Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir, hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear, for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power. He later passed on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn, taught him the magic of seidhr. Heimdall, the god who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.
Runic alphabets first appeared among German tribes in central and eastern Europe. The runes were made of straight lines to make the characters suitable for cutting into wood or stone. The Old Germanic Runic alphabet or “Elder Futhark” contains 24 runes. The first six runes of the alphabet spell out the word “FUTHARK”.
Here are the 24 runes that make up the Elder Futhark
FEHU RUNE
Fehu – Divination meanings: finances and prosperity, could also refer to person’s libido
Magical uses: energy projection or drawing energy, increase wealth, increase libido
URUZ RUNE
Uruz – Divination meanings: Represents health matters or courage
Magical uses: Healing, shaping and forming of desire or will, knowledge of self
THURISAZ RUNE
Thurisaz – Divination meanings: Aggressive conflicts or aimed might- stubbornness
Magical Uses: Warding and protection, curses, awaken the magical will
ANSUZ RUNE
Ansuz – Divination meanings: Communications, wisdom and learning from past
Magical uses: magical incantation, wisdom, psych-ism and divine communication
RAIDHO RUNE
Raidho – Divination meanings: Travel or movement, moral right and wrong
Magical uses: Moral justice, rhythm and timing, ordered movement
KENAZ RUNE
Kenaz – Divination meanings: Being in control, knowing what to do
Magical uses: Control of sexual energy for creative shaping and reshaping, releases spirit into realms of power
GEBO RUNE
Gebo – Divination meanings: Gifts, any matter of exchanging, relationships
Magical uses: love magic, endless exchange of energy, mystical union, binding, a gift for a gift, karmic payback
WUNJO RUNE
Wunjo – Divination meanings: Personal Wishing, joy or happiness
Magical uses: Personal happiness, healing relationships,
HAGALAZ RUNE
Hagalaz – Divination meanings: Uncontrolled destiny or forces that affect us (can be disruptive)
Magical uses: Completeness and bring into being, warding or protection
NAUTHIZ RUNE
Nautiz – Divination meanings: Need, testing or suffering
Magical uses: Overcoming fate and stress, develops magical will, sudden inspiration and inner might
ISA RUNE
Isa – Divination Meanings: Stuck or blocked, frozen, could reference the ego
Magical uses: strengthen concentration and will, binding as in constraint or constriction, halt movement
JERA RUNE
Jera – Divination meanings: Harvest, hopes and expectations, could also be gradual change
Magical uses: Patience and natural harmony of magical will, Spiritual understanding, creative planning, interactions with nature and natural time cycles
EIHWAZ RUNE
Eihwaz – Divination meanings: A person’s motivation or will power
Magical uses: Death initiation, wisdom from past lives, increase and store power, spirit communication
PERTHRO RUNE
Perthro – Divination meanings: Divination, that which is becoming or something hidden
Magical uses: Divination, perception of fate, to manifest magical intent
ELHAZ RUNE
Elhaz (Algiz) – Divination meanings: Protection, Spiritual connection or protection
Magical uses: Protection, communication and connection with guardian spirit, spiritual cleansing, strengthen magical power, traveling through other worlds or astral travel
SOWILO RUNE
Sowilo – Divination meanings: The higher self or guidance, triumph
Magical uses: Strengthen magical spiritual will, guardianship and guidance, personal triumph
TIWAZ RUNE
Tiwaz – Divination meanings: Ordering force, justice or legal matters
Magical uses: Victory and justice, defense magic, to strengthen with spiritual and moral force
BERKANO RUNE
Berkano – Divination meanings: Birth or fertility, female nurturing or issues
Magical uses: Fertility magic, concealment and secrecy, to bring into being
EHWAZ RUNE
Ehwaz – Divination meanings: Bonding or relationships with others
Magical uses: Soul travel, shamanic totem animal, mystical wisdom, projecting and linking magical thoughts
MANNAZ RUNE
Mannaz – Divination meanings: Matters of the mind, attitude, personal balance
Magical uses: Strengthens all matters of the mind and psychic ability, balanced through meditation
LAGUZ RUNE
Laguz – Divination meanings: Emotions, issues with death itself or of someone you know , occult matters
Magical uses: Increase and fill yourself with life-force, to probe the subconscious and the unknown, physical and magical strength
INGWAZ RUNE
Ingwaz – Divination meanings: Man’s personal sacrifice, male fertility, stored power
Magical uses: To store or transfer magical power
DAGAZ RUNE
Dagaz – Divination meanings: Spiritual awakening, completion of a cycle
Magical uses: To become one with the universe through mystical inspiration, synthesis of opposites into a single concept such as light and dark; life and death, happy and sad; etc
OTHALA RUNE
Othala – Divination meanings: Inheritance, heritage, home and family life
Magical uses: Strengthen the clan or family including spiritual ancestry, to gain past life wisdom or talents, to gain wealth and protect what you own
