Gebo

“For every gift a curse.”

Gebo – “Gay-boo” – Literally: “Gift” – Esoteric: Fair Exchange, Sacrifice, Sacred Marriage

Key Concepts: gifts, giving, taking, trade, sacrifice, process of exchange, balance, compensation, equilibrium, law of reciprocation, altruism, the gravity of equals and opposites, generosity, hospitality, honor

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem:	English Translation:
ᚷ Gyfu gumena byþ gleng and herenys, ƿraþu and ƿyrþscype and ƿræcna gehƿam ar and ætƿist, ðe byþ oþra leas.	Generosity brings credit and honour, which support one's dignity; it furnishes help and subsistence to all broken men who are devoid of aught else.

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is 𐌲 g, called giba. The same rune also appears in the Elder Futhark, with a suggested Proto-Germanic name *gebô "gift". J. H. Looijenga speculates that the rune is directly derived from Latin Χ, the pronunciation of which may have been similar to Germanic g in the 1st century, e.g., Gothic *reihs compared to Latin rex (as opposed to the Etruscan alphabet, where X/𐌗 had a value of [s]).

The gyfu rune is sometimes used as a symbol within modern mysticism, particularly amongst those interested in Celtic mythology. It's described, for example, in the book The Runic Tarot as a representation of the giving-receiving balance in friendships.

Psi: gratitude, forgiveness, appreciation
Runic Number: 7
Meaning: Love and partnership. Forgiveness, gift, skill, ability or talent.
Translation: Gift
Gemstone: Opal
Color: Dark Blue
Polarity: Male and Female
Element: Air
Gods: Odin, Gefn
Astrology correspondence: Pisces
Tree: Pine
Plant: Elm
Energy: Exchanged powers, sacrifice, dissolution of barriers through gifting

Divinations: Generosity, gift, magical exchange, honor, sacrifice, divine vision; or influence buying, greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice, unbalanced behavior, dishonesty

Mundane: material gifts, thankfulness, trade

Governs:
Sex magic
Mystical union and ‘Sacred Marriage’ between partners
Understanding of the true meaning of gifting and binding
Giving of oneself from within
Harmony between brothers and sisters and lovers
Favours, contracts, obligations, debt and oath-taking

Gebo is perhaps one of the runes which has the most lore. When we say X-mas, the X is unconsciously representative of this rune. In the Havamal, the Cosmic Law of Compensation is written as ‘Better not to over-pledge as a gift demands a gift’, and ‘No man is so generous he will jib at accepting a gift in return for a gift’.

The exchange of gifts, whether physical or otherwise, is a highly meaningful act, as is the idea of trade. It is associated with magical rings, which give kings the ability to share powers with their followers, as is expected of leaders. The need for exchanged energies and powers to remain equal in amounts is at the heart of the rune Gebo. In the Havamal it also says ‘A man should be loyal through life to friends, and return gift for gift; Laugh when they laugh, but with lies repay a flase foe who lies.’ Though this might conflict with the New Age morality, it was the ancient way of expressing ‘what goes around, comes around’.

Elsewhere in Northern lore we find, that there is always a price to pay. Every decision you make requires the acceptance of one thing and simultaneous sacrifice or release of another. For more on that sacrifice, see INGUZ. Self-sacrifice (for honor in battle or for the greater good) is a common theme with the death of warriors. Odin on the tree sacrifices ‘himself to Himself’ in his shamanic initiation to discover the knowledge and wisdom of the runes.

Othala

“We inherit ourselves.”

Othala – “Oh-thall-ah” – Literally: “Homeland” or “Ancestral Lot” – Esoteric: Inheritance, estate, noble

Rune of anscetral spiritual power, divine inheritance and earthly estate.

The Elder Futhark Odal rune (ᛟ), also known as the Othala rune, represents the o sound. Its reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *ōþalan "heritage; inheritance, inherited estate".

It was in use for epigraphy during the 3rd to the 8th centuries. It is not continued in the Younger Futhark, disappearing from the Scandinavian record around the 6th century, but it survived in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and expressed the Old English œ phoneme during the 7th and 8th centuries. Its name is attested as ēðel in the Anglo-Saxon manuscript tradition.

The rune is encoded in Unicode at codepoint U+16DF: ᛟ.

Runic Number: 23

Meaning: Family. Home or Homeland. Heart. Inheritance. Possesions. Estate.

Translation: Possesion. Hereditary land.

Gemstone: Spinel

Color: Deep Yellow

Polarity: Male

Element: Earth

Gods: Odin

Astrology correspondence: Full Moon

Tree: Hawthorn

Plant: Clover

Psi: ancestral spiritual power

Energy: ancestral spiritual power, inheritance, heaven on earth, “The gift of Ing”, paradise, utopia

Mundane: household, estate, inheritance

Divinations: A home or estate, group prosperity, group order, freedom, productive interaction; or lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, xenophobia, racism, genocide.


Governs:

Rightful inheritance from ancestral holdings
Collection of numinous power and knowledge from past generations
Acquisitions of wealth and property
Right understanding of global unity
Security, safety, protection, the walls of Asgard
Ascension to King amongst men
Realization of Paradise


Othala deals with matters of family, estate, inheritance and ancestry. Both Fehu and Othala are runes of wealth and continue the cyclical nature of the runes by their positions as first and last. The difference is that Fehu represents mobile expansive force of money as well as new beginnings and Othala represents the permanent wealth of immobile property accumulated by yourself and your ancestors over generations, which is clearly the continuation of a long line back to the beginning.

You have several ancestral stream to explore before you find the one or two that are dominant in your blood. Identify your natural talents and explore the ancestral stream that would have contributed those talents to you. There is a spirit or breath that has been passed on to you from many sources as well as your genetic makeup.

The weight of virtuous deeds of past generations tends to accumulate within a family tree over the generations, like being stored in an etheric energy ‘battery’. Part of your inheritance, yours for the taking, is to claim some of that energy for use in this lifetime. You must find what provisions you must agree to for its payback into the ancestral stream as you become one of the ‘ancestors’ yourself. Such a contribution will likely be in the form of a virtuous deed on your part during this lifetime.

You may find that there is a deficiency of energy due to non-virtuous deeds of certain ancestors, at which time you should seek the last link at which there were surplus energies. As a major player, you will be aided by honorable ancestors, who would see the breach restored and ‘things set right’.

