“Ice only appears to stop a river’s flow.”
Isa - “Iss-ah” – Literally: “Ice” – Esoteric: Stasis, Stillness
Rune of concentration of things in a static or frozen state. Rune of stillness and the Ego-Self.
Psi: mental faculties, focus, ego, self-image/self-identity
Energy: stillness, contraction, stasis
Mundane: cold, self-preservation, harsh reality
Divinations: Concentrated self, ego-consciousness, self-control, unity of being; or egomania, dullness, blindness, dissipation, immobility, self-centeredness, lack of change, psychopathy.
Governs:
Development of concentration, will and focus
Halting of unwanted dynamic forces as an act of self-defense (ard against demonic influences)
Basic ego integration within a balanced multiversal system
Power of control and constraint over other wights (entities), emotional outbursts
Focus of the will into single-minded action
My Notes:
Ice is beautiful and treacherous. It lulls the traveler to sleep with its peace and serenity. Nice locks life under its surface and keeps it motionless. However, there is little else as powerful as the slow moving glacier, which can tear apart even the bedrock as it inches forward. Although ice generally shows itself as it is, with little glamor, there is little so treacherous as a weak spot in the ice that will swallow the unwary with surprising swiftness, and soon enough leave hardly a trace. The hidden part of an iceberg, which represents 90% of its bulk, can remain hidden and gut a ship with little mercy. This is how the ancients saw ice: inimical, even hostile to life. Therefore this third rune of the second aett is yet another rune that represents an aspect of the harshness of reality.
In the most elementary dynamic, Isa is a building block of the physical world, slowing down fire energy and solidifying it.
Isa is a rune of control. As your ego-self grows in strength through spiritual thinking and training, this construct matures into the individualized YOU (or the ‘I’).
There is a dark side to this enhancement of ego as you can see by the dark side of Isa. When not kept under control, the ego-self can take a path into ego-trips of self-aggrandizement, superficial desire and fall for the glitter of false trappings instead of real spiritual substance. Those who claim to know with too much certainty: beware!
Isa will control and quiet emotional distress, but be wary! It will not eliminate any persistent root cause of unpleasant circumstance. But it can help in extending stillness into your aura. Isa is particularly useful in attaining stillness of presence.
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23 Responses to Isa – Rune Meaning
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If possible could you please provide further insight to this Rune?
Recently, I received this Rune. I have been struggling with spirituality and self-healing through honest self-awareness.
It was a little scary reading something that was so accurrate!!!
Thank you,
S.A.M.
Thanks for commenting, S.A.M. I’ll see what I can add, as soon as I have time. If you have any specific questions, those would be helpful in compiling a response, and your specific contribution would undoubtedly help future visitors.
Isa represents the ‘ice’ blocks which stop movement from occurring. Isa can be positive and hold promise that those blocks are about to break up. With Isa, change comes from very deep within, just like a glacier, and its slow force is irresistible.
Isa, on the second row or aiett, especially the first three runes, Hagalaz, Nauthiz and Isa (but also the fourth, if you think about it a little, Jera) strongly symbolize our individual helplessness to the more inimical, ultimately uncontrollable aspects of the universe. As healing runes, they all send us toward contemplations of surrender and acceptance of what truly is beyond our ability to influence.
I have found that we can spend a tremendous amount of energy, often unconsciously, on trying to change things that we have no power to change. We regret our fixed past, and worry about our unknown future. We don’t always yield to stark realities. In this way, energy is diverted from healing and awareness, where it might be useful, and is wasted.
This is one of the lessons of Orlog — the cosmic laws outside the influence of humankind — and how it differs from the magic/psychology of Wyrd, our more individual freedom within the greater weave of all things.
If you’ve more questions, do not hesitate at all to come back and ask them!
-Tyriel
[...] ourselves. Algiz lifts us away from the limiting egocentricity which comes part and parcel with ISA’s rune [...]
Isa reminds me of the crystaline beauty after a Hagalaz “storm” has riped through our subconciousness. After freezing tempatures and icey winds, stepping out into a quiet world of sparkling ice is to me very peaceful and pure. Perhaps it is akin to snow… the snow that blankets the earth holding incredible amounts of “growth” energy inside the earth until spring when it is suddenly released through the melting ice.
