Gebo -- gift -- The last time Gebo was The Weekly Rune was 31 December 2012. Has it been that long since we've had a gift?
Of course Gebo isn't just any gift. Its emphasis is on the exchange of giving and receiving, more than on what is given, what is received. In short, it's about an exchange strengthening a bond.
The emphasis on that bond is why Gebo is often associated with partnership. A Rune winding down the first aett, with Gebo, we've come through creating ourselves into being and discovered our power as souls in form. Then it happens -- we find friends! Through our ability to give to others, and possibly receive from them, we create our web -- the network of support closest to us, which helps us stay actively involved with All Things. In the Jungian hero's journey, this stage is the acquisition of allies, those in form, in spirit, and within.
The process of drawing to us those who can truly move us along our paths is a powerful thing. Celtic traditions have the concept of anam cara, or soul friend. I've written before on this special bond, what it is, and how we interpret it. Anam cara has most often been misinterpreted as "soulmate," as in a romantic partner. In reality anam cara speaks to a much higher bond that always urges each other toward growth, which could be found in a lover, an animal familiar, a place, a child. As we all know, sometimes growth means periods of discomfort, and all soul relationships aren't necessarily cheerful. They all, however, hone our sense of self, and what we give to the world. The way we learn what we have to give is through sacrifice, through acceptance.
The bottom line with Gebo at this time is someone is coming or will soon come who can help us reach the next significant place of growth. Perhaps both individuals are helped in the joining, perhaps not. The emphasis is recognizing that a bond has been made, and a new level of self has been attained, as a result.
Celebrate the bond. Be as fully present in it as possible, and know that we're in this together.
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