“The path is hard and lonely and there is no end to sight.”
Ihwaz (also: eihwaz) – “Yew-was” – Literally: “Yew” – Esoteric: Yggdrasil or Kundalini
“The axis or process of spiritual becoming.” Upper and lower worlds meeting in Midgard (earth). Rune of the mysteries of life and death.
Psi: death mysteries, the timeless, kundalini,
Energy: axis of heaven-earth-hel, secrecy, encoding, immortality, the chakra system (hvel)
Mundane: longevity, initiations, trees
Divinations: movement toward Enlightenment, endurance, initiation, protection; or confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness, death
Governs:
Initiation into the wisdom of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) and hvel (chakras)
Liberation from the fear of death.
Development of spiritual endurance and hard will to gain initiative
Spiritual vision
Communication between levels of reality – the Worlds or Yggdrasil
My Notes:
Eihwaz begins the second half of the 24 rune Futhark and represents the vertical axis, whereas Jera represents the horizontal. It is also indicative of the verticality and energy of the human spine. The spine (the pelvic region not included) has 24 vertebrae, which I do not believe is a coincidence in the case of the elder futhark.
The spine is the channel for one of the most powerful energy flows in the human psyche, which Yoga has termed Kundalini ‘fire’. It is the flow of megin energy up from the root hvel (chakra) to the crown hvel in the mind, bringing cosmic consciousness. Attempting to awaken Kundalini fire too early in your training can cause serious harm.
The needle of the yew is poisonous, containing a toxin that affects the central nervous system. The vapors from the toxin can become concentrated in close proximity to the tree. As a conifer/’evergreen’, it is associated with immortality, and the mysteries of life and death. Death is understood as the Great Initiation into the mysteries of life. To die before you die is to discover what in life is truly important. In psychology, this often happens as a result of near-death experiences.
The fear of physical death is one of the great inhibitors of humankind’s potential for total freedom of mind and spirit. Eihwaz gives you the power to recall your past lives, in short fragments or in more complete segments, and as a result confirm your death in this life as only one stage of a greater journey. Invoke Eihwaz as you conduct a meditation or dream exercise for the purpose of discovering past life patterns in the present. The answers lay not in memory, but in the clues of your here and now.
Eihwaz can be invoked for communication with the underworld and the dead. It is wisest to remain within your own ancestral stream when doing this, as your ancestors have reason to respond to your inner call. There should be sufficient reason to invoke such dark workings, but it is not an ‘evil’ exercise.
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22 Responses to Ihwaz or Eihwaz – Rune Meaning
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Excellent post! Eiwaz, in my opinion, is one of the more difficult rune to understand, intrinsically.
I whole heartedly agree that the work of Eiwaz and the dead is not evil. It is about as evil as talking to a person without a body.
I have definately successfully used Eiwaz as a tool for communication with the dead and for Seidhr workings.
Interestingly enough, if I am to work with spirits that have not had a body (Alfar, etc.) find different runes work better. Perthro for Alfar and Disir, Ansuz for Aesir, Jera for Vanir, etc.
Hi! I really like the way you dig into the meaning of every rune, and your posts have been really helpful. I did a reading yesterday and Eihwaz appeared on my future. The reading was related to the fact that I recently quit my job in order to pursue my true passion, which is acting and singing (a controversial decission in these critical times). I have an idea of what Eihwaz appearing on my future means, but I would love it if you could give me your opinion. Do you mind? Just in case it helps, Raidho appeared on my past and Mannaz on my present. Those two are clear, but Eihwaz…I don`t seem to be able to make a clear connection with this rune and acting, singing, leaps of faith…this particular momento of my life…etc. Thanks and congrats! Runesecrets.com is trully awesome!
Eihwaz is the spindle about which your Universe rotates. It denotes the channel down which spiritual energies manifest on this physical plane. Eihwaz marks the ‘involution’ of energy down to the physical plane, from where it begins it’s ‘evolutionary’ path back toward the spiritual plane. With Eihwaz energy sitting up in your future, I’d say you’re getting closer to your true purpose.
thank you Ratatosk for your responses.