The ultimate realization of Othala in the rune progression is heaven-on-earth, and the homecoming of the Savior and this is why I favor it as the final rune of the cycle, over any Dagaz-ending theories. The ultimate enlightenment is liberation and transcendence from the Self. Othala means that we take responsibility for our own destinies, that the future is a continual movement toward paradise, an alignment of the inner-compass toward heaven on earth.

My belief is that Othala signals the final and eternal beauty of heaven, and the love for one’s home. It signals a transcendence of geography, both planetary and astronomical. It is the individual and family risen above cultural and spiritual inheritance and the establishment of new fundamentals. Indeed, this rune signifies the inheritance by the whole of humanity of the planet itself, the restoration of the planet to its harmonious and sustainable state, and the inherent responsibilities thereof. It is the shift from basically existential modes of existence to humanistic, even divine modes and that is why I believe it to be in the correct position as the final rune.’

Raido

“The journey is the destination.”

Raidho – “Ride-ho” – Literally: “Ride” or “Wagon” – Esoteric: Journey

*Raidō "ride, journey" is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the r- rune of the Elder Futhark ᚱ. The name is attested for the same rune in all three rune poems, Old Norwegian Ræið Icelandic Reið, Anglo-Saxon Rad, as well as for the corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet 𐍂 r, called raida. The shape of the rune may be directly derived from Latin R.

Rune Poem:	English Translation:
Old Norwegian ᚱ Ræið kveða rossom væsta; Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.	Riding is said to be the worst thing for horses; Reginn forged the finest sword.
Old Icelandic ᚱ Reið er sitjandi sæla ok snúðig ferð ok jórs erfiði. iter ræsir.	Riding is of sitting a blessing and swift journey and horses toiling
Anglo-Saxon ᚱ Rad byþ on recyde rinca gehƿylcum sefte ond sƿiþhƿæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.	Riding seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors and very courageous to him who traverses the high-roads on the back of a stout horse.

Runic Number: 5

Meaning: Journey, Departure, Arrival. Events related to travels and vehicles. Union and re-union.

Translation: Riding, Vehicle.

Gemstone: Chrysophase

Color: Bright Red

Polarity: Male

Element: Air

Gods: Ing, Nethus

Astrology correspondence: Sagittarius

Tree: Oak

Plant: Mugwort

Key Concepts: the journey of Life, stories, heroism, means of transportation, right action, movement, motion, taking charge, being in control, initiative, adventure, decision-making, direction, counsel, the right path, the inner compass, leadership, kingship, nobility held by merit, moral responsibility, integrity, respect for the rights of others, innate knowledge of right and wrong, celestial procession, rituals

Psi: the story ‘form’ in the psyche, freedom from imprisonment, self-mastery

Energy: cosmic cyclical law, rhythm, presence (active)

Mundane: street-smarts, common sense, travel, movement, taking action

Divinations: Rationality, sound advice, action, justice, ordered growth, journey; or crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality, control freak, hypocrisy, wrongful imprisonment, restlessness.

Governs:
Living in the present
Access to “inner advice” and our inner compass, following the heart
Movement within one’s natural limits
Blending with personal and world rhythms, consciousness of right and natural processes
Mastery of circumstance and control of situations, taking the lead
Establishment of creative rhythm in activities
Protection while traveling
Decision-making followed by immediate action


Raidho is the rune of ordered movement of energies in time and space as it pertains to human awareness. It is the rune of leading by example and of actions that speak louder than words. Though ANSUZ may tell the stories, Raidho lives the stories. It represents our deepest personal life journey and the ultimate failures of language to communicate our experience to others. Something to notice about Raidho is the habitual way in which our minds concoct story and identity.

Use Raidho to recognize the direction in which your daily life pulls you, for there is a compass within you that can be tapped into using the energy of this rune. Following your interests and your love, your greatest wishes and dreams, is the best way to read the Raidho compass of the inner world. By meditating on Raidho you will begin to see time and space as a personal reality rather than something imposed on you from outside. You will also be able to realistically assess your potential and gain knowledge of limits and physical laws.

To enter the present is to journey away from unnecessary fears and past experiences that act as too much baggage to travel effectively with. Whether physical travel, inner travel or travel ‘through time’, Raidho is an energy that is always active within our lives, from an epic trip around the world, to a visit to the refrigerator for a snack, so the journey into the present moment is always accessible to us, whether we sit in quiet meditation or are mindful of our movements and actions.

The old ways made it easier for ancient people to live in the present moment, a skill most valuable in the practice of esoteric arts. Because of its capacity to bring focus and awareness to the present, Raidho will expose hidden dangers along the path, so that no strange place or new circumstance can sneak up on us during our travels.

Raidho teaches of the correct balance between respecting our own rights, and the rights of others. It is linked to kingship, leadership and nobility, which are not acquired by virtue of birth but earned or held by merit. A context of moral responsibility and integrity accompany all use of this energy. It is similar in this respect to TIWAZ.

Dagaz

“Time is an illusion that once realized, is lovingly embraced, none the less.”

Dagaz – “Day-gahz” – Literally: “Day” or Dawn – Esoteric: Awakening

Rune of the hyper-consciousness. The process of concept becoming realized.
The d rune (ᛞ) is called dæg "day" in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem. The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet 𐌳 d is called dags. This rune is also part of the Elder Futhark, with a reconstructed Proto-Germanic name *dagaz.

Its "butterfly" shape is possibly derived from Lepontic san

The name is only recorded in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, since the rune was lost in the Younger Futhark:

Rune Poem:	English Translation:
Anglo-Saxon ᛞ Dæg byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum, mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.	Day, the glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord; it is beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and poor, and of service to all.

Runic Number: 14

Meaning: Dawn. Daylight. Day. Radical change. Breakthrough.

Translation: Day.

Gemstone: Chrysolite

Color: Light Blue

Polarity: Male

Element: Fire and Air

Gods: Heimdall

Astrology correspondence: Full Moon

Tree: Spruce

Plant: Clary Sage

Psi: paradoxical truth, incommunicable experience, conceptual realization, Enlightenment, satori

Energy: twilight/dawn polarity, non-dual reality, unity, synthesis, transmutation

Mundane: another day, daylight, the inevitability of dawn

Divinations: Awakening, awareness, hope-happiness, the ideal, paradigm shift; or lack of vision, sleep, blindness, hopelessness, cataclysmic change.

