Ihwaz or Eihwaz

The path is hard and lonely and there is no end to sight.

Ihwaz (also: eihwaz) Yew-was Literally: Yew Esoteric: Yggdrasil or Kundalini
The axis or process of spiritual becoming. Upper and lower worlds meeting in Midgard
(earth). Rune of the mysteries of life and death.
Psi: death mysteries, the timeless, kundalini,
Energy: axis of heaven-earth-hell, secrecy, encoding, immortality, the chakra system (hvel)
Mundane: longevity, initiations, trees
Divinations: movement toward Enlightenment, endurance, initiation, protection; or confusion,
destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness, death
Governs:
Initiation into the wisdom of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) and hvel (chakras)
Liberation from the fear of death.
Development of spiritual endurance and hard will to gain initiative
Spiritual vision
Communication between levels of reality the Worlds or Yggdrasil
My Notes:
Eihwaz begins the second half of the 24 rune Futhark and represents the vertical axis,
whereas Jera represents the horizontal. It is also indicative of the verticality and energy of the human
spine. The spine (the pelvic region not included) has 24 vertebrae, which I do not believe is a
coincidence in the case of the elder futhark.
The spine is the channel for one of the most powerful energy flows in the human psyche,
which Yoga has termed Kundalini fire. It is the flow of megin energy up from the root hvel (chakra)
to the crown hvel in the mind, bringing cosmic consciousness. Attempting to awaken Kundalini fire
too early in your training can cause serious harm.
The needle of the yew is poisonous, containing a toxin that affects the central nervous system.
The vapors from the toxin can become concentrated in close proximity to the tree. As a
conifer/evergreen, it is associated with immortality, and the mysteries of life and death. Death is
understood as the Great Initiation into the mysteries of life. To die before you die is to discover what
in life is truly important. In psychology, this often happens as a result of near-death experiences.
The fear of physical death is one of the great inhibitors of humankinds potential for total
freedom of mind and spirit. Eihwaz gives you the power to recall your past lives, in short fragments
or in more complete segments, and as a result confirm your death in this life as only one stage of a
greater journey. Invoke Eihwaz as you conduct a meditation or dream exercise for the purpose of
discovering past life patterns in the present. The answers lay not in memory, but in the clues of your
here and now.
Eihwaz can be invoked for communication with the underworld and the dead. It is wisest to
remain within your own ancestral stream when doing this, as your ancestors have reason to respond
to your inner call. There should be sufficient reason to invoke such dark workings, but it is not an
evil exercise.
Perthro Rune Meaning

The beginning and end are set. Whats 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.
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 rlg, 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 rlg 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
My Notes:
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 Perthros 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.
Other topics: quantum probability, Akashic records.
Perthro Rune Meaning Analysis
The meaning of the word PERTHRO is unknown to the scholars, as it seems to have no
other origin outside the runes. Rather than suppose that the word is lost, I treat this as intentional, as I
must with all the names and their positions in the Aetts. Therefor, the reason that Perthro is unknown
is because of all the runes it represents the unknown: Fate, the unmanifest, the unknowable and the
nature of chance. Together all of these suggests Wyrd (the manipulation of chance and fate).
A Note on Using the Blank Rune
The rune meaning of Perthro includes Wyrd, Fate, the mysteries of the unknown and
unknowable. Most agree that it represents a lot-cup. It is the rune of the runes. Because this is so,
we can immediately see why a blank rune is an unnecessary addition to the 24 elder futhark runes.
Typically, the blank rune represents exactly those things that can be discovered and explored
through Perthro adding a blank rune into the strictly ordered futhark is at best redundant, and at
worst a confusing impediment to genuine understanding (at least in the context of the system
described by Rune Secrets.)
The Power of Guessing
Though on the scale of everyday life we tend not to think about it, we live in a multiverse of
unknowns and unknowables. We live by certain axioms we can depend on gravity, on sunlight,
that we are in a primarily physical world. Often, we possess unexamined, if pragmatic assumptions.
In the end, these are simply our best guesses. Perthro is the guessing rune, something we constantly
do, but that is a remarkable ability, in both psychological and magical contexts.
Guessing is an unbelievably extensive component of our interactions with the universe. The
cosmos forces us to make such guesses constantly: we cannot ever stop guessing, barring a perfectly
silent mind or perfect enlightenment. The mystery perpetuates itself! Science has never come close to
running out of questions there will always be more questions than answers, in any form of
knowledge.
A guess, especially an unexamined one, is really a bid for certainty in a chaotic world.
Perthro is the rune of questions, doubt and guessing, so it makes sense that it was inscribed on lotcups and used for luck in gambling and other games of chance and/or strategy.
The Game of Life
The guessing game that this playful universe invites us to celebrate is infinitely complex,
spontaneous and beautiful the stakes can sometimes be high, but for better or for worse, Perthro
frames the makeup of the universe as uncompromisingly playful. Remember that the second Aett is
composed of Orlog: the elements of reality that are inimical to human life, that continue on despite
our wishes and designs. The universe is unapologetically playful even when we do not feel like
playing.
The biggest game, with the highest stakes, is our life and death. This is where the idea of Fate
comes into play. Fate is a tricky subject it is a word often used but perhaps mostly misunderstood.
It represents the things and events chosen for us, instead of by us. Examples include parents, date of
birth, birthplace and all the initial conditions of our lives. Fate represents the patterns of your thought
and behavior which attract people, events and environments into your life. It is the unchangeable, or
unchallenged factors that someday will lead to your death. The idea of doom is when fate has
become like a curse.

Fate and Wyrd

Fate is governed by the Norns, who must be negotiated with if things are to change. Wyrd, or
the Wyrding Way, is the magic we all possess (and often unknowingly use) that we can learn to use
in order to change or guide our fate, where necessary, or alternatively discover it and work with our
Fates instead of against them. One such application is discovering certainty over your purpose in life,
and how you can transform your patterns to align yourself to that purpose. This is perhaps the highest
function of Wyrd: the removal of fetters which hold us to our negative patterns and the perfection of
our positive patterns so that we can accomplish, in this lifetime, what we are meant to do, what we
chose to come to this world for. Part of the game is that we have to guess and gamble, taking risks
even with these highest of stakes.
Fate is the study and manipulation of consequences. There are innumerable factors within our
lives, both conscious and unconscious, within ourselves or our environment, which we may or may
not have any awareness of. These causes (and effects, which then in turn became causes) form our
patterns, our primal cause. The laws of cause and effect play themselves out and lead us into our
future selves. Whatever control and awareness we can gain over these consequences, that that extend
we can guide our fates, use Wyrd, or work with the unchangeable rather than toiling in futility
against it. This magical working is at the core of Wyrd, and it allows us to shape our destinies and
often the destinies of those who depend on us in some way.
Perthro in Divination
Much is hidden and unkowable. Perthro can represent the void from which all things
manifest, itself being the unmanifest, the unknowable in the sense that it is yet to exist. If it once
existed, it may be accessed through our collective unconscious with LAGUZ, or our memories via
MANNAZ) In a rune lay, Perthro will often mean just that. The runes sometimes say: Your guess is
as good as mine.

Algiz Rune Meaning

Fear has its place in every heart. Courage is only a response.

