Runes 101

Ætt/Ættir
“At eve praise the day…”

—Hávamál: 81
Literal Meaning & History

The term Ætt refers to the clan, family, or a group of things
in close relations.
Ættarnafn is your family name, the last name passed down
through generations.
Ættbálkur is a tribe.
And Ætt is used for a subset of species. As in the different
species of Tigers are an Ætt of Cats.
The exact origin of the dividing of the runes in the separate
groupings is not known, but one of the texts regarding this
refers to the use of ættir as means of writing your texts in
code. If you were to draw a straight line, then from it draw
angles upwards and to the right for the rune’s number within
an ætt (1-8) and downwards and to the left denoting the ætt
itself (1-3), or in a similar fashion, you could write your runes
in secret without drawing the attention of the church.
But why this division into these three specific groups, each
containing these specific runes and named after these
specific gods, is not something we have an explanation of in
writing, so some guesswork and observance of context is
required to solve that question.
Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

While the family was, and is, important in the old nordic
tradition, it was not confined entirely to bloodlines. You can
be family by deed as well as by blood.
An ætt can be brought together by common ideals and
common goals and not just by blood relation alone.
With that in mind, to find the significance of each ætt it’s
important to understand with whom it’s associated.
Frey’s/Freyja’s Ætt
Most often this ætt is associated with Freyr, and his
strongest connotations as a god of the good health of crops
and fertility too.
But as this ætt has been connected to Freyja, it’s important
to look at both the god and the goddess and what they
share, what they have in common.
Both of these deities have a strong connection to sex and
intimacy.
While Freyr is a god of fertility, Freyja’s more connected to
passion.
This means that this ætt is tied closely to intimacy and
interpersonal relations, to things like the physical touch and
the need for closeness, sexual or otherwise.
Heimdall’s Ætt
Heimdallr is a god, one of the æsir, and he’s the guardian of
Bifröst which is the rainbow bridge that connects the earth
and the heavens, the world of the living, of humanity, with
the world of the gods, of the dead, of spirit.
He can tell the future and serves much like a diplomat.
He is a priest-like or shamanic figure that exists between
worlds and deals with that which exists between them.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of the runes in his
ætt have to do with changes, death, and magic.
Týr’s Ætt
I have described Týr further in the rune that bears his name,
but in short, Týr is a warrior. He’s an icon of bravery and the
law.
His ætt then revolves around honor, justice, and things
related to these.
So what does this mean?

In reading or in runic magic, these ættir will help add
structure and context to the work and the reading. To know
which aspect of the runes you are working with.
Think of the ættir as a speaker in a reading.
If there is a predominant ætt, by virtue of being the majority
of the runes or if all the key runes to the reading then think
of that ætt as the speaker.
If most of the runes or the absolute key runes are of Freyr’s
ætt, the lover is speaking.
If most of the runes or the absolute key runes are of
Heimdall’s ætt, the shaman is speaking.
If most of the runes or the absolute key runes are of Týr’s
ætt, the honorable warrior is speaking.
This doesn’t change the meaning of the runes, but it can
help add some context. Two different persons might be
reading the exact same text out loud but their inflections,
intonations, and emphasis may differ. Their viewpoint
differs. That is what ættir brings to the table, and that can
take a long time to learn, let alone master.
Suggested Homework
Draw a large equilateral triangle. Find its center and split it
into three equally large triangles. Add color to each
segment.
Green for Freyr’s segment, the lover’s segment.
Pale gray for Heimdall’s segment, the shaman’s/priest’s
segment.
Red for Týr’s segment, the warrior’s segment.
you can also write the names onto the segments.
You need space for five lines below, or so.
Now watch tv, read a book, or play a computer game. Look
for a character, not one you play or can play in the game.
Most characters fall into stereotypes that can be placed
somewhere within the triangle.
Find at least five characters and write down their names and
assign each one a number. Then place that number within
the triangle where you think they would be, in relation to
their character and the way the character behaves towards
and in relation to others.
If a character is so purely one of these archetypes that it
can in no way be considered to have anything to do with the
others, then place its number near the outer edge of the
large triangle, as close to the center as possible.
If the character is nearly two things at the same time, then
put it near an edge between those two things.
Etc.
These characters will help you make sense of the ættir, so
try and go with characters you know, that are memorable,
and don’t rush their placement, take your time and try to be
absolutely sure before you pen down their number.
A Short History.
The origin of the runes isn’t known in any secular or historic
material, and they did not change greatly throughout their
use. They do however have an origin story that is important
to know should you choose to study them.
Odin, the leader of the Norse gods, who was prone to
collect wisdom or knowledge even if the price for it was
steep (you’ll often see him depicted with one eye missing,
according to mythology he gave it freely in trade for a drink
from a fountain or well of wisdom/knowledge to gain
omniscience), is thought to have found the runes and
brought them to both gods and men.
Rúnatal is a part of Hávamál that deals directly with the
discovery of the runes, it tells the story of how Odin tied
himself (some say hung himself from a tree, depending on
the translation) to a massive tree, so great that no man
knows where it roots even go, or come from, (likely a
reference to the world tree, or tree of life), and stabbed
himself with a spear as a sacrifice to himself.
There he hung from the tree for 9 days and 9 nights, without
food or drink, until he looked down and saw the runes, then
screaming he simply fell from the tree.
It was after this fall that knowledge flowed to him, word for
word, stanza for stanza until he was filled with the
knowledge of the runes. (Hávamál 138-145)
Two stanzas follow this that ask questions and give
answers.
The questions are originally seven and they ask the

following;
- Do you know how to write them?
- Do you know how to read them?
- Do you know how to paint them?
- Do you know how to test them?
- Do you know how to ask them?
- Do you know how to bless them?
- Do you know how to send them?
- Do you know how to offer them?
What follows as answers, or maybe words of caution is:
- It is better not to pray at all than to pray for too much.

- Nothing will be given that you won’t repay.
- It is better to sacrifice nothing than to offer too much.
The runes were found through sacrifice, and sacrifice is
what it takes to use them, so be careful and respectful if and
when you chose to use them.
It’s basically the power v.s. responsibility thing, only in
ancient poetic form.
- Traditionally, the runes are carved.

There is no set rule prohibiting you from choosing to paint
the runes onto small pebbles, but while stone may last
longer than wood, paint is more likely to chip and mar than
an indentation in the surface.
Also, the carved rune is then stained, which isn’t readily
available for painted runes.
- Traditional material is wood, horn, or bone.
You do not have to choose either material. This is merely
tradition.
The most common wood to have been used is birch, mainly
because it’s a commonly available wood, but likely also
because it’s a hardwood, making it stronger and more
durable than softer woods.
Whatever material you choose, make sure it’s one you don’t
just like for its appearance or convenience.
Yes, choose something available to you.
Yes, choose something you like.
But ultimately choose something you’re comfortable working
with, even if that means polymer clay or some other material
that wouldn’t be readily available to the Viking era nordic
people.
-Carving the runes-

Take your time.
It’s okay to draw it first with a pencil.
It’s okay to erase and start over.
It’s okay if they’re not 100% perfectly symmetrical.
As long as the rune is clearly recognizable it’s okay.
Try to hold the rune in your mind as you work.
The word, its name, its meaning.
Know what you are carving.
Speak it aloud if that helps.
Repeat it if that helps.
Chant it if that helps.
Just Know what you are carving.
Take breaks in between individual runes, clear your mind,
center yourself, and have a glass of water.
You don’t have to carve them all in one day, let alone in one
sitting.
If you’re working on a material that can wait a while, then
take more time.
You can work this into your study of each individual rune.
A rune a day, or even a rune a week, is not too slow.
Take your time, however much you need.
-Staining the runes-
Traditionally, the runes were not just carved, but stained.
Traditionally, this is arguably the most important step, and
one overlooked in most current English-speaking traditions.
Staining the runes refers to adding colors to the carved
indentation, the rune itself. The traditional color for this is
red.
The reason for the red color is, simply put, blood.
Blood and life are extremely closely tied together in the
nordic tradition. Blood is where the energy of life, of living,
sits. So traditionally, the stain for runes at least included
blood in the mix.
When it comes to magic work, building rune staves or sigils,
whether you’re working offensively or defensively, whether
you’re trying to draw things to you or repel them, it doesn’t
matter. All magic, of all traditions, calls for an investment of
power, of energy, by any number of names, to power the
spell, to make it work. With runes, this is traditionally done
with blood.
You can substitute with any red paint or red liquid and I’d
highly advise doing so, but knowing why the color red, what
it represents, and what you are giving to the runes is
important.
When making your own runes for divination, it’s absolutely
not necessary to include blood in your stain at all, but
should you want to do so, mixing just one drop of your blood
into the paint you use is absolutely enough. Please make
sure that should you choose to do so that you take every
precaution necessary not to cause yourself and do harm,
and please don’t use more than a drop.
Traditionally, only a little bit of animal blood, and maybe a
couple of drops of the völva´s own blood went into the stain,
diluted with pigment and water or another medium, so don’t
go overboard here.
Binding the runes to you
If you’ve read everything so far you might notice that
store-bought runes might not be bound to you in the same
way that hand-made runes are, or maybe you don’t want to
use the color red, let alone blood, to stain your runes, and
so you wonder how else to bind the runes to you, how to
fuel them, to feed them, to make yourself a part of your set
and bond with them in the best possible way without
needing to make your own set or bleed for it.
Like I said earlier, even if you put in all the work on making
the runes, even if you literally color them with your own
blood, none of that means as much as working with the
runes.
So work with them.
Draw a random rune and remind yourself of its meaning.
Pour a piece of yourself into the rune and connect with it.
Connect the rune with you, with your life.
Find its meaning in the life around you.
Do this often, daily if you can.
And then, when you are comfortable with your set, when
you’re ready, move on to divination and, if you want, magic.
Freyr & Freyja’s ætt
Fehu / Fé (F/f)
“Lots of eyes start squinting when there’s money around.” -
Bandamannasaga ch. 5
Literal meaning & History.