Governs:

Attaining the mystical moment through penetration of the secret of paradox or non-duality
Reception of mystical inspiration – the gift of Odin.
Disappearance and the act of becoming the invisible
Invisibility as an organizing principle of Higher Consciousness
Synthesis of right-left brain dynamics.
Transformation of one thing into its opposite
Integration of female and male into complete being

Dagaz is the counterpart to the rune Jera. Both refer to time, Jera on an annual cycle and Dagaz on a daily cycle. Both are runes of change – Jera is a rune of gentle change, Dagaz is a rune of bold change, for example, the burst of light at the moment of illumination. It contains within its energies the experience called ‘satori’, a spiritual awakening experience common in all cultures.

Archaeological evidence proves that Dagaz has been used as a symbol of Light for more than four thousand years. It is the rune of hyper-consciousness. Achievement of this state of mind SEEMS to be a relatively rare occurrence in human life at this stage of evolution. When chronicled, it marks the beginnings of the mission of a World Savior on Earth.

Much has been written on the psychology and metaphysics of uniting left and right brain functions. Dagaz holds dominion over this union and is a tool that gives you great potency for present awareness and future growth. It is reminiscent of the lemniscate, the symbol of infinity, and the moebius strip, timelessness and illimitable potential, as well as an overturned hourglass.

The ‘point of poise’ entails balancing polarities so that all mystery is revealed to consciousness. The transformation of paradox into non-dual awareness occurs with Dagaz energies. It is to find the center between two extremes and maintaining a state of mind undisturbed by any mental or emotional storm. At the center, all power is to be found and equilibrium is a desirable attainment. This practice eventually leads to the practitioner no longer requiring a single right or wrong answer to the mysteries and many truths can exist complimentary to one another. No one single belief or viewpoint is sufficient and so all beliefs and viewpoints can be progressively abandoned. In the stillness and silent questioning of the mind that is left behind, all truth resounds.

Dagaz can be used to gain absolute stillness. It is invisible transforming power. The vibrational patterns of the self, or an object can be dampened so that the perception of material things to the human eye grow faint. Finding this point of poise takes great skill and practice with Dagaz but mastery of this rune of enlightenment leads down the path of disappearance. Mastery of invisibility leads to the understanding of existence through its opposite: non-existence.

An interesting thing to keep in mind is that the futhark has no rune for the night or for the moon. These are absences, not things. Darkness is not darkness, it is a quality of the light. The sun is always ‘there’, it is our world that spins around and causes the illusion that it is not. As well, the light of the moon is a reflection of the sun’s light. There is little reason to think that the ancients were not aware of this, even mathematically. “Darkness is not darkness” is a wonderful saying to meditate upon, and will reveal to the seeker that there is no true opposites as we are often convinced of, but only polarities within the supreme mystery of existence.

Fehu

“Every beginning has within it the seeds of its own end.”

Fehu – “Fay-Who” – Literally: “Cattle” – Esoteric: Mobile Property, New Beginnings, Wealth

Key Concepts: Wealth, money, food, sustenance, Hamingja, luck, personal power, circulation of power,  financial strength, prosperity

The Fe rune ᚠ (Old Norse fé; Old English feoh) represents the f-sound in the Younger Futhark and Futhorc alphabets. Its name means "(mobile) wealth", cognate to English fee with the original meaning of "sheep" or "cattle" (Dutch Vee, German Vieh, Latin pecum, Sanskrit pashu).

The rune derives from the unattested but reconstructed Proto-Germanic *fehu in the Elder Futhark alphabet, with the original meaning of "money, cattle, wealth".[1]

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is 𐍆 f, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.

The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v 𐌅 F, like Greek Digamma Ϝ and Latin F ultimately from Phoenician waw w.

The name is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:[2]	English Translation:
Old Norwegian ᚠ Fé vældr frænda róge; føðesk ulfr í skóge.	Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin; the wolf lives in the forest.
Old Icelandic ᚠ Fé er frænda róg ok flæðar viti ok grafseiðs gata aurum fylkir.	Wealth is a source of discord amongst kin and fire of the sea and path of the serpent.
Anglo-Saxon ᚠ Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum; sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.	Wealth is a comfort to all; yet must everyone bestow it freely, if they wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord.

Runic Number: 1

Meaning: Wealth. Reward. Nourishment

Translation: Money. Wealth. Cattle.

Gemstone: Moss Agate

Color: Light Red

Polarity: Female

Element: Earth and Fire

Gods: Frey, Freuya

Astrology correspondence: Aries

Tree: Elder

Plant: Nettle

Psi: Beginner’s Mind, presence, freedom, first impressions, young love

Energy: mobility, luck, charisma, dynamic power, liquid and mobile transferable energies, abundance, circulation, ‘mana’, sexual attraction

Mundane: money, recent purchases, reputation, freshness, fashionability

Divinations: New beginnings, social success, foresight, energy, travel, money, control; or greed, failure, atrophy, poverty, endings.

Governs:

Delegating your energy to another, power transference or projection; the sending rune
Drawing gravity into the personal sphere
Promotion of personal and social evolution, changing circumstances of importance
Increase in personal monetary wealth
Beginner’s mind and presence as a tool for consciously creating a fresh start



Fehu is actually the rune of ‘luck’. The universe is not so much made up by chance, as by luck. Luck is a hidden but real energy field inherent in your ‘hamingja’. Fehu governs the capacity to hold this luck and use it like a magical ability. This basic energy, your accumulated luck, is the foundation of the wealth and power in your life. Courageous deeds are central to increasing one’s ‘luck’.

Circulation of power, wealth and the mobility of all things is a key aspect to Fehu. These are associated with new beginnings, but keep in mind that there are no true new beginnings or endings, only the conscious marks of transformation. This can be most effectively understood while studying the runes as a cycle in and of itself (visually, a circle). The use of this principle leads to beginner’s mind and to presence as a tool for consciously creating a fresh start.

Indeed, money will work for you best under the guidance of the energies implicit in Fehu. Yet money is only a mundane and simplistic representation of Fehu’s nature. It’s best to think of wealth as food, water, shelter, clothing, sustenance and mobile assets, rather than needless luxury.

In starting new endeavors, Fehu will activate the will, restore self-confidence and assist in goal-setting followed by immediate action. Use the symbol and its teachings against procrastination. It is a reminder to think for yourself, which is fundamental to working with the runes. I find that the vibration of this rune to be in alignment with the principles of sexual attraction, first impressions and young love. Fehu is a reminder for us to act out of the present moment.

The conscious use of money for right ends is the domain of Fehu. In society today it is important that we explore new definitions of wealth and come to a realization of what is truly valuable. Wealth is a creative process in every sense of the word, not a static and measurable mass. I encourage the exploration of this idea right away.