I love this visual metaphor. There is a kind of peace with Isa, though it can be deceptive, as things can still be brewing beneath the surface.
Very true. I suppose one has to trust she knows how to navigate a winter wonder land safely. If one is feeling too cautious or afraid in this case perhaps Raidho energy is in order.
Hel: I love your imagery for Isa! Most especially as I have just come in out of an October snow storm (a gentle pretty sort of one). I have often contemplated Isa as I watch the spring ice flows, but had not thought of it as you describe – that beauty after a Hagalaz storm. Thank you for that thought and all your other contributions,which I am greatly enjoying!
On the subject of safe travel, I often combine Raidho and Algiz to protect myself and my baggage.
:) Last night in meditation I had a vision that went like this: I became a large tree with roots that reached down into the underworld, My truck was thick and very huge. At first glance I had no branches or leaves. Taking a closer look the branches and leaves were a spiritual energy so fine they were barely noticeable, but looked like clear, sparkling, crystal-like vibrations. My aim was to allow this “heavenly” energy to seep down into earth and the underworld and at the same time pull energy up from the underworld and earth into the branches and leaves. As the root energy came up – the leaves immediently turned visible and looked mundanely physical. They turned green and then quickly turned yellow and brown and fell off the tree. Suddenly there were winter storms that covered the ground with snow and then spring came and the tree was renewed with green leafy branches.
To me this says: Many angels (or whatever you want to call spiritual beings and energy) come here and fall once they take on too much of the physical earthy energy. But this gives the earth a higher vibration and because angels never “die” the ice and snow come to help contain enough energy so the spirit beings may “grow” again. When the world is full of higher energy will there be no need for winter for a long, long, time?
I believe in this tradition, we don’t call them angels. They are wights.
Specifically, the angel archetype fits with the warrior maidens that are the Valkyrie. But if you’re refering to any entity, a person or a psychic thing like a demon or anything.. it is a wight.
I may be wrong but I think that’s the agreement.
Isa feels to have a strong meditative energy/symbology, being the power to solidify our water into ice, the forming of our mundane consciousness which flows along the landscape into something which can, through focussed discipline, carve through mountains.
I like too the winter symbology, it’s worth noting that to the prepared traveller the winter still has a bounty to be harvested by the focused will in harmony with what is.
Hi I am studying runes for some months now and I have fallen in love with them.
This rune speaks to me. I believe it has changed my life. When I began to understand its meaning I always thought of a correlation with Saturn.Saturn is a symbol of a cosmic principle that although it seems negative ,depressing and restricting it brings structure to our world,just like ice is solid ,defined in shape matter made out of water .Saturn is also associated with father and authoritarian figures.So Saturn and Isa (to me ) are related to the cosmic principles that you must submit yourself to and the gifts they bestow upon you are great.
forgive me if this is covered elsewhere, I know I have read it will be in the book, but what would be the murk-stave of Isa; I know it depends on what was asked obviously, but I must admit that when it comes to murk-stave readings I cant seem to find much, and what I have found seems contradictory (for all the runes really)
I have some good news and some bad news. Bad news first? Murk-staves will not be fully covered in the book — although each are suggested, in every rune description. The good news: “The Murk-Staves” will be the title of my second book. I wanted to make certain that Murk-Staves had their own special focus, something which to my knowledge has not been attempted by other authors.
Isa as you can see can’t be drawn upside-down. Runes like this often come as ‘double edges swords’. In that there is little that is overtly positive or negative about them. Many people interpret them as ‘neutral’. However, each rune can be balanced, or imbalanced. The Murk-Stave of Isa might suggest hyper-focus to the point of skewing one’s perception of reality — to disastrous effects: like forgetting that there’s a lake underneath that ice! It can also indicate an imbalance toward self-centeredness… ego-tripping, or inability to think past oneself. We still use the symbol Isa constantly in reference to ourselves, in English. ‘I’ am one of the most important things to ‘myself’. But can we truly escape this, and remain ourselves? Food for thought, Jason.
