�
| The sixthteenth rune and final of the Second Aett of the Elder Futhark is called "Sowulo" or "Sowilo". It's sound is "S". Like Elhaz, Sowulo is a rune of great force that embodies and channels the power of the sun, which it symbolizes. But it does not just stand for energy: it also symbolizes the illumination that the sun provides. Literally, Sowulo is the vital quality of daylight. Figuratively, it stands for the transhuman powers we need to achieve our objectives. Sowulo signifies power directed in a devastatingly straightforward way, without hindrances. Its shape resembles a flash of lightning, which describes its effects graphically. (Sowulo does not symbolize a lightning flash, however, which is the function of the Ziu rune.) Sowulo resists the forces of death and disintegration, heralding the triumph of light over darkness. Because of this, it is the rune that illuminates our goals. "To seamen navigating across the fishes' bath, the sun means hope", says the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, "until the horse of the sea brings them to harbor." Having clear vision and keeping our goals in sight in the light of Sowulo helps us to reach them. |