runestones Archives — The Rational Heathen

The Elder Futhark: Sowilo or Sowelu

April 13, 2023 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

Sowilo or Sowelu, also known as Sol or Sigel, is the sixteenth rune of the Elder Futhark, the oldest runic alphabet used by Germanic peoples. People associated this powerful rune with the sun, light, and clarity. Its name translates to “sun” or “wholeness,” and it represents a state of being complete and unified. In this blog post, we’ll explore the history and meaning of Sowelu, as well as its use in divination.

Sowelu in Old Norse, Germanic, and Anglo-Saxon

Sowelu was known by different names in different Germanic cultures. In Old Norse the Nordic peoples called it Sól, which means “sun.” In Germanic, it was known as Sigel, which translates to “victory.” And in Anglo-Saxon, those Germanic tribes called it Sigelc, which is also related to the concept of victory.

The Old Norse name for Sowilo, Sól, is particularly significant because the sun was an important symbol in Norse mythology. Our Northern ancestors believed the sun to be a goddess named Sól, who drove a chariot across the sky.

In Germanic cultures, the sun was also an important symbol of power and strength. The name Sigel reflects this association, as victory was seen as a manifestation of strength and power.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, people associated Sowilo with success and achievement. The name Sigelc comes from the Old English word “sigel,” which means “sun,” but it was also used to refer to a seal or stamp of approval. This suggests that people saw Sowelu as a symbol of success and recognition.

The Meaning of Sowelu

Sowilo is a rune of wholeness and completeness. It represents the idea of being unified, both within oneself and with the world around us. Sowelu is often associated with the sun, which is a symbol of clarity and illumination.

When Sowilo appears in a reading, it may suggest that the querent is on the right path towards achieving their goals. It may also indicate that the querent is feeling complete and unified within themselves. However, it is important to note that Sowelu can also represent a need for clarity and illumination. If the querent is feeling lost or unsure, Sowelu may be urging them to seek out the truth and find their way forward.

Divination with Sowelu

Like all runes, Sowelu can be used for divination. There are a few different methods for reading runes, but one common method is to draw three runes and interpret them as past, present, and future.

If Sowelu appears in the past position, it may suggest that the querent has already achieved a sense of wholeness and completion in their life. It may also indicate that the querent has overcome obstacles in the past and is now in a position to move forward with confidence.

If Sowelu appears in the present position, it may suggest that the querent is currently feeling complete and unified within themselves. It may also indicate that the querent is on the right path towards achieving their goals.

If Sowelu appears in the future position, it may suggest that the querent will achieve a sense of wholeness and completion in the future. It may also indicate that the querent will be successful in their endeavors and will experience a sense of victory.

It is important to note that Sowelu is not always a positive rune. In some cases, it may represent a need for clarity and illumination, which could indicate that the querent is feeling lost or unsure. It is important to take the context of the reading into account and interpret Sowelu in light of the other runes that appear in the reading. By considering the other runes and the overall message of the reading, the querent can gain a deeper understanding of what Sowelu is trying to communicate.

Some Final Thoughts on Sowelu

Sowilo is a powerful rune that represents wholeness, unity, and clarity. The Germanic cultures associated Sowelu with the sun and victory, thus reflecting its importance where people highly valued strength and power. When used in divination, Sowelu can provide valuable insights into a person’s past, present, and future, but it is important to consider the context of the reading and interpret Sowelu in light of the other runes that appear. Whether seeking success, clarity, or a sense of completeness, Sowelu can offer guidance and support on the journey towards wholeness.

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The Elder Futhark: Eihwaz

June 25, 2021 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

The thirteenth rune in the Elder Futhark, and fifth rune of Heimdallr’s ætt, is Eihwaz, which corresponds to the “eo” sound, which has no English equivalent in the alphabet. Probably the closest is the pronunciation of the name “Theo.” This is powerful rune that is protection, and oddly enough, death. It is the rune Yggdrasil and the Yew tree.

In Anglo-Saxon, Eihwaz is spelled Eoh, and in Old Norse it is Eihwas. Eihwaz is the rune of protection and defense. Self bows were often constructed of yew. If the wood was chosen correctly, it would have two different properties in the wood, itself. One part would be rigid; the other would be flexible.

Eihwaz is a powerful rune of protection. Like the self bow or yew staff, it can be both hard and flexible. The rune is even shaped somewhat like a bow, or a staff, if you use enough imagination. The reason why this rune can be a portent of death is because the yew, itself, is poisonous.

Divination with Eihwaz

When you get this rune in a casting, it suggests a strong defense of some kind. It can be your defender, depending on where it is in the reading, or it can defend against you if you are the aggressor. It is the rune of defense and protection, similar to the rune, Algiz. Then again, it can signal death in a very real way. It can mean death of an old way that can make way for something else. Or it could mean a literal death, but this is rare, in my experience.

When I’ve had Eihwaz appear in my castings, I’ve never interpreted it as death. It always seems to say that something bad is usually coming to an end, making way for something else, usually good. Eihwaz is my bow that keeps my enemies at an arrow shot away. It offers me the tools to protect myself.

Should you get this rune in your castings, it is a powerful sign that something is protecting and defending you. Like Yggdrasil, the protection is powerful enough to withstand damage even at the roots. It can help give you strength when times are tough.