Naudiz

“Consciousness is the Necessity.”

“That which does not destroy me makes me stronger.” – Nietzsche

Nauthiz – “Not-this” – Literally: “Need-fire” or “Necessity” – Esoteric: Constraint, Friction

Key Concepts: Need, resistance, constraint, conflict, drama, effort, necessity, urgency, hard work, need-fire, life lessons, creative friction, distress, force of growth, the consequence of past action, short term pain for long term gain

Naudiz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the n-rune ᚾ, meaning "need, distress". In the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is continued as ᚾ nyd, in the Younger Futhark as ᚾ, Icelandic naud and Old Norse nauðr. The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌽 n, named nauþs.

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:[1]	English Translation:
Old Norwegian ᚾ Nauðr gerer næppa koste; nøktan kælr í froste.	Constraint gives scant choice; a naked man is chilled by the frost.
Old Icelandic ᚾ Nauð er Þýjar þrá ok þungr kostr ok vássamlig verk. opera niflungr.	Constraint is grief of the bond-maid and state of oppression and toilsome work.
Anglo-Saxon ᚾ Nyd byþ nearu on breostan; weorþeþ hi þeah oft niþa bearnum to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.	Trouble is oppressive to the heart; yet often it proves a source of help and salvation to the children of men, to everyone who heeds it betimes.

Runic Number: 10

Meaning: Demand. Need. Craving. Want. Desire. Compulsion. Deprivation.

Translation: Extremity. Need.

Gemstone: Lapis Lazuli

Color: Black

Polarity: Female

Element: Fire

Gods: Skuld

Astrology correspondence: Capricorn

Tree: Rowan

Plant: Snakeroot

Psi: resistance, need, effort

Energy: necessity, coming forth into being, urgency

Mundane: doing what must be done, chores, hard work

Divinations: Resistance (leading to strength), recognition of örlög (ultimate law, primal truth), innovation, need-fire (self-reliance), personal development and life lessons, achievement through effort; or constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity, warnings, worry, guilt, moral cowardice, unfulfilled or unrecognized needs.

Governs:

Overcoming distress or negative örlög
Acceptance of the unchangeable
Development of magical will, the manipulation of wyrd
Understanding the dynamic force of “resistance” in the process of creating
The generation of creative energy for problem solving
Protection of one’s own needs
Recognition of personal need
Love magic; especially to obtain a lover


Without resistance, form would fall apart. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It is the basic resistance of unconscious forces against newly evolved consciousness, but also the overwhelming need for evolution of consciousness, and that unconscious resistance to it.

The mysteries of necessity are at the core of Nauthiz. It is central to manipulating Wyrd so that desired outcomes can be attained through negotiating with the energies of the Norns. Invoking need is more powerful than wishing, but what we need and what we desire are not always the same. In this sense, Nauthiz can protect us from ourselves, but its lessons are often harsh. The force of the past exerts its effect on us in the present. Previous action catches up with us and attempts to restrain and restrict future action, which is the counter-movement of the cyclical processions of JERA. However, armed with humility we can learn our lessons from not only our own errors, but the mistakes and successes of others.

Action governed by Nauthiz is rooted in common sense. The magic of common sense is that it is not so common, because our desires and ideals eclipse our true need and perception of real circumstances. As a war rune, Nauthiz empowers the invoker to have the courage and wisdom to recognize what must be done in an otherwise complex situation. Necessity is the mother of invention. No pain, no gain. It is connected with the harshness of reality, like Hagalaz.

We have a painful fear of necessity and a love hate relationship with our needs. This is illustrated most excellently in the symbol of Nauthiz as two sticks rubbing together to create the ‘Need-Fire’. Our need for fire as a species is balanced with our fear of the power of fire. Consider this well and you will develop a profound understanding of this rune.

German Linguist Guido Von List writes in the early 1900s writes:

“Whoever is able to grasp the primal cause of phenomenon, and whoever gains knowledge of organic lawful evolution and the phenomena arising from it, is also able to judge their consequences just as they are beginning to ferment. Therefore, this person commands knowledge of the future and also understands how to settle all strife through …. the way of fate. Therefore: ‘Use your fate, do not strive against it.’”

Mannaz

“We are each a savior, each a god.

It is the fear of what this means which binds us to the realm of humankind.”

Mannaz – “Man-az” – Literally: “Mankind” – Esoteric: Humankind, awareness

Rune of the Divine structure of intelligence in the human soul or psyche. Rune of the horizons of human existence and collective potential.

*Mannaz is the conventional name of the m-rune ᛗ of the Elder Futhark. It is derived from the reconstructed Common Germanic word for "man", *mannaz.

Younger Futhark ᛘ is maðr ("man"). It took up the shape of the algiz rune ᛉ, replacing Elder Futhark ᛗ.

As its sound value and form in the Elder Futhark indicate, it is derived from the letter M (𐌌) in the Old Italic alphabets, ultimately from the Greek letter Mu (μ).

The rune is recorded in all three Rune Poems, in the Norwegian and Icelandic poems as maðr, and in the Anglo-Saxon poem as man.

Rune Poem:	English Translation:
Norwegian ᛉ Maðr er moldar auki; mikil er græip á hauki.	Man is an augmentation of the dust; great is the claw of the hawk.
Icelandic ᛉ Maðr er manns gaman ok moldar auki ok skipa skreytir. [clarification needed]	Man is delight of man and augmentation of the earth and adorner of ships.
Anglo-Saxon ᛗ Man byþ on myrgþe his magan leof: sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican, forðum drihten wyle dome sine þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.	The joyous man is dear to his kinsmen; yet every man is doomed to fail his fellow, since the Lord by his decree will commit the vile carrion to the earth.

Runic Number: 20

Meaning: Humanity, mankind. The inner being, soul, self. Manhood or womanhood.

Translation: Human, mankind.

Gemstone: Garnet

Color: Deep Red

Polarity: Male and Female

Element: Air

Gods: Odin, Heimdall, Frigg

Astrology correspondence: Jupiter

Tree: Holly

Plant: Madder

Psi: mind & memory (Hugin & Munin), the difference between human and all other life, development of the intellect, rational mind, perfected intelligence

Energy: psychic order of the gods reflected in humankind, projection of Self into time

Mundane: thinking, planning, analysis, the human condition, people at large (contemporary: the masses)

Divinations: Divine structure, sustainability, intelligence, awareness, social order, divine influence in life; or depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion, collective suicide, bigotry, elitism, intellectual arrogance.