The name of this rune, in it’s old form and new, both refer to
the same thing. This is a word that refers to livestock
originally, ‘specifically to sheep, but the ownership of sheep,
or livestock in general, could be seen as a measure of
wealth. Later on, the word also became widely used to refer
to financial wealth. This is theorized to be through the use of
sheep to denote value. That is to say, you could trade your
reams of cloth for this sword because the two would be
worth approximately the same number of sheep.
The word Fé is still used both for money and for sheep in
the Icelandic language, though similar variations in the other
nordic languages are solely used to refer to sheep (to my
knowledge).
In fact, the Icelandic word for capital or fjármagn can literally
be translated to “amount of sheep”.
Figurative meaning & Symbolism.

This rune means “Wealth” in its widest physical sense.
It refers to money.
It refers to property.
It refers to marketable skills and abilities.
It refers to the wealth of knowledge as it applies to the
physical world.
It refers to creativity in the terms of physically creating
things.
It refers to physical goals.
It also refers to self respect and your relationship with your
physical form.
You’ll notice I did not explain positive or negative or what it
says about these things.
This is because no rune has a directional meaning as such.
All runes are symbols of the ideological construct that they
represent. This of course means that they hold both the
positive and negative at the same time.
The rune does not convey that wealth is gained or lost or
that either is necessarily a good thing or a bad thing and yet
it conveys all of these things at once.
The nordic people understood and had many verses,
references, and stories surrounding wealth and it’s affect on
people.
Wealth can make you hunger for more.
Wealth can make you forsake that which you used to hold
dear.
The thirst for wealth can leave you senseless and foolish.
Wealth should be earned, and grown, carefully, through
hard work and patience.
Wealth should be shared generously. It’s better to give a
helping hand to a friend than to lose either.
And a friend you’ve helped when you are able will be there
to help you, should the tables turn.
The use and meaning of this rune in any magic or divination
as with every rune will always require context.
Suggested Homework
Think about how getting a boon of wealth (a university
scholarship to the uni of your choice to learn what you want,
or a lottery win, or any number of great gifts of wealth that
you may have wished existed and could fall in your lap)
would be a great blessing, but also how it could be a terrible
curse, how that boon could in effect ruin your life, how it
could change you, how it might be squandered, what
downsides it could bring.
The write it down. The boon, and a few words for how it
would be positive, and a few words for how it would be
negative.
If/When you work with the rune, keep both these sides in
mind, as they are indeed of the same coin.
Uruz/Úr (Uu)
“The eyes cannot hide it if a woman loves another.” -
Gunnlaugssaga ch 11.

I have seen this rune translated to a bear while the last
(Fehu) gets translated as cattle, this is incorrect. There are
no old Norse names for bears that begin with the letter U.
There appears to be a tendency to like Uruz with Ursa,
which means bear, yes, but probably originates in Latin.
Uruz in all likelihood refers to an Ox. The word úruxi in the
Icelandic language is considerably old (likely a slightly
modernized form of the name of this rune) and refers to a
species of oxen that went extinct around 1627.
This species of oxen was very large and had a temper.
Many words are found that start with the “úr” sounds that
refer to things like violent or ill-tempered; for example, úrillur
means mad as an ox (ill-tempered and prone to violent
reactions - modern use: “grumpy”).
Nevertheless, the beasts were also great and powerful
forces with which to work the land.
It’s possible that the specific oxen referenced with this rune
are Auðhumla a central creature of the origin of the world in
the heathen tradition.
In the very beginning was only a great and gaping void,
surrounded by the contradicting forces of fire and ice. Within
this void, from the mixture of these forces, was formed a
great cow and her udders overflowed with milk. This milk
went to feed the formation of the first other living, sentient
being.
Úr as such therefore has another meaning, as a prefix, then
reference to the ox. It refers to something great, something
big, something powerful. It’s often used in reference to
natural forces such as the rain, and in that context, it shows
up at the start of the small Icelandic rune poem.
Úr is the tears of the sky
The quenching of drought
And the bane of the court.
In this context, the renewal and the balancing of forces are
at play, and how when the land prospers, the grasp of those
that mean to control the land is weakened.

The words above, in the image, are little keystones to what
this simple rune represents.
“Creative Force” is probably the closest one can get to
defining the concept this rune represents.
It’s the energy that drives action.
It’s the inspiration and passion of creation.
It’s the raw lust part of fertility.
It’s the base instinct at the core of your being.
It’s the ability to understand, the thing that differences
between knowing and knowledge.
Like the last time, there’s no “good or bad” meaning
specifically. It’s all context.
Just as wealth can bring good things as well as bad,
depending on how it affects you, how it affects your life, and
where you are in relation to it, the same thing applies here.
An artist can get so lost in inspiration and passion that they
forget to tend to their basic needs.
An artist can be driven by inspiration and passion of
creation and still not sell a single piece.
Creative passion alone won’t feed you and can hinder you.
Lust can be blinding.
Your instincts can falter.
Your knowledge can be wrong.
Suggested Homework
Find something that gets your proverbial or literal juices
flowing, something that sets off that spark within your body
and soul, something that makes you hunger for more,
something that makes your blood quicken and your hands
eager to work, no matter what kind of work it is.
Write this thing down.
Write down, in simple words, something that ignites your
passion, your lust, your basal forces, your creativity, and
your desire.
Then think of how this thing could make your life better, how
doing this thing, engaging in this thing, makes you a better
person.
Then think of how this thing can make your life worse, how
doing this thing, getting lost in this thing, can destroy you as
a person.
Note those down, side by side, and remember this if/when
you work with the rune.
A force of nature is merely a force of nature, whether it
comes as quenching rain or a torrential storm. It is neither
inherently good nor bad, but can easily become either or
both.
Þurisaz/Þurs (Th/þ/”thorn”)
“It is better to be betrayed than to trust no one.”
Fljótsdælingasaga ch. 13

There are three words that appear to refer to more or less
the same sort of being, Jötunn, Risi, and Þurs. The giants,
or ogres.
Not necessarily evil, but not bound by the same morality as
men, or æsir or Vanir. Some were humanoid, even beautiful,
while others were multiheaded, with great big fangs and
long sharp claws and even others resembled or were
described as beasts and creatures.
Þursar and Jötnar are a staple of the old mythology, the
beings with which the gods (æsir and vanir) interacted the
most. Neighboring powers with that they shared history and
even familial ties too. In some way, the interaction could be
seen to resemble the interactions between two royal
houses.
The þursar refers mostly to ice and wind giants, whereas
jötnar were more tied to the realm of fire (muspellheim).
Þursar were poetic, they hoarded knowledge and kept to
themselves and demanded high payment for even the
slightest share, they had a violent streak and were known to
eat men and think very little of mankind in general, not that
they thought highly of the gods either. There is a sort of
selfish greed, self-centered lack of morality, and tremendous
pride that is closely tied to the þursar, and they can’t exactly
be called lazy either. The way these things manifest with
them isn’t in the “selfish brat” sort of manner but in the
disciplined and ruthless manner.
In some sagas, þursar would regrow severed limbs and in
general be extremely hardy and difficult to kill.
Þurs is the torment of women

and the inhabitant of the rock
and the wardrune’s guard

The key word here, or the one closest to it, would be
“Focus”.
Not in the sense of perspective, but in the sense of
single-minded concentration and discipline.
If you want something, you’ll have to work for it, you’ll have
to concentrate, and you’ll have to maintain focus, maintain
discipline.
This is the action the rune refers to.
This is the knowledge the rune refers to.
This is the hardship the rune refers to.
This rune is the distilled essence of sitting at your desk,
surrounded by books, deep in the work of reading and
referencing, in preparation for a test, completely shut out
from any distraction, any other purpose. This is the rune at
its core.
This is not necessarily a bad thing.
I know the initial reaction is “holy shit, that sounds terrible”
but it’s not.
The ability to focus on a task, to take it to completion,
without getting sidetracked, is not an unenviable ability.
Of course, as any person with attention deficit disorder will
tell you, to slip into hyperfocus, to lose connection with the
rest of the world because your mind has zeroed in on some
one thing, doesn’t exactly have to be good either.
Suggested Homework
Think of a scenario, preferably not regarding school, where
focusing on the task at hand, putting in the work, and
concentrating, are required. Think outside the box, and find
something practical. Like building something, or destroying
something.
Think of how concentration, self-control, discipline, etc, etc,
are a good thing, how these things can positively affect the
work and your life outside of it, the outcome, and how
completion of the thing affects you.
Then think about all the ways that these traits can become a
bad thing, how they can negatively affect the work itself and
your life outside of it, the outcome, and how completion of
the thing affects you. (A little hint here; Change is hard. Who
are you if you aren’t the person who does what you do?)
Ansuz/Óss (Aa)
“With many who attain power and status, arrogance builds
up in equal measure.” Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla: Saga
of Magnús the Good, ch. 7

Óss or Ansuz as a term is a variation of Ás. Ás as in Ásatrú,
as in Æsir.
The literal meaning of this rune, therefore, refers directly to
the old Norse gods or more accurately to most of them.
The old Norse/Teutonic heathen gods were of two clans,
æsir and Vanir. Óss refers to the former.
Among the Æsir were Þór (Thor), Loki, Iðunn, Frigg, and
their leader, sometimes referred to as “the” óss, Óðinn
himself.
Óss is the flesh of the fruit

And the leader of Asgard
And the path to Valhalla.
The fruit referenced in this was likely the apples of Iðunn.