Algiz (or Elhaz) Al-jiz Literally: Elk Esoteric: Protection, Higher Self
Rune of the essential link or connection with the patterns of divine or archetypal consciousness,
such as the Valkyrie. Rune of the possible danger of realizing this link when unprepared.
Psi: divinity, higher self, the state of listening
Energy: protective teaching force, the divine plan, Valkyries
Mundane: protection, safety, spirituality
Divinations: Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life, protection; or hidden danger,
consumption by divine forces, loss of the divine link, fear.
Governs:
Strengthening of hamingja (personal gravity, luck) and life force through courageous deeds
Mystical and religious communication with non-human sentient beings
Communication with other worlds, especially Asgard
Protection/defense
Receiving instruction on the magical potential of the runes
Banishing the fear of death
My notes:
Algiz is the single strongest energy connected with my own existence. It is a protective
teaching force that promotes independence and autonomy as well as faith. Courage in the face of fear
is central, not the absence of fear, because fear may or may not be a warning to us that protection and
defensiveness is necessary. Algiz supplies the insight necessary to make such judgments and stand in
true service to Asgard.
The spiritual force, hamingja, generated by Algiz envelops the invoker with so much energy
that he or she becomes sacred, set apart and protected by Divine power. The image of the Valkyrie in
mythology is fully representative of the way in which the energies of Algiz work to protect you.
Meditating on the image of a Valkyrie in her teacher, swan and warrior forms is a powerful method
of invoking Algiz energy.
The Valkyrie will not assist in evading punishment for wrong deeds, or illegal or immoral
acts. It will act to soften the blow of punishment if the person willingly accepts accountability for the
harm cased by his or her acts and begins to take steps to compensate.
Do not mistake the archetypes encountered through use of this rune. Ask them politely of
their purpose and to identify themselves. Good entities always will respond favorably to such
requests, and mischievous or harmful entities tend to become offended or refrain from answering.
Have courage and fortitude, as you will sometimes be tested. These entities come in many forms, so
be prepared to open your mind as to allow their unique methods of communication to take place.
Other topics:
Activation of the Higher Self
Perception of the Divine Plan
Knowledge of the Ultimate Good in all things/events
Listening correctly to the Voice of the Universe (as non-human sentient beings ie. Valkyries, gods,
giants)
Being tested by such entities and instructed.
Algiz Rune Meaning Analysis
ALGIZ (also called Elhaz) is a powerful rune, because it represents the divine might of the
universe. The white elk was a symbol to the Norse of divine blessing and protection to those it
graced with sight of itself.
Algiz is the rune of higher vibrations, the divine plan and higher spiritual awareness. The
energy of Algiz is what makes something feel sacred as opposed to mundane. It represents the worlds
of Asgard (gods of the Aesir), Ljusalfheim (The Light Elves) and Vanaheim (gods of the Vanir), all
connecting and sharing energies with our world, Midgard.
The Symbolism of Algiz

The symbol itself could represent the upper branches of Yggdrasil, a flower opening to
receive the sun (SOWILO is the next rune in the futhark after all,) the antlers of the elk, the Valkyrie
and her wings, or the invoker stance common to many of the worlds priests and shamans. In a very
contemporary context, the symbol could be powerfully equated to a satellite dish reaching toward the
heavens and communicating with the gods and other entities throughout this and other worlds. I find
this metaphor particularly useful, due to my embrace of technology, but if it doesnt work for you,
use the older interpretations.
Aligning with the Divine Plan
As a part of the second Aett, whose inimical nature is primary to the interpretations of the
symbols, Algiz represents the divine plan as set apart from individual affairs, even in spite of human
concerns entirely. Understanding the divine plan is ultimately beyond us while we live as human
beings, save that it is for the greater good.
Algiz requires faith to work with. Like DAGAZ, it can be seen as the continual unfoldment of
universal intelligence, particularly consciousness in all its forms. This puts the denizens of Midgard
in a central role.
Activating the Higher Self
When Odin sacrifices himself to Himself to receive the runes, it can be interpreted that Odin
was setting an example for us: to sacrifice the things that make us small or petty, to give up our
fetters, addictions and vice to seek something much greater within ourselves. Algiz lifts us away
from the limiting egocentricity which comes part and parcel with ISAs rune vibrations.
Alignment with the divine plan activates our Higher Self, pushes us from within toward the
self-actualization of MANNAZ. In doing so, Odin invites us to seek godhood, just as he once did,
and give ourselves over the the pursuit of wisdom, higher awareness and service to the heavens.
In exchange for such a sacrifice (which you may eventually see as no real sacrifice at all as
you explore TIWAZ and GEBO), a number of specific magical and psychological benefits are
bestowed upon us.
Protection
The first of these is protection, as is to be expected because of the runes esoteric meaning.
Alignment with the divine makes a person sacred set apart from the mundane and therefor blessed
by divine protection. The courageous garner favor with the gods. This can be in the form of increased
luck, stronger Hamingja, and this protection is renewed by passing certain tests of ones courage
and honor, often administered by Odin in one of his various forms.
Communication with Divine Entities
The second is the ability to communicate with gods and entities of the Higher Realms,
particularly Heimdall and the Valkyries, who are the guardians of Valhalla and watch over their
favored warriors. The symbol, reversed, might be used to access the realm of the dead, giants, and
the unconscious. Tread carefully!
The Protective Teaching Force
Thirdly, Algiz is a channel for the protective teaching force, that power which great teachers
and mentors transfer to students or seekers, a relationship also touching on KENAZ. Its intensity
ranges from divine guidance to sitting in a classroom during a lecture from a favorite teacher, but it is
the same energy, and can manifest in countless ways.
Teachers and mentors come in many forms and often test our humility and our readiness,
requiring our attention, our service and our unique ability to think for ourselves and integrate
knowledge into the mix of our own associations and life experience.
Beware the so-called guru who acts in order to convert you to his views, opinions and
thoughts. How to think, and why to think for yourself, should always be more important than what to
think. Avoid accepting as mentors those who do not truly wish to assist in awakening you to your
own, unique powers theyd rather an ornament to their own ego.
Facing Fear with Courage
Finally, Algiz is the rune of Fear, and the proper use of fear.

Where PERTHRO represents the unknown, ALGIZ represents the courage we must exercise
in order to face our fear of the unknown. Algiz gives us the counter-phobic urge to move toward our
fears and conquer them rather than be ruled by them.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to right action in spite of it. It is important to
move toward fear rather than avoid it, because it is in the dark areas obscured by your fears that you
can truly grow and learn to live fully.
Wisdom and courage are the two things you can take to the very doors of death, and up into
Valhalla, accumulating Hamingja which will carry on into your next life. Therefor, they are both
divine pursuits and invaluable qualities.
Important Psychiatric Warning on the Dangers of Algiz
The divine power of Algiz is intoxicating and dangerous to the untrained.
Communication with other worlds can be intense and hazardous to the unprepared, resulting
in psychiatric conditions like mania or schizophrenia in other times such patience may have been
shamen, sorcerers or oracles, but our culture has largely lost the knowledge and methods by which a
person is prepared for these roles.
If you are experiencing an overload of Algiz, you may be hearing voices, feeling paranoid
and receiving new ideas and awareness that is not normal for you. You may feel invulnerable or
filled with energy. Some of these experiences are quite authentic. However, it is extremely important
that you are able to cope with the necessities of your life and care for yourself in the mundane world!
If you cannot eat or sleep, and are experiencing symptoms of psychosis, or uncontrollable
emotional outbursts, seek help from a psychiatric expert. They are here to help you. I speak from
experience, and I promise that coping with your powers and attaining self-mastery are much more
essential to the right path.
It is much more powerful and courageous to find a stable center within yourself, be in control
of your emotions and mind, and be able to eat, sleep and speak clearly in a way others can
understand, even relate to. If you need the help of medication while you learn to cope, it may sting
your pride at first, but in the long run, it will help!
If you cannot cope with the day to day mundane aspects of your life, you cannot cope with
the divine their seeming duality is an illusion! At the level of the Higher Self, they are one and the
same. You will find this paradox at the root of the DAGAZ rune meaning.
Good luck, and be wary.