Governs:
Self-Actualization
Realization of the divine structure in humankind
Increase in intelligence, memory and mental powers (passing tests)
Unlocking the third-eye hvel, the “mind’s eye”
Activating the dynamics of your own inner Christus, or Higher Self
Awareness of our roles as co-creator with the gods and nature
Mental and spiritual potential

In a spiritual sense, nobility refers to those who seek to comprehend the mysteries of Life and who strive to master these mysteries for greater awareness. Access to the Higher Self or ‘Christus’ of the soul is not restricted, as religions maintain. Even the staunchest athiest has a path to Enlightened Being, without ever having to profess belief in a god or faith. All humans can rise to this state as Perfected Human, regardless of name, race or creed. Christus is merely a Greek word which serves as a title given to any human being who evidences a state of unity with the Universal Mind, or God/Goddess. One could as easily use the word Buddha, as in Buddhism, or Illumined, as in Hermetic Philosophy.

From its very beginnings, the Northern spiritual tradition has maintained a path by which each individual human being can become a Christus, that is a completely self-actualized person, in time (lifetimes) and with great study and personal commitment. Furthermore, in the North this archetype is imparted within humankind as a genetic link, not a contractual link, with the gods. The promise is equality with the gods as an attainable human potential, which is one of the basis of occultism and the Enlightenment (the philosophy behind science).

Access to the collective unconscious of earth and humanity can also be gained by invoking Mannaz. Mimir’s Well is the Northern equivalent of the Sanskrit Akashic records. It contains information which provides answers to the deepest mysteries of Life, as well as being a storehouse of new knowledge waiting to be discovered. Mannaz is the rune of Mimir’s well, for Mannaz is the rune of human consciousness which ever seeks wisdom and insight to continue its evolutionary progress toward Perfected Human. See also LAGUZ for insight into the Well.

Mannaz is the rune of human intelligence and the rational mind. This rune is a particularly beneficial one for academic studies, tests and any contests of an intellectual nature. It is well placed when the task of dealing with matters that affect a society or entire civilization, especially those rooted in the individual human mind.

Ansuz

“Find your ears before you search for words.”

Ansuz – “Anne – suhz” – Literally: “Woden” – Esoteric: “Breath” or “Ancestral Sovereign God”

Key Concepts: order, gods, Odin, transmission of intelligence, communication, reason, inspiration, language, breath, sound, origins of language, the Voice of the Universe, spellsong, casting, chanting, ancestors, passing of the breath along the ancestral line, evolution of gods, speech, poetry, discussion of runes, memetics, semiotics, etymology, linguistics.

Ansuz is the conventional name given to the a-rune of the Elder Futhark, ᚨ. The name is based on Proto-Germanic *ansuz, denoting a deity belonging to the principal pantheon in Germanic paganism.

In the Norwegian rune poem, óss is given a meaning of "estuary" while in the Anglo-Saxon one, ōs ᚩ takes the Latin meaning of "mouth". The Younger Futhark rune is transliterated as ą to distinguish it from the new ár rune (ᛅ), which continues the jēran rune after loss of prevocalic *j- in Proto-Norse *jár (Old Saxon jār).

Since the name of Gothic a is attested in the Gothic alphabet as ahsa or aza, the common Germanic name of the rune may thus either have been *ansuz "god", or *ahsam "ear (of wheat)".

In the Icelandic rune poem, the name óss refers to Odin:

ᚬÓss er algingautr

ok ásgarðs jöfurr,

ok valhallar vísi.

Óss is aged Gautr

and prince of Ásgarðr

and lord of Vallhalla.

Runic Number: 4

Meaning: Wisdom, Knowledge, Message, Communication, Mouth.

Translation: God Odin. In reverse, it is Loki, the messenger of gods and a trickster.

Gemstone: Emerald

Color: Dark Blue

Polarity: Male

Element: Air

Gods: Odin, Eostre, Loki

Astrology correspondence: Venus

Tree: Ash

Psi: mental stability, communion, inspiration, listening

Energy: sovereign ancestral god, animating spirit, breath, communication, exploration, order, answers

Mundane: words, conversation, symbols, elders, music

Divinations: Divine inspiration, word-power, synthesis, transformation, intellect, open paths of communication; or misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom, bad advice

Governs:
All powers of naming and conceptualization
Convincing and magnetic speech and writing, and the power of suggestion and hypnosis
Acquisition of creative wisdom, inspiration, ecstasy and divine communication
Reason, analysis and good advice
Connecting and networking
Listening to oneself and one’s own particular inner-voice


Odin’s gifts to the first humans is said to be the breath of life and inspired mental activity, along with form, speech and the cognitive senses. The root energy of this rune triggers inspiration and ecstatic mental states. The ability of our minds to work with patterns (which computers for the most part completely lack) is inherent in the energies of Ansuz. Thorsson aptly states that Ansuz is the “rune of ancestral sovereign power of the mind consciousness, inspiration, enthusiasm and the power of the use of symbols for transformation of consciousness.”

The spirit takes up its residence in the human body when the babe breathes its first breath. It leaves the body with the last breath. Breath is the actual point of osmosis between the physical world of the human being, and the transpersonal energy that animates the universe. Emphasis on the breath is seen in meditation practices in all traditions. Inspiration means to breathe in the exalting or quickening influence of cosmic awareness. The breath is also connected to ancestry, as even the word spirit comes from the same root as breath. Our ancestral lines are unbroken with those of the gods still to this day, in blood and in breath.

Ansuz governs our mental capacities to name all things. Whereas THURISAZ deals with chaotic forces, Ansuz is a rune of ordering. Naming a thing properly can give power over that thing, and in ancient traditions, naming has often been used to dispel mischievous spirits, bind demons or break psychological fetters. The relationship also is indicative chaotic events can be used to shape ordered circumstances and one’s own thoughts, or the thoughts of others. Ansuz is suggestive of the relentless patterns that modern chaos theory declares are universal in every system. The newest theories of language are also found in the mysterious order and ‘strange attractors’ of chaos linguistics.

It is here that all speech can be deciphered and understood as well, so Ansuz is a rune connected with listening and speech: communication and meaning in general. Use such skills wisely for manipulation can, through temptation, become an end in and of itself, and corrupt the power of the rune. The problems with propaganda and misdirection are that the mind will follow its own words into confusion and create hypocrisy, which will damage the hamingja. Thought and action are most powerful when aligned and honesty is the best policy.

