Othala

Othala represents inheritance or heritage and a warm, safe home. This is Fehu on a higher level, but also Fehu – the beginning of a next circle. The heritage of Othala can be understood in the material sense but also as the knowledge of ancestors and wisdom of the Old one always has to come back to. The basic meaning of Othala is actually Ancestral or Inherited Land i.e. home. A resting place we're all aspiring to; it can signify our homeland as well as our spiritual homeland. It's the goal we've finally reached in order to accomplish the peace we longed for. This Rune was used by the Nazis, as well as two Sowilo Runes which were the emblem of the SS formation. Even today Othala is used by skinheads to mark their white heritage, which only damages the Runic system, and the Germanic system in general. That damage is caused by the piling of negative emotions towards Germanic symbols. Othala signifies belonging, but not in such a vulgar sense like belonging to a single race, but more an axis and basis everyone should find within. The Rune is used to end what one has started.

Dagaz

Dagaz signifies the security provided by daylight and day in general. Day is the time when we can see normally and face an enemy, when we can normally do our business. There are no more obstacles in front of us. Dagaz is the end of the Futhark cycle seeing that by the old calculations, day began when people came home to dinner after work. Othala is also the completion of the whole journey, but it contains within itself the seed of a new beginning; it's actually a gate a person goes through to achieve a higher level of existence. As such, it is in no way the end of a journey, but it gives a certain stability and fortifies positions we've reached through the Futhark. Dagaz is a very positive Rune, a Rune which promises a new beginning and gives us hope for a better future (“dawning of a new day”). Dagaz is the level in which the conscious finally awakens and comes to self-realization. The Rune is used to achieve positive results and to help in difficult times.

Heimskringla

Ingwaz

This Rune is connected to Frey, the God of fertility, i.e. with the king Ing, who started the Ingling dynasty. According to legend, during king Ing's rule his lands were more fertile than ever, so Ing, i.e. Frey, was deified after his death, and became a fertility God. Therefore, Ingwaz is connected to fertility, but this fertility – unlike Pertho's – is connected most of all with the creative power of a man. The shape of Ingwaz bears an uncanny resemblance to a seed, and as such this Rune can symbolize at the same time a sperm as well as a plant seed, but as well as a seed, that is a beginning of an interesting idea, a beginning of a good business project. In Ingwaz a person fortifies his or her position and directs to the final goal – Othala. Just like Frey lead his warriors, so Ingwaz leads a person towards self-realization and enlightenment. Passing through the whole Futhark a person has accomplished a lot and now all that remains is to gather the fruits of one's labour and rule his kingdom like Frey in Upssala. All goals in life are now realized and one is in perfect harmony with the world.

Laguz- Within the lake

Laguz

Laguz means lake. This Rune actually represents water in all its forms, so it can signify a sea, ocean, lake, river or marsh. All these water surfaces are under the rule of Njord and his wife Ran, which meant mysterious and dangerous regions to the old Germanic peoples. They imagined that the waters were inhabited by terrifying creatures like the serpent Jormundgand, but also beautiful creatures, but no less deadly, like Lorelai. What is, then, the point of Laguz? In the occult, water has always been the symbol of emotions, intuition, but also of the unconscious, the depths of which are like the depths of the ocean. Dreams, fantasies and hallucinations fall under Laguz's domain, but also illusions which we consider to be real, but are nothing more than projections of our subconscious. Laguz thus has the meaning of something mysterious and unknown, something which needs to be explored, something we should face and so prove our courage. For when we know our flaws, frustrations and fears, the mysterious waters of Laguz we dreaded can become a healing spring. Water is also a symbol of fertility and female qualities in general.

The cry of mankind

Mannaz

The Rune Mannaz signifies a man and the human species in general. The impulse that manifests itself as herd instinct in animals, in humans it's the tendency to live in a group and this is one of the basic qualities of Mannaz. Belonging to a people, community, group or sports club, all of these are different shapes Mannaz appears in. In Mannaz man realizes that he's a part of humanity, his role in society and his place in the system of social relationships. Seeing how this Rune is connected to human relations it can be used to strengthen relationships that are based on communication, cooperation, mutual helping and support. Mannaz actually represents Gebo in a higher level, so the harmonic relation includes not only lovers or co-workers but the whole community. In his works, Tacitus mentions a Germanic God called Tuist who had a son called Mannus, so some authors connect the Rune to this deity because of the similarity of the name.

Totem beast

Ehwaz

Ehwaz means horse. In the Nordic tradition, the horse was a sacred animal, the same as in the old Slavic tradition. This animal was connected to Frey, which we find out in the saga of Hrafnkel, Frey's priest. A modern person can hardly realize what kind of a relationship his ancestors had with the horse, or the specific connexion there was between a man and his faithful companion. This relationship was based on mutual trust and absolute devotion. Therefore, unlike the tamed force we have in Thurisaz, in Ehwaz the relationship between the ruling and the ruled is somewhat different, because the horse is not only a man's servant but also his faithful friend and helper. Because of that the sense of this Rune isn't in the control and subduing but in the mutual exchange of energy, an exchange that goes on between two beings that mutually respect and complement each other. It's the Rune's symmetrical shape that points out to harmony and energetic balance. Communication, as a sort of energetic exchange is also connected to this Rune. Beside that, Ehwaz is connected to journeys as well, seeing that then the horse was also the main means of transportation.

