Spirits of the Runes
by Laure Lynch
When I began seriously studying the runes, about five or six years ago now, my first impressions of them were not as letters in a sacred alphabet or even as energy patterns (although they are also both of those things), but as living beings, individual spirits with mind, will, and purpose of their own. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to me, given that I’ve always had a shamanic approach to spirituality. From childhood, long before I became involved with Heathenry or knew that the Presence who had always been active in my life was actually a god named Odin, I had not only had a remarkable rapport with animals but also sensed the spirits in apparently inanimate things—rocks, trees, plants, the wind, storms—and often interacted with them. It never made sense to me that the natural world was passive and inanimate as most people seemed to think.
When I first carved and blooded my set of runes--which I accomplished in a single night, as an ordeal rite--I felt the runic spirits buzzing and humming around me as I worked. As time has gone on, I’ve gotten more glimpses of their individual natures and functions, and recently have noticed that a few other people (Raven Kaldera and Galina Krasskova among them) have begun publishing their accounts of their own experiences along these same lines. I have avoided reading these accounts thus far, for fear of contaminating my own initial experiences, although that is about to change. As I am about to embark on a period of deepening work with the runic spirits, I believe I have finally reached the point where my own work from this point forward can only be enhanced by reading about how others have progressed. Before I begin doing so, however, I wanted to share my own impressions at the beginning of this new phase.
What follows is completely and purely UPG—my own perceptions of who these spirits are and what they do, nothing more and nothing less. I should also add that, for me, the runic spirits do not correspond in any kind of direct way with the gods often associated with various runes. In other words, Ansuz is not Odin, although he may have certain points in common with Him, and Tiwaz is not Tyr. Also, I do not see the runic spirits as gods themselves; they are independent spirits somewhat on the level of plant, animal, and mineral spirits, who may choose to ally themselves and work with a particular god or other individual--or not. Odin did not create them, although He did birth them in a sense, bringing them out of Ginnungagap and into manifestation in the Nine Worlds by means of His nine-night ordeal on the Tree. He also won them as His allies by means of that sacrifice. Thankfully, it seems they do not require quite that level of sacrifice from the rest of us, but if you wish to work with them, remember that they are not obligated to choose to work with you in turn--not even if you are Odin’s. And they will probably ask things of you, just as any other spirit ally would likely do.
As a final note, although the names I have used for some of the rune spirits coincidentally match the names of certain Tarot cards, no correspondence was intended. For those who would like more information or a different perspective on these spirits, I would recommend Galina Krasskova’s section on them in Wyrdwalkers by Raven Kaldera.
Fehu – She comes in a blaze of fire, a creature of gold—golden skin, golden hair, golden eyes that burn like the sun. She is the Initiator, Gatekeeper, and Sacred Whore, the one who allows entrance to the realm of the runes. She opens the way between the physical and the spiritual/astral, and is securely grounded in both realms. She oozes sex and wealth, fecundity and the promise of nourishment--but the wealth is not only that of material things but also of inner strength and luck (hamingja), the sex is a tool of initiation, and both are manifestations of the surge of spiritual energy required to set foot into this realm. The fertility and nourishment she promises are also spiritual, although they do cast their shadows in the physical realm of Midgard, and Fehu definitely has her earthy side, concerned with the growth of crops and green things as well as the fertility of animals and people. She is very mercenary, and demands her due in exchange for her gifts; she also tends to demand that whatever she gives be shared (as Odin shared the runes with the other races as well as His own) and not hoarded and kept for oneself. Pay her homage, for without her leave you will not pass the inner gates. Odin wooed her favors throughout the nine long nights of His sacrifice on the Tree, and when she finally acceded to Him, she opened the floodgates through which He was able to grasp the rest of the runes.