Sowilo Rune Meaning

The guide leads you to the doorway, then waits for your return.
Sowilo So-ilo Literally: Sun (Sol) Esoteric: wholeness, success
Rune of guidance, goal setting and success.
Psi: central nervous system, seat of the soul, revelation, wholeness
Energy: sun-wheel, strengthening the hvel/charka, cosmic energies, motivation, life-giving force,
action

Mundane: sunlight, fire, meeting of goals, confidence, taking action

Divinations: Guidance, hope, success, goals, honor, life purpose, faith in outcomes; or false goals,
bad advice, false success, gullibility, loss of goals.
Governs:
Transmutation of thought into energy for actionActivating highest values
Strengthening of psychic centers (hvel aka Chakras)
Increase in spiritual will and optimal health
Guidance through the pathways, enlightenment
Victory and success through individual will
My Notes:
It is the rune of the sun. It is the counter-force to cosmic ice in the rune Isa. Sowilo represents
the force of fire in the physical and mental world. It promotes invigoration, dedication, optimism and
persistence in any endeavor. It will ward against the harmful opinions of others to keep the heart
focused on its purpose.
The hvel (Old Norse term equivalent to the Sanskrit word chakra) are the spinning energy
wheels in your body. They look like miniature suns to the psychic eye. By increasing the capacity of
the hvel to handle greater flow of megin energy leads to optimum health levels and advanced psychic
capabilities.
The ancient mystics were intuitively aware that the sun provides this planetary system and its
life forms with many diverse cosmic energies necessary for the evolution of the life force, and
indeed, it is the power of the sun (and stars) that encompasses the dynamic energies inherent in all
things within its system, as once it was all being forced within its unfathomably hot furnace. Sowilo
exposes matters to the clear light of day and strikes suddenly like lightning in a controlled and
centered burst of overwhelming, massive action.
Sowilo contains the ancient code of honour. These are the common sense guidelines and
morality that hold a society together beyond the letter of the law and holds the individual to do the
right thing. Sowilo is also the rune of success and victory, and is therefor associated with the next
rune in the order, Tiwaz. It gives us the power to win and connects us with revelations concerning
our lifes purpose, and insight into actions that will guide us in our endeavors. The science of NeuroLinguistic Programming has a lot to offer in terms of insight and mastery of this rune, as does the
psychological study of success.

Tiwaz Rune Meaning

What is higher than the self is the Self become Higher.

Tiwaz Tea-waz Literally: The god, Tyr Esoteric: Justice, Sacrifice
Rune of the balance and justice ruled from a higher rationality. The rune of sacrifice of the
individual (self) for well-being of the whole (society).
Psi: spiritual warrior, honour, righteousness
Energy: sovereign order, sacrifice, right decision making
Mundane: the rule of law, fairness, peace keeping

Divinations: faith, loyalty, justice, rationality, self-sacrifice, analysis, victory, honesty, evenhandedness; or mental paralysis, over analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance, defeat, tyranny.
Governs:
Obtaining just victory and success in battle, litigation or legal matters
Building spiritual will and development of sound judgement
Develops the power of positive self-sacrifice
Develops the force of faith in magic and religion
My Notes:
Tiwaz is a warrior rune named after the god Tyr who is the Northern god of law and justice.
Tyr is related to the north star in the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, around which the fixed stars in the
night sky appear to rotate. Ancient seamen used Polaris as their main navigational aid in their long
journeys, and the symbol as an arrow pointing upward is perhaps made in reference to this. This
symbolizes the positive ordering of the cosmos and humankind through law and justice and our
moral compass. Chaos comes to order through the attributes of awakened consciousness and the
guiding principles concerned with carrying out such an awakening.
Tyr is a one-handed god with a long history, and his hand was sacrificed to trick the wolf,
Fenris, into being chained. Tiwaz is just victory according to the law of accumulated right past
action. To rule justly, one is asked to make many self-sacrifices, and Tiwaz can develop the power of
positive self-sacrifice and temper over-sacrifice. The belief that courage and a right cause carries the
day is governed by Tiwaz. It is the common justice of the people rather than the use of law by tyrants
(a word that uses Tyr as a root)
Tiwaz will bring about a correct balancing of the scales so that you are assured a fair hearing
and fair decision. Do not be thrown off balance by the chaos of your environment. Like the North
star, you must remain true and calm, assert your case with confidence and let the energies of your
orlog assisted by the force of Tiwaz bring about a right solution.
Should you need reassurances that there is value in building up positive patterns in advance
of emergency, this is the time you will see its greatest manifestation. You have earned the right to a
fair and just decision. Tiwaz will be used to bring fair distribution of the earned energies from your
ancestral stream.
Tiwaz can be used to bring about a missionary zeal for a righteous cause. The most powerful
insight we can draw from Tiwaz is that we must target our energies in the single most correct place,
just as the arrow or spear symbolized by the rune must. Call upon Tiwaz for justice.
Berkano Rune Meaning

The most obvious Truth is hidden deep within, and only you will ever know it.
Berkano Burr-can-oh Literally: Birch Goddess Esoteric: Birth, Sanctuary
Rune of continued growth and continual rebirth or renewal in all things. The rune of
becoming.
Psi: secrecy, silence, safety, mature wisdom, dependence
Energy: container/releaser, female fertility, trees and plantlife
Mundane: motherhood, healing, gardening, child raising, the womb
Divinations: Birth, becoming, life changes, shelter, liberation, sanctuary, secrets; or blurring of
consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation, conspiracy, insecurity
Governs:

 Rebirth in the spirit

Strengthens the power of secrecy
Works of concealment and protection
To contain and hold other powers together
Realization of stillness, the Now-ness of all things
Bringing ideas to fruition in the creative process
My Notes:
Berkano has the energy of a birch grove, and is an hidden sanctuary in times of need. The
birch is the first tree to awaken in the spring time, and so Berkano is about the cycle of birth, death
and rebirth. Healing of all sorts is strongest through this rune, particularly recuperation, rejuvenation,
purification, detoxification and regeneration. Purification & detoxification can be strengthened in
combination with LAGUZ.
This is the rune of maternity and represents the ready womb for child-bearing. Also
represented here is the the concealment and protection of what is coming into being, in the most
mundane sense, pregnancy shelters the baby until it is ready to enter this world. There is no safer
place for us, as living things, as the womb. It was a time of secrecy, silence and utter safety and
dependence. We knew implicitly that our mothers going to exceptional lengths, doing all they could
to protect us, and although we cannot consciously remember this experience, it is still accessible to
us through deep meditation and work with Berkano.
Motherhood, the wisdom that comes with maturity and the patience developed by nurturing
children are all mental and spiritual strengths emphasized through use of this particular rune. While
INGUZ represents the inner-child, Berkano represents the outer-child: the power of dependence,
trust and the certainty of love. While connecting with ones own inner-child may be more in harmony
with the domain of INGUZ, the endeavor of seeing the inner-child of all beings, in the outer-world,
is a quest undertaken as the understanding of Berkano broadens.
Secrecy with Berkano is not a wicked thing, but a power that can be used to great effect. It is
the mastery of silence as a device for listening and protecting. It is a life giving rune, so is best used
to assist life, to heal and to protect. It will enhance efforts to give oneself, and others, the time and
space they need to grow on their own. The creation of time and space is a magical act done
consciously through restraint and silence, even concealment of ones hand in the affair altogether.
This ability is magical, requires great humility and is an enviable feminine power.
Ehwaz Rune Meaning

