The word ‘runa’ means ‘mystery’ or ‘secret proceeding’, and it seems likely that only the elders of a community and those who acted in a priestly capacity and knew the true esoteric meaning of an inscription. To the ordinary person, they were simply a means of divination.
The Origins of the Runes
No one knows exactly how old the runes are.
Symbols similar to runes appear as cave markings as early as the late Bronze Age in 1300 BCE; they are mentioned in the Bible, but their use in ritual and as an oracle for consultation certainly pre-dates their use as a written language. Runic forms of the inscription were evident – and seem to have been in use for some time – before the advent of written language inscriptions.
Runes were representations of matters that were important to the people and, like many of these systems, often had relevance in more than one way. An inscription could represent an animal, for instance, and could also stand for the qualities of that animal applied in certain situations. This animal power is echoed in shamanic totem animals. In this way, runes approach the concept of sympathetic magic and they can still be used in that way today.
The early runemasters and rude mistresses developed a system of symbols composed of vertical and angled straight lines from their existing fund of mystic or religious symbols, which would endure when cut into wood or could be easily inscribed onto other natural materials. The 24 symbols became known as the Futhark or Futhork alphabet after the names of the first six runes (Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kauno), and it is these 24 symbols – plus a blank rune representing Destiny – which now comprises the modern-day rune set. Ancient pagan or Anglo-Saxon runes are the same 24 basic runes with some variations in their form due to usage over the centuries.
As with the Ogham Staves, runes were no doubt initially cut in wood and probably later inscribed on stone. The straight lines could easily be cut across the grain in wood, and short upward or downward lines would survive when cut with the grain, which is why there are no curved lines in this system. The runes were a potent tool and source of learning that can still be applied today.
In interpreting the runes, we have used only the basic traditional meanings, although you may wish to follow other lines of inquiry and will develop their use in divination if you so wish.
Runes can also be worn as amulets, used as objects of power on your altar, or as meditative aids. In earlier times, three types of amulets were recognized: there were objects for protection against trouble and adversity those that drove away evil influences, and those that contained substances such as herbs and oils used as medicine. The latter are not considered here.
Experiment and spend time with your runes until you find one or more that suit you in your workings. If you wish to bless them for personal use, follow the ritual below.
Information on casting circles and the correct directions can be found in the coming teaching.
This ritual for blessing the runes can equally be used to consecrate any personal jewelry, Ogham Staves, and so on.
YOU WILL NEED:
Consecration incense past teaching
A small bowl of water
A small bowl of salt or earth
Your chosen rune
✤ Cast your circle.
✤ Ask for a blessing for the bowls, candles, and incense, representing the quarters.
✤ Place the symbols in the appropriate directions.
✤ Pick up the object to be consecrated.
✤ Concentrate on the goals you want to achieve and the actions that you want to carry out then say:
Before you wandering spirits,
I bring this rune [name]
May its benefits be devoted to the work of the Lady and Lord.
✤ Light the incense and waft the rune through the incense smoke. Say:
By force of Air, be purified.
Be devoted to clarity.
May all aspirations be realized for the greater good of all.
✤ Then, having lit the candle, pass the rune through the flicker of the flame and say the following:
By the power of the dancing light, be purified.
Be devoted to longing.
May all aspirations be realized for the greater good of all.
✤ Sprinkle a few drops of water onto the chosen implement and say:
By the power of Njord’s domain, be purified.
Be devoted to waves of ardor.
May all aspirations be realized for the greater good of all.
✤ Next, take the implement and bring it to the earth or salt and say:
By the power of earth and dust be purified.
Be devoted to resolute intent.
May all aspirations be realized for the greater good of all.
Here the four Elements – Air, Fire, Water, and Earth – are honored. If you wish, you may present the rune for further consecration to the God and Goddess.
Basic Meanings of the Runes
The Aett or Set of Freya, Goddess of Fertility and Love
Throughout the old Norse legends, the deities and heroes consistently paid the price for their actions. Odin, for instance, craved wisdom and went to the Spring of Mimir at the root of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Mimir demanded one of Odin’s eyes in exchange for a drink from the waters of memory. Odin accepted Mimir’s price and never regretted it. This list gives the Nordic and English names for the runes.
This is the rune of wealth and
the price we have to pay for what we want – whether that is through action or inaction. The basic meaning of Fehu is wealth, which could be measured in the number of cattle owned – hence the image of cattle equates with wealth.
The word ‘fee’ comes from this term.
As an amulet, this rune reminds us of our intrinsic wealth, but also of the price we must pay, whether that is through action or inaction.
This is the rune of strength, courage, and overcoming obstacles. The Norse and Icelandic rune poems talk of privation for the herdsmen and tempering by ordeal. The aurochs were an enormous ox-like beast. Its horns were worn on Viking helmets, transferring by sympathetic magic the strength of the creature to the wearers.
The image of harsh reality and obstacles to be overcome by strength and endurance live on in the poems of the North. Many of the runes use the symbolism of the extreme conditions in which the Vikings lived. The aurochs were very much part of this environment. When we wear this as an amulet, we too become conscious of the aurochs’ power.