The rune of secrets, silence and true listening is BERKANO, but there is a type of listening that will allow one to hear the Voice of the universe, and this power lay within the power of Ansuz. The rune of higher reasoning and mental abilities particular to human is MANNAZ. These three runes, used in conjunction are extremely powerful.

Isa

“Ice only appears to stop a river’s flow.”

Isa – “Iss-ah” – Literally: “Ice” – Esoteric: Stasis, Stillness

Rune of concentration of things in a static or frozen state. Rune of stillness and the Ego-Self.

*Isaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the i-rune ᛁ, meaning "ice". In the Younger Futhark, it is called Iss in Icelandic and isa in Old Norse. As rune of the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is called is.

The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌹 i, named eis.

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:	English Translation:
Anglo-Saxon ᛁ Is byþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor, glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust, flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.	Ice is very cold and immeasurably slippery; it glistens as clear as glass and most like to gems; it is a floor wrought by the frost, fair to look upon.
Old Icelandic ᛁ Íss er árbörkr ok unnar þak ok feigra manna fár. glacies jöfurr.	Ice is bark of rivers and roof of the wave and destruction of the doomed.
Old Norwegian ᛁ Ís kǫllum brú bræiða; blindan þarf at læiða.	Ice is called the broad bridge; the blind man must be led.

Runic Number: 11

Meaning: Cold. Freezing. Ice. Lack of Change.Lack of emotion. Stagnation. Bridge across danger. Storing binding.

Translation: Ice

Gemstone: Cat’s eye

Color: Black

Polarity: Female

Element: Ice (Water)

Gods: Verdandi

Astrology correspondence: The Moon

Tree: Alder

Plant: Henbane

Psi: mental faculties, focus, ego, self-image/self-identity

Energy: stillness, contraction, stasis

Mundane: cold, self-preservation, harsh reality

Divinations: Concentrated self, ego-consciousness, self-control, unity of being; or egomania, dullness, blindness, dissipation, immobility, self-centeredness, lack of change, psychopathy.

Governs: 

Development of concentration, will and focus

Halting of unwanted dynamic forces as an act of self-defense (ard against demonic influences)

Basic ego integration within a balanced multiversal system

Power of control and constraint over other wights (entities), emotional outbursts

Focus of the will into single-minded action

Ice is beautiful and treacherous. It lulls the traveler to sleep with its peace and serenity. Nice locks life under its surface and keeps it motionless. However, there is little else as powerful as the slow moving glacier, which can tear apart even the bedrock as it inches forward. Although ice generally shows itself as it is, with little glamor, there is little so treacherous as a weak spot in the ice that will swallow the unwary with surprising swiftness, and soon enough leave hardly a trace. The hidden part of an iceberg, which represents 90% of its bulk, can remain hidden and gut a ship with little mercy. This is how the ancients saw ice: inimical, even hostile to life. Therefore this third rune of the second aett is yet another rune that represents an aspect of the harshness of reality.

In the most elementary dynamic, Isa is a building block of the physical world, slowing down fire energy and solidifying it.

Isa is a rune of control.  As your ego-self grows in strength through spiritual thinking and training, this construct matures into the individualized YOU (or the ‘I’).

There is a dark side to this enhancement of ego as you can see by the dark side of Isa. When not kept under control, the ego-self can take a path into ego-trips of self-aggrandizement, superficial desire and fall for the glitter of false trappings instead of real spiritual substance. Those who claim to know with too much certainty: beware!

Isa will control and quiet emotional distress, but be wary! It will not eliminate any persistent root cause of unpleasant circumstance. But it can help in extending stillness into your aura. Isa is particularly useful in attaining stillness of presence.

Perthro

“The beginning and end are set. What’s in between is yours. Nothing is in vain, all is remembered.”

Perthro – “Per-throw” – Literally: unknown – Esoteric: The Norns, Fate, Lot-Cup

Rune of fate and the unmanifest. Rune of probability and the role of luck in the evolutionary process of the all things. Universe at play.

ᛈ is the rune denoting the sound p (voiceless bilabial stop) in the Elder Futhark runic alphabet, in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem named peorð. It does not appear in the Younger Futhark. In the poem, it is glossed with the enigmatic:

ᛈ peorð byþ symble plega and hlehter / wlancum [on middum], ðar wigan sittaþ / on beorsele bliþe ætsomne

"Peorð is a source of recreation and amusement to the great, where warriors sit blithely together in the beerhall."

The name is not comprehensible from Old English, i.e. no word similar to peorð is known in this language. According to a 9th-century manuscript of Alcuin (Codex Vindobonensis 795), written in Britain, in the Gothic alphabet, the letters 𐍀 p (based on a Greek Π) and 𐌵 q (an inverted Π) are called "pairþra" and "qairþra", respectively. One of these names clearly is derived from the other. However, the names are not comprehensible in Gothic either, and it is not clear which is derived from which, although it is known that the Elder Futhark had a p, but no q rune. In any case, it seems evident that peorð is related to pairþra. The Anglo-Saxon futhorc adopted exactly the same approach for the addition of a labiovelar rune, ᛢ cweorð, in both shape and name based on peorð, but it is not known if the Gothic runes already had a similar variant rune of p, or if the labiovelar letter was a 4th-century creation of Ulfilas.

The Common Germanic name could be referring to a pear-tree (or perhaps generally a fruit-tree). Based on the context of "recreation and amusement" given in the rune poem, a common speculative interpretation[by whom?] is that the intended meaning is "pear-wood" as the material of either a woodwind instrument, or a "game box" or game pieces made from wood.

From peorð, Proto-Germanic form *perðu, *perþō or *perþaz may be reconstructed on purely phonological grounds. The expected Proto-Germanic term for "pear tree" would be *pera-trewô (*pera being, however, a post-Proto-Germanic loan, either West Germanic, or Common Germanic, if Gothic pairþra meant "pear tree", from Vulgar Latin pirum (plural pira), itself of unknown origin). The Ogham letter name Ceirt, glossed as "apple tree", may in turn be a loan from Germanic into Primitive Irish.

The earliest attestation of the rune is in the Kylver Stone futhark row (ca. AD 400). The earliest example in a linguistic context (as opposed to an abecedarium) is already in futhorc, in the Kent II, III and IV coin inscriptions (the personal names pada and æpa/epa), dated to ca. AD 700. On St. Cuthbert's coffin (AD 698), a p rune takes the place of Greek Ρ. The Westeremden yew-stick (ca. AD 750) has op hæmu "at home" and up duna "on the hill".