The mind will trust the body, the body will trust the mind.
Ehwaz - eh-was Literally: Horse Esoteric: Trust
Rune of harmonious teamwork and trust. Rune of pairs of entities working together for a
common goal.
Psi: trust between individual entities, sexuality
Energy: trust, cooperation, the Fetch
Mundane: animals, teamwork, friendship
Divinations: Harmony, teamwork, trust, marriage, loyalty, a friend; or duplication, disharmony,
mistrust, betrayal, nightmares, indecision, an enemy
Governs:
Activating the energies of your inner Fetch
Ability to detect deceit and uncover subtle queues

 Facilitates swiftness in every regard

Establishing trust and bonds with animals (ie. horse whisperers)
My Notes:
Ehwaz symbolizes all the various bodies as vehicles for travel and movement. Twins
represent the Sacred Marriage of the Inner and the Outer, or mind and body. The horse and rider
metaphor is the best way to represent the symbiotic relationship between two individualized, yet
harmonious beings. Anyone who has had the least exposure to the value of a horse to a person,
family or clan would understand the esoteric code hidden within Ehwaz.
Ehwaz is not force, but persuasion, suggestion and co-operation. Control issues that birth
questions such as who is the boss? are settled and accepted with assistance of this rune. Making the
best of a situation, making the necessary adjustments to a relationship and the finding of means are
frequent activities that focus on Ehwaz can assist. In every way it represents flexibility, adaptability,
pragmatism. It is the activation and use of instinct, using gut over the analysis or reasoning of
MANNAZ or ANSUZ.
The loyalty, trust and dependence build between two partners with each passing day forms a
web of emotional and spiritual one-on-one connections which becomes highly resilient as time goes
on. Genuine friendship develops, for its own sake, the kind of bond we die for. It is the combination
of emotional energies with the intellectual spark to produce harmonious partnership represents the
friendship with parents blossoming upon adulthood.
Ehwaz is particularly relevant to the energies which bond man and woman together in lawful
marriage. Its energies can unify two people in a strong cooperative relationship and attract the right
persons for partnership in work, business, teams or service.
Ehwaz is the rune of the psycho-spiritual construct called the Fetch. Your Fetch is the
opposite gender as you, inactive in the material plane but still quite accessible within your spirit.
Activating the Fetch can assist you in attracting to yourself the right partner as your life mate. It will
also refresh an existing marriage or committed relationship by re-energizing the two conscious minds
of the partners in the coupling.
Most people do not realize that the answer to the great mysteries of the opposite sex are
found within their own mental make-up when a communication link is established between oneself
and ones Fetch. One might imagine the Fetch, in modern terms, as the dormant DNA which is still
active on a psychic level, though the physical manifestation has already chosen and developed its
gender. Likewise, we are able to create an emotional understanding with any other human being,
because within ourselves, we find the Other.
Other topics:Learning of ourselves through others.

Mannaz Rune Meaning

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.
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 minds 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
My Notes:
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. Mimirs 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 Mimirs 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.
Other topics:
Horizons of human potential
Extensiveness and diversity of human existence
The range of all human collective actions, and variations on the primal blueprint
Mannaz Rune Meaning Analysis
Mannaz rune meaning has been eroded perhaps more than any rune by Christian revision
and values, so it is important to me to clearly analyze this rune and to emphasize that you should
think for yourself, and think hard. If any rune has locked within it the potential to help you think
powerfully, it is MANNAZ.
Symbolism in Mannaz. Mannaz as a symbol can represent a number of things. Odins two
ravens, Huginn, who represents mind (thinking) and Muninn, who represents memory, is a common
theme here. The symbol could also be a representation of the arch at the top of an old well, implying
the power of the mind to plumb the depths of Mimirs Well: our collective unconscious or our
ancestral memory.
It may represent a multiple of WUNJO, being the total of the human tribes, friend and enemy
alike, and all the conflict inherent in our united, but divided world. Another possibility is that it is
DAGAZ-on-two-legs, alluding to our potential to attain enlightenment. All of these ideas would
make sense.

The Horizons of Human Potential. Mannaz is a rune whose principles hold true in scale
from the individual to the whole of humanity. Range and variation in individual experience is
unfathomably vast. It is both our individual human potential to perfect ourselves (the Perfected
Human or savior idea is often alluded to here, as is our ancestral connection to the gods [see
ANSUZ]) and humankinds total potential to become a sustainable planetary civilization, utopia or
paradise. The most positive energies of Mannaz make realizing our inner-savior and the possibility of
heaven on earth into a real, attainable goal. If you feel strongly that we could solve the problems that
beset and threaten humankind, then you are already activating Mannaz in your life.
The Building Blocks of Society. Mannaz is our ability to analyse and predict, to wilfully
generate effects and shape our individual and collective future. It is the drive to better ourselves and
society. This rune helps us realize our place in the big picture, where our energies and abilities are
most perfectly positioned to shape Self and Society toward our ideals.
The harshness of the human world necessitates our co-operation with one another for our
personal and collective survival, whether we like it or not. Here the joy and bliss of fellowship
represented by WUNJO is balanced by the suffering of the human situation and its manifestations.
Socially, Mannaz can be seen as the tendency of anarcho-syndicalism that is, the basic fact
that humans organize into progressively larger groups, whether these be tribes, city-states, nations,
cultures or civilizations. Many such organizations can exist along side one another, and that they
exist at all is because we use our minds to create sense and order.
Ordering Principles. Whether you believe we do this for better or for worse, the human
mind is an ordering-machine, spotting patterns and organizing tremendous amounts of data into
knowledge, experience and wisdom. ANSUZ is also a rune of bringing order to chaos, but through
language and poetry.
The mind has a stubborn drive to understand the human situation. Though knowledge of it
seems so tremendously overwhelming and unavailable, we feel the pull of Mannaz to analyze,
predict and think deeply about things, a drive that if faithfully followed will always push our intellect
to its limits for as mankinds scope increases, so does our own.
Mind in Time. Mannaz speaks to us of our own shrouded origins, for instance, the lack of
memory we have of our birth, and childhood. In a collective sense our species have existed for
millions of years before recorded history, but living memory of those times have been lost.
Yet these secrets are still there to be discovered deep in our unconscious, for our ancestors
have lived through them and they are in our breath, blood and genetic makeup. This is an aspect of
Mimirs well, or the Sanskrit Akashic Records, an eastern parallel.
Mannaz, too, covers the human situation in all its complex, chaotic scope in the present day.
But rather than representing that chaos, it is the rune of the hidden structure and divine order to these
affairs, the idea that there is reason and purpose to the affairs of humankind.
Projected into the future, Mannaz speaks of our limitless potential in face of the infinite years
ahead of us. It is the horizons of all that each individual has ever thought or done, is thinking or
doing, and can ever think or do. Mannaz is the rune of the genius and the visionary.
We see that the mind operates inside of time, and that a deep relationship to time is necessary
for mental functioning. Without time, the mind goes silent. Both JERA and IHWAZ, positioned
above Mannaz in the Aettir, have a lot to do with time.
Self-Knowledge and Self-Mastery. Fear of the unknown is absent with Mannaz, as the
unknown only fuels those dealing with such magic to learn, excel, prepare, plan and master
themselves to the fullest extent possible.
Perverted use of such powers will have us attempting to manipulate humankind and seeking
to control those around us, as many in positions of great power have done. Properly understood, we
seek instead to become the master of our own mind, with a strong, centered intellect and a firm
knowledge of our position in society. We know our passions, our purpose, and we plan and revise
those plans with graceful strategy, confident that there is a higher, rational order to things than we
have yet understand.
The Vitki, or Noble Mind. On an individual level, Mannaz provides the inherent nobility
in seeking to master ones own mind, the triumph of reason over instinct and conditioning. It is tied

