An interpretation of rune magic, by Anna Galtsdotter.

There is a distinction between Futhark and Uthark.

Futhark is the reading and writing sequence, while Uthark represents the spiritual and magical dimension of the runes.

I teach both, along with a few others, specifically to connect with the spiritual and psychological essence of the oldes' teaching and cult.

When one enters the Uthark, the journey begins with Uroxen—the Primal Force, in our modern parlance: The Big Bang.

Below follows a brief enumeration of the runes' spiritual significance. Naturally, my interpretation may vary somewhat from that of other magicians and shamans.

I am largely self-taught, yet I also studied under an elder who eventually entrusted me to carry the teaching forward. I bear this gift in the fifth generation on my father's side, from the Finnish lineage.

I have worked as a medium and healer for thirty years, but when the oldes called me back to my motherland, Finland, in 2018, I chose to walk the path of the Finnish cult's shamanism. It was then I found my way home within myself and to the heritage I carry.

I am not anything special within the tradition; rather, I live in symbiosis with the runes, using them as my teachers and guides in my daily life for three decades.

Uraz

Uraz Symbolises the primal force within us. The aurochs, with its untamed masculine power. Recommended for use when you need pure, raw mental strength. It may be worn about the neck or hung as a talisman in your room when your own reserves have run dry and strength must be called back home.

Uraz stands for initiative, spiritual strength, and raw individualism.

Uraz bears some resemblance to Hagal, as it signals great change in a rune casting.

Ass/Ansuz

Ansuz stands for spirituality, inner wisdom, knowledge, and communication through the written and spoken word.

The rune symbolises the wisdom that the Gods impart to humankind through creativity, clairvoyance, and the seeing eye.

I usually advise my students to work with Ansuz when they wish to reach deeper into their own spirituality. I also recommend wearing it about the neck if they feel low or disconnected from themselves, for the protection of the Gods and Goddesses will guide them home again.

Thurisaz

The rune of the berserker, and the rune of the god Thor. Thurisaz symbolises his magical hammer, Mjölnir.

The rune is used in battles against evil and defends the defenceless.

I use this rune when there is a complete standstill and nothing moves forward, particularly when other people are involved who ought to be doing their work but for some reason refuse to cooperate, so the matter grinds to a halt for no good reason.

A powerful rune where injustice is present and one must go into battle.

This rune is among the strongest and should be treated with reverence, caution, and respect.

A word of warning: when the matter is settled and calm, be sure to call the power back and give thanks. Otherwise, you will have a berserker on your hands around the clock.

Raidho

The rune means to ride, the chariot, and the wheel.

Raidho stands for your magical journeys and symbolises the evolution of your own magic through deepening into your inner self.

The rune encourages you to leave the comfort of what is familiar in order to grow in your own spirituality.

It also encourages journeys in ordinary life. To venture out on adventure without a fixed destination. The rune's message is about following your feeling and letting intuition guide you to where you need to arrive, so that you may move further into your own deep, inner, magical world.

A fine rune to carry for protection if you are studying magic and require strong shielding, yet equally it opens up what you need in order to reach answers.

The rune may be put to good use during your utiseta, when you seek contact with the oldes, the forest, and the presence of the nature spirits.

Kenaz

The rune represents the inner wound and fire.

Another rune to approach with caution. Yet it is the finest to wear close to you when you have lost all inspiration for life in its entirety, or find yourself in depression or grief. You need not a great fire to warm yourself by. But if you feed your spirituality with ego, prepare for a wildfire that becomes difficult to extinguish, and you will have burned yourself out.

Masculine energy.

The rune symbolises the creativity of life and the life spirit.

Kenaz stands for our ritual fires and is a good rune to wear about the neck when you perform ceremonies.

Kenaz also stands for a higher spiritual awareness.

Gifu

The rune's symbolism is the gift.

Its spiritual meaning: What you give, you receive in return.

The rune indicates great generosity, particularly toward those who have nothing.

Here, giving flows from the heart's desire, not from any expectation of receiving something back.

Gifu may also mean a sacrifice offered to the Gods, to learn deeper knowledge within the worlds of magic. You sacrifice yourself in some way, to open what needs opening.

But the rune equally symbolises the Gods' gift to you, and your own talents. If you carry a talent within a given field, it should be cultivated further, not cast aside.

A fine rune to wear and receive its power when you are studying within the area you love.

Wunya

The rune of joy. Human happiness mattered greatly to the ancient Norse.

The rune stands for vitality, desire, and gladness.

It is recommended for those who are depressed, to allow the rune's energy to flow through.

