Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Rune Study Post #12: Isa

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Isa, the eleventh rune of the Elder Futhark, and third in the second aett.

Isa translates to "ice," and connects to themes of stillness, inertia, cold or cooling, focus, the ego and will, and control.

An Anglo Saxon rune poem reads:

Ice is very cold and immeasurably slippery;
it glistens as clear as glass and most like to gems;
it is a floor wrought by the frost, fair to look upon.
Power of the Runes deck by Voenix
An Old Icelandic rune poem reads:

Ice is bark of rivers
and roof of the wave
and destruction of the doomed.

I particularly like the Icelandic poem, as that first bit reminds me of the ice that can cover rivers during the heart of winter. Ice gives the illusion of stasis, but under the "bark of rivers" there is so much movement taking place.

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Isa?

2) How do you utilize this rune in your practice?

3) If Isa has presented itself in your rune work or castings, how have you seen its energy manifested, or experienced its impact?

2 comments:

  1. Isa reminds me a bit of the Hanged Man, being at a standstill, but there is a lot going on under the surface :) I guess the two biggest differences for me are that it's more of an externally imposed stillness, rather than a willing sacrifice. And that the underlying movement may be more at an emotional than a rational level (though the Hanged Man isn't always about learning something intellectual...) My two cents, anyway :)

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    Replies
    1. That's a nice analogy! Sometimes as a daily draw I feel Isa telling me to stay in and take it easy as opposed to my Raidho days where I am driving all over town ;)

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