“Fear has its place in every heart. Courage is only a response.”
Algiz (or Elhaz) – “Al-jiz” – Literally: “Elk” – Esoteric: Protection, Higher Self
Rune of the essential link or connection with the patterns of divine or archetypal consciousness, such as the Valkyrie. Rune of the possible danger of realizing this link when unprepared.
Psi: divinity, higher self, the state of listening
Energy: protective teaching force, the divine plan, Valkyries
Mundane: protection, safety, spirituality
Divinations: Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life, protection; or hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of the divine link, fear.
Governs:
Strengthening of hamingja (personal gravity, ‘luck’) and life force through courageous deeds
Mystical and religious communication with non-human sentient beings
Communication with other worlds, especially Asgard
Protection/defense
Receiving instruction on the magical potential of the runes
Banishing the fear of death
My notes:
Algiz is the single strongest energy connected with my own existence. It is a protective teaching force that promotes independence and autonomy as well as faith. Courage in the face of fear is central, not the absence of fear, because fear may or may not be a warning to us that protection and defensiveness is necessary. Algiz supplies the insight necessary to make such judgments and stand in true service to Asgard.
The spiritual force, hamingja, generated by Algiz envelops the invoker with so much energy that he or she becomes sacred, set apart and protected by Divine power. The image of the Valkyrie in mythology is fully representative of the way in which the energies of Algiz work to protect you. Meditating on the image of a Valkyrie in her teacher, swan and warrior forms is a powerful method of invoking Algiz energy.
The Valkyrie will not assist in evading punishment for wrong deeds, or illegal or immoral acts. It will act to soften the blow of punishment if the person willingly accepts accountability for the harm cased by his or her acts and begins to take steps to compensate.
Do not mistake the archetypes encountered through use of this rune. Ask them politely of their purpose and to identify themselves. Good entities always will respond favorably to such requests, and mischievous or harmful entities tend to become offended or refrain from answering. Have courage and fortitude, as you will sometimes be tested. These entities come in many forms, so be prepared to open your mind as to allow their unique methods of communication to take place.
Other topics:
Activation of the Higher Self
Perception of the Divine Plan
Knowledge of the Ultimate Good in all things/events
Listening correctly to the Voice of the Universe (as non-human sentient beings ie. Valkyries, gods, giants)
Being tested by such entities and instructed
Further Reading:
Algiz – Rune Meaning Analysis (series)
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
31 Responses to Algiz – Rune Meaning
Leave a Reply
Discover the Secrets
STUDY RUNE MEANINGS
Get the Book Today!
i’m curious what this (algiz) rune means when upside-down. here’s the background story:
my friend asked me to drive her to a swimming hole for her 18th birthday party and i was glad to do so. there were seven of us total two guys (myself included) and the rest were young girls 16,17 and the oldest being the birthday girl, already being 18 i was the oldest one at the party. on the way my car pulled beside a car with two older (over 20) guys the b-day girl knew and she leaned out the window to tell them to meet us at the swimming hole. i got a weird feeling and wanted to go to a different swimming hole but said nothing, after all that day was about what she wanted.
we had a great time at the swimming spot and as we were about to go back to the house for cake and ice-cream we see three guys who i did not know but who the b-day girl knew, walking down the river with a cooler(overloaded with beer and wiskey). naturaly we agreed to hang out a little longer and get piss drunk.
as we hung out i herd them say many things that would have been warning signs to a sober person such as when the biggest and oldest one (they were all huge ripped wrestlers) said “yeah when my brother said it was two guys and five girls i didn’t believe him” . and we chated about martial arts (they saw the striking pads i left in my car) and the big dude had a calcium deposit the size of a pea on his center knuckle. his brother asked him if he was ready for the fight and i assumed he was having a match fight later that week, but they really had an evil plan.
it was getting dark and time to get back so we said our goodbye’s and they just kept saying that we had to follow them to there house to chill at the fire but i refused saying we already had plans and had to get back but we should hang out some time soon. i was so drunk i couldn’t walk straight and i didn’t know how i was going to drive home but just that i had to. i was leaning against my car so i wouldn’t fall over when i was recording his number in my phone and right then he punched me on the bridge of my nose intstanlty crumbeling my septim and sending me flying over my car and into the ditch where another one was waiting to stomp on my face, i took evasive maneuvers and managed not to come out with a deformed face, the girls freaked out and scratched there eyes to make them stop and they almost drove off with the b-day girl in there car but the other guy got her out before they drove off.
i healed very quickly as is normal for me and now there is a scar just under my third eye that looks like this rune but upside down. it is normally pale and unnoticeable but when i’m angry (very rare for me) it turns deep red.
any light you can shed on this seemingly significant trait would be appreciated.
