Rune Post #17: Sowilo

Happy Wednesday! Today's focus will be on Sowilo, the sixteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, and eighth (final) in the second aett.

Sowilo's literal meaning is "sun," and it connects to themes of confidence, success, achievement of goals, the sun wheel, guidance, optimism, energy, and honor.

Power of the Runes ~ Voenix (US Games Systems)

An Old English rune poem reads:

Sun is by sea-men

always hoped for

when they fare far away

over the fishes bath

until the brine-stallion

they bring to the land.

(I love the kennings in this one!)

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Sowilo?

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

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

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?

Rune Study Post #11: Nauthiz

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

Nauthiz translates to "need," or "need-fire," and connects to themes of self-reliance, hard work, resistance, the effort expended toward the realization of achievements, drudgery, and working one's örlög and wyrd. In Nauthiz, the discomfort of friction kindles the fire of the will. This is also a rune utilized in romantic endeavors/magic.

A small anecdote: last week I was feeling pressure to finally sit down and complete a writing project that I had been putting off for a few weeks; I knew I had to sit down and push it out (there is some quality of "birthing pains" to this rune, I find). I didn't want to, wasn't in the mood, but I hunkered down and focused and got it done anyway. Later I recalled that I'd pulled Nauthiz that morning, and it was such a perfect fit for that central focus of my day.

Power of the Runes - Voenix

An Old Norwegian rune rhyme* reads:

Need makes for a difficult situation;

the naked freeze in the frost.

An Old Icelandic rune poem* reads:

Need is the grief of the bondmaid

and a hard condition to be in,

and toilsome work.

Questions:

1) What other meanings do you attribute to Nauthiz?

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

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


*translation from Runecaster's Handbook by Edred Thorsson