This is the rune of protection, challenges, secrecy, and conflicts. The thorn tree, which can offer protection from intruders, is associated with this image. Frost giants or ‘rime-thurses’ who fought the gods maintained the cosmic balance by representing the ancient rule before the Aesir (tribal gods) came into being. Thurisaz is also associated with Thor, who sought to protect the realm of the gods from the frost giants. Thurisaz is therefore a rune of challenge for those who want to make changes or go against long-held tradition. This becomes an amulet of protection and also of challenge.
Ansuz (A God)
This is the Father Rune, the rune of Odin, the All-Father. It is also the rune of inspiration.
Odin wanted the gift of divine utterance (wisdom) for which he needed the mead of poetry, and again there was a harsh price to pay. The power of these runes is in a struggle to reconcile opposites, not in the battle between good and evil, when good always wins.
This rune acknowledges man’s weaknesses and his journey towards a greater understanding. Wise words and the way we speak them can be of paramount importance.
As an amulet, this rune represents wisdom and right speech.
This is the rune of travel and journeys. There is an impetus to change and a need for initiative. It uses the symbolism of the wheel – the Sun Wheel as it passes through the skies. Also suggested is the wheel on the wagon of the old fertility gods on their journey through the year. Raidho is also the rune of long and hazardous journeys. This rune suggests an impetus so powerful that change is inevitable. Action and uncertainty are sometimes necessary if we are to progress – preparation for any journey is always important. Symbolizing a journey, Raidho reminds us to be aware of our actions.
This rune symbolizes the inner voice, inner strength, guidance, and illumination.
Kenaz is one of the Fire runes.
A torch was made from pine dipped in resin and lit both the grand castle and hovel alike. All-purpose, it was used to kindle the ‘Need Fire’ which was lit at times of celebration. The cleansing aspect of fire is important and this aspect of eradication is an important one when this rune is worn as an amulet. The fire within maintains clarity without.
Gebo is the rune of giving and generosity. It is also the rune of mutuality. All issues relating to exchange – both giving and receiving – are signified in this rune. (In the Norse traditions a gift always required one in return, so giving must be done with thought.)
Gebo can also indicate a gift or talent received from one in authority, so worn as an amulet it reminds us of the inherent knowledge available to us.
This is the rune of success, recognition, and personal happiness – success through determination rather than as a gift from others and happiness through one’s efforts. Traditionally, those who have been through hardship can sometimes appreciate life’s gifts better and learn to take happiness as it comes.
For the Vikings, happiness meant shelter, food, and warmth; there is a practicality to this rune when worn as an amulet. Joy can be built from those three things.
The Aett or Set of Hagalaz or Heimdall, Watcher of the Gods
This is known as the Mother Rune and in the Futhark (rune alphabet) it occupies the position of the sacred number nine. Hagalaz had a geometric shape (the six-pointed star) found in the composition of many natural life forms, mirrored in fractals today. Hagalaz is regarded as the ‘cosmic seed’; ice was involved in creation along with fire.
The Old Norse Rune Poem associates
Hagalaz with the harvest and speaks of hail as the ‘coldest of grains’. When hail melts it turns into water, but that metamorphosis can be painful. Therefore, Hagalaz has come to represent unwelcome external change. As an amulet, it demonstrates that such change, if used positively, can transform sorrow into happiness.
This is the rune of passion. The second Fire rune is one of the cosmic forces that shape the fates of the world and mankind. It represents determination and signifies needs that are met by our positive reactions to external hardship.
Need fires were lit from early times all over Northern Europe on the Wheel of the Year festivals such as Beltane and Samhain (see coming teaching.) These fires represented the fire from within that has to be expressed externally – Naudhiz represents the fire sparked by friction.
Such a fire is purging, and also one of new light and life, and it is this which is signified when the rune is worn as an amulet.
This rune represents a blockage, or a period of inactivity that can be used for good by preparing for the right moment. Isa is the second ice rune and the fifth Element in the Norse world. The single vertical mark of the rune means that it is inherent within every other rune. Isa can be seen as the ice of winter, an enforced obstacle to movement.
Nevertheless, the period can be used positively for deliberation and development.
For those who are fearful of going forward, Isa is a bridge between two ways of thinking.
While change needs to be negotiated carefully, progress continues imperceptibly in the background. As an amulet, this rune reminds us of that continuing progress.
This is the rune of the harvest, of the results of earlier efforts. Jera represents a natural progression through the sequence of the seasons and various stages of life. It is invoked magically for fertility and achievement, a fruitful season or harvest, and for the attainment of goals through hard work. When the cyclical nature of existence slows, it is important to recognize the principles of fertility and the generosity of the deities. As an amulet, it suggests the principle of fertilization.
This is the rune of natural endings, including death, but also promises new beginnings and rebirth. It was known that the bravest warriors would die to rise again and Eiwaz symbolized longevity and eternal life. The yew’s resinous vapour is said to induce visions and it was also the tree of shamans and magic. Sacred to Ullr, God of Winter and Archery, the yew tree gave a promise of better things to come; it is with this meaning that it is associated as an amulet. All things must pass, but all things must also return.
