The Runes: The First Aett



The first aett of the elder (or Germanic) futhark is known as Freya's Aettir. The eight runes which make up Freya's Aettir, when taken together in order, narrate an initiation in prayer form. The prayer of the first aett will be given at the end of this lesson.

Feoh
sound: "F" number: 1 color: Brown

Feoh represents domestic cattle, the measure of wealth among the Teutonic clans. As such it symbolizes money, material goods, creativity and in general the "finer things." Cattle were often slaughtered during the feasts accompanied holy days. The idea of responsibility should be clear here. Those with great wealth (many cattle)shared their abundance that those with little could join in the feast. This rune shows that with material wealth comes a responsibility to share with those who have less.

Face up upright:
good fortune, prosperity, fertility, success

Face up reversed:
infertility, lack of control (esp. financial), wastefulness

Face down upright:
take into account secret forces in yourself and others, creativity cannot be forced, it must be coaxed

Face down reversed:
secret forces as work, may indicate a blessing in disguise, gains may be made if one first retreats for a while, sometimes to get north we must first travel south


Ur
sound: "U" number: 2 color: Green

Ur represents wild oxen as opposed to the domesticated beasts of Feoh. It symbolizes the raw, wild energy of creativity and fertility. As with anything wild, however, there is an element of danger involved with this rune. Cattle were once wild creatures, and in the time of the creation of the runes there were still many wild cattle roaming free. One could increase one's wealth with the capture of these cattle, but this carried a serious risk of injury or death. As such, this rune points to great potential or power, but also warns of the danger from letting that power get out of control

Face up upright:
exuberance, inspiration, demand your place in the sun, the conquest of lower nature, strong will, someone who is in control of their internal world and ready to take control of the world around them

Face up reversed:
harshness, cruelty, brutality, someone who cannot accept a difference of opinion, immaturity of mind leading to an attempt to dominate, cruelty as a mask for insecurity, a dictator whose reign is about to end

Face down upright:
danger surrounds, unsettled conditions, forces of an impersonal nature which keep one from their goal, rough times ahead, a test of fortitude

Face down reversed:
impotence, lack of strength and energy, barrenness of ideas, a lean time before the harvest, an unavoidable pause which must be accepted, use this period to rest and gain strength


Thorn
sound: "Th" number: 3 color: White

Thorn is the rune of the frost giants, baneful wights of the world of Niflheim who fought constantly against the god/desses. This rune also symbolized the ice demons, lesser wights of the deepest forest who fed on human flesh. In the world of the Norse, the cold of winter could (just as here) easily lead to the death of the unprepared traveler. This was a very real fear, and this rune is the rune of that fear. Thorn can be used as a test of whether one can overcome their own internal fears, as well as a test to see if one is fully prepared to use the runes wisely.

Face up upright:
a journey in mind or body, a change of opinion or scene, reappraisalmay be in order, remember when traveling to carefully weigh what you need and leave unwanted mental baggage behind

Face up reversed:
stagnation, refusal to change with changing times, possible bad news that is self- imposed, a warning to reassess ones life and not assume that it will continue as it always has

Face down upright:
instability and change, things are not what they seem, watch carefully for the one near you who may be malicious or mischievous enough to cause some real harm

Face down reversed:
false promises, deceit, take care what is being said about you, it can mean that you are being lied to or lied about or your own lies are going to trip you up

Os
sound: "A" to short "O" number: 4 color: Purple


Os means simply "god" or "deity." It can refer to any deity, though it is generally used to refer to Odin, the god who hung from the branches of the world-tree for nine days and nights to discover the runes and bring them to humankind. This rune can be used to invoke deity or the beneficent power of the universe. It is also a very strong rune of defense against accidents. Os symbolizes divine power invoked by humans, and is useful for any creative work, be it poetry, music, painting or spell work.