Looijenga (1997) speculates that the p rune arose as a variant of the b rune, parallel to the secondary nature of Ogham peith. The uncertainty surrounding the rune is a consequence of the rarity of the *p phoneme in Proto-Germanic, itself due to the rarity of its parent-phoneme *b in Proto-Indo-European.

The rune is discontinued in Younger Futhark, which expresses /p/ with the b rune, for example on the Viking Age Skarpåker Stone,

iarþ sal rifna uk ubhimin

Jörð skal rifna ok upphiminn.

"Earth shall be rent, and the heavens above."

Runic Number: 14

Meaning: Mystery. Gamble. Chance. Pot luck. In modern interpretation: Science and Technology.

Translation: There is not certain literal translation. It is usually a name of a dice cup, i.e. a gambling game that includes such a cup.

Gemstone: Aquamarine

Color: Black

Polarity: Female

Element: Water

Gods: Frigg

Astrology correspondence: Saturn

Tree: Aspen

Plant: Aconite

Psi: co-incidence, living with the unknown, the art and magic of guessing, pattern recognition, prophecy

Energy: evolutionary force, luck, nothingness, the unborn, the unmanifest

Mundane: gambling, random occurrences, guessing

Divinations: Good omen, knowledge of örlög, fellowship and joy, evolutionary change; or doom*, psychological or emotional addictions, stagnation, loneliness, delusion, fantasy, unknowability.

*Doom is the way in which the uncontrolled aspects of our self conspire in our destiny. It does not necessarily mean death.

Governs:
Perception of the layers of örlög and wyrd
Manipulation of cause and effect
Placing runic forces in the stream of Nornic law
Alteration of probability and dependence on luck
The creation of favorable circumstances
Chance, gambling, divination and the art of guessing

It is important to remember that the true meaning of Perthro is unknown to scholars, as it is not a recognized word, and though many have agreed that the idea of a ‘lot cup’ seems fitting, I think that this ‘unknown’ or ‘nameless’ quality is extremely significant.

A ‘lot cup’ is an ancient dice box from which ‘lots’ were cast by warriors seeking knowledge of their fate before a battle. Perthro represents orlog, a concept of the larger matrix of the universal law of cause and effect. It encompasses the fixed and unalterable law of action and reaction. Wyrd is the working out of the law of cause and effect on a personal level. It is not unalterably fixed, like orglog is. A person can move about within the web of their wyrd in accordance with their degree of conscious development (and using the rune Nauthiz).

There is a large portion of our unmanifest future that rests on an element of chance. This awareness must be incorporated into the lore of Perthro and divination is a way to discern the parameters of that element of chance. Divination through casting of lots using dice or runes provides conscious indicators of unconscious ‘lay’ or pattern of cause and effect as it pertains to any specific future happening.

Of all the runes, this one is the most mysterious, perhaps next to Eihwaz before it, because Perthro deals with the mysteries within the runes themselves and the birth of the universe. On one hand this allows you to intuit original knowledge about the runes that may have been suppressed, destroyed or incompletely passed on over the centuries. On the other hand, the ‘how to’ techniques are less defined than with other runes, for we are dealing with fundamental mysteries of the universe. Orlog plays out as the consequences of the cosmic and primal laws themselves unfold from beginning of the universe until the end. All patterns are interdependent and interwoven, throughout all existence.

The proper relationship between Perthro and Nauthiz is that Perthro allows you to become aware of the hidden and relatively fixed workings of the deep law of cause and effect, which in turn give us the ability to see into the unmanifest and peer into the unknown. This is wyrd, and lay within our influence if we have knowledge of how our personal fate can be manipulated. Nauthiz helps you get around the workings of orlog, using the forces of resistance to change direction of the flow of wyrd. Together, these two runes govern the magic of ‘the Wyrding Way’.

All the records of all events are stored here, so Perthro’s power helps the recollection of knowledge that is hidden within the collective unconscious of humankind, especially human lore lost over the course of the centuries. The same process is responsible for prophecy. Perthro will assist the birthing of a great idea into your environment by raising awareness of the forces arrayed against its manifestation. Co-incidence and deja vu play an enormous role in the recognition of the fundamentals of this rune.

Hagalaz

“Don’t try to fix what we should break before it breaks us.”

Hagalaz – “Hag-all-az” – Literally: “Hail” or “Hailstone” – Esoteric: Crisis or Radical Change

Key Concepts: hailstones, crisis and catastrophe, disruption, radical change, destructive elements of nature, severe weather, the uncontrollable, unavoidable unpleasantness, Jungian shadow, psychoanalysis, regression, acceptance of the unalterable

*Haglaz or *Hagalaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the h-rune ᚺ, meaning "hail" (the precipitation).

In the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is continued as hægl and in the Younger Futhark as ᚼ hagall The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌷 h h, named hagl.

The Elder Futhark letter has two variants, single-barred ᚺ and double-barred ᚻ. The double-barred variant is found in continental inscriptions while Scandinavian inscriptions have exclusively the single-barred variant.

The Anglo-Frisian futhorc in early inscriptions has the Scandinavian single-barred variant. From the 7th century, it is replaced by the continental double-barred variant, the first known instances being found on a Harlingen solidus (ca,. 575–625), and in the Christogram on St. Cuthbert's coffin.

Haglaz is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem:[1]	English Translation:
Old Norwegian Hagall er kaldastr korna; Kristr skóp hæimenn forna.	Hail is the coldest of grain; Christ created the world of old.
Old Icelandic Hagall er kaldakorn ok krapadrífa ok snáka sótt.	Hail is cold grain and shower of sleet and sickness of serpents.
Anglo-Saxon Hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte, wealcaþ hit windes scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.	Hail is the whitest of grain; it is whirled from the vault of heaven and is tossed about by gusts of wind and then it melts into water.

Runic Number: 9

Meaning: Interference. Disruption. Weather. Damaging forces of nature.

Translation: Hail

Gemstone: Onyx

Color: Light Blue

Polarity: Female

Element: Ice (Water)

Gods: Urd, Heimdall

Astrology correspondence: Aquarius

Tree: Ash

Plant: Bryony

Psi: disruption, change, personal past

Energy: power beyond human ability to harness, perfect pattern, seed formation, objective confrontation, destructive natural forces, chaos

Mundane: bad weather, obstacles, surprises, shelter

Divinations: Change according to ideals, changes for the long-term good, controlled crisis, corrections, completion, inner harmony; or catastrophe, crisis, stagnation, loss of power, loss of property, short-term disappointment, victim-consciousness, obsession with the past, blame.