These are golden apples that the heathen gods eat to
prevent themselves from aging. They are sort of the nordic
equivalent of Ambrosia.
Iðunn is a goddess whose primary function in the pantheon
is to tend and guard these apples and did so successfully
save for one incident wherein Loki tricked her and gave her
to a jötunn. He did bring however also save her and bring
her back once his betrayal was discovered.
This rune doesn’t just represent “a god” or “the gods” but as
with all the runes, it is a representation of what it means to
be a god. It represents a particular combination of power
and responsibility.
If there is any word that represents this rune accurately, it’s
“Leader”.
Not boss, not “guy in charge”, though that can be implied,
but the one who stands for the community, as its guardian
and representative.
It is the fabled hero who many follow.
It is the spiritual leader.
It’s the speaker of truth.
It’s the guardian and representative of the people.
With everything that all of this entails, that is what this what
is meant when I say this rune means “Leader”.
There is a strong implication towards justice and validity, as
this rune doesn’t favor false prophets, but there’s also an
implication of change of transformation.
Power changes you.
Responsibility changes you.
Becoming a leader irrevocably changes you.
This is a simple fact.
Whether for the better or to the worse remains to be seen.
Suggested Homework
Find a leader. No, not to follow, but someone who is a
well-documented leader, living or dead, who you can
research. Ideally, someone who’s gotten a lot of photos of
them taken. Local, national, or international, doesn’t matter.
Try to look up how they started out, what they spoke out for,
and what they stood for before they got into a position of
power and responsibility.
Then compare this with what they stood/stand for once
they’d been in a position of power for some time.
Look at their photos, before and after power, and look at the
physical changes.
A politician that meets considerable opposition ages pretty
fast don’t they?
If you’re familiar with one or more leaders and their careers
before and during their reign of power, be it on the smallest
of scale (forum moderators f.ex.) or the greatest (presidents,
prime ministers, royalty) or anywhere in between, then you
can skip this.
For your notebook, think about an issue or a thing that
matters to you, something you could consider fighting for or
becoming a caretaker of, something that you’d like to affect.
Anything from a community of like-minded people on the
internet to political battles goes here, as long as it’s
something that matters to you personally.
Write this down in simple terms.
(I would like to help LGBT community. I would like to get
more ppl to vote. I would like to help moderate a witchy
forum. whatever you want)
Now think about a situation wherein you’d be given the
power and status to really do something to achieve your
desires in this manner. You’re now the mod. You’re now a
part of the management. You’re now a person with a title
and the pull to make it happen.
a) Write down the things that you ideally would do, and the
most important Good you can achieve in that position.
b) Write down how you could exploit that position for the
greatest personal gain. (Take your time with this one, try
and work out realistically how you could do things with your
power that would help you above the community.)
Notice how easy it is, though this is only a thought
experiment, to be corrupted by the idea of power. Though it
might be hard to begin to think of a way to create personal
gain (for some of you), once you thought of just one little
thing, how much came with it? How satisfying was the
thought?
Remember this exercise whenever you work with the rune.
Power corrupts.
Raidho/Reið (Rr)
“A fool believes
He may live forever
Steering clear of strife;
But age gives him
No mercy,
Though spears spare his life”
Hávamál 16

The direct translation of the name of this rune, Raidho/Reið
is the ride, specifically in the context of a horse ride and in
the context of travel.
As in, a two days ride.

Though the literal meaning is easy to translate and one can
simply translate the figurative meaning to “Ride!” as the core
term, you would be doing this rune a disservice by thinking
of it simply in the context of travel and all that that entails.
No, this rune refers to all the things we can refer to as rides,
like travels, and paths.
This is the family vacation.
This is the long-awaited visit to a friend.
This is the change in your life.
This is destiny.
This is the search within, and without.
This is the path of labor, from an amateur to an expert.
This is the path of Life.
The little runic poem above translates as follows:
Reið is the pleasure of the rider
And a tricky journey
And the labor of the horse.
That’s the thing about Raidho, even in its most mundane
translation. Whether you are the rider or the ridden when it
comes up is entirely up to context.
Suggested Homework
Think about the last year of your life and look for all the
different ways your life has displayed this concept.
How many rides can you find in the last year of your life?
Did you change your job?
Did you take the bus?
Did you drive?
Did you go on vacation?
Did something change drastically?
Did you change your life on purpose?
Etc, etc, etc, etc…

Think both macro and micro, physical, emotional, spiritual,
intellectual and biological, outside yourself and within
yourself, as a person or as a drop in the oceanic ebb and
flow of humanity.
Write down in only a couple of words as many rides as you
can think of.
Kenaz/Kaun (Kk)
“No one is a complete fool if he knows how to hold his
tongue.” - Grettissaga ch 88

Kaun or Kenaz most probably means “to know”. Know may
even come from the same root.
The words Kunna in Icelandic, känna, and kunna in
Swedish, and similar words in the other nordic languages
most certainly have the same root which is connected to this
word.
There is however more than one word in these languages
that mean “to know” for a reason.
There is a word for knowing as in knowing a person.
There is a word for knowing as in knowing a piece of
information.
There is a word for knowing as in understanding a piece of
information.
And there is a word for knowing as in recognizing.
The words that share a root with Kenaz apply to three of
these four.
Knowing a person.
Recognizing.
And Understanding.
Etymologically this holds true for the old nordic term that this
rune’s name comes from.
The word for knowing a piece of information is “vita” and is a
distinctly different word both in its spelling and sound, and
its meaning.
It’s possible that the words kunna and vita, or their old
forms, were involved in shaping the English words'
knowledge and wisdom.
Kaun/Kenaz at its core refers to “comprehension”.
it’s the point where merely knowing a thing and completely
understanding a thing cross paths.
It’s knowing the size and power of the sun, and
understanding the immensity of it all and all its implications.
In a way, it describes something that we as human beings
are perhaps not fully able to do, at least not in regards to
just about anything.
It’s the ability to comprehend fully, beyond surface
knowledge.
It’s the wisdom to know what you know and what you can’t
know.
It’s the ability to understand.
It’s the mental, intellectual, and psychological part of
creativity.
It’s the rush of inspiration.
It’s knowledge as well as wisdom.
Knowledge, as well as wisdom, is pretty huge within the
Norse/Teutonic mythology, and it is always something that
comes with a price or a word of warning.
Being wise and knowledgeable is something to desire, to
strive for, but one should always remember that this comes
with a price and that it’s super important to know your limits.
Wisdom and knowledge are something that everyone can
obtain and should strive for, within their own limits and
within human limits.
The Hávamál has several stanzas regarding this and one
line comes to mind especially. “No man should know his fate
until they’ve played out.” Knowing your fate, knowing and
understanding the path you are on, and knowing and
understanding where it leads, inevitably changes the
outcome.
Knowledge & Wisdom can make a man powerful and
dangerous, to himself and others.
Knowledge & Wisdom take hard work.
Knowledge & Wisdom can make others hostile towards you,
and even lead to your ostracization.
The hunt for knowledge & wisdom can even lead you to
ignore your body’s needs, should you take it too far.
In all things moderation. Context is key.
Kaun is cursed by children,

and the battle’s outcome,
and the fading of flesh. (literally “and the home of leprosy”)
Suggested Homework
Look for an impossible question, a philosophical
conundrum, or something that is so far removed from your
life, your experience that truly understanding it might very
well be beyond you.
Write it down.
Look at it.
Try to understand it.
The sun, as I mentioned before, is a pretty good exercise.
The impossible question would then be “How big is the
sun?”
Then you look up and write down the numbers, and if you’re
able, sit in the sun, look at photos and illustrations that
depict the sun, it’s size difference compared to earth and
compared to other stars.
Look at them and try to understand, try to wrap your mind
around just how big that thing is, and what that means.
Push your mind until your head hurts.
Know that you are smart.
Intelligence isn’t a finite resource and it doesn’t exist in a
vacuum.
It relies on context.
Note down any thoughts on the nature of comprehension
that you feel are important.
Gebo/Gjöf (Gg)
“Always repay a gift.” - Hávamál

Gebo/gjöf means gift, simply put.
The term and terms that trace back to this one refer to all
kinds of given things, whether inherited or physically given.
Even the Icelandic word for intelligence (gáfur) has the
same basic root.

This card represents fully “That which is freely given”.
It’s the gift given.
It is selfless sacrifice.
It is the honest bond of friendship.
It is honest love.
It is sympathy and compassion.
It is generosity without expectation.
It is the essence of hospitality.
The thing though is, with gifts and giving in the old nordic
system, there’s no thing as a truly, fully, free meal.
Even a gift given out of hospitality, out of pure generosity,
given as selflessly as a gift can be given, comes with strings
attached, even if those strings are merely that you are you
and you happen to be where you are. There are always
circumstances and gifts can be powerful influences.
It is, for example, extremely important Never to accept a gift
from one of the hidden people (or indeed to even speak to
them), as this act binds you to them in a way that grants
them abilities over you that they don’t have unless you
accept that link.
A gift creates a bond, a link between the giver and the
receiver. And if that bond is unequal, both will suffer, one
way or another, sooner or later.
It is important to keep this in mind when working with this
rune.
Balance is important.
Suggested Homework
Ask yourself, what is the best thing that you have been
given by another person?
This can be a physical or nonphysical gift, as long as
someone gave it to you.
Write this thing down.
And then write down why this is the best gift you’ve been
given.
Now ask yourself, what is the worst thing that you have
given to another person?
This can be a physical or nonphysical gift, as long as you
gave it to someone.
Write this thing down too.
And then write down why this is the worst gift that you have
given.
Wunjo/Vend (Ww)
“Wise in measure should each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
seldom a heart will sing with joy
if the owner is all too wise.“
- Hávamál

Tracing down the etymological origin of this word is difficult.
There are no words in current usage in any of the nordic
languages that I’ve been able to find that correlate closely to
the name of this rune and its meaning.
Nevertheless, the word is thought to have a meaning similar
to joy or happiness and this meaning is primarily because of
an anglo-Saxon rune poem.
Who uses it knows no pain, sorrow or anxiety,

and he himself has prosperity and bliss,
and also enough shelter.
Whether this word was ever in usage or merely exists as the
name for this rune is unknown.