ahh makes sense- I might have been mistaken, I had heard that murk-stave was a rune that was face down? Or is it a rune that is face up and upside down? I suppose it would also depend on how the runes are cast and from what materials. Mine are all carved in slate and soapstone and I draw them from a bag then place them before me- some authors have suggested that I should ignore facedown runes and others have said they mean something different. I get the feeling that how and what will differ from one person to the next, and that as I use the set more often it will make more sense to me on what means what, but I like to get as much information as possible on any subject :)
Thankyou
I find that since 1984, the year I discovered runes, (or they discovered me) Isa has never been particularly good. An easy way not to over analyze Isa is the mantra ice is ice. The mind that took up the runes, screaming, described Isa pretty simply. And it is that simplicity which is over analized in this day and age.Isa in a divinatory reading is usually pretty cut and dried. Divinatory use of the Elder Futhark is much simpler than I think most modern day runesters realize. The Havamal is pretty much a guidebook as to the context of the runes. As is often the case, context can be everything.
Dear Tyriel,What is the BiFrost Bridge and how does it call us?
The briefest and most accurate source I can point you toward is wikipedia, where you’ll also find the source documents: Bifröst.
Bifrost appears to be “The Way” between Midgard and Asgard, or Earth and Heaven. But ‘High’, the god in Gylfaginning says it is the common rainbow.
My interpretation of bifrost is that it is the fleeting ‘moment’ where heaven and earth intersect.
This is discourse of a very high level. If I may intrude with a question related to the more ordinary. I read of a typical New Agey kind of “Freeze Spell” to bind so to speak a tormentor. It was mentioned that the rune ISA added to that spell might increase its efficacy. Is there any foundation to such a claim to your knowledge Tyriel ?
Thanking you in advance for your courtesy.
In terms of “magic’ like that, I need to be sure what your goal is before giving any advice. New Agey kind of “Freeze Spell” isn’t very clear. My advice must be more general: use the runes to focus, in your mind, a vivid and clear goal, an end result, for your activity. Don’t expect something from nothing though. Isa is not an action in and of itself, but you might discover actions and words that help you toward your end by focusing on a well-known rune — but only if you know that end clearly and well in advance. But this is knowledge common to success psychology.
Thank you for your prompt reply. To try and clarify: the idea is to have people who are unjustly bothering or harassing one to cease their attacks. It was proposed that the rune Isa would increase the effectiveness of the spell, although that term is much more elaborate than the simple form in question. By “freeze” is meant simply putting the culprit’s name on a piece of paper with a request to stop the torment and put, literally, in a freezer. Now silly as it might seem it has, by repute, some degree of effectiveness, and surely you might, perhaps, be able to see where the idea of ISA being applied almost like Sigil could enhance that effect. I don’t know if it would but does it make any sense to you at all? That is why I dared to impose upon your time and expertise as I wanted to know if this was completely without any basis in reality or just more “fluff” as one might call it.
Thanks again Tyriel
I think that any rune could be used to solve the problem, because problems generally have more than one solution. Think of the rune (in your case Isa) as a focusing tool. Visualization without any follow up is pointless. But if you channel the qualities of Isa — such as remaining cool and unmoved, yet communicating that the culprit is treading on thin ice — then that is how you’d invoke the deeper powers of the rune in question.
Use common sense. How does writing a rune on a piece of paper solve anything? That sounds superstitious doesn’t it? On the other hand, if the rune is used to provoke action, or another perspective, or as a reminder — then you see it may have some kind of impact.
Also, I don’t think you mean ‘literally, in a freezer’. Literally means you would be placing his body inside an object called a freezer, and you’d probably get arrested for that.
Also Chet, you don’t have to ‘dare’ or ‘impose’ to ask me questions, I’m really not one of those types who requires any reverence or ritual to approach. Just fire off a question and either myself or others who visit the site will be more than happy to eventually help!
Best of luck,
Tyriel
Isa shows a moment when we need to stop the time or, to be more objective, when The Uni-verse makes us stop it. It is strict vertical (originally) if to consider the very moment (some quark or less) of The Present, which is a mo-ment between The Past and The Future. It is frozen… so, that we can have time to meditate on it… :) It’s a magic of stopping the time, so to speak. Not for-ever, sure, as in this sphere of Universe only a thought is able to get that level of speed, see, to be able to, to have opportunity for attempt to rEVERse something, that is vitally important. And as a result of catching of such moment we can say that impossible is possible. :)
… Rune of the day Isa… In comparison to Ehwaz yesterday… Is this confirmation that my marriage is “on the rocks”? Or is it my Career? … Lost and completely confused… Suggestions?