What are runes?
The Elder Futhark, the oldest known rune alphabet, consists of 24 runes that are often arranged in three groups of eight. Each group is referred to as an Aet or Aettir.
Every rune has its own meaning based on its use in Old times, respectively every aet has its magical meaning too: Fray’s aet is about physical realm, Hagal’s aet represents the emotions and Tyr's aet is about intellectual and spiritual matters.
The Elder Futhark, the oldest known rune alphabet, consists of 24 runes that are often arranged in three groups of eight. Each group is referred to as an Aet or Aettir.
Every rune has its own meaning based on its use in Old times, respectively every aet has its magical meaning too: Fray’s aet is about physical realm, Hagal’s aet represents the emotions and Tyr's aet is about intellectual and spiritual matters.
Frey/Freyja's Aett
Fehu (F: cattle, wealth) possessions won or earned, income, luck, material/physical wealth, abundance, financial strength, success, fertility.
Fehu reversed or merkstave: loss of personal property or something that you put in effort to keep.
Uruz: (U: auroch, wild ox) physical strength, untamed potential, energy and health, freedom, action, male sexuality.
Uruz reversed or merkstave: weakness, sickness, inconsistency, ignorance, lust, brutality, rashness, violence.
Thurisaz: (Th: thorn) reactive force, directed destruction and defense, conflict, instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst, abrupt change, male sexuality, fertilization.
Thurisaz riversed or merkstave: danger, defenselessness, betrayal, dullness, evil, torment, wounding, rape.
Ansuz: (A: god's answer) revealation, insight, communication with Divine, inspiration, vision, power of words and naming, blessings.
Ansuz reversed or merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation, vanity and grandiloquence.
Raidho: (R: riding) Travel in physical and spiritual way, relocation, evolution, change, larger perspective.
Raidho Reversed or Merkstave: crisis, rigidity, stasis, dislocation, delusion, possibly a death (end of the road).
Kenaz: (K: lantern) vision, revelation, inspiration, the power of light, opens to new ideas, pure love.
Kenaz reversed or merkstave: darkness, illusion, not knowing answer, being in darkness, feeling lost.
Gebo: (G: gift, exchange) gifts, exchange of goods both in physical and spiritual way, personal relationships and business partnerships.
Gebo merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): greed, dependence, over-sacrifice, bribery.
Wunjo: (W or V: victory) victory, winning, joy, harmony, prosperity, glory, success and recognition.
Wunjo reversed or merkstave: loss, sorrow, gamblig addiction.
Hagal’s Aet
Hagalaz: (H: hail) wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces (the weather or the unconscious), testing, trial, crisis leading to completion, cleaning, inner harmony.
Hagalaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): natural disaster, catastrophe, stagnation, loss of power, hardship.
Nauthiz: (N: need) restriction leading to strength, innovation, distress, endurance, survival, determination, patience, recognition of one's fate, self-initiated change.
Nauthiz reversed or merkstave: necessity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.
Isa: (I: ice) stagnation, stillness, blockades physical and spiritual, standstill, peacefulness, time to meditate, rest and seek clarity, . Isa merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): egocentrism , dullness, blindness, treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, stealth, ambush, plots.
*This rune reinforces runes around it and is part of combined rune symbols.
Jera: (J, Y: harvest,the wheel of the year) fruitfulness, harvest, abundance, the results of earlier efforts are realized, break through stagnancy, prosperity, success. Also: life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe, awakening of sleepy energies, motion, energy, change.
Jera merkstave (itcannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): setback, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.
Eihwaz: (EI: yew tree) change, initiation, confrontation of fears, turning point, death, transformation, defense, protection.
Eihwaz reversed or merkstave: confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.
Perthro: (P: lot cup, vagina) rebirth, mystery, magic, divination, female sexuality and fertility, new beginning, prophecy, hidden things and occult abilities, good lot, fellowship and joy.
Perthro reversed or merkstave: addiction, stagnation, loneliness.
Algiz: (Z, R: elk, protection) protection, defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian, connection with the gods, awakening, higher life, it can be used to channel energies appropriately, follow your instincts.
Algiz reversed or merkstave: hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link, taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.
Sowilo: (S: sun) success, goals achieved, honor, life-force, health, positive changes in your life, victory, health, wholeness, power, elemental force.