to the vitki, the Norse word for an integrated and self-disciplined mind. Humanity, like nobility , is
earned through deeds, rather than a birthright. This is a theme in the Northern mysteries, seen in
RAIDHO, TIWAZ and OTHALA most often, and it is well that we should ponder over it at length.
Why do we have such wickedness in human behavior alongside such beauty?
Mannaz in Relation to Nearby Runes. The human archetype is often seen as separate and
divine, because of the radical differences between human behavior and that of other forms of life
such as the plant matter of BERKANO and the animal nature of EHWAZ. But to avoid imbalance
and toxicity (and our civilization has become dangerously toxic) we must also understand also what
unifies us with all other Life, as the next rune in the third Aett, LAGAZ (analysis), will reveal.
Mannaz, combined and balanced with an understanding of Laguz, may reveal our roles as cocreator with nature. Further understanding of Lifes unswerving longing to create is witnessed as we
understand INGUZ. That these runes are so solidly and sequentially linked in both their positions in
the Elder Futhark Aettir and in conceptual analysis alludes to a greater unity in the rune row than is
typically obvious to those beginning their studies of rune magic.

Laguz Rune Meaning

Our future selves call us from infinite pasts, and each night are eroded with our dreams.
Laguz - Log-uhz Literally: Water or Ocean Esoteric: Unconscious, Collective Memory
Rune of the unconscious context of becoming or the evolutionary process. Rune of Lifes
longing for itself.
Psi: emotion, psychic powers, unconscious mental processes, love, dreaming
Energy: life energy, ocean spirit, origins of life, collective unconscious, the astral plane, love as
unity, evolution
Mundane: water, imagination, occultism, dreams
Divinations: Life, passing a test, sea of vitality and of the unconscious growth, memory, dreams; or
fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering, depression, manipulations, emotional blackmail, lack of
moral fiber, fantasy, poison, toxicity
Governs:
Transpersonal powers
Mastery of emotion in order to shape wyrd
Guidance through difficult initiatory tests, ie. initiation into life
Increase in vitality and life force
Communication between your conscious mind to anothers unconscious mind
Development of second sight or prophetic wisdom
All powers of dreaming (lucid dreams, astral projection)
My Notes:

Water is the symbol of unconscious and invisible Life forces. All of life is dependent on
water, and therefore Laguz represents the universal ocean, the supreme unity of all life: past, present
and future. The dream state and the Jungian shadow element both linger beneath its surface, and
the human unconscious is revealed when explored and exposed to the conscious mind. We take the
plunge. To the runic initiate the unconscious forces are controlled for good use through mastery of
runic skills. Still, the initiate understands the potency of the unconscious sea to break loose from its
control and is ever watchful.
The substance of Laguz is everywhere present, pervades all things and underlies all
manifestation. It is the living energy out of which everything is made. It sustains and enriches any
idea that is projected into it. The ability to see clairvoyantly and into the future are psychic talents
associated with Laguz, as is protection from physical and psychic poisons.
The rune can be used in establishing a communications link from your conscious mind, under
willful intent, to the unconscious mind of another. Caution and much wisdom must be exercised in
such subtle manipulations.
Water is a psychically chargeable medium, and this includes all vital liquids such as blood
and spittle. These are the fluids that carry your Life Force and act as a bonding medium for many, if
not all, of your psycho-spiritual constructs.

Laguz Rune Meaning Analysis

Water is the ancient mirror the first surface that the evolving ego had to identify itself was
the calm surface of a body of water.
We all have this surface identity of conceptual associations, this I or Me experience.
While ISA is concerned with the totality of that ego experience, Laguz is concerned with
transcending the ego in order to experience the unity of all Life and the collective unconscious.
In exploring LAGUZ, the intellectual, mind level of MANNAZ is but the very surface of
things. In order to pierce the veil and see past our thoughts of ourselves, we must delve deeper.
Ego is an academic term that obfuscates what Freud was getting at. He himself never used the
abstract term ego, it was added in translations. Freud said the I and the it (id), a duality which
the principles of Laguz suggest we can transcend.
Laguz teaches us to look into the darkness of our unconscious, at what the reflection our
constructed identity is leaving out. Jung calls this evasive body of self-ignorance the Shadow:
what we fail to see about ourselves, baggage we often refuse to claim as ours and often project onto
the world and those around us. The occult process of embracing our dark side as well as our light and
thereby growing in wholeness and power, is very natural part of Laguz.
The reflection is also an apt metaphor, because reflection can be interpreted as thinking or
analysing, the domain of Mannaz. As the next rune in the Ordering, Laguz suggests that the
unconscious is much vaster, that beyond thought is depth, and that our ideas and thoughts of reality
are mirror images. The reflection is not so much a property of the water as the observer it does not
actually exist on the surface of the water at all. In this way it is ultimately an illusion.
The true nature of water is that it is the great unifier of all Life. Laguz represents life as it is
and the challenges of transcending our ideas about living so that we may truly live. I would argue
that this rune is less about survival and all about lifes overwhelming cry to be lived. Laguz magic is

not merely a ward against physical poison, but can free us from our toxic psychic fetters that hold us
back from fully living. One of these fetters is our fear of Death.
In Norse mythology, those who fail to fully live, consistently over many lives, become sleepy
and remove their weary spirits from the cycles of rebirth. They are ferried across the river to the
shores of Hel, (which is largely agreed to be associated most strongly with the HAGALAZ rune
meaning,) there to wait until Ragnorak, when the unconscious forces (Loki, Fenris and the giants)
bring a final battle upon the gods (ie. the evolution of consciousness). Hel is not the burning
torturous place that the Catholics threaten us with. Laguz place in the Ordering suggests that it
represents Hel, as it is beneath IHWAZ (the cosmic axis of Yggdrassil, the world tree). Therefor by
association, Laguz could refer to the unconscious, the collective unconscious, sleep, dreams and
certain aspects of the Death experience.
However, because water is the essential unifier of all Life, Laguz teaches us that Death is an
illusion created by our fearful ego, that our fear of death is ultimately just a pathological fear of
losing our ego identity. This begs elaboration.
Most of our bodies are composed of water, which upon physical death will return to the great
cycle of the worlds waters once again. It has passed through and been recycled by our atmosphere
and all other life, since the very beginning, and will continue to do this until the very end. Even as
we live, our fluids are only with us a short time before being traded anew, and rejuvenated.
Our mineral composition, too, follows the same principles, as does our energy (as energy
cannot be created from nothing nor ever cease to exist). It follows that aspects of our consciousness
too are borrowed from the universe for the sake of this temporary ego, and are permanent, eternal
components of the cosmos.
So what is there to lose upon death save that very self-reflection that prevents us from seeing
into the depth and unity of all things? Laguz holds the key to unlocking such secrets, if we dare to
reach into its well to seek our true selves. We have tale that Odin magically did just this when he
removed one of his eyes to plunge it into Mimirs Well, thus revealing all things past and present to
him. The psychic powers of clairvoyance and clairaudience are thus clearly governed by Laguz.
The 5th axis of the Ordering tells us of Lifes Journey (RAIDHO), the initiation into the runic
mysteries and knowledge of the mysteries of Life and Death (IHWAZ) and finally of the ultimate
illusion of death as the ego is surrendered (to begin a new journey). The three runes represent a
closed cycle of life, death and reincarnation, particularly the experiences of such as a journey into
our eternal selves.
Inguz Rune Meaning

Only when we know our solitude to be different from our loneliness

can we be whole enough to honor anothers place.