Hello Paulina:
My immediate feeling when I read your comment was that Eihwaz is a good rune for performer on several levels! The quote Tyriel has up : “The path is hard and lonely and there is no end to sight.” is perhaps a bit harsh (the worst case), but it is true that the path you have chosen will be difficult at times. Eihwaz is associated with the backbone and endurance- so donates the strength and will for the battle (personal power). Eihwaz also represents the Rainbow Bridge and the path into other worlds and representations (particulalry enlightenment by changed realities and experiences and performance is powerful medium for this purpose).
If I had drawn Raidho, Eihwaz and Mannaz in connection with your decision to persue acting, I would interpret it as a VERY positive reading. Go forward with confidence and Wunjo!
This is an interesting rune to me, especially because of the comments posted.
Many years ago I came up with an idea of a suicide theatre. Where the actors actually died performing. It was a means of showing death is but another step in life. Simuliar to taking your first step, loosing your first baby teeth.. et cetra. (I never carried it out, but it was an intriguing idea).
Today I’d still like to do theatre. Enlightening entertainment. Something that engages the audience, the subconcious, with smells, spirits and stories.
Perhaps stories that depict everything exquisetly perfect whether the experience is dark or light. Stories that show the struggle of conciousness as it manifests on earth. Stories that honour our ancestors. Stories of creation, especially the creation of paradise on earth..
Thank you all for sharing. :)
“…Attempting to awaken Kundalini fire too early in your training can cause serious harm…”
Could that mean that meditation with Eihwaz in early stages is dangerous as well?
Absolutely, and I’ve experienced it with Algiz also.
It’s not that meditation is dangerous, it’s that opening oneself too extremely to forces that are misunderstood or too raw and powerful can cause trauma, psychosis, mania… a whole host of ill effects.
All things in moderation. There isn’t any need to overwhelm yourself. I find you may gain more taking the long view than the short cut.
Tyriel,
This would be a good one to do an anlysis on. :-)
I totally agree.
It is one of the more mysterious runes.
Very well, I’ll do an analysis on it after my Ansuz one that I’m working on.
I sent you a copy of my work on this Rune in an Email, should I post it here in the comments or hold off until the site is ready?
Stuff is hectic right now. I have code on the go, and book pages coming in that need editing. If you could hold off until things are sorted out that’d be good.
You sent it to runesecrets at gmail dot com though?
i did i think lol. i was so exited i just shot it out to you. I will send it again and you are welcome to use it in anyway you want as i published it on Knol under free commons.
here is a link i am stoked :)
Yew
Thanks Tyriel :-)
Thank you for this information. I have been pulling this Rune all my life, it seemed to follow me when I was young along with coinciding Tarot cards. At a point in my life, before i had REALLY studied it I was called use it as a tattoo. I had passed a great hurdle and I felt I needed something to mark the event. At the time I just associated it with death and change. I got it put directly on my spine inside a Celtic knot. Everyone who sees it is really drawn to it, I sometimes forget it is even there. It is amazing how the more I read about it I can see it’s presence in my life. I used to be a little afraid of it but now that I have embraced it and learned to manage it I feel it’s driving force in my life.
The first thing I saw when looking at this rune is the “double flow” of laguz, causing the axis of eihwaz to spin.
My Rune study is in its infancy stage… But already I can feel the shift. My Rune of the day is Eihwaz… Today is 111111, I am not really sure how to interpret the messages the universe is sending me thru the Runes, and so I am hoping someone out there can shead some light and provide suggestions on how to proceed. Yesterday – pulled hagalaz and inguz the day before. It is obvious that changes are comming and the spiritual connection I have been seeking with my inner guides is near (finally) but is there something I could or should be doing to finally connect? Been trying for years… Please help
Today I look at Ihwaz and see the lightning strike.
invoking Eihwaz into my very body has helped me understand my own longevity. It is inscribed on one of my pendulums, as well as in my flesh
[...] (Eihwaz) represents the vertical axis, whereas Jera represents the horizontal. It is also indicative of the verticality and energy of the human spine. The spine (the pelvic region not included) has 24 vertebrae, which I do not believe is a coincidence in the case of the elder futhark. http://runesecrets.com/rune-meanings/ihwaz-eihwaz [...]