Uruz—As Fehu is powerfully feminine, Uruz is powerfully masculine, a being of sinew and strength, muscle and brawn, redolent of male sexuality, male fertility, male prowess. As Fehu is cow-like, so He is bull-like in aspect, fierce and combative, with eyes that glow red. A red aura surrounds him, a glow of red like lava or the setting sun reflected in cool waves. In his presence, I was suddenly aware of all the blood in my body and its progress through my veins, the process by which it nourishes my cells. Blood pounded in my ears, and in the background somewhere I could hear the distant roar of the sea. Uruz is the Tester, the Bouncer. Once you have been admitted by Fehu, he keeps testing to make sure you are really serious about your path, where you are going, how you are going to get there. He never hesitates to challenge uncertainty and force you to prove your worth, but for every challenge you meet and survive, the path ahead is clearer and you are stronger and better able to meet whatever may lie ahead.
Thurisaz — Thurisaz is a prickly, prickly spirit. If Uruz is combative, Thurisaz is nastily aggressive—possessive, territorial, short-tempered, and quick to avenge even an imagined slight. Yet Thurisaz is also a very slippery spirit. At first she appeared female to me—a flame-haired etin-witch with a fierce glare and thorny demeanor—and then, just when I thought I had gotten a handle on her, she shifted and became male, a redheaded etin-warrior with an equally quick temper. When I tried to focus on him, he shifted and became female again, and so on. I finally had to come to the conclusion that Thurisaz is Third—neither male nor female, but both and able to swiftly and easily shift back and forth between the two, the better to confound the seeker. (For those who associate Thurisaz with Thor, this invites the question of whether Thor is also Third. I’m not going to go into that here, but there is that story about His having had to cross-dress in order to retrieve Mjollnir, as well as having some of the tools of a seidhkona—staff, belt, gloves—bestowed on Him by the giantess Grid.) Where Uruz challenges forward progress in order to test the seeker’s sincerity and commitment, Thurisaz actively seeks to impede it in order to protect the mysteries that lie beyond, just as Thor actively wards the borders of Midgard and a hedge of thorns bars the hero’s way in many fairy tales. Yet Thurisaz is actually a very helpful spirit, despite outward appearances, because by attacking your weak spots, zie helps you to locate and eliminate them, as well as protect them from attack.
Ansuz – Ansuz comes in a rush of air and wind, sound and meaning, and the velvety touch of the brush of gigantic wings. Ansuz is the Great Bird, and also a slender, graceful man with the wings of a bird. If you have passed the tests of Uruz and survived the travails of Thurisaz, he grasps you in his talons and carries you skyward with him so that you can look down and have a view of the big picture, the entirety of the rune row and how the spirits in it work together as a family, for the first time. The heights of Ansuz are dizzying, inebriating, and breathtaking; he can take you soaring into an ecstatic state in which all of the rune spirits can be seen and known with startling suddenness and clarity. Of course, Ansuz can be a capricious spirit and may easily decide to drop you from these heights if he thinks you need a lesson in not progressing too quickly, or trying to fly before you’ve learned to walk. He also has a wild, fierce side in which he may decide to rend you with his talons instead of bearing you aloft, amidst the shrieking winds and howling hounds of the Wild Hunt. Respect Ansuz, submit to his flights of ecstasy while remembering to balance them with the earthiness of Fehu and the testing ground of Uruz, and learn to sing his songs, and you may survive to meet the Charioteer.
Raidho – Raidho appears on the horizon in a blaze of whirling sun-fire, the wheels of a gigantic chariot that are always moving. The horses who pull this chariot are swift as thought and have eyes of flame, and their Charioteer is straight, proud, regal, and Very Serious. Raidho’s mission is Order and Right Action, and he is extremely dedicated to that mission. He will show you exactly how, when, and in what manner things should be done, and if you refuse to do them that way, you will likely be subjected to his whip or trampled under the hooves of his steeds, because he will not wait or slow his progress; you will have to either fall in line with him, or always be struggling against him and battered around by him. Raidho knows that timing truly is everything. As unforgiving and strict as he can be, he is an indispensable ally when it comes to such tasks as time management, ritual planning, and runic magic. He can map the path ahead for you, and it will only be to your own detriment not to follow the blueprint he lays out, because he knows the way. He is the Way Shower.
