This is the new entry of my series of readings for world nations, dedicated to France's situation. The reading covers the coming Olympic Games to be held in Paris and the complexities of holding such events amidst the country's growing instability both internally and in its relations with other nations. Like the reading for Spain, this one reveals the important role that the youth will play in the coming months.
Othala
The liens of power have become robust, the chains have been forged for decades to reach this point. This Rune speaks of the obligations that the French State owes to the land, its citizens and other countries, of the constriction that this obligation causes and the tensions arising from it. The French society tends toward emotional repression, legalisms, the traffic of secrets and the preservation of highly bureaucratic systems of influence, which has produced debts that must be acknowledged and confronted for the liberation of important energy blockages. As is currently happening in many places on the planet, France's vital cycle is reaching a new phase and the structure is being put to the test, reviewed from very deep, unconscious places related with the subterranean chambers and the remainders of the past. The national identity is being confronted with its history, a sudden interest for the rendering of events and the deeds of the ancestors spreads across the population, information flows and with it, a glimpse of comprehension that causes great tremors. Agreements that rule public and private administration are shown to the light with or without the consent of the authorities; new informants bearing evidence of high-impact operations and transactions emerge to share what they know and open the curtains that conceal the machine. Immigration becomes an increasingly pivotal topic and arouses reactions of growing hostility. France's current process requires an exhaustive revision of pacts and treatises, the reformulation of norms and a simplification of hierarchies and trade unions. The recommendation for the French people is to obtain quality information, to familiarize themselves with their legal situation and the status of their properties, paying special attention to mortgages, loans and judicial proceedings. It would also be a good idea to organize visits to temples, monuments and ancient places of power, in order to recharge strengths and connect with the depths.
Thurisaz
Social conflict is inevitable and as the great sporting, political and religious events approach in the coming months, public attention and citizen pressure are going to increase, spurred also by the arrival of large amounts of tourists, good and bad news for the nation's general stability, because even though it brings a financial boost, it also puts great stress upon public services that are already operating above their capabilities, in addition to the intensification of racist, xenophobic and fanatical behavior. France has spikes and thorns nailed deep into its fabric and patterns, the surgery to remove them demands great precision and therefore a long time, for the process may start violently and worsen the circumstances for a while before the healing can commence. Due to the limitations mentioned in Othala's message, there's a great need and intention of emancipation exemplified, like in other nations, by the increasingly rebellious attitude of young people, who recognize in certain normalized conventions an arbitrary imposition that must be resisted. Thurisaz restates that the individual and collective identity of the French people is entering a phase of profound questioning, the taller egos are forced to kneel and the more flexible temperaments rise to greater prominence in the course of events. In this context, new sociopolitical movements emerge and subcultures gain power, attracted people interested in expressing themselves more openly about controversial subjects through manual and performing arts. Some of these changes may occur practically lightning-fast, adding a further element of disorientation and vertigo to the cycle of transformations that French citizens must face; the individuals who find themselves in a position to define a course of to lead, may guide their compatriots through example as long as they can back their words with actions.
Wunjo invertida
Like the previous Runes, Wunjo speaks of challenges for the morale and cohesion of the French population. Feelings of loneliness, guilt, shame and sorrow raise the banners at half mast and promote a general sensation of failure that may, however, bring great benefits for people's self-perception by revealing behavioral flaws and biased perspectives. The French people are always competing among themselves in a passive-aggressive manner, comparing each other unconsciously to determine their place in society, but when the expectations of notoriety and influence are defrauded, when the path brings no tangible rewards for these attitudes, people gradually abandon ambitions of glory, replacing them with simpler aspirations that lead to a fuller life. The Rune warns about the effects of pride based on unsubstantiated beliefs; prejudices and criticism neither increase happiness nor lead to a genuine connection between individuals, a lesson that the French will have to integrate in order to resolve their diatribes and truly accomplish the progress that they yearn for and assume they have already conquered. It isn't possible to obtain victory without first recognizing the importance of defeats, the list of stumbles is long but there is an ulterior reason for everything that has happened which deserves study. The French are being called to reconsider what they believe to be just, educated and useful, to explore their purpose both at the domestic level and globally, so that they may find ways to govern themselves more wisely. Wunjo leaves this question for France and the rest of the world: What does a truly pleasant life consist of?
This has been the reading for France, the largest European nation and one of the most relevant actors of the European Union, which means that whatever happens there surely affects the entire continent and, by extension, the world. My series will now move on to Latin America again for a moment, with readings for Ecuador and Panama, before turning to Africa and Asia. If you'd like to see a reading for a particular nation, just ask me in the comments and I'll do it!