Inguz Ing-guz Literally: Seed or The god, Ing Esoteric: Process, space
Rune of isolation or separation in order to create a space or place where the process of
transformation into higher states of being can occur. Rune of gestation and internal growth.
Psi: internal growth, personal development, the power of suggestion, the inner-child, wholeness
Energy: earth-god, stored energy, gestation process, male mysteries, subtlety, planned bursts
Mundane: male sexuality, agriculture
Divinations: Resting, gestation, internal growth, expectation, time for oneself; or impotence,
scattering, movement without change, frivolity, immaturity.
Governs:

Storage and transformation of power for ritual use.

Stored Energy
Passive meditation and centering of energy and thought
Sudden release of energy
All forms of subtle, creative action

My Notes:
Represented by the very ancient god image Ing, Inguz is a rune of male fertility. The English
language participle -ing adds to any verb the idea of acton. Do-ing, Be-ing, See-ing, etc. The
addition of ing represents action in the actual process of activity (rather than an object). Thus, even
common elements within our most common language use ing to infer the process of creation.
Inguz is that potential energy that must accumulate gradually in storage before being released
as a single surge of energy. It represents the process of a mental seed desire implanted by the
conscious mind into the subconscious for incubation and gestation, later to emerge as a new creation
in your life affairs. Inguz governs the process of seed into catalyst, and the self-sacrifice of one form
to bring into being a new form, and the characteristics inherited because of this transformation.
Thus, Inguz contains within its lore the true meaning of sacrifice. Such sacrifice occurs when
one form is called upon to die so that a newly evolved form may begin to grow. This is one of the
cornerstone concepts in what is known as the male mysteries. To die for something, such as a cause
or an ideal such as freedom, a universal theme in warrior traditions, is thus connected to the energies
of Inguz.

There is great wisdom in creating an analogy between this fundamental act of nature and the
mystical act of generation. The failure of a magical operation is often caused by the lack of the
operator letting go of some past form of manifestation so that a newly desired form can be born. All
humans live in the past to some degree or another, but one must apply the laws of nature which call
for death of the old in order to bring about transformation into new energies and new forms. This
sounds simple to do on an intellectual level, but in practice it is requires masterful artistry.
Inguz signals the integration of the four selves: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It is
the drive toward completion and totality and acts as the catalyst for movement toward wholeness.
Where Berkano signifies the outer child, hidden within the wisdom of Inguz is the activation of ones
inner-child.

Othala Rune Meaning

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.
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

My Notes:
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 Dagazending 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 ones
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.

Othala Rune Meaning Analysis

Othala is a complex rune, infamously misused by the Nazis in their attempt to promote racial
purity and expand their nation with totalitarian fury. The power of the rune will become clear, and a

closer analysis of the rune will reveal how it could be properly used to potential global effect without
any mass violence whatsoever.
Othala traces back to certain words in Anglo-Saxon and Norse whose oldest meaning is
noble or nobility, and are associatively linked to property, estate, homeland and nation-building.
Othalas core power is the wise management of resources both physical and psychic. Not the ruthless
efficiency that leads to totalitarian states or monopolies, but a more harmonious give and take that
leads to peace and freedom amongst the people, a state of balance between order and chaos.
We have legends in every culture about this perfect, harmonious city or place. Asgard,
Atlantis, Avalon. Shangri-la, Shambala and Eden. We use the word Utopia, which was an imaginary
place that Thomas Moore described in his book of the same name. All of these represent the inate
human understanding that we, as a species, have the potential to create a harmonious and peaceful
society.
Ancestral Spiritual Inheritance. It has been said that Othala contains the potential power of
all the other runes. The main energy involved in this is the ancestral spiritual power, which connects
us to our genetic wisdom, the unconscious and sometimes awakened unity that links us back to the
first humans who began to think and seek something greater than a simple animal existence. This
is one way in which Othala unites all of mankind, throughout time.
However, some groups hearken to a past they have no record of and cannot understand. It is
common for us to romanticize the past. But, the ancients are quite clear with us that the world has
sometimes been a very harsh place. Such romanticizing will not do. Although we may draw on the
past, it is perhaps better to tend to our own lot in the present, honestly and with keen observation and
judgement. We shall see that Othala is actually a forward-looking rune, a rune of continuation of the
ancestral toward a collective destiny, not merely a reliving of the past.
The proper use for a group or community is to observe how it lives and breathes, the methods
by which it functions, the social-psychology of its members, so one may gain a great understanding
of families, groups and communitys in general, and to celebrate the kinship of awakening with
others. A group that promote a culture of openness, fairness, honesty and freedom is a healthy group.
A group (or cult, or nation) that focuses on conformity, making enemies with other groups, rigidness
of thinking and mindless devotion is, in reality, quite insane.
Sacred Enclosure and Homeland. Othala is the root of why we honor the blood that was
shed to take and defend a territory. That symbolic act of the warrior is representative of a deeper act,
which the Greeks expounded upon in their philosophy, which is found amongst the druids and
throughout mysticism the world over, which is: the expansion of the light of individual and
collective human consciousness against the forces of ignorance and darkness of the old
chaotic world.
This expansion is illustrated quite profoundly in the constant battle of Asgard (consciousness)
against the Giants (unconsciousness).
Seen as a sacred enclosure, Othala scales from merely a personal space and living conditions,
to a home or a community such as a town or city. It scales to the level of a state or nation, and
indeed, Othala rises even to the height of an entire civilization.