Kenaz – Follow the path laid out by Raidho, and soon you will see a fire glowing in the distance, a bright blaze of orange warmth in the darkness . Draw closer, and you discover it is the fire of a smithy. Kenaz is the smith, a burly dwarf in smudged clothing, wonderfully inventive and dedicated to his craft. Just as the dwarves forged all the treasures of the gods, Kenaz can help you craft all the tools you will need for your own work—if he is treated well, and if his instructions on how to make and care for your tools are listened to and followed scrupulously. Kenaz will not tolerate laziness or sloppiness; both of those things can make him lash out at you, and you really don’t want to feel the heat of those tongs against your skin. Kenaz can also afflict you with elfshot (the sickness spoken of in the rune poems for this rune) if he finds you disrespectful of his craft and his gifts. The lesson of Kenaz is: make your tools properly, care for them properly, and use them responsibly—or suffer for it. Without mastering the proper use of tools, the seeker cannot progress.
Gebo – The seeker has passed many tests and overcome many obstacles by this point, and now Gebo beckons with promises of warmth and safety, comfort and community, partnership and love. Like Thurisaz, she shifts between male and female, although she is not strictly Third; her gender changes according to the gender and orientation of the seeker, becoming either a lush, beautiful young woman or a handsome man as is most fitting. Whatever her sex, she personifies the seeker’s deepest and most profound wishes and desires. However, there is a price for submitting to her embraces, for Gebo is the Sacrificial Priestess. For each boon the seeker hopes to gain, each stride forward, each achievement, there will be a gift given or a sacrifice made—and it will be taken by force if not given willingly. If fought, Gebo becomes the executioner, taking the pound of flesh to which she is entitled for her favors. If embraced willingly and offered to voluntarily, she becomes a benefactor, blessing each endeavor and often taking less that what has been offered up, as long as a balance of give and take is maintained overall. If that balance is upset, the seeker’s progress will be thwarted. Gebo’s lesson is to learn to give generously, not out of obligation but for the sake of giving itself.
Wunjo – This rune spirit can be male or female, but in both cases is a rosy-cheeked youth, golden hair flowing and full of smiles and laughter. He/she comes bearing a brimming mead horn and a platter piled high with good, delicious food to quench the seeker’s thirst and sate his hunger. And yet, the horn will never run dry nor the plate empty no matter how much the seeker eats or drinks, so care must be taken not to overindulge; at the same time as Wunjo brings joy and blessings, she also teaches moderation. Addiction is one of the greatest enemies of spiritual progress. Wunjo’s laughter is filled with the warmth of family and the revelry of the banquet hall, yet there is a darker undertone in which one can hear, if one listens carefully, the clamor of blood-thirsty warriors and the howling winds of the Hunt. Wunjo offers joy and blessings with one hand, and addiction and madness with the other. The seeker will not get any farther than this unless he learns to moderate himself and steer a middle course between asceticism and overindulgence. For this reason, many, many people stop here, believing they have attained the full promise of the runes. They have not.
Hagalaz – Storm clouds darken the sky, a fierce wind whips, and hail pelts the earth. Hagalaz is the Storm Witch. While the seeker is basking in the false security of Wunjo, she strikes suddenly and often without warning, bringing swift destruction to upset the balance of things so that a new and more productive balance can be found. She is not vindictive like Thurisaz, but she is inexorable and unlike Thurisaz cannot be cajoled, reasoned with, or turned aside. She doesn’t necessarily take any pleasure in the destruction she brings, but she does it anyway because it is needed for progress and growth to occur. She is the enemy of stagnation and placidity. She propels the seeker forward to the next level.