Yeah i have a smilar story to micheal, i have a scar like that too.
I’ve been practising wicca for five years now and i reasontly did a spell to pretect me from the dark arts, i was at the park with my friends and i was spinning round with my mate vicki. i span round and fell over, i landed on the ground when my mate noticed i had a scratch on my right cheek beneath my eye, it’s very big and it was deep red, it faded after a while. But now sometimes it shows up again, and you can see it when i don’t where my makeup, do you think the spell and the scars related, & i’ve never seen anything like it in all my life. x
and i didn’t scratch my cheek, it appeared on it’s own. x
something i was just reading……but for you this could mean many things.Algiz is used to ward off evil. It is said to offer opportunities for growth but more important than that it offers protection.
Interpretation:
Upright.
The things that you have worked so hard for are coming to fruition. New relationships will enrich your life and positive influences are shaping every aspect of your existence.
Even in the heat of battle you are protected, wisdom and vision are your allies.
Inverted.
You may find yourself coming under attack. Take steps to protect yourself and be careful not to allow yourself to become exposed or vulnerable.
It is now, more than ever, that you must hold yourself to your highest values and do not allow yourself to succumb to pettiness and greed.
Michael – this was your experience. Looking at the description of Algiz here in the upright position, consider what some of the opposite meanings or representations might be. What might that represent to you as a learning from the incident that you describe?
[...] ALGIZ (also called Elhaz) is a powerful rune, because it represents the divine might of the universe. The white elk was a symbol to the Norse of divine blessing and protection to those it graced with sight of itself. [...]
did you get my comment, eric
thank you,
the true meaning has just become known to me.
god does not want me to use drugs. this experience would not have happened if i had turned down the offer of alcohol. during the summer solstice i was on mushrooms and i sawl the face of the cosmic Christ, he was not happy that i was high, my path requires me to be sober.
Michael, I’m happy for you to gain this epiphany. I also had to sacrifice something that I thought was GIVING me experiences, but really it was a crutch, preventing me from finding truth and living a sane and sober life of authentic wisdom. Facing reality takes bravery. I wish you the best of luck.
From my experience with this rune, the right way up is open to inspiration and connection to the higher realms.
Upside down represents grounding to the Earth. Learning wisdom from contrast.
With grounding comes centeredness, balance, inner peace and the flow of perfect timing.
Tree branches and tree roots.
Have a look at Yggdrasil, the world tree.
There are 3 wells or springs, representing amongst other meanings, past present and future. The tree roots tap into these.
I know one is the well of wisdom, not sure about the other two, perhaps self awareness and knowledge?
Clear headed is good. You have gained wisdom from your experiences.
Keep moving forwards.
Hope this helps.
Ali.
well i have a story and i am trying to figure out what the algiz rune combined with the thurisaz means havent found anyone that could answer that
I would need more information from you about the context and situation they were drawn in.
Off the bat, I’d imagine that combined they may have something to do with defensive protection, or a protective tool or weapon of some sort. But there’s just so many possibilities without any information about the question that was asked during divination, the context in your life they were pulled — which is why you don’t often catch me trying to interpret other people’s rune lays.
one possible interpretation: practice safe sex!
(thurisaz = male sexuality, algiz = protection, condoms!)
Regarding the comments here on getting sober or at least putting down drugs and/or alcohol because they are interfering rather than helping on a person’s spiritual quest —
Algiz can be seen as a bridge connecting mundane consciousness to higher, divine consciousness. Its secrets touch upon the gifts of meditation and prayer, of reaching up to the gods and seeking communication and communion with them.
As a bridge to divinity, Algiz can be associated with Bifrost, the burning, rainbow colored link between the realm of mortals (Midgard) and the higher worlds of the gods (Asgard). At the divine-end of this bridge sits the god HeimdallR, the ever alert guardian whose hearing is so keen it can sense the growing of a blade of grass. HeimdallR is the divine security system — through his constant vigilance, he alerts the gods to danger, alarm and all (in the form of a horn he blows).