The rune is one of “joy”, or all feelings of elation and bliss.
It’s the feeling that success in that things brings you.
That blissful spark of eureka when you finally solve a
puzzle, or that buzz of joy from receiving praise, or that
contented hum of finally completing a difficult job.
It is happiness.
It’s feeling comfortable and cozy and well.
It’s the sensation of being rewarded.
It’s contentment.
It’s praise.
As I’ve gone on about so far, and feel the need to impress
upon greatly in this case.
This rune is not necessarily a good one!
All things rely on context and nothing is free.

The rune in and of itself holds all this potential for feeling
well and at ease and comfortable but it doesn’t tell you for
how long nor at what cost.
Do not fall into the trap of thinking that all happiness is a
good thing.
If you win the lottery tonight this will likely make you happy.
But the majority of big lottery winners end up poorer and
worse off than they started out within a few years of their
win.
And that’s assuming you were right, that your ticket doesn’t
get lost, that you don’t get into an accident because you’re
distracted by thinking of all the great things you’re going to
do, all the good things this will bring.
Not all happiness is long-lived.
Not all happiness is over things that actually will make your
life better.
Not all happiness is good.
What if the windfall of funds, much-needed funds, came at a
price?
Inheritance?
Insurance?
Lawsuit?
How much would you sacrifice for the taste of financial
security and the happiness that can bring?
Is this rune even referencing your happiness?
Depending on how you weave your magic or spread your
symbols for divination, the happiness at play with this rune
might not even be yours.
So, please. Remember.
None of the runes are strictly bad!
None of the runes are strictly good!
Context Context Context!
Suggested Homework
Find something that makes you happy, that makes you feel
content, that makes you feel positive emotions.
Write this thing down, write down how it makes you feel,
and write down how important this thing is in your life. Write
it all down.
Once you have it all written down… write down the price.
What does this happiness cost you?
And dig down, think, stretch out that mind of yours and look
for all the inevitable things this happiness maybe will cost
you, and you know it will cost you.
If the source of joy is a family pet, odds are you will outlast
this pet, you will likely outlive this pet, you will almost
certainly have to bear the pain of when it’s time to let go.
Write it down.
Every cost, every scrap of pain, every sacrifice, everything.
Know that nothing in this world is ever, truly, without cost,
somehow, in some way. Know this, and then go bask in
every tiny spark of happiness you can summon up for as
long as it lasts. Appreciate it, for what it is.
And try not to make the price higher than it has to be.
Heimdall’s ætt
Hagalaz/Hagall (Hh)
“The worst things are those that are suffered alone.”
Grettissaga ch. 16

Hagalaz or hagall refers to hail. As in a hailstorm. As in tiny
pellets of frozen ice that bite when they hit your skin.
The more modern form of this word, hagl or hagel is still
used in the modern Scandinavian/nordic languages for
specifically this form of weather, though the word may have
also, originally, referred loosely to other forms of horrible
winter weather.

The core word to keep in mind when working with this rune
is “storm” rather than the hail itself. Though remembering
the connection is important.
This rune represents catastrophe in all its forms.
It’s bad luck and misfortune that finds you even on sunny
days.
It is destruction.
It’s the time of tribulation, an ordeal.
It’s the annihilation that leaves a clean slate behind.
It’s adversity.
It’s the feeling of loss.
It is the end.
This is a rune of suffering.
It can be anything from walking through a literal storm to get
home, whether or not you make it to the end of your journey,
to weathering the strain of sitting at an awkward family
dinner, full of frustration, hostility, and judgment, for just one
night.
But just as with the last rune, this doesn’t necessarily mean
something bad.
There is always a silver lining and there is always an end.
It’s an undeniable fact of life that everything is subject to
change.
Pain too. No matter what kind of pain or where it comes
from, it changes, it’s not the same from day to day, pain
itself changes, some days are better than others, and
sooner or later even this will pass.
And the world seeks balance.
Pain changes you. All pain changes you.
“No pain no gain.” If you’re working out you want to work out
until it’s hard, until you have to strain, until your body
objects, to maximize the rewards.
Sometimes we have to go through periods of hardship to
make our lives better.
Sometimes we have to give up what we know, with all the
pain and fear this causes, for a better unknown.
Suffering doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Context!
Hagall is the cold grains

and the falling sleet
and a plague of snakes.
Suggested Homework
Think of something you can do, that you want to do, but
you’re afraid to do. Something that would be hard, scary,
difficult… but not entirely possible.
Something you still Want to do.
OR
Think of the single hardest thing you’ve ever had to do, be it
physically the hardest or emotionally the hardest.
Write down this thing in simple terms.
Then write down every good thing that came of it or it could
bring you.
Everything.
From “sense of accomplishment/responsibility” to
measurable monetary gain.
From strength gained to understanding achieved.
Everything.
Every teeny tiny good thing can find its way to you through
this piece of suffering.
Still know, that nothing in this world is free. No matter how
much a thing can give you, doesn’t mean you won’t have to
suffer for it.
Heimdall’s ætt
Nauthiz/Nauð (Nn)
“The lame can ride,
The handles can herd,
The deaf can do deeds of valor,
Better to be blind,
Than burned on a pyre,
A corpse is of no use to anyone.”
- Hávamál

The meaning of this word is need. The thing about need is
that for it to exist there has to be a shortage. As such this
word has also been used etymologically both historically
and in modern times in that context.
Neyð is the current Icelandic form of this word.
Hungursneyð (hungurs-neyð) is famine (the need of
hunger).
As with the English word need, this term doesn’t just exist
as a noun, but also as a verb, though there is a significant
difference in the meaning between the languages.
To need in English is to require something.
Að neyða in Icelandic is to force or coerce. Not in the sense
of forcing a door open, but in the sense of forcing a person,
or forcing the flow of water. It’s a term that doesn’t refer to a
single moment, but to a whole event, or a change in the
path of things.

This is Need.
And remember, for there to be a need, something has to be
missing.
This is not “really want”.
This is not “could use”.
This is Need.
This is a rune that represents a need in all its forms.
It is being burdened with things that make life more difficult
for you.
It is oppression and hardship.
It is prolonged suffering.
It is the unyielding barriers.
It is despair.
It is the slow path of restoration.
While the last rune, Hagalaz, dealt with short-term suffering
that sooner or later ends, this rune, Nauthiz, deals with the
long term, the slow, the things that can get better but won’t
just end or stop. Compared to something physical, Hagalaz
is like a broken bone, and Nauthiz is like chronic pain.
This isn’t a hard day’s work, this is a hard life.
I keep pressing the importance of context, and here too,
there is context.
This rune doesn’t tell you what is needed, who needs it, or
how need comes into play, for that you need context.
And the thing about need is, that not all need is the same.
Not all need is debilitating. Hence the quote from Hávamál.
Need isn’t something that can’t be fulfilled, can’t be treated,
can’t be solved, but it will never be solved overnight.
And even if it can never be fully solved, fully fulfilled, fully
treated, it can be managed, compensated for, and even
lived with.
Need isn’t just a rough patch or bump in the road, it’s a
shitty road, but even on a shitty road there are things you
can do to make the ride a little easier, and the road might
yet get a little bit better, and sometimes… sometimes you
can get off the road, change your path.
Suggested Homework
Find a small need.
Not a big need, big needs are easy, a small need.
Something small in your own life. We all have these things.
One of your boobs might be bigger than the other, which is
normal, but can make “finding a bra that fits properly” a bit
tricky, or can even mean that the strain on your back is just
slightly uneven and can cause problems that way.
Maybe you hate your nose.
Maybe you struggle to understand something specific.
Maybe you “can’t” do something you really really want to be
able to do.
Maybe you’re scared of butterflies.
Okay, so some of these might be bigger needs than others,
but the reason for “small personal need” in this context is so
that it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of “big personal
problem” or even “societal issue that sucks so badly” and
while it’s important to think about those things, the smaller
things are easier to do this exercise with.
Write down your little personal need, the thing that won’t go
away and has no available simple solution at this time.
Now write down all the little things you do to compensate
and make this need less pressing.
Write down the things that genuinely help and those that
you do that don’t.
Examine how you’re working on making this problem lesser
for yourself.
Read that hávamál verse again.
Try and carry it with you, the simple fact that no matter how
bad a problem is, no matter how utterly unsolvable it may
seem, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing that can be done
to make it suck just a little bit less.
Heimdall’s ætt
Isa/Ís (I/i)
“The unwise man
is awake all night
and thinks of all sorts of things.
Tired is he
when the morning comes
and his problems unchanged.”
- Hávamál

If you utter the name of the rune out loud you can hear what
it means.
The word means ice. The literal state of being frozen solid.
Contextually, colloquially, it was not uncommon to refer to
winter weather and the covering of snow in terms of ice
either. That ice had been laid across the land. Similar to
how in English one could say the land was iced over.