At its apex, Othala represents an allegience to all life on the planet, a global unity amongst
humankind, and the potential utopia that humankind is destined to eventually build together.
Though the Nazis chose to try and do this through war, studied more deeply, Othalas vision of a
united world is inevitable because of the power of ordinary, every day, peaceful people interacting
together in a mundane way, profoundly spiritual in its simplicity.
Nobility. Rather than representing genetic inheritance and blood (which it of course does but
only on a lower level of meaning) Othala is actually the movement of society to transcend these
ideas, and embrace all humanity as kindred, all the world as a single global nation. It is the rune of a
sustainable planetary civilization, a utopia, or paradise. The noble is in fact anyone who takes up
the role of a person moving his portion of the homeland/personal-communal sphere toward heavenon-earth.
This idea of nobility is especially poignant, because it was not always the case that nobility
was bestowed due to blood. It could be merit, or a spiritual inheritance of some sort. In many ways of
thinking, to be noble is to act noble. If you behave as a noble, as a king or queen, the power of your
hamingja will organize the world around you, slowly and surely, to reflect this inner. The outer is
merely a reflection of the inner. Therefor it is essential to understand nobility as something gained
through ones own actions and behaviors, not bestowed by birth, blood, title, or any other external
circumstance. Therefor, the understanding of and responsibility for ones inner-world is absolutely
paramount, for its very essence will structure the minute details of the world around you.
Relationship to Time. As may be obvious by now, Othala is a rune concerned with time, and
a past-and-future based sense. Jera, as the 12th rune, half of Othalas position, concentrates on the
cyclical nature of time, whereas Othala seems to indicate the arrow of time, as seen by the human
mind. Therefor it connects the past to the future, and our ancestors to our eventual progeny.
Therefor, where Jera represents natures own ecology, Othala represents our relationship as a
species to the land, to this planet, in the form of responsibility, stewardship and the potent and real
consequences of human actions on a mass scale.
The Power of the Domestic. All this above may sound grandiose, but Othala is powerfully
rooted in the mundane world. I will often define Othala in terms of the personal estate, that is the
family, community and business affairs. It extends outward to include the political sphere, and then
the human condition. But first comes the home. There are many factors in a happy home, but the
nation should be measured by the extent to which these happy homes exist, and can remain peaceful
and free from oppression. That means access to adequate shelter, food and water, education, love and
respect between its members, interesting work for the community and so on. The home is often the
outpost from which a good life is lived home is where the heart is.
One of Othalas prime teachings may be that One who is unable to be trusted with the little
things, cannot be trusted with the big things. Think that over carefully before assuming authority of
any sort.
Othala Reversed. The perversion of Othala is the road toward totalitarianism, the
inappropriate use or waste of resources, the disruption of the peace and security of home, and the
denial of freedoms, sometimes in the form of various slavery. Nationalism, contrary to what may be
believed about this rune, is a negative, energy-draining phenomenon, which creates inevitable
conflict and war. Nazi Germany may have been a particularly extreme version of a nation, but the
underlying trend is inherent within all nation-states.

The negative consequences of a system of ownership also fall under the murkstave of this
rune. Ownership requires the co-operation and agreement of the community. When ownership
becomes imbalanced, more laws, more force, and more violence are required to uphold entitlement.
Citizens and members of the community must be increasingly spied upon and mistrusted when only
a few control the wealth and power of the so-called nation.
There can be only one destiny for a family, community or nation that does not live in balance,
uphold the common justice of the people, and strive for the freedom and prosperity of its every
member, and it is grim indeed.

THE MAGICKAL USES OF RUNES

Runes are loaded with power. I use them in spellworking, usually etched on a candle. In fact,
inscribing candles with runes is a common magickal practice. I also draw them in different places -on my car for safety in travel, on the doorpost of my home for protection, on flower pots to aid in the
growth of plants. The list of possibilities is endless.
Runes are a complex system steeped in legend, myth, and mystery. It is intricately connected to the
Norse pantheon of god/desses. In fact, it's hard to study them seriously without becoming deeply
involved with the pantheon and lore. Should you choose to study them, you have a lifetime of
learning ahead of you.
FEHU (Feoh) -- attracts wealth, initiates prosperous enterprises, brings motivation and activity,
circulates abundance and life-force, and invokes the fire of the heavenly bodies. Repeated use of
fehu will give you a larger capacity to send and receive energy. Use to advance projects and goals to
the next stage, to protect property and valuables, to give your career an added boost, and to increase
wealth.
URUZ (UR) -- enhances strength, removes weaknesses and self-doubt, and draws earth and
oak-strength into the personal sphere. Use to draw new situations to you, to initiate new
processes or to divert difficulties through sudden change.
THURISAZ (Thorn) -- brings breakthroughs and catalyzes change and regeneration,
beginnings, luck, dynamic defense, and protection. Can break barrenness and stimulate
fruitfulness.
ANSUZ (Asa) -- promotes word power and eloquence, increases spiritual consciousness and
wisdom, invokes the hidden divinity within, and strengthens the Magician-Self-Persona.
Brings inspiration, ecstasy, trance, increased psychism, and unleashing of divine power. Use when
preparing for or taking an exam, giving a speech or presentation, writing a proposal, or when
composing any type of written information. Use when working with geneological information to
cultivate or remember ancestral power. Ansuz is the rune of hypnotherapists and those who study
past life regressions, as Odin (primary god of the Norse pantheon) is the Lord of Death and keeper of
this
hidden power.
RAIDHO (Rad) -- the rune of ritual and astral travel. Establishes rightful order and
arrangements, obtains justice, and assists in finding the right way and orientation of
the true purpose in life. Brings progress and good counsel, sustains the world order, brings
attunement to cosmic harmonies, and helps to right unsteady and wayward situations. Moves or
removes energies, and directs them to a specific destination. Inscribe or paint Raidho on your vehicle
to carry you safely from destination to destination. Excellent for divination purposes, astral travel,
meditation, or hypnosis.
KENAZ (Cen) -- the rune of openings. Awakens executive ability, unleashes skills and
prolific creative impulses, reveals secrets, finds hidden knowledge, works well in love
magick, kindles the flame of knowledge and the cunning of one's mind, transforms energies onto
higher creative levels, and increases artistic craft.

GEBO (Gyfu) -- an energy of balance, promotes generosity and exchange, brings gifts and
mutual benefits. A powerful enhancer of marriages, partnerships, bonding, and relationships.
Establishes mutual giving, brings good luck and abundance, and bridges the human and
divine realms.
WUN

JO (Wyn) -- the Wish Rune, one of the most powerful runes in the entire set. Induces
success and harmony with others, heals disagreements between individuals and
groups. Brings contact with like-minded people, establishes empathy, fellowship, and friendly
interaction. Promotes peace, fruitfulness and sensuality.
HAGALAZ (Haegl) -- the rune of protective holism, which turns away storms and evil
spells, crystallizes the life-pattern, and facilitates shamanic passage between the worlds.
Useful for overcoming obstacles, banishing bad habits, and aiding in decision making. A blessing
rune in
marriage or partnerships if used in its protective energies.
NAU

DHIZ (Nyd) -- the banishing rune. Helps turn frustration and stress to one's advantage.
Liberates from constrictions, loosens the bonds of ill Wyrd (karmic destiny). Enables
on to turn a bad situation into a good one. Used to bind in curses, considered a war fetter. When the
situation is hopeless, use naudhiz. A general magickal rune that can be used for the success of any
venture and to free one from all locks and fetters.
ISA (Isa) -- a blocking rune which hinders, slows, and stops events. If freezes and obliterates
unwanted activity, and can be a bringer of stillness and total stasis. Provides clarity, inward
focus, concentration, strength in solitude, and a turning to one's center of gravity. Helps ferret out
your enemies. A binding rune. Can be used to cancel unwanted aggressiveness or to stop someone
who is
harassing you.
JERA

(Jera) -- a bringer of gentle revolution and improvement. Use when material results are
expected, especially if you have spent your time, money, or effort. Promotes change
for the better. Realizes the natural cycle and manifests true results of one's own efforts. Establishes
peaceful prosperity, brings productive results. Most helpful in legal matters as well as those workings
involving fertility magick. Jera can turn any dream into reality, and is considered a luck rune. Draw
in indelible ink or waterproof paint on any item for long lasting prosperity. Excellent rune for
herbalists, gardeners, farmers, and landscapers.
EIHWAZ (Eoh) -- a rune of endurance for hardening one's self and achieving true aims. A
hunter rune for stalking and attaining an objective, and facilitates the ability to survive. A
potent magickal protector. Can bring initiation and understanding of fate. A guard against selfdestructive behavior, and therefore excellent when dealing with alcoholism or drug abuse. Use to
find
lost objects, complete a challenging task, or find a new job or home. Gives strength.
PERTHRO (Peorth) -- the rune for understanding Wyrd and the hidden roots of past
incarnations; and for unlocking ancestral memories. Use in divination, meditation,
self-hypnosis, and hypnosis therapy. Provides answers to mysteries. This rune is shaped like a cup. In
magic, when the cup's opening is to the right, it equates to birth; when the opening points to the left,
it equates to death.
ELHAZ (Algiz) -- the quardian rune of activated higher consciousness, protection,
and confident warding away or destruction of harm and inimical forces. An active
ward and defender. Increases the field of one's magical power. Draw this sigil on
anything you want to protect, including your mail.

