Wunjo is the Rune of joy. Think of the joy waiting for you at the end of the Four of Wands. It is an ecstatic joy, not merely the pride shown by the Nine of Pentacles. Unsurprisingly, though, the Suit of Cups, the suit of strong emotions, is the suit that is most closely associated with Wunjo.
There is a dichotomy to The Cups as they relate to this Rune. Some cups really capture the essence of Wunjo. Think of the women dancing on the Three of Cups, or the simple joy of a child in the Six of Cups. The ultimate card in the suit of Cups, The Ten, is a card of sublime happiness.
Then we have three cards which are looking away from Wunjo. The Five of Cups looks at what has been spilled rather than paying attention to what remains. The Four of Cups is unhappy with what it has and refuses to look at what is being offered. And the Eight of Cups just walks away from all of it.
When I think of Wunjo, I picture a little girl, similar to the one from in The Six of Cups. Young enough children are capable of infinite joy at the smallest gestures.
Divination:
When I see Wunjo in divination, I heave a sigh of relief because it usually means that the situation will end well for the querent. If I see this with Jera (ᛃ), it means something like the Seven of Pentacles: the joy that comes from a job well done. With Hagalaz (ᚺ), Wunjo becomes a hopeful interpretation of the Five or Eight of Cups: that even though everything is destroyed, you can move on and find happiness.
Sometimes that isn’t what it means, but now I’m talking about edge cases. Wunjo with Thurisaz (ᚦ) can mean that they find joy in conflict, like the Knight of Swords. If I see Wunjo with Dagaz (ᛞ) it can mean something like The Fool, the joy of a new beginning, with all the hardships and heartaches that entails.
Use in Magick:
This rune is foremost in my arsenal when I am doing magick against depression. When the Nine or Three of Swords are in my life, this is the rune to reach for. I have a couple of friends for whom I trace this rune while intoning its name on a daily basis.
This is also a rune to look for in bindrunes. Just as I try to avoid making a Thurisaz or a Hagalaz in bindrunes, I actively try to see if I can create Wunjo with other runes, such as when I write Fehu (ᚠ) and Ansuz (ᚨ) over each other.
Of course, when you yourself are the one suffering the depression, you often feel the weight of the Ten of Swords and can’t do magick for yourself. If you are in this situation, try to get the help you need, whether that be from professionals like The Suicide Hotline (800-273-8255) or from friends. If you are reading this blog, it means that you are an awesome person and deserve to have a little Wunjo in your life.