How to Memorize Rune Meanings

Memorizing Elder Futhark Rune Meanings
fehuuruzthurisazansuzraidhokenazgebowunjo
hagalaznauthizisajeraihwazperthroalgizsowilo
tiwazberkanoehwazmannazlaguzinguzdagazothala
The Elder Futhark Runes: The Aettir.

Here is a list of the Elder Futhark runes, their literal translations, and some keywords I’ve found that best hint at the meanings of these runic mysteries.

I’ve included the ASCII rune symbols for copy and pasting. If you use this on your blog or site, please link back to https://runesecrets.com … thank you!

First Aett

ᚠ 

Fehu – “Fay-Who” – Literally: “Cattle” – Esoteric: Mobile Property, New Beginnings, Wealth

Uruz – “Oo – Ruse” – Literally: “Aurochs” – Esoteric: Endurance, Formation, Manifestation

Thurisaz – “Thor-is-as” – Literally: “Thurses” or “Giants” – Esoteric: Strong one, Conflict, Tool/Weapon

Ansuz – “Anne – suhz” – Literally: “a god” – Esoteric: Breath or Ancestral Sovereign Spirit, poetic inspiration

Raidho – “Ride-ho” – Literally: “Ride” or “Wagon” – Esoteric: Journey, Vehicle, Righteousness

Kenaz – Literally: “Torch” – Esoteric: ‘Ken’ or Knowledge, Craft, Controlled Fire

Gebo – “Gay-boo” – Literally: “Gift” – Esoteric: Fair Exchange, Sacrifice, Sacred Marriage

Wunjo – “Won-joe” – Literally: “Joy” – Esoteric: Hope, Harmony, Perfection

Second Aett

Hagalaz – “Hag-all-az” – Literally: “Hail” or “Hailstone” – Esoteric: Crisis or Radical Change, Opportunity

Nauthiz – “Not-this” – Literally: “Need-fire” or “Necessity” – Esoteric: Constraint, Friction

Isa – “Iss-ah” – Literally: “Ice” – Esoteric: Stasis, Stillness, Self

Jera – “Yehr-ah” – Literally: “Year” – Esoteric: Harvest, Patience, Cycles

Ihwaz (also: eihwaz) – “Yew-was” – Literally: “Yew” – Esoteric: Mysteries of Life and Death, Timeless, Eternity

Perthro – “Per-throw” – Literally: unknown – Esoteric: The Norns, Fate/Chance, Lot-Cup

Algiz (or Elhaz) – “Al-jiz” – Literally: “Elk” – Esoteric: Protection, Higher Self, Divine Connection

Sowilo – “So-iölo” – Literally: “Sun” (Sol) – Esoteric: victory, guidance, goals

Third Aett

Tiwaz – “Tea-waz” – Literally: “The god, Tyr” – Esoteric: Justice, Sacrifice, Sovereign Order

Berkano – “Burr-can-oh” – Literally: “Birch Goddess” – Esoteric: Birth, Sanctuary, Plantlife

Ehwaz – “eh-was” – Literally: “Horse” – Esoteric: Trust, Teamwork, Love, 

Mannaz – “Man-az” – Literally: “Mankind” – Esoteric: Humankind, Mind and Memory, Intelligence

Laguz – “Log-uhz” – Literally: “Water” or Ocean – Esoteric: Unconscious, Collective Memory, Unity of Life

Inguz – “Ing-guz” – Literally: “Seed” or “The god, Ing” – Esoteric: Creation, Replication, Wholeness 

Dagaz – “Day-gahz” – Literally: “Day” or Dawn – Esoteric: Awakening, Enlightenment, Invisibility

Othala – “Oh-thall-ah” – Literally: “Homeland” or “Ancestral Lot” – Esoteric: Inheritance, Estate, Peace on Earth

Isa – Rune Meaning

“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.