Sowilo merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): false goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals.
Tyr's aet
Tiwaz: (T: Tyr sky god) duty, discipline, responsibility, self-sacrifice, conflict, strength, a wound, physicality, the warrior path, victory and success in any competition or in legal matters.
Tiwaz reversed or merkstave: blocked energy and creative flow, mental paralysis, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance, war, conflict, failure in competition.
Berkano: (B: Berchta birch-goddess) birth, general fertility, mental and physical and personal growth, liberation, regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth, healing, arousal of desire, a love affair or new birth.
Berkano reversed or merkstave: family problems and or domestic troubles, carelessness, abandon, loss of control, deceit, sterility, stagnation.
Ehwaz: (E: horse) transportation, motion, assistance, energy, power, communication, will, may represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle, movement and change for the better, an ideal marriage or partnership. Ehwaz reversed or merkstave: this is not really a negative rune, a change is perhaps craved, feeling restless or confined in a situation, reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.*Confirmation beyond doubt for the meanings of the runes around it.
Mannaz: (M: man, mankind) the individual or the human race, your attitude toward others and their attitudes towards you, friends and enemies, social order, intelligence, create, skill, ability, some sort of aid or cooperation now.
Mannaz reversed or merkstave: depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion, cunning, manipulation, craftiness, calculation, expect no help now.
Laguz: (L: water, lake) emotions, fears, unconscious mind, things hidden, revelation, intuition, inspiration, counselling, flow, water, sea, a fertility source, magination and psychic matters, dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld, success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss.
Laguz reversed or merkstave: confusion, wrong decisions and poor judgements, lack of creativity, fear, circular motion, avoidance, madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, suicid.
Ingwaz: (NG: Ing, the earth god, fertility) work, productivity, bounty, groundedness, balance, connection with the land, fertility, farming, growth, general health, balance, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home, time when all loose strings are tied and you are free to move in a new direction.
Ingwaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): impotence, movement without change, labor, work.
Dagaz: (D: daylight, dawn) breakthrough, awakening, awareness, daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty, security and certainty, growth and release, balance point, the place where opposites meet.
Dagaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): completion, ending, limit, coming full circle, blindness, hopelessness.
Othala: (O: ancestral property) property, land, inheritance, home, permanence, legacy, synthesis, sense of belonging, homelanand of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values, aid in spiritual and physical journeys, source of safety, increase and abundance.
Othala reversed or merkstave: lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, bad karma, prejudice, provincialism.
Fehu (F: cattle, wealth) possessions won or earned, income, luck, material/physical wealth, abundance, financial strength, success, fertility.
Fehu reversed or merkstave: loss of personal property or something that you put in effort to keep.
Uruz: (U: auroch, wild ox) physical strength, untamed potential, energy and health, freedom, action, male sexuality.
Uruz reversed or merkstave: weakness, sickness, inconsistency, ignorance, lust, brutality, rashness, violence.
Thurisaz: (Th: thorn) reactive force, directed destruction and defense, conflict, instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst, abrupt change, male sexuality, fertilization.
Thurisaz riversed or merkstave: danger, defenselessness, betrayal, dullness, evil, torment, wounding, rape.
Ansuz: (A: god's answer) revealation, insight, communication with Divine, inspiration, vision, power of words and naming, blessings.
Ansuz reversed or merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation, vanity and grandiloquence.
Raidho: (R: riding) Travel in physical and spiritual way, relocation, evolution, change, larger perspective.
Raidho Reversed or Merkstave: crisis, rigidity, stasis, dislocation, delusion, possibly a death (end of the road).
Kenaz: (K: lantern) vision, revelation, inspiration, the power of light, opens to new ideas, pure love.
Kenaz reversed or merkstave: darkness, illusion, not knowing answer, being in darkness, feeling lost.
Gebo: (G: gift, exchange) gifts, exchange of goods both in physical and spiritual way, personal relationships and business partnerships.
Gebo merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): greed, dependence, over-sacrifice, bribery.
Wunjo: (W or V: victory) victory, winning, joy, harmony, prosperity, glory, success and recognition.
Wunjo reversed or merkstave: loss, sorrow, gamblig addiction.