If there is one key word to describe this rune and it’s
meaning it’s “frozen”.
As in literally cold and unmoving.
As in figuratively cold and unmoving.
It is the permanence of self. (No matter how far you go, you
will always be there.)
It is inaction.
It is stagnation.
It is perfect focus and concentration.
It is the enduring patience.
It is deep contemplation and meditation.
It is standing still.
It is rest.
This is laying around the house and doing absolutely
nothing for days on end.
This is getting stuck in a pattern of doing the same things
day in and day out though you are busy and working all the
time.
This is getting so lost in concentration as you draw that
when you raise your head hours have whisked by and it’s
nearing dawn.
This is being unable to put down the book.
This is the deep breath and repeated correction of
unwanted behavior in a pet or a child without a spark of
anger.
This is getting lost in thought and spacing out on the bus so
that you miss your stop.
This is sitting and meditating for an hour.
This is the status quo, unchanged and unmoving.
This is the rest stop along the way, where you sit and
breathe for a while.
A moment frozen in time.
A man frozen in the pattern his life.
A computer frozen and won’t boot up.
Suggested Homework
Find two examples for your life.
Find a habit that you’re failing to brake, that you may not
even be trying to break, even if this habit isn’t exactly a
good one. It doesn’t have to be a bad one either, just
persistent and not a good or helpful one.
Do you chew your nails?
Do you always need to check something?
Do you spend too much time on something?
Do you keep doing the same thing the same way though
there’s no benefit to doing it, or doing it that way?
Write this down and try and write down how you fell into this
pattern and how long it’s persisted and why you’ve not tried
or not been able to change it.
Then find something new.
It can be something that you’ve recently started or would
like to start doing.
Something you want to keep as a persistent figure in your
life.
Some form of exercise?
Some creative endeavors?
Something spiritual?
A new person?
Any recent addition or change will do, as long as it’s
something you want.
Write this down and try and write down why you want this to
stay in your life, how you can implement this into your
established pattern, and what it’s worth to you.
There is no promise this will break old patterns or establish
new ones but being aware of them can help.
And keep it small, if at all possible. We’re doing examples
for homework, not overhauls.
Heimdall’s ætt
Jera/ár (J/j Y/y)
“No harvest is had without the seed first being sown.”
-Saga Ólafs Trygvasonar Konungs ch 8

If you say the word out loud you can hear it’s meaning,
same as with the last rune. Jera means year.
But not just a year. The term in its old form could also refer
to seasons and with different prefixes, it would refer to
different types of seasons as well.
And even if we simply focus on the meaning of year, the
turn of the year, the moment of the new year, wasn’t always
during the mid of winter, at least not for everyone. Various
areas of Europe celebrated the new year during different
seasons.
This term is mostly connected to the harvest season but old
heathen and pagan Europeans celebrated their new year
usually in the autumn or around the start of winter, though
there were some that started their year in spring during the
sowing and sprouting seasons.

The thing with this rune is that it refers to the whole growing
and harvesting part of the year, the spring summer, and fall
seasons for that half of the year dedicated to the growing
and harvesting of food and other things, so it’s hard to
pinpoint one word to focus on for this rune. I suggest striving
to create a visual representation of a field of wheat, heavy
with grain, in your mind and connecting that with this rune.
This is production and productivity.
This is the harvest.
This is the reward for labor.
This is the inevitable and constant change.
This is the passing of time.
This is the turning of the wheel.
If you look at the rune, and how it’s drawn, it hints at motion
that has no beginning and no end.
This is standing at your graduation, ready to receive the
final reward for all your work.
This is getting paid at the end of a project and/or seeing it
come to fruition.
This is getting your book published after all that you’ve put
into it.
This is pushing through that last patch of hard work and
finally seeing things come together.
BUT.
This rune reminds us of all those things that after
graduation, you have to find work and begin a new season
in your life.
After your project is complete, you’ll begin another one.
After your book is published, the next one waits to be
started.
After watching that hard work lead to its end, there will be
something else to begin with.
And sometimes a period in your life runs its course on its
own.
Things change and new things come along.
Friendships fade, and friendships are made.
Relationships peter out, new flames are kindled.
Change can be scary.
If you’ve been the person that is doing this project for long
enough, completing it can be scary because we forget who
we are if we aren’t the person doing this project.
This fear and discomfort can even make it hard to make
positive changes happen in our lives. If we let ourselves
become defined by our problems, even the problems can
become hard to let go of.
This rune, therefore, serves as a gentle reminder that there
is no end without another beginning and that change is
inevitable so we might as well make the most of it.
The little rune poem translates roughly to;
Ár is good to men
and a good summer
and a laden field.
Suggested Homework
Think of your own past.
Think of periods of your life that were dedicated to projects
of some sort.
School, courses, studies that you did by yourself because of
personal interest, pieces of art that took a while to complete,
short stories you’ve written, something you’ve built, learning
to play an instrument, whatever.
These don’t have to be big projects, something small that
took a couple of days is enough.
Choose a couple of projects, 2 maybe 3, that you can
remember with some clarity.
Focus on the last moments, the bit where the final touches
happened, the last few days before it was over, the moment
of completion.
Write down, in simple terms, what you remember of the
completion, and what it felt like to see it finish.
Write down your reward.
There is always a reward. It might not always be something
obvious.
Heimdall’s ætt
Eihwaz/Jór (Ei/Eh/Æ/æ)
“Cattle dies
Kinsmen die
Self dies the same
But reputation
Never dies,
For one who earns a good one.
Cattle dies.
Kinsmen die.
Self dies the same.
But one I know
Never dies.
Judgment of ever dead man.”
- Hávamál

The word, in all likelihood, refers to the original yew tree.
The yew, or European yew, is a relatively small tree, only
growing to 10-20 meters in height (33-66 feet) though the
tallest of them measured 28 meters (92ft) tall.
It’s got a very wide trunk compared to height and it’s a
slow-growing, dark-colored evergreen with bright red
berries.
It’s also an extremely toxic tree. Every part of it except the
flesh of the berries is poisonous.
There are many recipes for concoctions and stories of using
this tree as a means of suicide.
Some of the oldest descriptions of the heathen world tree
imply that it was a yew, though in later translations this tree
was replaced with the ash.
The yew tree gives excellent wood for crafting weapons, the
oldest wooden artifact is a spear made of yew and the yew
is said to have been the preferred wood for making the
infamous English longbow.
Unless cut down, the yew will live for hundreds possibly
even thousands of years.

This is a rune of change and of death, in many ways similar
to the tarot card Death, so if you are familiar with that one,
“Death” is a good key-word to keep in mind while you work
with this rune, but not without its counterpart of “Rebirth”.
This is enduring.
This is the beginning/rebirth.
This is the shelter from the storm of life.
This is standing face to face with your fears.
This is a turning point.
This is a complete transformation.
This is Death.
The yew tree offers a safe, dry place to rest, nearest to its
trunk, while the storm rages on beyond its boughs.
It offers strong wood.
It offers sweet berries.
And it is literally poisonous.
This is that moment in your life where the path you walk on
takes a sharp turn, where everything changes, where
everything changes you.
This is literal physical death, and the death of the ego, of the
idea of who you are.
This is that moment’s rest between two different lives, a nap
while you travel as you move to a new city, a new place, a
new job, a new life.
This is making the choice to work through your issues, see
that therapist, resolve your phobias, to change, to grow.
This is becoming and this is ending.
Suggested Homework
What is the single largest change you’ve experienced in
your life?
This could be moving house.
This could be a massive change in your family.
This could be abandoning a career or a path of study and
starting a new one, considerably different from the old one.
This could be an accident.
This could be on purpose.
Just, look for a big and drastic change.
(If the single biggest change is uncomfortable to you, then
chose something else. It’s okay. This will be easier with a
change you’ve made your peace with or better.)
Now write down the change in simple terms.
Then write down how it changed you.
What are you now that you weren’t then?
What were you then that you aren’t now?
Heimdall’s ætt
Perthro/Peorth/Verpill (P/p)
“Thence comes maidens,
much knowing,
three, from the hall
under tree stands;
Urd hight the first,
the second Verdandi,
they ash-tablets graved,
Skuld hight the third;
they laws made,
they life selected;
all the children
they destiny say.”
- Völuspá

This is one of the few rune words or titles where the literal
meaning just isn’t known, or it’s not known even if there is a
literal meaning.
That being said, the word and its context have been
considered to have something to do with pear wood and
cups, like the sort of cup you’d put dice or game pieces in,
for throwing, for random results. Or game boxes.
These translations however are actually largely hypothetical
and no set translation exists for this term.
Due to its supposed connection to the cup and container
(specifically in the game sense), various rune sites have
begun linking this rune with the vagina. There is no
evidence the name for this rune contains any reference to
any sexual organs of any kind.
I find it quite interesting that we’ve lost the original meaning
of the word for this rune (assuming there ever really was
one beyond the rune) because this is a rune for the
“Unknown”.
This is fate, the unavoidable destiny.
This is the mystery of the unknown.
This is magic and divination.
This is the natural course of change, evolution.
This is a fresh start.
This is epiphany, revelation.
These are the forces at play in the universe that we don’t
understand, that we are unable to grasp, and that is beyond
our capacity to understand fully.
This is the finesse of causality and its inevitability.
This is everything that you struggle to know and trust, a
piece of information that no matter how you try, slips
through your fingers like fine sand.
This rune is the stuff that controls which numbers come up,
if you put your dice in a cup, shake it, and pour them out
while blindfolded.
Suggested Homework
Fate is a funny thing in the heathen tradition.
It can change, but not completely.
Knowing your fate can both make it harder and easier to
change.
So for this rune, the homework focuses on causality.
Think about your day today.
If you had gotten out of bed an hour earlier, what would this
have changed about how your day went and how you are
right now?
If you had gotten out of bed an hour later, what would this
have changed about how your day went and how you are
right now?
There’s no way to change the past and no point in
wallowing in the past, so try and refrain from doing that as
you do these exercises.
Now think back a year and look for a small event, a chance
meeting with a friend, a new kitten, or some other similar
event, and please choose a neutral or positive event.
Now try to think about every way this event changed and
helped shape your present, in countless little ways.
Look for the ripples outward from this tiny event, like circles
made by raindrops in the water.
Write this down in simple terms, like you were stacking up
word-shaped dominos.
Example; Met X - went to a party - met Y - got a puppy -
broke computer - took a loan - started making/selling Z
In this example (based on fictional events.. mostly) meeting
a friend lead to an invite to a party where the person met a
friend of a friend who had a friend who had puppies they
were trying to give away, which led to getting in touch with
the person with the puppies and a couple of months later
the new puppy yanked the laptop off the table, but to afford
a new laptop a loan had to be taken out to replace it and
then later on because loan created a slight strain on the
finances the fictional person started making and selling
something to boost finances back up again.
The things may not seem directly connected or even like the
chain makes much sense, but one thing leads to another in
this world. This much is inevitably true.
Perthro as a rune deals with the frame for this path, the
edges, the outskirts, the flow of time and the flow of
causality, and the flow of the unseen, the magical.
Heimdall’s ætt
Algiz/Ýr (Z/z)
“Bare is a man’s back if he has no brother.”
- Njálssaga ch 152
(not a literal brother, but a brother in arms, someone on your
side)

The exact meaning of this word is not precisely known.
A common translation is “elk” which is a very likely accurate
translation. However, there is a possibility it may also refer
to an oak.
Later names for this rune also refer to yew trees and then to
elm.

