I'm NOT trying to set up an elitist caste of Wise Ones, nor am I saying that ignorance is bliss. I'm just saying that there is such a thing as the pain of knowledge or the pain of knowing, and that there is simply no way around this. Odin gave an eye, hanged and speared himself on Yggdrasil, and stole the mead of wisdom. However, this should not be an excuse to turn from life, get involved in the dryness and sterility of asceticism, or grow bitter. Life, all in all, is very good indeed, as are the Gods and Goddesses.
Fire can purify.
It can help you find talents you didn't even know you had, and to express well and clearly your new ideas. As Kaunaz, the sore, this rune can produce discomfort. However, those in the KNOW can turn this to their own advantage. Their Old Norse Mysteries, Deities and Worship is also well worth reading.