FEHU means cattle. To the people of the North, cattle meant wealth, but 
wealth that must move to be effective, else it become a sore. They thought of 
true wealth as being a good reputation, yet fame too must be put to work to 
be of any worth. 


URUZ means aurochs. This was a fierce wild ox against which youths tested 
their courage and hunting skill. Its horns were much prized and it was 
eventually hunted to extinction. It represents raw primal strength. 


THURISAZ means a giant, but this rune is more often associated with the God 
Thor and his famous Hammer. It is a powerful penetrating force that can be 
used for attack or defense, for it represents both the force of will and the 
thorn that protects. 


ANSUZ means a God. This rune is often associated with the God O�in and 
represents communicating, outwardly with speech, and inwardly with 
sensitivity and inspiration. It can also represent the wind, for like Thor, 
O�in is a God of the storm. 


RAIDHO means a chariot and the act of riding. It can therefore mean 
transport and travel. More subtly it means being in control. To be in control 
one needs order, and while this can mean acts of ritual, on a deeper level it 
means cosmic order. 


KENAZ means fire, perhaps a torch or a pitch-brand. Illumination can also 
bring knowledge - to ken something - and knowledge about others is often most 
rewarding when about one's kin. Fidelity to one's spouse or to one's leader 
or king. 


GEBO means giving. Unasked for gifts were a source of suspicion in olden 
days for a gift "demanded" a gift in return! Give and take is an exchange of 
forces. This exchange is an essential part of successful relationships (like 
marriage). 


WUNJO means joy. It also means wonder and as "wunsch" the act of wishing- 
not a vague act but one of willing into being. The Anglo-Saxon name for this 
- "wynn" - though not linked linguistically, can act as a reminder that true 
winning is not a haphazard act. 


HAGALAZ means hail. Hail is a destructive natural force, it is true. But it 
is one of Nature's essential checks and balances, clearing away dross and 
weak growth. As a result the world is stronger. And after the hail has 
melted, it helps sustain that which remains. 


NAUTHIZ means need. A time of need is often the spur that ends complacency. 
Without a time of need, perhaps we would not appreciate the times of plenty 
so well. 


ISA means ice. Cold and still, yet indicating the poise and focus that can 
be achieved in meditation. Freezing of circumstances means maintaining the 
status quo, but it can mean stagnation. Defending by freezing the attack. 


JERA simply means harvest and the idea of growth through the cycle of the 
year's seasons. The harvest is the result of your work. Whether this reward 
is good or bad can depend on what you have sown and how you have tended it! 


EEWAZ means a yew tree. Coming after Jera, it reminds us of the cycle of 
life and death. For the yew is intensely poisonous, and its wood can be used 
to make bows - bringers of death. Yet of all North European trees it lives 
the longest, so it also represents endurance and its branches the diversity 
of life. 


PERTHRO is a dice-cup. To some it can mean fatalism or "luck", but it is 
really a positive evolutionary force. Think of Wyrd and the three Norns - Ur� 
(What is), Ver�andi (What is becoming), Skuld (What should be). If you do see 
this is a rune of luck, remember "fortune favors the brave". 


ELHAZ means protection. Often known as "Algiz", this rune shows the warding 
hand, or defensive horns or spines. This rune resembles a person standing 
with arms raised. Is this in defiance, in invocation, or in blessing? 

SOWILO means sun. The sun represents success and victory. It shines with a 
permanent and limitless light. It clears away the clouds of doubt to bring 
confidence and optimism. 


TIWAZ means justice and is associated with the God Tyr. Justice is a state 
of balance. Vengeance is an act redressing the balance, and may actually 
foreshadow peace, for peace without justice cannot last. 


BERKANA means a birch tree and is associated with Ostara, Goddess of the 
Dawn. It symbolizes the rebirth found at spring time (Ostara/Easter time) and 
at dawn every morning. It is a rune of awakening. 


EHWAZ means a horse. It symbolizes trust, such as that required between 
horse and rider or two people in close relationship. It is therefore a rune 
of partnership and commitment between two parties who want to "make things 
work". 


 MANNAZ means mankind. It means all the frailties and all the potentials of 
being human. It represents contracts and oaths and hence is linked to the 
goddess V�r. 


LAUGUZ means water. Water cleanses and refreshes. It finds its own level, 
and it contains the teeming flow of life. It reflects the sky above it, and 
mirrors the calmness or ferocity of the wind that flows over it. 


INGWAZ (or Inguz) is associated with the God Ing or Yngvi-Frey. It is an 
"earthy" rune representing sex and fertility, and the life contained in the 
seed. 


DAGAZ means day and the point of balance in the day-night cycle. Daylight 
certainly brings clarity, yet twilight illumines the mysteries of both the 
day-world of light and the night-world of darkness. 


O�ILA means inherited land. Odal land stayed in the family and was tilled 
for the benefit of that family. It represents that which is handed down. This 
includes our language, our mythology, and our runelore, as well as physical 
possessions.

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