Berkana

The original meaning of Berkana is birch. The birch still has a similar name in Scandinavian languages: in Norwegian it's bjørk, in Swedish björk, birk in Danish, birki in Icelandic. Seeing how the birch is a female plant, this Rune is connected to the female energy and female deities like Frigga and Idun. Berkana is the Rune of regeneration, fertility, birth and health, as attested by the Runic poem describing Berkana as a young and healthy tree. The quality of Berkana is connected to everything that's new, young or just growing, whether it's a new tree or a newborn. Fertility is also connected to the process of birth and creating something new, so Berkana can symbolize a new addition to the family or an emerging thought being born in the mind of a scientist or artist. As the Rune of health, Berkana is most often used as a talisman that brings health back to the sick. Beside that, it can also be used for protection, because in the olden days it was planted in front of a house to provide protection to the residents (in Slavic folklore it's the service tree that's planted in front of a house for protection).

Tiwaz

This Rune belongs to the God Tyr, giver of victory to honourable warriors. Tiwaz was engraved in weapons from the beginning; it was the tendency not only to obtain Tyr's benevolence, but also his courage, fearlessness and sense of fairness and justice. Elderly warriors would engrave Tiwaz on their own bodies to avoid death of old age and in that way open to themselves the entry to Valhalla. Tiwaz signifies the spear but also the arrow, which is evident from the Rune's very shape. This symbol was often engraved on urns, sometimes combined with the archetypical Germanic symbol – the swastika. Tiwaz is the Rune of the warrior and it can be used to awaken the belligerence in us. It's also used to better one's concentration and enable a more intensive focus on a project. Beside that, Tiwaz helps to defeat the competition, or any other situation that has a competitive element. Unlike the Berkana which is preceded by this typically male Rune, a Rune that carries within itself an exceptionally male energy. Like the second Aett, the third cycle of Futhark begins with a kind of destruction. In Tiwaz we have to overcome ourselves and, if needed, to sacrifice ourselves for the higher goals.

Symbols of the sun

Sowilo

Sowilo is the symbol of the Sun as the giver of life, a heavenly body revered in all cultures and civilizations. Julius Caesar noticed that Germanic tribes gave great significance to the heavenly torches, i.e. the Sun and the Moon. As a symbol of Sun and light, Sowilo is connected to Baldur, the God of divine and eminent purity, beauty and light in general. This Rune is also considered to be the primordial fire that together with the cosmic ice caused the creation of the Universe. The strong energetic charge of the Rune enables using Sowilo as an amplifier of our energetic potential, which is especially useful when we're lacking in energy. The Sun is the dynamic, life principle that moves and directs us to great deeds. Like Wunjo, Sowilo represents the positive ending of a spiritual journey that can bring with it success and glory. The Sun is also the symbol of light, so Sowilo can also mean knowing oneself.

Algiz

Algiz signifies protection or defense. The original meaning of the Rune is connected to the giant moose who lives in the northern climes, but also a swamp plant with very sharp leaves. A deer's antlers and the sharpness of the plant's leaves perfectly represent the protective nature of the Rune, while its shape reminds one of a pitchfork or some other sharp weapon. Therefore this is the Rune of protection, but also a warning because it can warn a man of danger like a subtle antenna. Algiz is used to properly channel energy. This Rune is sometimes connected to the Valkyries or even the fylgja, one's personal spiritual company. As we already know, a fylgja appears whenever someone is in mortal danger, this way warning his family.
Today protective talismans aren't rare, they're made by cyclically connected Algiz Runes, like for example the Aegishjalmar – the Steering Wheel of Terror (a symbol made of four or eight connected Algiz Runes). Beside the protective influence, Algiz can also signify help coming to us from higher plains, someone's new and positive influence as well as the appearance of a person who will play the role of mentor in your life.

At the gates...

Perthro

Perthro is one of the most mysterious Runes of the Elder Futhark. Before all it represents passing into the unknown or even initiation, but the term “initiation” can just as well be connected to Eihwaz as the Rune of death. This Rune can represent the female womb and the fertility cauldron of the Mother Goddess. Its shape reminds one of a chalice, which is another association to the womb of the Goddess. The Rune itself signifies mystery, a mysterious event that changes one's life and leads him into a new state of consciousness or a new way of being. Because of this Perthro besides the womb represents a gate or a passage of every kind, but most often the one that leads into the unknown. By passing Eihwaz we have reached an unknown ground, a field we're facing to the first time, which can be caused by a change that has come to being in Eihwaz. But, Perthro can act independent from us and our facing ourselves, so the unexpected change can ensue, enacted by unknown forces. In which ever way you fall under the influence of this Rune, it will always signify a new beginning and a new life.