Some Final Thoughts on Eihwaz

When Eihwaz appears in a spread, you may find that Eihwaz signals that you are protected, and that a difficult time will soon be over. As always, the position where Eihwaz appears as well as the runes around it will dictate how it should be read, because they can affect its meaning.

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The Elder Futhark: Naudhiz

June 25, 2020 The Rational Heathen Comments 2 comments

The tenth, and second rune of Heimdallr’s ætt, is Naudhiz, which corresponds to the “N” sound in the Latin alphabet (the alphabet we use). This is a another one of the most negative runes you can get, whenever it comes up. It does occasionally have positive sides, but I’ll talk about that later. It is the rune of restriction, need, and scarcity. Naudhiz doesn’t really have any good meanings, so if you pull up this rune, you’re going to be in for a difficult time, unless it is talking about something in the past.

In Anglo-Saxon, Naudhiz is spelled Nyd, and in Old Norse it is Nauðr . Nauðr is the rune of need, constraint, and famine. It speaks of times when need fires were created to burn away famine or diseases.

Our ancestors were no strangers to nature’s destructive forces. That included failed crops, famine, and disease. This was a time when people did without. Naudhiz is the rune of “not,” and it meant that people would most likely suffer when this rune was cast.

Divination with Naudhiz

When you get this rune in a casting, it informs you that what you desire is unlikely to come about, or maybe, there are constrains regarding the outcome. If your life is in need, that is, you’ve lost your job, you’re out of money, or maybe your relationships aren’t working, and you get Naudhiz in the present position, or the matter being considered, chances are it’s just a reflection of your life or plans at the present moment. People who pull Naudhiz in the present or past position have been feeling like their lives have been constrained or lacking something. If you get Naudhiz in the future position, it suggests your plans and life are going to constrained in some way. Naudhiz often means no.

Naudhiz doesn’t seem to have a positive side to it, and in many cases it doesn’t. But at the same time, maybe it’s like the Rolling Stones song which says “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you just might find, you get what you need.” Like all runes, the context of the constraint depends on its position and the runes surrounding it. The runes feed off of each other, creating a broader picture for the caster.

Should you get this rune in your castings, you may think it means you’ll never get what you’re working toward. Well, maybe. The runes don’t differentiate between big and little. It’s up to you to determine whether you get disappointed because your lottery ticket didn’t win, or you didn’t get that promotion you were expecting, or if you lose your job. Naudhiz can mean all those things, so you need (see what I did there?) to be very specific, and even then, the runes may address something else in your life, and not what you were asking for.

Some Final Thoughts on Naudhiz

When Naudhiz appears in a spread, you may panic. Don’t. Sometimes it may be addressing something that you are needy in and need to work on improving. Maybe in the future spot it is serving as a warning, rather than an actual future. Remember, you can change your path. That’s one of the awesome parts of weaving our own Wyrd.

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The Elder Futhark: Raidho

October 17, 2019 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

The fifth rune of Freyr’s ætt is Raidho, which corresponds to “R” in the Latin alphabet (the alphabet we use). If you haven’t noticed the similarity between the other runes I’ve shown and our own alphabet, you probably will see it in Raidho and our letter R. Whether our runes were based on an older form of the Latin alphabet or whether they evolved from an older Indo-European alphabet is up for conjecture. If you want to read about the origin of the runes, you can do that HERE.

Raidho‘s Meaning

In Anglo-Saxon Raidho is Rad and in Old Norse it is Reid. Raidho is the rune of travel. It means a wheel, cart, chariot, or journey. Our ancestors considered travel very important because it required a fair amount of effort to go someplace. When you’re limited to walking, snowshoes, carts, travel using animals, or ships, you had a fair amount of effort involved, both physically and mentally. You left your safe confines of home to journey into less safe territory and unknown lands. Like any travel, it could be good or bad.

Divination with Raidho

When you get this rune in a casting, you’re looking at movement, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. It can mean something like business and vacation travel when dealing with physical movement. It could mean an actual move or change in residence. Or it could mean changes in perspective when it comes to a situation, relationship, or point-of-view.

Raidho often means leaving something that you know for somewhere you aren’t necessarily familiar with. It can be scary, if you’re not ready for it, or it might be a welcome change you’ve been looking for. Regardless, Raidho means movement, and that means it can provide either good or bad, depending on the matter under consideration.

You may notice I caveat a lot of rune readings by saying the meaning depends a lot on the runes surrounding the rune in question. The runes feed off of each other, creating a broader picture for the caster. Raidho is no different in that regard. You may find that Raidho foretells of a job opportunity–or it could foretell of a layoff–depending on the runes surrounding it and the circumstance.

Some Final Thoughts on Raidho

Raidho is one of those runes I actually like. Not because I hate being in the spot I’m in, but more because it can provide opportunities I would normally miss if everything continued to stay the same. Sure, it can bring negative consequences, but the times I’ve seen Raidho in a cast, it usually indicates physical travel for me–and usually something I’ve been expecting. You may find Raidho to be like that, or maybe it speaks more to your mental or emotional state. Regardless, it is a rune of change, both good and bad.

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