The rune's message reminds us to keep in mind that days, as years, move in cycles; that when we fall into a downward spiral, we should remember that all of it is natural, even though things may be heavy and grey at times, when life seems at a standstill. Life's breath also needs its rest and recovery.

It turns, as all cycles do. Sometimes we must descend to find a missing puzzle piece, to carry it upward into the next cycle of positive flow.

Hagal

The rune means hail, and like hail he arrives and lays waste to a former calm. Hagal represents unforeseen natural disasters and behaves accordingly. Most often necessary, though not always welcome. The rune's power may be called upon when one's life has stagnated or become stuck in a situation, when something has gone too far but come to a halt; then Hagal is good to invite in.

Hagal is about change and seeks to stir up the energies. He whirls stagnant energy into motion and sweeps everything clean before he subsides.

If we have committed ourselves to something that is not good for us, Hagal may sweep in and ensure that trains or buses are delayed or cancelled. There we stand, cursing, only to later hear on the news of an accident involving precisely that bus.

See unforeseen interruptions as blessings and protection from the Gods, rather than cursing your ill fortune.

What first appears as bad tidings may in fact be something good, only we do not see it at first.

Sit calm in the saddle when he enters. All is as it should be.

Naudiz

The rune of fate, governed by the Norns of destiny: Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.

Naudiz belongs among the most magical and powerful runes that can enter your life and transform a situation shaped by negative and outright harmful forces.

A good rune to wear when working with spiritual powers during cleansing, for instance, where one may encounter more forces than only those of light.

Also wise to turn to when you find yourself on the wrong path among negative people or energy thieves who do not know how to behave.

In ancient times, it was believed that one's fate was predetermined already at birth, and that it may often be better to meet adversity calmly than to let the emotions take hold.

Naudiz points toward acceptance. Simply be at the centre of the storm and seek shelter as it sweeps past.

Some shamans use Naudiz in their own work when there is an overwhelming presence of negative or genuinely dark and evil forces, where the person lacks the strength to duck or push it aside. With the aid of fate itself, one may alter the course of one's own destiny.

You are the captain of your own vessel. No one else.

Life with its breath is flexible and always in motion.

Dance with the winds rather than walking into a headwind.

Fehu

The rune of wealth and prosperity. Fehu is Old Norse for livestock. In ancient times, a man was rich who had many animals upon his farm.

Cattle then were as money is to us today.

The rune's spiritual meanings remind us not to fix our gaze solely on the material world, but to embrace equally the spiritual and the human: community, joy, the path of the heart.

A poor soul may possess the knowledge of lasting inner peace and happiness, while a wealthy man has forgotten his inner compass of the heart in the pursuit of material things.

Within this rune lies a warning to those who overlook their own and others' inner selves, trampling carelessly on their march toward personal success, leaving others to suffer along the way.

Fehu aids you in matters of wealth on both planes.

Fehu is also about material abundance.

Isaz

means ice in Old Norse, and the rune's message stands for stagnation.

We live in a time when we can no longer keep pace with the relentless advance of progress and are run over in more ways than one. Ordinary recovery no longer exists. We burn out on every level: physically, the nerves, mentally, and then we crash.

Isaz may appear a modest rune, but one should not underestimate it.

If you sense burnout approaching, wear Isaz about your neck or hang it wherever you find yourself, and ask the Gods for stillness.

When Isaz enters, you will find that much settles down. Or as my course participants said at a gathering where I asked how the month had been:

"Well, you see...nothing has really happened."

"The car stopped on the main road and I couldn't get it started again."

"My printer gave up."

What does Isaz do? In all the places where stress resides, it ensures that time stagnates, locks it down entirely. Freezes the room of time.

Nothing in.

Nothing out.

Still.

Patience, to put a matter on ice, to wait, to lie low for a while: these are Isaz's watchwords.

Jera

Symbolises the turning of nature. What we sow, we shall reap, in all that we undertake or even think. The thought alone is a powerful thing, capable of sinking us just as it may lift us lightly. The English word "year" comes from Old Norse Jera: the year with its four seasons.

Jera reminds us to think of a farmer's life with his harvest and most often hard labour. What you sow, you reap. What is the difference between a poor seed and a good one? Which yields the better harvest?

How do you sow your own seeds in relationships? In work? In rest and recovery?

How do you distribute your seeds to others? Do you give for any reason other than the sheer joy of sharing? Do you expect something in return when you give?

Or can you give freely from the heart and feel an inner peace, knowing you have lost nothing, but perhaps instead expanded?

Frey and Freya, the Gods of fertility, are both connected with Jera.

The three Norns of fate are likewise linked to Jera, for they govern the past, the present, and the future.