Governs:
Completeness and balance of power, integration of unconscious shadow elements
The inevitability of Fate, Wyrd, Orlog
Evolutionary progress and operations of becoming
The outworking of a perfect pattern
Protection through banishing or exorcising disharmonious patterns, protection
Awareness of the unconscious ideas for eventual processing
Causing discomfort in others by awakening their own subconscious ‘garbage’

Hagalaz signals a major shift of energies as the Elder Futhark begins its second row of aetts. Hagalaz is the rune of objective confrontation with past patterns. It will uncover the vast flow of energies around and through human energy systems. Its nature is completely impersonal and it represents power generally beyond human ability to harness.

Hail shocks you with stinging hardness (confrontation) then it melts into water which creates germination of seeds (transformation). The ancients describe hail as a grain rather than as ice, thus creating a metaphor for a deeper truth of life. It contains the seed of all the other runic energies and this can be seen in its other form, a six-fold snowflake. Spiritual awakening often comes from times of deep crisis.

As the ninth rune, Hagalaz has a special place in the ordering, as nine has particular significance in the elder futhark. Nine signals completion of a perfect pattern. Nine months is one of nature’s most regular human cycles, that of the gestation period for a baby in a mother’s womb. In this sense it is a protective rune, and assists us in acceptance of the unalterable, the seeking of shelter and patience while things blow over.

Hagalaz can be used as a force of repulsion or banishment. It is used in work to process and dispel the effects of subconscious baggage and ‘shadow elements’ so that your life pattern can carry itself forward in its pure form. Hagalaz has the magical energy of a ‘spring cleaning’. It reveals the personal past, past lives and early environmental factors in childhood development. It follows that LAGAZ, from which hail is ultimately made, is also a rune of profound unconscious exploration and personal depth.

Hagalaz can be used as a curse against others, aimed to bring up their suppressed inner conflicts and thus impeding them. It is a clean curse, as the recipient is only experiencing the ill effects of their own accountability. It is a dark, feminine power and can been associated with witchcraft and destructive female magic.

Uruz

“Mind over matter – matter over mind”

Uruz – “Oo – Ruse” – Literally: “Aurochs” – Esoteric: Endurance, Formation, Manifestation

Key Concepts: life force, physical health, courage, organic structure, manifestation, formation, healing, vigor, endurance

The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the Elder Futhark u rune ᚢ is *Ūruz meaning "wild ox"[1] or *Ūrą "water". It may have been derived from the Raetic alphabet character u as it is similar in both shape and sound value. The name of the corresponding letter in the Gothic alphabet is urus.

The Icelandic word for "rain" and the Old English for "aurochs" go back to two different Proto-Germanic words, *ūruz and *ūrą (although possibly from the same root). The Norwegian meaning "dross, slag" is more obscure, but may be an Iron Age technical term derived from the word for water (cf. the Kalevala, where iron is compared to milk).

Because of this, it is difficult to reconstruct a Proto-Germanic name for the Elder Futhark rune. It may have been *ūruz "aurochs", or *ūrą "water". The aurochs is preferred by authors of modern runic divination systems, but both seem possible, compared to the names of the other runes: "water" would be comparable to "hail" and "lake", and "aurochs" to "horse" or "elk" (although the latter name is itself uncertain). The Gothic alphabet seems to support "aurochs", though: as the name of the letter 𐌿 u is urus.

It is recorded in all three rune poems, and it is called Ur in all, however with different meanings:

Rune Poem:[2]	English Translation:
Old Norwegian ᚢ Úr er af illu jarne; opt løypr ræinn á hjarne.	Dross comes from bad iron; the reindeer often races over the frozen snow.
Old Icelandic ᚢ Úr er skýja grátr ok skára þverrir ok hirðis hatr. umbre vísi	Rain is lamentation of the clouds and ruin of the hay-harvest and abomination of the shepherd.
Old English ᚢ Ur byþ anmod ond oferhyrned, felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.	The aurochs is proud and has great horns; it is a very savage beast and fights with its horns; a great ranger of the moors, it is a creature of mettle.

Runic Number: 2

Meaning: Physical and mental strength and health. For males – virility and manhood; for females – femininity, womanhood, fertility.

Translation: Auroch, i.e. the European giant ox.

Gemstone: Carbuncle

Color: Dark Green

Polarity: Male

Element: Earth

Gods: Thor, Urdl

Astrology correspondence: Taurus

Tree: Birch

Plant: Iceland Moss

Psi: determination, persistence, freedom, courage, will, territoriality, independence

Energy: Vital formative force, archetypal patterning, raw primal power, survival, healing, endurance, manifestation, organic structuring

Mundane: physical health, stamina

Divinations: Strength, constancy, vitality, tenacity, pattern, luck, health, pragmatic knowledge, understanding; or weakness, obsession, misdirected force, inconstancy, sickness, ignorance, uncontrolled rage, insensitivity, brutality

Governs:
Shaping and forcing fortunate circumstances creatively through will and inspiration
Self-healing and maintenance of good mental and physical health
Assertion of home ground, personal space, independence and freedom
Strength and tenacity, courage, persistence against all odds
Ability to control aggression and take responsibility
Rites of passage, especially into adulthood

While FEHU is the symbol of a domesticated cattle, and Uruz is a symbol of the wild bovine, a reminder that cattle were once wild creatures. If Fehu represents young lovers, Uruz represents young warriors.

Though Uruz energy is also heavily invested in the hamingja, it is not suited for easy, conscious control as Fehu is. It is the rune of powerful unconscious shaping energies that need to be guided wisely as they manifest. It is an early reminder within the series that the untamed powers of creativity are not without danger – a reality quite clear in our modern technological civilization. It is the user’s skill and practiced techniques that will control the energy unleashed by this rune. It is the rune of independence, asserting oneself and one’s territory.

Life’s persistence and its endless resourcefulness in the task of survival are all implicit within the rune meaning of Uruz, thus it is a rune of manifestation, regeneration and endurance. The organic patterning energy of Uruz laces up the skin, sustains the ego and can be used to protect the psyche from trauma. Self-healing is the energy which pulls a diseased or ill form back toward its ‘primal blueprint’: the original, invisible shape intended by nature’s design.

Uruz is the rune of the inner-King and inner-Queen. We can assert our right to exist and be free in the very same primal authority that the aurochs did theirs. It is the will to live passionate and free.