This rune’s meaning is shelter, or more specifically “Shield”.
This is that which protects you.
This is your good health and well-being.
This is help from a friend when you need it.
This is your defense.
This is having people in your life that you can count on.
This is knowing who to call.
This is support.
This is being able, one way or another.
This is life.
This is the roof over your head when the weather is bad.
This is someone coming to your aid when things aren’t
going your way.
This is the support to pursue your passions.
This is the friend that walks with you into a fight even when
you know you’re going to lose.
This is your immune system when it works in your favor.
This is a ramp or elevator or the equivalent when you can
not take the stairs.
This is your shield in life.
This is also you, standing up for someone else, supporting
someone else, being someone else’s shield.
This can also be someone else’s shield, against you…
Context.
Ýr is the bent bow

and brittle iron
and the giant of the arrow.
Suggested Homework
To feel alone and vulnerable is an extremely common part
of the human experience. So often do we feel this way that
it can get in the way of us seeing all the shields we carry
with us, all the strength that surrounds us and supports us.
Yes, sometimes, with all this, we will still have our moments
of weakness, but it’s important to remember everything we
have to lean on.
To that end.
To learn this rune, this thing, your homework, should you
choose to do it, is to find your shields, as many of them as
you can.
What are the things that help you?
What helps you navigate through this world?
Does that help keep you safe?
What people are there?
That care for you?
That would stand beside you in a fight?
That would support your choices?
That would help carry boxes if you move?
What places are there?
Where are you safe?
Where can you go?
Where is help?
Write down everything.
And if you still have space, if you still want to put down
more, write down every shield you can remember, even little
transient ones.
That tree that you ducked under during a summer rain
shower.
The guy that helped you with your car or cart?
Someone who stood up for you, even if it was just once.
Everything.
And don’t doubt.
If someone says they got your back, that they care, that
they want to help, (unless this person has literally proved to
be a malicious force in your life) Jot them down!
If you have a pet, you know they count!
Write it all down.
Know, that there are so many things around you, that help
you, that support you, that love you. So many things to lean
on.
Heimdall’s ætt
Sowulo/Sól (S/s)
“There are few more certain bearers of ill than not knowing
how to accept the good.”
- Grettissaga ch 78

Sun, that’s what this means, the sun, plain and simple.
Mind you though, in the northern European regions of the
heathen culture, the sun was a rather big deal. Of course,
the sun is a big deal all around the world, but in areas where
the difference between winter and summer is the greatest,
the sun takes on a whole other level of importance.
It’s no longer “what lets you see during the day” but it’s the
literal source of life during the summer and then it’s more or
less gone all winter.
As you can see by the shape of this rune, this is one of the
old heathen symbols that has been perverted through
appropriation. This means that should you use this rune in
any work, you might have to be careful about how you
organize it or whether others can see it or you’ll be
considered a bigot, a homophobe and a racist and may, for
this reason, suffer a considerable negative consequences.
Be careful and respectful.

The word to keep in mind when you work with this rune is
“Light”.
Not so much in the literal sense but in the figurative, the way
we talk about things like healing light, light of our lives, that
sort of a thing.
This is good luck and good fortune.
This is success within one’s career.
This is joy and happiness.
This is raw power.
This is honor.
These are your goals.
This rune doesn’t represent physical strength or power, but
the strength and power of your will, of your spirit.
This is the promotion you’ve earned.
This is the energy poured into your magick whether in
spellwork or in sigils.
This is a stroke of good luck.
This is a good reputation.
And yet, this rune, as all runes, can carry negative
connotations.
If you rely too much on good luck, you’ll find yourself
standing on nothing but air when it runs out.
Mind it’s context when it turns up, do not fall into the trap of
thinking it’ll always mean good things no matter what.
As a representation of the sun and all it brings this rune also
works against Isa/ís and can represent an end to it’s
influence.
Sól is the shield of the skies

And the shining circle
And the destroyer of ice.
Suggested Homework
There are questions that are really hard to answer and most
of us do not know the answer to and I’m not talking grand
philosophical “meaning of life” questions, no.
I’m talking about personal questions as to what gives each
of us meaning.
I want you to think about three things.
Take your time, meditate, think, ruminate, and let the
answer come to you, however, works for you.
Write down each question and answer it when you have an
answer.
1. What makes you genuinely happy?
2. What is your passion?
3. What is your most honorable trait?
These three things together are your light, your sun, and the
thing that gives you light.
There is no wrong answer nor one that is inherent of greater
value than another.
Remember that these things can change with time, so don’t
worry if you come back to your notes one day and find your
answer has changed.
Týr’s ætt
Teiwaz/Týr (T/t)
“Winning-runes learn,
if thou longest to win,
And the runes on thy sword-hilt write;
Some on the furrow,
and some on the flat,
And twice shalt thou call on Tyr.”
- Sigrdrífumál

Brace yourselves, there’ll be a fair bit of history here, or at
least more than is the norm so far. Please read it though. To
know this is important to know the rune.
Literally, the name of this rune is Týr, the ás, the god.
Týr was once worshipped as much as, if not more than,
Odin, and some of the names Odin wears today are
borrowed or inherited from Týr.
Týr was the original god of war in the nordic system.
And even further back, Týr may have been the universal
name for “god”.
There are many stories of Týr where he’s put in positions no
other god has been put in. For example, only twice has a
god’s raw strength been compared to that of Thor’s. Once it
was Týr and later it was the son of Týr.
The most famous of all the stories of Týr is the story of
Fenrisúlfur and this is the origin of Týr’s nickname as the
one-armed or one-handed god.
Týr was the master swordsman of the gods. None was his
equal in battle, so great was his skill with a blade.
Fenrisúlfur was the child of Loki and Angurboða (literal

meaning “messenger of pain”). Angurboða was a witch and
a giantess. She had been burned to the ground but Loki had
found her heart still beating in the ashes. So, to protect her
heart, he swallowed it.
This was a heart of evil that overwhelmed him, grew within
him, and eventually gestated into a wolf that Loki gave birth
to.
As this creature was the child of Loki, though it was a being
of malice, the gods allowed it to stay in Asgard and grow up
there.
While the wolf was intelligent it was also a beast of hunger,
fury, and hate, and it grew large. So large that by the end
the only one of the gods (Loki included) that dared approach
the beast and feed it was Týr, the bravest of all the gods.
Eventually, the beast became so large and so terrifying a
presence that it was decided that the beast needed to be
bound, contained, and controlled.
Not killed, no. After all, this was the child of Loki, blood
brother to Odin himself.
So they fashioned a binding and tempted the wolf to try and
see if he could break it, which he did.
Again they fashioned a binding and tempted the wolf, and
again he broke free.
The third binding was made by the svartalvar, from six
ingredients.
The sound of the cat’s footsteps.
The breath of the fish.
The bird’s spit.
The woman’s beard.
The roots of the mountain.
And the bear’s tendons.
This time the wolf was suspicious so he asked that one of
the gods would place his arm in his mouth. Týr, again, the
bravest of the gods, volunteered. Though some versions of
this tale cast Týr as the caretaker of the wolf, or adopted
father as Loki is said to have no interest in the wolf once it
was born.
So what exactly made Týr brave enough to do this isn’t
known, but what one can assume is that if any god knew
where this would end, it was Týr.
And so, knowing what was to come, the greatest
swordsman in all of Asgard, placed his sword arm in the
mouth of the beast.
This time the binding held.
And Týr lost his arm.