Was last year a good one? Look back and reflect on which choices you made, which paths you took, and how the outcome turned out. Perhaps this year's sowing requires a little more care?

In sum, the rune urges you to tend your own inner thoughts with deliberateness and gentleness, both toward yourself and your surroundings.

Better to take things slowly and calmly than to rush around the clock until you have finally lost contact with your own inner voice.

Pertha

Means rock and earth. The rune's spiritual meaning speaks of the development of your inner self. See your own life as a sparkling gemstone, but to achieve a perfect 48-facet cut, you must descend deep underground, many metres, and dig out the raw material, often from narrow passages and tunnels where not just anyone can go. Can you manage it?

Time, sweat, and impenetrable terrain are usually part of the bargain. Out into the wilderness with a mallet!

How long does it take for a stone to form? How is it created? Here, nature's three sacred Ts come into play (In swedish: Tid Temperatur and Tryck) : Time, pressure, and Temperature, working over thousands of years through some natural upheaval to form, for instance, a ruby, hard as stone, resting in petrified clay in some mountain cleft or waterfall.

Just as with your own life as you journey through it. Matches you must strongheads with until bloody. Losses and minor catastrophes along the way. Do you give up halfway, or do you stand up, brush off your knees, and continue?

The rune reminds you that to reach inner peace and inner strength, you will meet resistance. Take it as it comes! Do not wait for it; it arrives regardless, tailored precisely to your own inner weak points.

See, live, and learn through them, and you too shall shine with your own inner light just like an gem of a raw crystal deep in the matrix .

Eihwaz

Eihwaz means yew in Old Norse and represents, among other things, the World Tree.

An important wood in ancient times, for bow staves were crafted from it.

Runes were carved into yew, as well as into beechwood. Yew was also sacred to Odin.

Eihwaz is the rune of death, and yew trees were often planted at burial grounds to honour the Gods and in memory of those who had passed.

The rune's form brings to mind barbs, like those of a harpoon, arrows, and spears.

A powerful rune to turn to when life needs to be reflected upon at depth.

Perhaps you carry something that must die within you? Something that has served its purpose but you still cling to out of habit?

Look over your life. To prune dead branches that have served their time is to transform them on the compost heap into new soil, to nourish something new, so that you may let in what is new and allow it to take its place in the light and in life.

The rune also symbolises strong protection, whether you find yourself in an uncomfortable position or must fight for a cause, particularly something you are not yourself responsible for.

Algiz

Old Norse for elk. Algiz is a powerful protective rune.

The very structure of the rune is based on the crown of an elk, though it may also be traced to an outstretched hand, a Germanic gesture to ward off evil spirits by displaying three extended fingers.

In some texts, the gesture is said to have been used when launching a counterattack against enemies with an abyssal roar from Uraz, much like a Thurisaz berserker rage.

Or like a Finn who has run into trouble and draws upon "Sisu" to plough straight through the opposition.

Algiz grants you strength in the most unexpected situations, acting as a personal shield.

Sigil

The rune of the sun and of victory. When we are well, we shine. We are activated by the sun's healing rays.

Sigil signifies wellbeing of body as well as spirit.

The rune may serve you well when you wish to change your life and face a prolonged uphill climb ahead. It holds you beneath its wings, so to speak.

Likewise, it may be used in tense matters that bring nervousness, insecurity, or when courage has faltered.

Charge your day with Sigil!

Be in the power of victory from the Gods!

Thiwaz

The Germanic primal god Tiwaz, known in the North as Tyr. The rune symbolises boldness, willingness to sacrifice, victory, truth, and loyalty, and carries the meaning of the rune of justice. It bears a positive masculine energy. Tyr is the archetype of the masculine side, while Tiwaz carries the feminine side and represents the valkyries. The rune stands for courage and taking up the fight for the cause of justice, urging battle with protection in the matters where you find yourself.

Do not be afraid! The strength you carry within, and the Gods watch over you.

Biorka

Biorka, the tree of a Goddess. The birch rune symbolises fertility and birth.

The rune belongs to woman and the feminine energy. The rune's form evokes a woman's swelling belly and breasts.

The rune urges remembrance to care for all living things.

All that lives, regardless of appearance, is worthy and important from a holistic perspective.

Something ugly or unsightly does not mean it is lesser; perhaps quite the opposite.

Biork urges us not to be condemning or haughty toward others.

Your opposite may be the best thing that ever happened to you, while someone else who resembles you more closely may drag you down into the mire.

The rune encourages you to see the soul, not the appearance, at first glance.

On the mental plane, the rune and Biork are perfect to bring into new projects and teamwork.