Face up upright:
divine power of a beneficent nature, this power may be impersonal or in the disguise of a human, listen to the advice of someone older than you, prayer is recommended as events are dominated by forces outside your control but not the forces of destiny, be aware of these forces and learn how to ride them but remember that they cannot be diverted to your own purposes

Face up reversed:
misjudgement, change your course of action to avoid disaster, adapt to changing situations

Face down upright:
the strength of will to explore new realms, the self has the power to change the self, risks can be taken and dangers faced with the knowledge that much more than is known can be intuited, successful risk-taking, a good omen for business dealings

Face down reversed:
destruction and calamity, problems that you have brought upon yourself, the destruction of personal barriers which should have been destroyed long ago


Rad
sound: "R" number: 5 color: Black

Rad is representative of a journey, and a poetic image for the journey to the underworld. This is symbolic of death and renewal. As with shamanic initiations, death is symbolized (and in some places the initiate is brought very close to death) followed by rebirth as a shaman. Rad is a rune of this process, as well as a rune of the dead. This rune is very similar to the tarot card Death, which shows a change in the self; a new way of thinking, doing and being.

Face up upright:
exploration into non-mundane realms whether the realm of the dead or higher consciousness, revelation of hidden things by divination intuition deduction or
confession

Face up reversed:
a crisis of faith, a challenge to the way things are seen, intuition can win while logic and mundane knowledge cannot, trust your instincts

Face down upright:
the law is for all whether high or low or rich or poor, the law must impersonal and secure, you will receive from life only what you put into it, nothing worthwhile comes without a sacrifice

Face down reversed:
greed, cruelty, wrong action, false plans, attempts to gain what does not rightfully belong to one


Ken
sound: "K" number: 6 color: Yellow

Ken is representative of the light of the torch, the harnessing of power greater than
that of the wielder. As the fire which burns on the torch, this is a symbol of
controlled power which has some control of its own. The torch sheds light to dispel the
darkness, and Ken shows the light of the torch as the light of truth. As such, this is a rune of initiation and magickal power rightly used. Although there are two other
runes which symbolize light (Sighel, the sun and Doerg, the light of day), only the
light of Ken is harnessed and put to use by humans.

Face up upright:
energy, enthusiasm, optimism, learning, an indication of good fortune earned, sound planning for which the timing is right, success can be had by reaching for it, the truth will win out

Face up reversed:
uncertainty, shyness, an indication you are discounting your own talents and abilities, an assurance that the raw abilities are there though they may not have been brought to attainment by practice, a reminder that if you are willing to do something you are that much closer to having done it

Face down upright:
lack of will-power, dissipation of talents money or inheritance, tendency to squander what has been gained, a warning to get control of oneself before falling under the influences of outside forces, beware of addictions

Face down reversed:
a self-destructive streak that will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at whatever price, something in the self which must be overcome before any further progress can be made on the spiritual path, a warning to pull back from physical activity to think more clearly


Gyfu
sound: hard "G" number: 7 color: Red

Gyfu represents a gift, in the form of hospitality toward another, a present to
another, or a sacrifice to the god/desses. It reminds us, however, that a gift demands a gift. When doing any sort of rune work (whether casting or rune magick) one must
first give equal to what they expect to receive. This can be as simple as prayer and
meditation or as elaborate and physical as furnishing a homeless person with clothing
and food and a blessing. The shape of Gyfu shows us a balance, all sides equal,
reminding us that we do get as good as we give. Gyfu also tells us that every choice
worth making, every goal worth pursuing, every dream worth reaching for, requires
a sacrifice of some kind.

Face up upright:
a sign of hospitality and friendship, joy and celebration, compassion, generosity of spirit, a possible romance on the horizon, a good sign that one is giving freely and will receive in kind

Face down reversed:
satiation, laziness, a lack of effort, the physical senses have been drowned, a lack of giving and openness, a possible illness though not major


Wynn
sound: "W" number: 8 color: Blue

"Wynn" means, literally, "glory." The rune Wynn represents the power which is
untapped, free and exuberant. It is the power of the god/desses which propels us in a sudden burst to our destiny. It is glory which is glorious only because of the
hard-won nature of it. It is the glory due to the victorious in sport or battle. Wynn is also a rune of wisdom. As with the glory of sport or battle won, wisdom is glorious in that it also comes about only through hard work. Knowledge is something which can be learned, wisdom is something which must be earned.

Face up upright:
happiness, success, a person who is deserving of their success and
rewards, proper payment for effort expended

Face up reversed:
folly, false assumptions lead to wrong conclusions no matter how sound the logic, a reckless and impulsive nature that acts first and acts fast only to repent at leisure

Face down upright:
material success and comfort, wealth, popularity, the chance for physical pleasures enjoyed in their proper place

Face down reversed:
a warning of hidden dangers and traps, something you are overlooking, sit back and think things through, asks the question of what or who have you forgotten.


This page updated 2005

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