As this is the rune of Týr, the name of Týr, Týr is at the heart
of the meaning of this rune, though “Warrior” is a pretty
good word to keep in mind.
If you write and invoke this rune as a part of a spell you’re
invoking Týr himself, so be advised that appropriate
offerings to Týr are mead (or beer as an alternative) meat
and blood.
This rune refers to justice, true justice, not just the law.
This is a rune of self-sacrifice.
This is discipline, especially self-discipline.
This is responsibility.
This is conflict.
This is injury, wounds, hurt feelings.
This is the law, the rules, and what they mean.
This is repeating the physical motions in preparation for the
recital for the thousandth time, ignoring pain from blisters
and fatigue. Because this needs to be perfect.
This is standing, arms locked, with your fellow man in
protest, crying out for justice.
This is standing guard at the other side of the street, trying
to serve the law, questioning your motives and those of the
men standing around you.
This is being responsible for the well being of another living
being and standing up to the task, to that job.
This isn’t fighting for your personal gain.
This is fighting for what’s right, for what’s important, for what
you should.
This is… This is Týr.
Standing with his hand in the mouth of the wolf.
The wolf he fed.
The wolf he raised.
Knowing that the beast, however loved, must be controlled.
And knowing the price is your sword arm.
As such, this rune does not just represent the battle, or the
victory, but the sacrifice. Not necessarily of what you are or
what gives you worth, but of what you may have to lose.
Context is key.
Týr is the one-handed god

And the wolf´s leavings.
And the guardian(/prince) of the temple.
Suggested Homework
What is your battle?
What do you fight for?
What is important to you?
What are you willing to sacrifice to win?
Don’t answer instinctively or immediately and without
thought.
Think.
Dig down and look for an honest answer.
What will you let go of for the sake of victory over injustice?
Are you ready to take this battle to it’s bitter end?
It’s okay to not be ready.
It’s okay to pick one’s battles.
It’s okay to be afraid and to be unsure.
If you can’t give an answer with certainty, then “I do not
know” is an answer.
But try to find an answer.
Try to know.
Týr’s ætt
Berkana/Björk (B/b)
“Bear hence, my son, what thy mother hath said,
And let it live in thy breast;
Thine ever shall be the best of fortune,
So long as my words shall last.”
—Svipdagsmál

The literal meaning of this word is Birch, as in the tree.
The birch is a genus of trees that grows throughout the
temperate belt and even a bit north of it. It’s a hardwood and
can be found as tall, statuesque, slender trees with bright
white bark, and as low, nearly crawling, shrubs, depending
on climate and surrounding conditions.
This tree doesn’t produce fruit in the traditional sense.
There aren’t any fleshy fruits.
There aren’t any nuts.
There aren’t any acorns.
Only these long and slender little flower clusters that don’t
look like much that grow and mature before the tree has
fully grown it’s leaves in spring.
This tree is considered a pioneering species. What that
means is that it will quickly colonize open ground and
spread wide.
In fact, this species can even be considered invasive, a
threat to open spaces, and so, if grazing is not enough to
keep the saplings and seedlings down, periodic burning has
been a common tool to control the trees and slow their
progress.
The combination of these things, that this tree will grow
without fruit and that this tree will grow where no other trees
grow, seemingly even sprouting again from it’s ashes,
contribute to the mythological view of this otherwise
extremely useful source of hardwood material.

There are so many words one can evoke for this rune but
they all connect together under the idea, the concept of
“Fertility”, not only literal but figurative.
This rune represents the mother of us all, mother nature, or
mother earth.
This is fertile ground and fertile hearts.
This is growing as a person, as a being of nature, as life.
This is creation and conception, two sides of the same coin.
This is birth and rebirth.
This is a cleansing, a purifying, a clearing.
This is new life, whether a tiny puppy or a pregnancy scare.
This is creation of something new, whether nurturing your
book as you write it, feeding it words as needed, or coaxing
the image from the canvas with paints, or struggling through
the night, trying to get the song to come together.
This is planting seeds in the moist earth to grow flowers, or
food.
This is the taut skin across the abdomen, heavy with new
life.
This is raising cattle, being there for the birth of every new
calf, with care and love, knowing full well that this new life
will later sustain your own life.
But all these things, all this beauty, all this life, is nature.
And mother nature has her dark sides, even in this.
Birth defects. The song that you give up on. The accident.
The stillbirth. The loss. The new disease.
You can not be reborn unless you also experience a death,
in one way or another.
Context.
The little rune poem reads:
Bjarkan is a branch with leaves
and a little tree
and youthful wood.
Suggested Homework
Invoke your own creativity, find it.
And don’t think you lack it, that you don’t have any,
everyone has the capacity to create, everyone has
creativity.
The creative processes that go into things like writing code
are similar to those that go into creating art.
Whatever that is your creativity, whether it comes in when
you need to solve a problem or when you’re idle, whatever
you make, dip into that process, into that mentality.
Make something. Anything.
Make dinner.
Make art.
Make a program.
Make a poem, make music.
Sing.
Dance.
Write.
Then write down:
1. What you made, what is your creativity.
2. What is your process.
3. What does it feel like to be a creator.
4. What had to die, be destroyed, be changed irrevocably,
so that you could create.
And even if you just wrote three lines of code, something
was changed that can not be unchanged, something was
lost that can’t be undone, be it the paper you scribble notes
on, or time spent, energy burned, looking for answers within
your mind
Týr’s ætt
Ehwaz/Eykur (E/e)
“Over the foaming salt sea spray
The Norse sea-horses took their way,
Racing across the ocean-plain
Southwards to Denmark’s green domain.”
—The Heimskringla

Literally this word means horse. Though it shares no
connection to the english term horse, it’s somewhat related
to the latin equius.
Horses were a really big deal in northern
paganism/heathenry and still are. There are about 20 or so
named horses belonging in the mythology and many horses
are referred to by name in various sagas.
The horse became a part of the culture of northern Europe
rather early and it was a pretty big part of, well, everything.
From being a powerful help to all things farm related, be it
plowing a field or herding sheep, through the traditional
“mode of transportation” to a literal weapon of war, the
horse has worked alongside the heathens through the
centuries.

So when you work with this rune, thing of what a “Horse” is
and means.
This is comfortable trust.
The rider trusts the horse not to throw him.
The rider trusts the horse to stay strong.
The horse trusts the rider too, or there would be no rider.
It’s a symbiotic sort of trust.
This is the raw physical strength and force.
This is loyalty.
Like the dog is loyal, so can the horse be loyal.
This is bodies in motion.
This is communication, not necessarily verbal.
This is intent, will, having an opinion.
This is being spirited.
This is impetuosity of youth.
This is being blindfolded and trusting the person guiding you
as they lead you by gentle touches and soft support.
This is sharing a look with another person and knowing
what is needed.
This is carrying literal heavy load, or doing literal difficult
work.
This is an open and honest conversation.
This is not your best friend, but this is many of the building
blocks of friendship, even true friendship.
This is a long walk.
This is not travel, but the things that get you to your
destination.
And here is what you must keep in mind when working with
this rune.
But just as horses can be trusting and loyal and strong and
powerful and great laborers, the young stallion can be
strong willed, even stubborn, and may act foolishly at time.
This is the mistake you have to make to learn from it, even
when people tell you that it’s a mistake.
This is the impulse within you that has earned you every
single “I told you so” that you’ve been given.
Suggested Homework
This time it’s simple, easy and you don’t have to dig down
into introspection and self reflection.
Write down a description of a horse.
Be as detailed and thorough as possible.
As if you’re explaining the concept of a horse to someone
who’s never heard of any animal at all.
Only, here’s the rules.
Don’t write a single word about what a horse looks like.
Don’t say “animal”.
Don’t mention hooves or tail or mane.
Do not write anything that could be considered a physical
description.
Write down what “horse” means… not what it is.
Týr’s ætt
Mannaz/Maður (M/m)
“Once I was young
and traveled alone
when I lost my way.
I felt wealthy
when I found another.
Man is the joy of man”
- Hávamál

The literal meaning of the name of this rune is man.
Not man as in "male” but man as in human.
The oldest writings available from the vikings referred to
“drengir” (boys), to “karlar” (men), “stúlkur” (girls), and
“konur” (women), but rarely to maður (man) in the singular.
When there was a number of people, there would be
“menn”.
But this changed in the years following the spread of
christianity.

Obviously you need to keep humanity in mind as you work
with this rune, but this rune doesn’t mean everything that
being human is, no. It refers most specifically to the human
being as a pack animal, to the pack, the tribe, the
community of human beings. So, I suggest “community” as
the key word to focus on, above man.
This rune refers to sapience.
This is the self, your humanity.
This is your family, by blood, or by choice.
This is reason, rationality, common sense.
This is company.
This is friendship, empathy, sympathy, and compassion.
This is family or societal tradition.
This is identifying with other members of our species and
seeing in them a reflection of yourself.
This is the friend you call at 4am, knowing they’ll pick up
and be there for you, because you need them.
This is the people you want to be around, that you want to
spend time with.
This is the people who matter to you.
The little rune poem above translates to;
Man is the joy of man
And enrichment of the soil
And the decorations of ships
Suggested Homework
What is your closest family?
See, family is not just blood, it can also be by word, or by
deed, or by love.
The friends, the lovers, the people who you know would
have your back and those who’s back you have.
If you could only socialize with a few people for the rest of
your life who would they be?
Write down 5-10 names of those that you’d choose, of those
that you are closest to, then after each name write how they
have become family.
By blood or by deed.
By love or by law.
Týr’s ætt
Laguz/Lögur (L/l)
“Only the mind knows
what lives near the heart;
a man is alone with his own spirit.
There is no sickness worse
for any wise man
than to have nothing to love.”
- Hávamál

The literal translation is water, a pool of water, a river, a
waterfall, or an ocean.
Not still water in a jug on the table.
Not the falling rain, but water in nature in it’s collected form.
This water was very important to the nordic folk.
It was where they traveled, across oceans and up rivers,
primarily for trade and exploration for the sake of trade and
curiosity.
It was a source of food, of life.
And nordic folk were considered incredibly vain because
they bathed quite often, multiple times a year, even more
than once a month!
Heathen men were even said to be trying to seduce away
the women of central europe with their cleanliness.

