The runes

Fehu is the rune of what you own and can share. It reminds you that wealth is meant to circulate, not just be hoarded.

Upright: wealth, what you have earned, flow and sharing

Reversed (merkstave): loss or waste, greed, value slipping away

The aurochs was a huge wild ox. The rune stands for the raw power of body and will – the force that carries you through.

Upright: strength and health, endurance, drive

Reversed (merkstave): weakened power, strength misused, lost motivation

Thurisaz is the thorn and the chaotic force of the giants. It can protect you, but asks you to think before you strike.

Upright: defence, a force breaking through, pausing before you act

Reversed (merkstave): rash choices, conflict, being pricked by your own thorns

Ansuz is Odin's rune, the rune of word and breath. It is about communication, inspiration and listening for wisdom.

Upright: messages and conversation, insight, advice from someone wiser

Reversed (merkstave): misunderstandings, manipulation, not being heard

Raidho is the journey – outer and inner. It asks you to find the right pace and direction.

Upright: travel and movement, the right rhythm, a road opening up

Reversed (merkstave): delays, standstill, the wrong direction

Kenaz is the torch lighting up the dark. It stands for creativity, learning and the moment you suddenly understand.

Upright: clarity, creativity, knowledge catching fire

Reversed (merkstave): confusion, lost inspiration, something going out

Gebo is the gift and the bond it creates. In Norse thinking a gift always called for one in return – the rune is about balance in relationships.

Upright: gift and return, partnership, balance between giving and taking

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Wunjo is the joy of belonging. It points to harmony, fellowship and the good that is already here.

Upright: joy, community, harmony and contentment

Reversed (merkstave): sadness, alienation, not belonging

Hagalaz is hail arriving without warning. It shows forces you cannot steer – and that hail melts into water that nourishes the earth.

Upright: sudden change, forces beyond your control, a cleansing storm

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Naudiz is the need that forces strength. It asks you to tell what you want from what you actually need.

Upright: need and limitation, patience, what you truly need

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Isa is the ice that freezes everything in place. It is not a time for action, but for calm, clarity and waiting for the thaw.

Upright: standstill, a pause, gathering yourself

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Jera is the turning year and the harvest that follows the work. It promises no shortcuts, but that what you have sown will grow.

Upright: harvest, reward for effort, natural cycles

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

The yew lives for a thousand years and is tough and poisonous. Eihwaz stands for resilience and the passage between endings and new beginnings.

Upright: endurance, transformation, roots that hold

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Perthro is the most enigmatic rune; even scholars are unsure what its name means. In rune casting it stands for the hidden and the play of fate.

Upright: mystery, fate and chance, something hidden coming to light

Reversed (merkstave): secrets, stagnation, losing faith

Algiz resembles elk antlers or a hand raised in protection. It stands for shelter and an alert gut feeling.

Upright: protection, intuition, connection to something greater

Reversed (merkstave): vulnerability, hidden dangers, ignoring warnings

Sowilo is the sun guiding the sailor home. It brings energy, victory and a clear goal to steer by.

Upright: success, life force, clarity and wholeness

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Tiwaz is Tyr's rune. Tyr gave his hand to bind the wolf Fenrir – the rune stands for honour, justice and brave action.

Upright: courage, justice, sacrifice for what is right

Reversed (merkstave): injustice, cowardice, unresolved conflict

The birch is the first tree to sprout after winter. Berkano is the rune of new life, nurture and quiet growth.

Upright: growth and birth, care, a new beginning

Reversed (merkstave): stalled growth, worry, neglecting yourself

Ehwaz is the horse and the bond between horse and rider. It is about trust, partnership and progress together.

Upright: cooperation, trust, moving forward together

Reversed (merkstave): restlessness, mistrust, pulling in different directions

Mannaz is the human – yourself and the society you belong to. It asks you to see yourself honestly and meet others generously.

Upright: humanity, self-knowledge, community

Reversed (merkstave): isolation, self-deception, losing yourself

Laguz is flowing water. It stands for feelings, intuition and the unconscious – letting yourself be carried without losing your course.

Upright: emotion and intuition, flow, dreams

Reversed (merkstave): confusion, drowning in feelings, fear

Ingwaz is the seed resting in the soil. The rune is about inner growth and a project that has fully ripened.

Upright: inner ripening, fertility, something ready to be born

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Dagaz is daylight breaking through. It marks a turning point where darkness lets go and you see clearly.

Upright: breakthrough, dawn, awakening

Reversed (merkstave): cannot be reversed – the rune looks the same both ways.

Othala is the inherited family land. It is about roots, home and the values you carry from your kin.

Upright: heritage and roots, home, what endures

Reversed (merkstave): lost belonging, family conflicts, being trapped by tradition