SOWILO (Sol) -- a rune of self-orientation and guidance toward the light. Used to strengthen the
magickal will of the Witch. Invokes the solar power of victory and success, and promotes
illumination. Promotes spiritual will power. Draws the female energy of the sun into the personal
sphere. (In the runic system, the sun is feminine and the moon is masculine). Excellent for promoting
self-confidence.
TIWAZ (Tyr) -- the victory rune. Brings victory in contests, trials, and legal judgements. An
upholder of faith, steadfastness, and honor, and increases loyalty to higher ideals. Strengthens
confidence during ordeals and competition; invokes justice; maintains order; sustains promises and
oaths; and brings a lawful outcome. In healing, speeds recuperation. Cannot be used to pervert
justice.
Carve on any weapon to be used for right justice.
BERKANO (Beorc) -- promoter of new beginnings, brings ideas and projects to a
bright
conclusion. A birth rune in matters of femininity and motherhood. The besom rune
invokes the energies of the Earth Mother, and brings things safely from conception to birth. Use to
heal feminine health problems. An excellent protective rune for young children and teenage
girls.
EHWAZ (Eh) -- a rune of partnership, marriage, and pact. Binds a pair together toward a
mutual end, and facilitates movement over obstacles. A bringer of swift change, progress, and
motion. A general good luck charm to pull toward you the protection and safe bonds of friendship.
Can be employed to find mundane transportation for the magical person when needed, and used in
astral
travel.
MAN

NAZ (Man) -- a thought-rune for increasing intelligence and intellectual power. Brings
success in study and mental effort, aid in social integration and career potential, and a
bringer of psychic harmony. Helps one to realize one's full human potential. Gains help from
others.

LAGUZ (Lagus) -- the rune of the occult. Holds both constructive and destructive power of
the lunar tides. Increases intuition, psychic seership, and clairvoyance. Gives access to the realm of
dreams. Good for drawing down moon energy. Invokes the mutable energy of sorcery. Use as a
magical net to cast out and draw in needed energies or to put someone gently to sleep, bringing
pleasant dreams.
ING

WAZ (Ing) -- brings focus and centering, invokes inner energy in expansion and
promotes fertile opportunities. Very powerful in erotic spells and is an awakener of
masculine fertility and phallic force. In health, overcomes illusions and mental illness. Calms
domestic difficulties and brings safety to home or work environment. Helps bring about a successful
conclusion to any matter, increases fertilityand allows one to release energy quickly.
DAGAZ (Dag) -- a harbinger of total light and enlightenment. Brings the dawn of a new day
and opens doors on all planes to complete realization. Induces cosmic consciousness, invokes
perfection, helps situations and matters to flower. A potent protector of portal gateways. Renders a
person or thing invisible. Banishes negativity. Use for financial increase, to change another's attitude,
or to assist in launching a new project. A good-luck charm. Comforts those who are grieving, lessens
pain,
cures sickness.
Draws

OTHALA (Odal) -- enhances peace, security and prosperity of home and hearth.
fortunate influences into a dwelling, aids in settling down roots, protects and screens
the house enclosure, safeguards monetary investments and invokes the earth and ancestral
tradition.

The most common use of magick runes would be to draw the rune symbol on a charm or spell
slip. Say for instance you were making a charm for an upcoming trip. You decide to make a physical
charm and make a herbal charm bag. You would find a corresponding rune symbol, and you can
draw it on the bag, place your stone inside your herbal charm bag or draw the corresponding rune
symbol on a slip of paper and place it inside your bag. A good magick rune to use in a safe travel
herbal charm would be the rune symbol of RAIDO which looks similar to an R.

Fehu (F): Increase of wealth and possessions, protection of valuables. Used to send energy on its
way, fire in its uncontrolled primal state.
Uruz (U,V): Used to create change, healing, vitality, strength, to boost energy of magickal work
Thurisaz (Th): Beginning new projects, luckthe hand of fate helping you, protection, the hammer
of Thor, opening gateways.
Ansuz (A): Communications, wisdom and clarity, to attract others to your cause, increase magickal
energy.
Raido (R): Safe travel, movement, obtaining justice in an issue, used to keep a situation from
stagmenting.
Kenaz (K): The hearth fire, artistic pursuits, healing, love and passion, creativity, strength.
Gebo (G): Gifts, partnerships on all realms, sex magick, balance, integration of energies.
Wunjo (W,V): Joy, happiness, love, fulfillment in career and home life, the icing on the cake.
Hagall (H): Slow, steady pace, no disruptions, asking for a hand from fate within a situation you do
not control
Neid (N): Need, desire, fulfilling those needs, love and sex magick, motivation created by distress.

Isa (I): Cessation of energy, freezing an issue where it stands, cooling relationships, separation,
division.
Jera (J,Y): Harvesting tangible results from efforts already sown, fertility, culmination of events,
abundance.
Eihwaz (I): Banishing magick, removal of obstacles and delays, invoking foresight, clearing up
hidden issues and situations.
Perdhro (P): Unexpected gains, hidden secrets coming to light, discovering that which has been lost,
spiritual evolution.
Algiz (Z): Protection, fortunate influences, fate on your side, victory and success, good luck and
personal strength
Sigel (S,Z): Victory, power, sttrength, health, the rune of the sun, vitality, drive to work and produce.
Tir (T): Victory, leadership, success over other competitors, increase in finances, virility and passion
(esp. men).
Berkana (B): Growth, abundance, fertility, Mother Earth, protection, the zenith of an idea or
situation.
Ehwaz (E): Abrupt changes, moving into new home and environment, travel, swift change in
situation.
Mannaz (M): Cooperation, teamwork, collaboration, help and aid from others, beginning new
projects, esp. with others
Lagaz (L): Intuition, imagination, success in studies, creativity, vitality and passion (esp. for women)
Ing (NG): Fertility, successful conclusion to issue or situation ending one cycle and beginning
another.
Daeg (D): Increase and expansion, prosperity, growth, major turning points in life, turning in new
directions.
Othel (O): Material possessions and protection of those possessions, inheritance (can be gentle traits
inherited from elders).

The very first ways I used runes where as correspondences and charms, but I have found they
work wonderfully as stand alone spells. Once I was in a hurry while going on a job interview and
forgot my charm bag! Luckily I had some liquid eyeliner handy and drew the rune I wanted on my
body, this was very effective and landed me the job! I had such good luck that day and it really was
my most successful magick rune working. The Book of Runes is a great book about runes and rune
magick. The Book of Runes: A Handbook for the Use of an Ancient Oracle: The Viking Runes with
Stones: 10th Anniversary Edition