Nauthiz – Another slippery rune for me. Now that the balance enforced by Gebo has been upset by Hagalaz, a new balance must be found. Nauthiz pursues this goal not by means of equal exchange of energies, as Gebo does, but by means of hardship. Nauthiz is adversity personified; adversity often forces change by making the seeker so uncomfortable that they cannot stand where they are any longer and something has got to give; in this sense, Nauthiz is a great teacher, although many do not survive her lessons to progress any further. I see her as a Slave Driver, and also as a Thief (of time, of energy and freedom, of security and peace of mind) in raggedy clothing, holding a knife to your back so that you cannot go backwards, only forwards. To back up would be to impale yourself on her knife. She does not give as Gebo does, only takes, and yet like any Thief she has a lot to teach about the artful breaking and twisting of rules, a lesson Odin has mastered from her.
Isa – The Ice Maiden. The path Nauthiz forces the seeker down is narrow and slippery. Forward progress is difficult and slow. Isa guards the way, warning that as hard as the path is now, the way that lies ahead is even more dangerous. As Nauthiz prods you forward with her blade, Isa bars the way, forcing you to stop and consider whether or not it really is better to submit to Nauthiz’s blade or leave the path entirely rather than struggle ahead. Isa forces reflection and a search for inner clarity. Once clarity is achieved, the seeker realizes that the path ahead is difficult, but passable. In fact, the ice is clearing.
Jera – The perilous path leads out into a wide green valley warmed by the sun. The seeker has won a temporary respite, and here will find abundance and rewards, but also a lot of hard work. This is the domain of Jera, a wealthy Farmer, fat and smiling, generous with his crops but, like Raidho, very exacting and particular about how things should be done. He agrees with Raidho that timing is everything, yet his own concerns are less with daily time management or ritual procedures and more with following the cycle of the seasons; he can teach you when to plant, when to fertilize, when to harvest, in accordance with the greater rhythm of nature. Any attempts to hurry or otherwise tamper with these natural rhythms—whether it be the rhythm of the crops, or your learning curve in mastering a new skill—make Jera very cranky, and will lead to bad results; good things cannot be rushed, he is fond of saying.
Eihwaz – In the woods adjoining Jera’s valley, the seeker will likely encounter Eihwaz. Eihwaz is a skilled hunter, dark and sleek, with glowing green eyes like a wolf and the instincts of one, too. Rather than seasonal rhythms or cosmic cycles, Eihwaz is concerned with animal instinct and the side of nature that Tennyson pronounced “red in tooth and claw”—the laws of predator and prey. Eihwaz can track anything and carefully studies the habits of every creature in the forest because knowing your prey’s habits helps you to hunt it, and knowing the habits of predators helps keep you from being hunted in turn. He can teach you about how to avoid being prey, and how to be a predator when you need to be. He is an expert archer who never misses his mark, and has much to teach about tracking and hunting down goals.
Perthro – Within a clearing in Eihwaz’s forest, the dark surface of a well reflects the starlight from the sky above. A slim, pale figure sits by this Well, gazing down into it, scrying the threads of Wyrd in its depths. She is Perthro, the Seeress. Although she is closely connected with the Well of Wyrd itself, she also teaches that any still body of water (even a bowl) can mirror and connect you to the Well. She can teach you how to scry if you are really certain you want to learn. As always, such knowledge is dangerous, and many people avoid becoming deeply involved with Perthro even if they’ve managed to get this far. Odin gave an eye for such sight, and there will always be a price, even if it is only the shattering of self-delusions.
