"I"
A diamond
3rd aett, 6th rune
The Earth God
Energy, gestation, integration,
male fertility, protection, castration
Apple
Self-heal
Malachite, rose quartz, citrine,
golden topaz, aventurine, amber,
chrysoprase
Yellow
May 14 - May 29
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
The Germanic name: Enguz (Ingwaz)
The Norse name: Ing, Ingvarr
The Anglo-Saxon name: Ing
The Icelandic name: Ing
The Norwegian name: Ing
Ingwaz symbolizes energy, in particular
the channeling of potential energy by
bringing it together and integrating
the separate elements.
Ingwaz denotes the completion of a
pattern or its transition to the next
stage. In this form, it is also a
fertility rune and connected with
initiation, a rebirth that can happen
on one or many different levels,
including the physical, perceptual,
energetic, and spiritual.
Ing-Ingvio or Yngvi are other names
for Frey, the god of sunshine. Ing
is also the name of an ancient
Germanic Earth God, who is an earlier
incarnation of Frey, also the god of
fertility and consort-priest to the
Earth Goddess. The first of the East
Danes to contact the Norse, he is
considered the father of all the tribes
along the North Sea. These tribes are
called the Ingvaeons, which means "those
of Ing."
Nerthus-Worshipped by the Danes, she
was a goddess of fertility and fruitfulness,
who kept a basket in her lap filled with all
good things. After she roamed the land, riding
on a cart pulled by cows and accompanied by
her priest, she returned to her lake sanctuary.
There the cart, cows, and the goddess were
bathed in the sacred lake by her attendants.
These attendants disappeared (and were perhaps
purposely drowned) in the lake afterward.
Interestingly, Nerthus became Njord in later
tales and father to Frey, not only changing
names but also gender. A double twist is that
some say that Ingun (a form of Ing) is Frey's
and Freyja's mother! Later in history, Nerthus
was transformed into Freyja.
Cow, goat, horse,
ox, dove, bee
Earth
22
Dark Moon
Judgment
Similar to Tiwaz, Ingwaz represents
a god with the same name, who was
the male consort of the Earth Goddess,
associated with the rune Berkana.
Ingwaz is the old German Earth God
of male fertility, the house hearth,
and the inglenook (a nook by a large,
open fireplace). The rune symbolizes
the protection of households. The Ing
legend is considered the most ancient
of all clues in the death-journey or
otherworld-journey.
One of the god Frey's more ancient
names was Yngvi or Ing. He was known
for taking part in ritual processions
and fertility rites of the Ing-Nerthus
cult, in which he rode in a wagon.
Legend has it that this god of fertility
and conquering arrived mysteriously in
a ship out of the unknown, stayed long
enough to establish a ruling race, and
departed just as suddenly and mysteriously
over the sea waves.
In the Norse tradition, it was often
the women who conducted rites involving
sexuality. The Ingwaz-rune is related to
the experience of women in the old Nerthus
cult, which dealt with the mystery of
fecundity and birth. During the spring,
the fertile season, the women acted out
Ing or Nerthus bringing his carriage from
the spiritual world to earth, traveling
across the land, and leaving in the carriage's
trail a more fertile Earth. This is the sexual
energy of May, symbolizing the proverbial
"birds and bees." (Later the Goddess Freyja
assumed the role of Ing and Nerthus.)
Useful as a sacred enclosure for magic
Learns the nature of diverse energies
Understands the forces of change, which
bring initiation and transition
Understands fertility in terms of complete patterns
Learns to channel energies together into a single,
focused intent
Love and sex magic
Ingwaz, ingwaz, ingwaz,
I i i i i n n n n n g g g g g
Ung ang ing eng ong
Ong eng ing ang ung
I i i i i n n n n n g g g g g
Although powerful, Ingwaz does not release
energy immediately, but instead builds
it up and releases it in a single burst,
much like the male ejaculation. In ritual
this takes place when everyone in the group
channels his/her energy toward one intention.
The more energy you have to channel, the
greater the thrust of energy toward that
intention. The more energy you move toward
an outcome, the more likely it is that the
outcome will be realized, which is why this
rune is associated with fertility.
The Rune of potency governs expectation and
successful conclusion, positive energy and
renewal, even rebirth. Expect good things
from this extraordinarily happy rune.
Ing is the Danish-Anglo-Saxon name of the
God Freyr, God of agriculture and fertility.
Agriculture represents the first human
attempt at controlling the natural environment,
while fertility and fruit-yielding of wheat,
cattle, and people have always been the focus
of attention of religions in pre-Christian
agricultural communities. From the earliest
Summer rites all the time to modern ritual
practices all over Europe people have always
tried and striven, through the fantastic
agriculture, to influence the Universe in
order to ensure for themselves fertility of
own fields.
The Man of the modern Western European and
Anglo-American cultures has lost completely
his relation with Nature, with the Earth and
agriculture in the first place. The meaning
of Ingwaz, although referring primarily to
fertility of fields, symbolizes really the
necessity of balance, of establishing harmonious
relations between Man and the four elements
(Earth, Water, Air, Fire), i.e. the four
cardinal points. Ingwaz reminds us of the
primeval ties between the Gods and the Earth,
at the same time also warning that spiritual
health is only possible to achieve fully
through a repeated establishment of closeness
with the natural environment.
When used in divination it signifies: work,
productivity, generosity, growth, balance,
links with everything that is Earthly.
For use in magik: for fertility, agriculture,
growth, overall health, balance.
Ingwaz has no upright and reversed positions.
The closed quadrangle stands for completion,
completeness, however only as the foundations
for a new start, in this manner, speaking generally,
denoting continuity. Ingwaz, at the same time,
is consolation and warning. Ingwaz says that
the person asking the question is close to
solution of the problem that has been bothering
him/her for a long time. Announces ending of
a stage in life and commencement of a new one,
which brings more love and life joys.
Inguz appears often also to signify birth
or gravidity.
Fehu
Uruz
Thurisaz
Ansuz
Raidho
Kenaz
Gebo
Wunjo
Hagalaz
Naudhiz
Isa
Jera
Eihwaz
Perdhro
Algiz
Sowilo
Tiwaz
Berkana
Ehwaz
Mannaz
Laguz
Ingwaz
Othala
Dagaz
Rune Interpretations
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