This is the rune of taking a chance, of confronting what is yet not known or revealed, and of the essential self. In some ways, it is the rune of destiny. It is the casting of this rune that will decide the fate, whether one looks at the situation as a gamble or whether the decision is the will of the gods.
Gambling and divination went hand in hand with the Norse communities – decisions would be made by casting lots or sometimes runes.
However, this was not a fixed fate. The gambler or diviner was expected to maximize his good fortune and take appropriate action to avoid any other potential pitfalls. It is this aspect that is used as an amulet.
Elhaz or Algiz (Elk-Sedge)
The rune of the higher self and one’s spiritual nature can be the most difficult to understand. The image comes from that of eelgrass, which is similar to the reed. The symbolism is that of the
double-edged sword, which can both protect and damage; it can therefore be used with a degree of duality. There is a need for care and understanding in making use of such a weapon, both spiritually and otherwise. As an amulet, this rune reminds us of our responsibilities.
This is the rune of success. As always, the Sun is seen as the most positive and potent symbol, though this time as feminine rather than masculine. Experienced often as lightning, it is the third and most powerful Fire rune, melting the ice of winter and giving the crops a chance to grow.
The longest day celebrates the inherent power of the Sun and commemorates the idea of giving supremacy to the representations of the Sun.
Potential and victory are all intrinsic in this rune, and when you need reassurance this is a good rune to wear as an amulet.
The Aett of Tiwaz
Standing for justice and altruism (and possibly self-sacrifice), this rune represents the pole or lode star. As a constant pointer, this rune helps us to keep faith in bad times. It remains visible at all times and symbolizes Justice won through fair combat. This rune takes account of the natural imperfections we experience in life and as an amulet helps to keep us focused on matters at hand, but with an eye to the future.
This is the rune of spiritual regeneration, covering the arts of healing, fertility, and mothering. The rune embraces the concepts of death, birth, and rebirth. Celebrating the Earth Goddess and the Goddess of the Underworld, birch is used to invoke their protection. It promises new beginnings, perhaps on a different plane from the one experienced hitherto. An understanding of the principle of the feminine and the colonization of virgin territory is inherent in this rune.
Looking at it from an amuletic viewpoint, it promises growth and reintegration.
This is the rune of loyalty and harmony.
Partnerships between people or inner and outer worlds, friendships, moving houses, or careers are all associated with this rune.
Ehwaz is connected with the horse, the most sacred animal of the Vikings. It therefore represents harmonious relationships, illustrated best by that between horse and warrior. Mentioned only in the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, Ehwaz emphasizes the joy a horse brings to his rider, making him feel like a prince or minor god. As an amulet, Ehwaz represents the synergy man and beast can create.
This rune stands for man as a reflection of divinity. It is the power of human intelligence; the recognition that our lives are part of a greater whole and the ability to be compassionate and accepting of others. Celebrating the creation of the first man and woman who were given the breath of life, intelligence, and a loving heart and their natural senses by Odin and his brothers, this rune commemorates the potential of the individual and the connection to the human race. As an amulet, it reminds us of the power of the human being.
This is the rune of initiation into life and unconscious wisdom and intuition.
Laguz is the rune of water and the sea and signifies birth and new beginnings.
Water is frightening yet life-giving and the Vikings used sea journeys as a symbol for a new start. The emotions will often take you into places you have never been before, provided you go with the flow. However, there is always an aspect of unpredictability about water.
Wearing this rune as an amulet reminds us of just that.
Ingwaz (The God Ing)
This rune indicates a time of creative withdrawal to wait for new strength.
There may be the promise of better times and a period of gestation, both human and symbolic.
Ingwaz is a fertility rune that is powerfully associated with protection, especially of the home or hearth. Ingwaz or Ing was the God of the Hearth and consort of Nerthus, the Earth Mother. He needed to die to be reborn, and that period of withdrawal was just as important as the time of growth. Worn as an amulet, this rune teaches us to appreciate quiet times.
This is the rune of the home and the sacred space. Domestic matters, family, and finances are all-important, for domestic tranquillity depends on material comfort. Stability depended on family and its continuance, so the homestead was of great importance to the Norse people. Being able to co-exist with others rather than living alone is an important learning experience, and belonging to a family allows us to experience such a thing. A sense of belonging and continuity comes across when this rune is worn as an amulet.
This is the rune of clear vision and awareness.
It is an awakening and the coming together of two opposites. The mid-point of the day as experienced by the Norse world, was dawn and the rising of the Sun. In the Norse legends, Dag, son of Nott, the Goddess of Night, and Dellinger (Dawn), was given a white horse named Skin-Faxi.
From his shining mane, beams of light chased away fears of the night. This rune holds all the promise of the dawning of a new day and the enlightenment that it brings.
Spells for Runes
It is possible to incorporate runes in your spells to represent an idea or principle that expresses succinctly what you wish to say. The first uses the synergy between partners – horse and man – to signify the energy needed to succeed, while the second uses the actual tracing of the symbol to draw in a protective power. The third spell uses the power of the image to enhance the purpose of the spell, while the fourth and fifth show two different uses of the rune of clear vision and awareness, Dagaz.