Hagal’s Aet
Hagalaz: (H: hail) wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces (the weather or the unconscious), testing, trial, crisis leading to completion, cleaning, inner harmony.
Hagalaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): natural disaster, catastrophe, stagnation, loss of power, hardship.
Nauthiz: (N: need) restriction leading to strength, innovation, distress, endurance, survival, determination, patience, recognition of one's fate, self-initiated change.
Nauthiz reversed or merkstave: necessity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.
Isa: (I: ice) stagnation, stillness, blockades physical and spiritual, standstill, peacefulness, time to meditate, rest and seek clarity, . Isa merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): egocentrism , dullness, blindness, treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, stealth, ambush, plots.
*This rune reinforces runes around it and is part of combined rune symbols.
Jera: (J, Y: harvest,the wheel of the year) fruitfulness, harvest, abundance, the results of earlier efforts are realized, break through stagnancy, prosperity, success. Also: life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe, awakening of sleepy energies, motion, energy, change.
Jera merkstave (itcannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): setback, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.
Eihwaz: (EI: yew tree) change, initiation, confrontation of fears, turning point, death, transformation, defense, protection.
Eihwaz reversed or merkstave: confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.
Perthro: (P: lot cup, vagina) rebirth, mystery, magic, divination, female sexuality and fertility, new beginning, prophecy, hidden things and occult abilities, good lot, fellowship and joy.
Perthro reversed or merkstave: addiction, stagnation, loneliness.
Algiz: (Z, R: elk, protection) protection, defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian, connection with the gods, awakening, higher life, it can be used to channel energies appropriately, follow your instincts.
Algiz reversed or merkstave: hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link, taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.
Sowilo: (S: sun) success, goals achieved, honor, life-force, health, positive changes in your life, victory, health, wholeness, power, elemental force.
Sowilo merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): false goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals.
Tyr's aet
Tiwaz: (T: Tyr sky god) duty, discipline, responsibility, self-sacrifice, conflict, strength, a wound, physicality, the warrior path, victory and success in any competition or in legal matters.
Tiwaz reversed or merkstave: blocked energy and creative flow, mental paralysis, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance, war, conflict, failure in competition.
Berkano: (B: Berchta birch-goddess) birth, general fertility, mental and physical and personal growth, liberation, regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth, healing, arousal of desire, a love affair or new birth.
Berkano reversed or merkstave: family problems and or domestic troubles, carelessness, abandon, loss of control, deceit, sterility, stagnation.
Ehwaz: (E: horse) transportation, motion, assistance, energy, power, communication, will, may represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle, movement and change for the better, an ideal marriage or partnership. Ehwaz reversed or merkstave: this is not really a negative rune, a change is perhaps craved, feeling restless or confined in a situation, reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.*Confirmation beyond doubt for the meanings of the runes around it.
Mannaz: (M: man, mankind) the individual or the human race, your attitude toward others and their attitudes towards you, friends and enemies, social order, intelligence, create, skill, ability, some sort of aid or cooperation now.
Mannaz reversed or merkstave: depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion, cunning, manipulation, craftiness, calculation, expect no help now.
Laguz: (L: water, lake) emotions, fears, unconscious mind, things hidden, revelation, intuition, inspiration, counselling, flow, water, sea, a fertility source, magination and psychic matters, dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld, success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss.
Laguz reversed or merkstave: confusion, wrong decisions and poor judgements, lack of creativity, fear, circular motion, avoidance, madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, suicid.
Ingwaz: (NG: Ing, the earth god, fertility) work, productivity, bounty, groundedness, balance, connection with the land, fertility, farming, growth, general health, balance, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home, time when all loose strings are tied and you are free to move in a new direction.
Ingwaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): impotence, movement without change, labor, work.
Dagaz: (D: daylight, dawn) breakthrough, awakening, awareness, daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty, security and certainty, growth and release, balance point, the place where opposites meet.
Dagaz merkstave (it cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): completion, ending, limit, coming full circle, blindness, hopelessness.
Othala: (O: ancestral property) property, land, inheritance, home, permanence, legacy, synthesis, sense of belonging, homelanand of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values, aid in spiritual and physical journeys, source of safety, increase and abundance.
Othala reversed or merkstave: lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, bad karma, prejudice, provincialism.