Algiz – If the seeker is courageous enough to explore the visions offered by Perthro without flinching or turning back, he may gain a Guardian at this point—or more properly a Spae-Wight. This is Algiz. Also called a shield maiden in some of the old stories, a Spae-Wight differs from a Valkyrie in that she is dedicated to the protection of a particular warrior rather than being a handmaiden of Odin himself. Algiz is the oversoul, so to speak, of all Spae-Wights, and like many shield maidens she can also assume the form of a swan. Often mistakenly dismissed as a placid symbol of romance novel heroines, the swan is the largest water fowl and a very powerful bird; it can beat its wings with enough force to break the arms of a full-grown man. You do not want to mess with swans, and you do not want to mess with Algiz; her defense of those she has sworn to protect is swift and devastating. She can also warn of impending danger, if you are listening, as well as communicate the approval of the gods. She will often manifest as an actual swan—or some other type of waterfowl, such as a goose—in Midgard in order to do so.
Sowilo – If Algiz is similar to a Valkyrie in some ways, Sowilo is the real thing, the oversoul of Odin’s daughter and handmaidens. She is straight and tall, proud and majestic, and shining like the sun because, as a Valkyrie, she carries the dazzling light of Asgard with her wherever she goes, even if that is into the depths of the underworld—which is sometimes where she must go in order to bear Odin’s chosen ones to Valhalla. Yet she is not a wholly beneficent force; her brightness—like that of the sun—can burn as well as providing light and heat; for all that Odin is often considered a “dark god” by many, His light and the light of Asgard can be intense enough to blind those who are not accustomed to it or prepared for it. She is a guide, psychopomp, and bringer of victory, yet she will not help the weak and unworthy. For those she deems worthy, she opens the way to the next highest level of runic achievement.
Tiwaz – If Sowilo deems you worthy, she will show you to the temple doors of Tiwaz, where Tiwaz himself will very likely meet you and demand, at sword point, to know your business, your intentions, and who you serve. Tiwaz is the Priest-King—a battle-hardened and battle-scarred warrior, but also keeper of the temple and guardian of the inner sanctum of the rune spirits. As Gebo is a sacrificial priestess who demands a balance of energy, Tiwaz is a sacrificial priest who demands steadfastness of purpose and firm dedication in the face of any and all opposition and adversity. If you do not know who and what you serve, as well as why, by the time you reach his doors, and if your dedication to both is not so firm and so unshakable that you would be prepared to sacrifice anything asked of you in the service of your charge, he will turn you away, or perhaps even see to it that you fall on your sword. Tiwaz takes dedication and duty very, very seriously. He can teach about sacrifice for the good of a higher cause, oath-keeping, and especially the sacrifices that may be needed in order to keep oaths.
Berkano – If Tiwaz is satisfied with the answers you give him, you may be allowed into the presence of Berkano. Berkano is the Queen, birch-slender and silvery, cool-tempered and graceful—yet deeply rooted and iron-willed beneath her gracious demeanor. Her supreme power is that of adaptability and endurance. She is flexible enough to bend in the wind, yet she cannot truly be swayed; she is polite and pleasant, yet she can play court politics as well as—and in fact better than—the most conniving male courtier. She is Guardian of the Mysteries, especially the feminine mysteries, and if the seeker is male he may never penetrate her inner sanctum unless, like Odin, he is willing to open himself to her wisdom and drop his macho defenses. Since this can be a difficult thing for the male ego (as well as the female ego, on occasion), some turn back at this point, or skip ahead to Ehwaz and never fully understand Berkano. Those who are not afraid to make themselves vulnerable to her teachings, however, can learn powerful magic and healing from her. She especially teaches the lore of the green world. She is as feminine as Fehu, but cool, reflective, and reserved where Fehu is fiery and intense.
Ehwaz – The Horseman or Ranger. As Eihwaz knows the woods and the animals in it, Ehwaz knows the long roads and how to get from place to place; he is a navigator on land as Laguz is on the oceans, and can also be called on for help following or tracking people or entities over long distances. He is rumored to be able to take either full or partial equine form, and can teach the seeker about marrying his subconscious, right-brained, more intuitive animal nature with his higher intellect and left-brain consciousness in a perfect partnership that can accomplish any goal. He is also, due to his close partnership and/or kinship to his own horse, an excellent teacher in both astral travel and in the art of serving as a horse for a god.