Along with Algiz, another rune is linked to HeimdallR: Mannaz, or humanity. If HeimdallR is the central character of the Lay of Rig, as many believe, then he is the teacher of humankind, the giver of higher human consciousness, instructor in the runes to humanity, who shows us the way to the bridge to the divine within us.
HeimdallR has been called by some “the sober god.” My personal experience (as a sober pagan) has been that he, indeed, is a comfort to those whose spiritual path requires constant vigilance, clear-headed awareness, and firm mental grounding in the lessons of the here and now.
Rather than escape from reality, as many of us long to do through drugs and alcohol use, we can learn from HeimdallR how to accept life on life’s terms, to utilize and enhance our inherent gifts of consciousness, and, importantly, how to connect not only with the divine but also with other people.
Finding or creating communities of like-minded individuals who crave connection to higher consciousness, and then committing ourselves to developing and growing those communities, is one of the joys of the spiritual life. To look another human in the eyes and know that you can bridge the consciousness divide between you and share–and relate to–personal experiences of a higher order is the gift of HeimdallR. It brings a new level of meaning to our lives as spiritual beings inhabiting physical reality.
Algiz and Mannaz, therefore, are themselves powerfully linked through HeimdallR and are excellent runes to aid in protecting ourselves against toxins that pollute our clear thinking and hinder our efforts to achieve enlightenment. They also help us to attract and find like-minded individuals who share our quest for reaching higher levels of consciousness, while also repelling those whose influence could jeopardize our spiritual development.
Luckylicious thanks for contributing a great comment. I think I’d add Laguz in when dealing with poisons and toxins, but Mannaz and Algiz definitely bring that power to our minds. I’m largely convinced by many of the findings of neuroscience, so when we want to detox our minds, I believe the best place to start is with the physical toxins.
“You are what you eat” is a perfect aphorism.
I’m generally wary of groups of “like-minded” individuals. I’ve never met an ‘individual’ who was that like-minded. But! Like minded enough to enjoy overcoming their differences and speaking to one another… that is definitely one of the spots where spiritual communion is at its peak. Wunjo is, to me, the rune to focus on when it comes to the group/individual dynamic and its joys.
Again, Lucky., thanks! :)
Thank you for this wonderful website. I am new to the runes, and until few days ago I did not really know anything about runes except for the fact they existed and some basic mythology.
I would to know your opinion on thoughts on rune combinations that I have/experienced. Short bacground story, I am what people usually refer to as healer, after helping a ver sick person few weeks ago I then began feeling not so well myself, but not in a physical sense, something was happening, changing, I was feeling very uncomfortable, constantly being awaken at night, I felt like I was being overwhelmed, overloaded with lots of information that I could not understand or decipher. When I did manage to get some rest, it felt like I was in limbo state, this is when I saw my first rune (at that time I did not know that it was a rune, to me it was just a symbol that I saw over and over again). Over the next few days I saw two more tunes. These are tbe runes and order of their appearance.
Algiz-Hagalaz-Dagaz
That combination would suggest to me that you are prepared to be exposed to some kind of disruptive but enlightening teaching. I encourage you to explore the symbols you saw deeply, they are a good starting point for your exploration of the runes.
But don’t forget to search other sources, to think for yourself as clearly as you can, and to make certain you get rest. When you are feeling overwhelmed with new ideas and thoughts, it is especially important to get your sleep. Trust me ;)
Thank you for your kind words regarding the website and I hope my work here serves you well!
-Tyriel
Thank you for the reply, Tyriel; and I apologize for typos in my first and unfinished post. It was written on a mobile device, but I very much appreciate your taking time deciphering my message and responding to it.
I got the same message out of those runes, and, indeed, things were and still are playing out that way. I am going through some very disruptive and, to a degree, a very uncomfortable change. I would even say, in a way a testing of my own resilience and commitment to my beliefs and ethical standards.
I do, however, have a couple of more questions:
1. are the any published materials that you would recommend reading/looking up for general information on runes?
2. what rune would you recommend to use to meditate on for healers? are there any specific rune combinations. etc that are used strictly for healing and protection? where can I find additional information on that?
Thank you for your time:)
Probably THE healing rune is Uruz. Study up on it a bit, lots of info out there.
Of course there is Laguz- toxins; thurisaz- fertility issues, male issues; berkano- feminine healing; inguz can be fertility issues also. Psych issues there are the enlightening/change runes- kenaz, ansuz, dagaz etc. It all depends on the problem and how you want to apply the rune.