The core word to keep in mind when working with this rune
is “Feeling”.
The figurative meaning of this rune revolves around the
most fluid aspects of human existence. Of the intangible
part of what makes us us.
It refers to the spark of life, vitality, the energy of living, and
in the related way it can refer to lifeblood.
It refers to the subconsciousness.
It refers to emotions.
It refers to fear and insecurities.
It refers to innate ability, to talent.
It refers to revelation, awareness, enlightenment.
This is what your dreams in the dead of night are made up
of.
This is the deep waters of your subconsciousness is, under
the surface of consciousness.
This is the meditative state.
This is being in love, from the flutter of excitement that fills
your lungs when you are close to someone you live, to the
crippling fear of losing their love.
This is feeling, not with your fingers, not with your body, not
even with your conscious mind, but with every breath.
This is the raw nerve of emotion.
Suggested Homework
Your homework, this time around, is not going to be easy
and it may actually take a while, but if you want to be able to
do any form of rune based magic, this is pretty much
essential.
You need to learn to control your mind and your emotional
state.
For this, meditation is the best tool.
If you have experience with meditation, then this might be
easier for you than for others.
Do not seek out a guided meditation, or some special
meditation music, as these are more likely to become
distractions than aids in the long term.
Do not expect to be able to reach a sustained meditative
state on your first, second, fifth or even tenth try. It will take
a while.
Do not attempt to meditate for a long period at a time to
begin with. Pace yourself, accept your limits.
Meditation is a skill, one that you have to learn and then
hone. It may come somewhat easier to some than others,
but everyone has to practice to be able to do it at will.
Start by sitting comfortably enough to relax, but not so
comfortably that you risk falling asleep.
Without counting or attempting to control your breathing,
listen to your own breath.
Listen to the sound that the rushing air makes, on the inhale
and on the exhale.
Feel your breath.
Feel the rush of air past your skin, around the nostrils or on
your lips, feel how it moves the tiny hairs in your nose, how
it cools and warms the inside of your nose or mouth.
Feel the air.
Feel your body.
Feel the weight of your body, pulled down by gravity.
Feel your chest expand and then shrink back down with
every breath.
Feel the fabric of your clothes against your skin, and how
the movement of breath creates the slightest of caresses
between your shirt or top and the skin of your upper body.
Feel your body.
You may become aware of every tiny ache or pain. Don’t
shy away from it. Feel it.
Try to take up your whole mind, your whole consciousness,
with the sensation of your body breathing.
Your mind will rebel.
It will wander.
It will want to think.
This is to be expected.
Acknowledge the thoughts, you can complete them later,
but for now you are meditating. Release the thoughts and fill
your mind with your breath.
Feel your heartbeat.
Feel your pulse throughout your body.
Experience your whole physical self, to the best of your
ability, and try to hold onto that experience alone.
Do this every day.
A few minutes at first is enough.
2, then 3, then 5, then 10.
Set a timer with a gentle reminder for when time’s up, and
gently pull your consciousness back to the surface of the
world. Stretch, shake the relaxation from your body, move
hands and feet and make sure you’re all the way back
before you stand up.
Once you have reached the state that you no longer need to
chase your mind, tell it to let go, and bring it back to your
body, quite as often as before and are able to go 10 minutes
without great difficulty, you can start doing things in a very
focused and calm state which is pretty much essential for
later rune magic work but you will also find you become
calmer in general and more aware of how you feel,
physically and emotionally.
This may be very difficult a thing to do if you have anxiety or
attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity.
I have both of these, so I’m aware of just how difficult this is.
Start small.
Set reminders.
It may take longer for you to get the hang of meditation than
for others, but it’s not impossible, it can be done.
I find that it helps me to just do a few breaths, now and then,
throughout the day, where I make an effort to experiencing
the whole breath. Like little micro-meditations, here and
there, when I have to wait while the coffee-maker warms up,
when I’m waiting for something to load on the computer,
when I’m waiting on the bathroom, while sitting on the bus,
etc, etc. We all spend a few moments waiting, here and
there, throughout the day. This makes that wait feel a little
shorter and it makes it easier to sit down to meditate as it’s
something that’s already familiar.
Týr’s ætt
Ingwaz/Ingvi (Ng/ng)
“Of the heroes brave | is Freyr the best
Here in the home of the gods;
He harms not maids | nor the wives of men,
And the bound from their fetters he frees.”
- Lokasenna

This rune’s name is thought to be an old name for Freyr,
one of the gods of the nordic heathenry. In old text he is
sometimes referred to Ingva-Freyr or Ingvi- Freyr or
variations thereof.
Freyr and Freyja are twin siblings and a part of the Vanir
side of the old gods and together they are in charge of all
things rich and fertile.
Freyja is a goddess of love and violence in a way that has
her closely tied to passion.
Freyr in turn is more connected to fertile ground and nature,
both in the sense that we are part of nature and in the sense
that we are surrounded by nature.
He is the phallic god of human fertility as well as the one
that farmers would make offerings to for the fertility of their
fields.
He’s associated with pleasure as well as sacral kingship as
well.
He too, like most the nordic gods, made sacrifices that
will/would lead to his death during during Ragnarök. In his
case he gave up a magic sword that would fight on it’s own
if the wielder was wise as a part of wooing his wife.
This rune of course ties to all the realms of it’s namesake, of
all the things Freyr is and/or stands for. To best work with
this rune it can therefore be important to look up Freyr more
thoroughly.
Invoking this rune is to invoke Freyr, in essence, as invoking
Tiwaz is invoking Týr.
The key word to keep in mind with this rune is Fertile.
This is hard work bearing fruit.
The productivity part of labor, of work, of effort.
The is is fertility, conception, and gestation.
This is the germinating seed.
This is the ripe fruit, the ripe field, the bounty moments
before harvest.
This is existing in balance with oneself and nature.
This is the fertile mind.
The energy buzzing beneath the surface.
This is an artist’s mind full of inspiration.
This is feeling good, feeling at ease, feeling full of potential.
This is making love.
This is feeling of worth, of value.
If you do any form of spellwork, this is your fingertips tingling
with the gathered energy, ready to be pushed with your will.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the artist has his canvas
before him when inspiration strikes.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that one’s life is going as
planned though one feels good.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the love will last forever.
This doesn’t necessarily mean others value you as you
value yourself.
This doesn’t necessarily mean your spell will work.
Always consider the context.
Suggested Homework
Plant a seed.
Figurative or literal, doesn’t matter.
Begin something.
Find an idea and run with it.
Pull the seeds from a fruit you’re eating and (with the aid of
google if you need it) get it to germinate.
Write down what your seed is.
Watch it germinate, watch it grow, see it come to life.
Make notes, as it does.
Then try to write down what it is to grow, what it is to
germinate, what it is to change from a seed to something
else.
Consider yourself.
Know that you are always the seed of what you will become,
as well as the grown form of the seed that you were before.
Try to apply your ideas of what it is to be a seed, what it is
to grow and change and become, to your own life.
Look for at least one or two examples.
What do you want to grow to become next?
What seeds can you plant within yourself?
What are you the seed of today?
Týr’s ætt
Othala/Óðal (O/o)
“Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
A pair of goats | and a patched-up roof
Are better far than begging.“
- Hávamál

Othala, othila or óðal literally translates to homestead or
home.
Etymological connections are made to the idea of the
lineage, the inheritance from father to a child, and the
modern version of the word, or one that seems directly
connected to the word somehow connects this word to
nobility.
The connection to nobility is debated though the root of both
the term for the homestead and the term for nobility may
actually be inheritance, so there’s that.

Óðal is Home, not in the narrow sense of your apartment,
but in the wider, connected sense. It’s where the heart is.
This refers to the physical property, the place and things
where you live, and the place and things that you own. But
not just your physical property but the physical properties
that belong to your family, and are places where you feel at
home.
This refers to the inherent duty and obligation, literal and
figurative, physical and otherwise, that comes with being
home and having a home.
This is inheritance, by blood, by deed, physical, external,
internal, this is everything your ancestors brought you and
brought to you.
This is the place on earth, the patch of land, the country, the
county, the street, where home really is to you.
This is the lingering, permanent connection to the world
around you, that you can not break, whether or not you want
it.
This is also the family you choose, the close knit group of
friends, the camaraderie, harmony, of a good group of
people who mean a lot to you.
This is what you leave behind when you go. This is the
inheritance you pass on to your family, be they so by blood
or by deed.
Sometimes this rune is merely interpreted as a windfall or
inheritance but this rune doesn’t differentiate between
inheritance in the sense that your great uncle you never
heard about left you a million dollars and your mother dying
and leaving you with a ton of medical bills.
Context is incredibly important.
However, as this rune is representative of everything that is
your home, everything that represents home to you, it’s
rarely entirely negative.
Suggested Homework
Take your time, think, answer carefully.
What is the single most important thing you’ve inherited?
If you were to think about “going back home” what comes to
mind?
Is this place or thing more or less home than where you call
home today?
If you could choose any 5 people in your life, no matter how
they are connected to you, and 5 people only, who would be
your family from this moment forward, who would you
choose?
Think about your perfect, ideal home. Anywhere in the
world, any archetecture, any interior decor, as if you had
limitless money for the sake of creating the perfect home for
yourself, think about this thing until you can picture it in your
mind.
What makes it home?

Runes 101

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Runes 101

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ætt/Ættir

“At eve praise the day…”

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

So what does this mean?

The questions are originally seven and they ask the

What follows as answers, or maybe words of caution is:

- It is better not to pray at all than to pray for too much.

- Traditionally, the runes are carved.

-Carving the runes-

Literal meaning & History.

Figurative meaning & Symbolism.

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Þurs is the torment of women

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Óss is the flesh of the fruit

The fruit referenced in this was likely the apples of Iðunn.

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Etc, etc, etc, etc…

Literal Meaning & History

Kaun is cursed by children,

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Who uses it knows no pain, sorrow or anxiety,

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

All things rely on context and nothing is free.

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Hagall is the cold grains

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Ýr is the bent bow

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Sól is the shield of the skies

Literal Meaning & History

Fenrisúlfur was the child of Loki and Angurboða (literal

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Týr is the one-handed god

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Figurative Meaning & Symbolism

Literal Meaning & History

Literal Meaning & History