Mannaz – The Young Idealist. This spirit appears variously as male or female. In both cases, he/she is the epitome of the idealistic youngster, not unlike the college students of the 70s who were always staging protests for various causes. Mannaz cares deeply and passionately about humanity, the earth, other species, and the continuation of life on our planet in general. He/she is a defender of human rights, the poor and the unfortunate, environmental causes, and intellectual freedom, and will help in any endeavor towards these ends. This spirit is intense, individualistic, and intellectual, though occasionally also a bit naïve.
Laguz – This spirit sometimes appears as a hardened, weathered old sailor, and sometimes as an alluring young mermaid or siren. As a sailor, he can teach you to navigate the deep waters of the unknown, whether of your own subconscious or the outer unknown of other worlds and realms. He is a flawless navigator, steering by the stars and knowing all the moods and nuances of the sea. He can also help the seeker to reap the rewards of their shamanic and mystical endeavors. As a siren, Laguz can be more dangerous but equally helpful; she can, if she finds you worthy, help you to explore the depths of any mystery, and is also an expert healer.
Inguz – The Magician. Inguz guards the portal of manifestation created by the marriage of water and fire. Fittingly, Inguz is an Androgyne, neither male nor female but with the qualities of both. He brings things forth from out of the void, and can show the seeker how to do the same. He is also the Harvest Sacrifice; it is his blood that is shed as the last sheaf is bound and left for the Hunt. It is by this means that he demonstrates the kinds of sacrifices that are needed for the manifestations he can generate. Like Fehu, he has a deep connection with the earth, and like Jera, he is strongly linked to the life-death-and-rebirth cycle of the seasons.
Dagaz – A delicate-seeming man with the glowing wings of a butterfly or moth, Dagaz is actually quite powerful, although notoriously difficult to grasp. He radiates both light and darkness, day and night, at once. He is a Walker of Boundaries. In addition to watching over the dividing times between night and day and the shifting seasons—all of those boundary times when the spirit world is most present and active on earth—he also guards the doors between dimensions and worlds, although it would also be correct to say that he IS a Door between dimensions and worlds. He readily befriends human seers who can peer into other dimensions, as well as those few humans who are Doors themselves—living portals for deities and spirits to have greater access to and freedom of action in the physical world. He can be very hard to get to know on more than a superficial level for anyone who does not play such a role.
Othala – Sometimes appearing as a plump, smiling, northern housewife, sometimes as an old woman, she is the Keeper of the Hearth. In addition to warding her living kin and her household, she also wards the bones of the dead; if you look closely you can see their shadows in her sparkling, jovial eyes. She will be quick to tell you their stories as well, if you ask, for keeping the memory of the dead alive is important to her. Her kitchen always smells of freshly baked bread and roasting meat, and she is an exemplary hostess, but she rules her household with an iron fist and does not tolerate rudeness or the breaking of frith under her roof. She wards the innermost enclosure, the ve, where the living and dead and the gods and mortals all dwell together. She lives for her family and her tribe, and although she loves to tell stories of the past, her real concerns are always with the future. She is home, center point, and the culmination of all the runes—the earth, the soul, the hearth, and legacy itself. Not only can she assist you in warding both your person and your home and belongings, but she will likely treat you to a grandmotherly chiding should you neglect to do so. She is also an invaluable helper in the creation of sacred space and the hallowing of sacred objects. She also offers true wealth—the settled, permanent wealth of land and legacy, as opposed to the more transitory wealth of Fehu—to those who have worked to earn it. After Odin’s ordeal on the Tree was completed, it was she who made sure that He was sent back to Asgard whole and hale in order that He might share His teachings with His tribe and pass on the legacy of the runes for the enrichment of future generations of gods and humans.
- Gunnlod- Hjarta
(c) 2007
wodandis@gmail.com