the meanings are all useless. Basicly, this is why they call all those mere “Tools of the Trade”. The real diviner is your Spirit 🙂
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I had one friend who was proud of his ‘success rate’. I kind of ruined it because whenever he did a reading for me, I found a way ‘around’ events. Took me a few times to realize that it was more about my actions and deciphering than what the card book said. Still, I like how Tarot and Runes work. I keep hoping I can find a way to put them into my stories, but I never find the opening.
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I’d be curious to see a divination method/tools invented by you (book story purposes or otherwise!)
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I should probably work on creating some. It’d be along the lines of aura reading since that’s a big thing in Windemere. Magical energy is in everything.
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Funny story! I like the way they referred to you as ‘The Jew’. 🙂
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It was a fun time. Especially when they added words to the title. ‘Pack Jew’ is still my favorite.
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“Who left the Jew here alone?” LMAO. There is a Wiccan Village not far from here…can’t call the name of it right this sec, but have been thinking of paying them a visit just for fun. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to get a Jew Witch to read my cards…pagan witches are overrated.
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If anyone is into Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) then you have a shot.
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I studied Kabbalah for a while. The math got really complicated. The philosophy was interesting though.
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Leave it to Jews to make mysticism involving math.
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So…what you are saying is that you are / were a member of the Jewish Wiccan African American Latino Student Association with a specialty in Rune Stone reading. Very impressive I must say. 🙂
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Also the President of the Fencing Club and a member of the Storyteller’s Guild. I was never really adopted by the African American SA though.
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Pack Jew and pizza. ..I love it! One of my best friends from college, Mikey from Brooklyn is Jewish. We had the best times. Loved his humor and we rocked a Beastie Boy song, I gotta tell you. Great times. Great story!
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Jews know how to party. Except on the Sabbath. Then we’re supposed to be lazy.
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Sounds like a well thought out plan. 🙂
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I love your college stories!
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Thanks. They’re fun to tell. Though many of the good ones you had to be there for.
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Reblogged this on hocuspocus13.
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ace
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