She is penetrated (emotions/thoughts), which gives birth to ideas (set in motion in practice), and she carries the conceived foetus to its fulfilment as a little being, a new life to be born (sustainability).

Ehwaz

The rune's name means horse, Odin's eight-legged steed Sleipnir, and the runners that carry shamans to other worlds.

Ehwaz symbolises movement and change.

Mannaz is the rune of the human being.

A person carries both a masculine energy and a feminine one. Matter and spirit.

Feeling and mind. Plus and minus, and so forth.

Mannaz

Mannaz represents your origin, where you come from and trace your lineage. The oldes in the chain before you, and you, you loop in with a new ring in a chain of wholeness that runs in your blood. Remember where you come from. Remember that you carry the spirits of your forefathers and foremothers within you.

Mannaz is associated, by shamans, with those who walked the earth before you.

Mannaz asks you to remember your own duty of honour toward your kin, your closest friends and family alike.

To protect one's family or clan's honour and name was so important that one would go into death for it.

Mannaz reminds you to care for your own family, nuclear family or soul family. Those you carry in your heart. Where you are part of a larger whole of love and respect, a mutual bond worth tending all the way into death.

A good rune to bring in when there is imbalance in your relationship. It may stem from legal matters, inheritance disputes, or simply a discord that has spiralled out of control.

Call in strength and a clear heart and an extra eye in the dispute with Mannaz's healing energy.

Lagaz

The rune's name means water. In times past, one travelled by waterways to learn new things on one's journeys. Lagaz is the shamans' protective rune for inner journeys, in the search for wisdom within the spiritual world.

Lagaz is best worn when one feels psychologically or mentally unwell and has lost track of oneself, or used when descending into the depths of oneself for the journeys of the soul, so as not to lose one's way along the paths and roads of the psyche. To traverse unknown ground in the psyche and heart requires two things: a strong mind and good protection.

I encourage all my course participants to wear Lagaz during the training exercises within themselves.

It is easy to slip away if one does not stand with feet driven firmly into the earth, with a stable base as support when setting out.

Ingwaz

Ingwaz is a Germanic fertility god.

In the North, he later received the name Frey.

The rune is a very positive one that comes through strongly.

Everything that concerns the spiritual side of love, intimacy, the warmth of home and family, through to material matters such as new projects, new work, new studies.

Ingwaz invites fresh energies into your life.

Dagaz

Dagaz is the rune of dawn and the new day. It also symbolises the summer solstice.

New day, new possibilities!

The rune symbolises hope and new opportunities across all areas.

If you have come to a standstill, Dagaz may be good to invite in for a moment of quiet reflection.

The rune reminds you of the shifts of day and night, where each moon and sun holds its own strength. Dawn and dusk alike carry moods. Perhaps it is not the sun you should step into, but the energy of dawn. Your answers may lie on an entirely different level from where you usually search. Try something new! Step in from a completely different angle, and you may find the answer to your problems there.

The rune Dagaz invites you to see the world in a wholly different way than you do when walking in old habits.

Break the pattern!

Othala/Odal

The rune that symbolises the ancestral homestead from which your line originates.

Othala means inherited land. That is to say: a homestead passed down through generations before you.

Wealth may be seen in things other than purely material possessions. At the same time, when it comes to Othala, it usually concerns property, houses, dwellings, and land.

The rune represents your forefathers and foremothers and holds a strong anchor in precisely this.

Who you are, you will find in those of yours who lived and departed this earthly life before you.

Traditions held within your family are important to uphold. To pass along through storytelling to your children, to tell them who grandmother or grandfather was. Their life stories are also a vital inheritance.

Your children will indeed ask where they come from, and then it is a fine thing if you can tell them about the oldes and what life looked like then.

The rune is associated with both spiritual and material wealth.

A good rune to have with you in times of schism or feud.

A good rune if a parent or other family member has died and you feel alone in your grief.

The rune reminds you who you are.

Othala is also good to call upon in matters concerning reincarnations further back, and it may help you see where in the lineage a certain illness originated and how you, in this generation, can break it by disrupting a bad pattern, allowing your children and grandchildren to carry an entirely different energy than the oldes who bore it for generations past.

Final thoughts

All of it is plus and minus when it comes to rune magic. I hope my arrangement gives you clear indications. If not, you are warmly welcome to contact me, Anna Galtsdotter, with your reflections and questions.

I also craft personal rune magic sets and hold both introductory rune magic courses as well as more advanced ones, where we go deeper to come into contact with the wisdom our foremothers and forefathers left behind for us to draw wisdom from and, if we choose, to pass onward to the next geaneration.