Books? A good synopsis treatis is Diana Paxson’s Taking Up the Runes. She weaves the original findings from many accomplished runesters skillfully. Although, for me, it just made me want to go out and get those actual authors- go to the source so to speak!
If you could only have one book that would be it. If you could have a couple I would look at F. Aswynn, K. Gundarrson and S. Flowers. Just google their name and runes- you’ll find their works. Personally, I would go with Aswynn or Paxson if you are looking at primarily healing.
Just my thoughts.
[...] used the Algiz rune over my car & trailer for protection (and to keep space around [...]
Oh, another Rune I absolutely adore! I see the stag or elk in this symbol very clearly and it reminds me of a spirit guide (in animal form), sometimes one that relates to your clan also – traditionally my clan totems are the stag on both sides of my father’s background. This is a strong spiritual connection for me and it also makes me feel that there is a strong protective element to this Rune. Not only is there guidance there and teaching available but there is protection on your journey, if you dare to follow. Yes, there will be many surprises on the way, after all, you are following a wild creature, a virile stag or elk, but you will gain much from taking the risk.
I too am intrigued by the definite numerical symbolism of the number three in the image of Algiz. I have always been drawn to the number three and many cultures and belief systems attribute some sort of mystical nature to it. To me I can relate it to the triquetra, the trinity or the ascended masters if you like. It is also my life path number, so I am particularly attached to this number. I even find myself thinking in multiples of threes when I try to distract myself from the boredom of exercising on the treadmill. Counting, adding, subtracting, etc, is a good way to get yourself into a trance when you want to zone out IMHO. Sort of like counting sheep really, or elks?
Over the past year a symbol has been shown to me by (Nature or some other spiritual power) on quartz rocks and also pawed out in the snow by a deer.
In trying to find what this symbol is, I’ve stumbled upon Runes and Algiz, which is an exact match.
I’m here to learn..!
This is a basic question but what does psi</strong stand for/mean on your rune pages?
The only psi I have come across before is in relation to tyres.
Psi refers to the psyche. Mental or psychic or psychological meanings, in general.
Thanks.
Michael, Something struck me in your story -’ i got a weird feeling and wanted to go to a different swimming hole’ – My experience with this rune when inverted is that it is putting you on notice to be aware – the universe will give you warning signs of danger. In this case it was your ‘gut feeling’ . If you observe the Elk you will notice how it will prick it’s head up if there is a predetor lurking, it is listening to the rustling of the leaves and other subtle changes in it’s environment. This is how to utilize the universe’s protective powers. I’m sorry you got hurt.
Hey there all,
Just joined the mailing list today. I had a dream months ago of a strange symbol on my left arm. I was looking through a book today and I saw this rune. It looked like of like a bow and arrow in my dream and was drawn on me with henna. But all the same it was this rune. I know it. I also have been interested in Valkyries since about that time as well. I was curious if anyone knew much about the Valkyries. There seems to be a dispute about what they actually are, Angels of Death, Goddesses, Freyja’s warriors that do her bidding or just simply women who take care of the warriors in Valhalla? Thanks.
LhesaValkyrie
Regarding the bow and arrow mark, did it look like this:
http://tracesinthewoods.blogspot.com/2011/08/sachems-mark.html
So I woke up this morning and Algiz is bruised into my right bicep. I don’t remember getting a bruise, in fact I don’t think I could have since it is on the inside of my arm. I looked in the mirror and right away recognized it. Now if that is not a sign, I don’t know what is.
The funny part is that I have been really stressed the past few days, I’ve asked for help and have felt very helpless. Knowing that it means that I am protected by the Divine power is exactly what I needed. Sometimes I forget that the gods are watching over me and that I am always protected and taken care of.
-C
Hi, I’ve a little question. A friend of mine thinks I’m a witch, but it always seemed to me he was just joking with avoiding me and acting like he was scared (he always laughed when I came up with a new idea). But a few days ago he wrote Algiz on both of his wrists, and when I asked him why it was wrote on his wrists, he said it was nothing. I thought he was probably trying to project himself, but he is Christian and hates everything that has something to do with witchcraft. Xx
Hi,
Algiz is mainly a protection symbol.Symbolize a person praying with hands raised upwards to the skies.I am also a Christian and a staunch catholic for that matter.In the beginning I used to be terribly suspicious but the pull of these runes were too much I learned about them.It isjust that it should be used only for the good of all come what may.