Isa, third of the second aett, and eleventh over all, is ice. Our ancestors say much of this frozen element. Its ability to give what appeared to be permanence to all things was very powerful. Isa is a signature of a perfect order. It is a complete lack of chaotic elements.
How you view what is external and how the external views you is found in this rune. Think back on someone you have not seen in 15 years. Now let us say you see them tomorrow. Suddenly, this person is not that kid you knew in high school, they look differently and act differently. Up to this point, your view of this person, and they of you, was frozen from 15 years ago. This is Isa, and in this way can be associated with Verandi ( that which is) the Norn of the present.
Isa is suggested by Thorsson and Gundarsson to be representative of ego. This appears to come from the symbol of "I." Even if this "I" was the same as modern man perceives it (there is no proof to this claim), the "I" of the self is not simply ego. Indeed, the "I" of the self encompasses the body, the emotions, the mind, and the ego. Therefore, without more proof of the concept, to view Isa simply as ego is inappropriate.
Number five of the second Aett is Jera. Here is the symbolism of the spiral pattern of time. Although it is cyclical in its concept, and appears to drum on and on in the same way year after year, it is not a circle that meets end to end.
Jera is the movement of time. This is both the movements forward and backward in time. Forward through our hopes and fears and backwards through our memories. The length and width of our lives in this movement is represented in the next two runes.
On the concept of "yen/yang" presented by Gundarsson, only the shape of this rune gives way to the comparison. The spiral movement of Jera and the changes of the seasons bear very little resemblance of the concept of the duality of the universe put forth by the teaching of Tao. As said earlier, Hagalaz in its duality would be the closest rune to yen/yang. Taoism is an alien philosophy in comparison to the runes. Therefore, to say that any of the runes embodies the concepts of yen/yang would be a trap of generalization.

Where Jera represents time, the sixth rune of this Aett, Eihwaz, is the physical manifestation within time. Traditionally, Eihwaz is the yew tree. Staying green all year long, useful for burning, bow making, and achieving shamanic-like visions, it is no mystery why this tree represents "Nature's Immortality." In its evergreen qualities, and longevity the yew is a perfect example of the living things that exists in space/time. It lives a very long time and yet does die, as do all things. This is also known as being alive but not necessarily living, that is Perthro, our next rune. In its shape, we see a "measuring tape" of life, from Midgard to Asgard, from conception to death.
Perthro is the seventh rune of the second Aett. Traditionally, it is either a lot cup or a game piece. In its essence, this rune represents mandatory changes brought about by external forces. Whereas Eihwaz is the "length" measurement of life, Perthro is the "width" measurement. Simply not how long you lived, but how well you lived it. In the rune poem referring to the Warriors in the Beerhall, or the Women in the Birthhall (depending on how you read it), we see happiness of being alive and a joy of living.


In the games we play in life, be they dangerous high stakes games or just for fun games, we experience and learn. Therefore, Perthro is the rune of experience. To know life is to know pain, and to know pain there is wisdom. Perthro is a rune of wisdom. An example of this would be the joy of birth, which is very painful. Perthro is the experiences dealt in the game of life.
Our next rune is Elhaz. Its traditional meaning is protection, stemming from Elk-Sedge. Elk-Sedge is a water plant that cuts a person who is entangled in it. The poem for this rune is: “Elk-Sedge grows mainly in the fenlands. Flourishing in the water, it grimly wounds, running with the blood of any who try to grasp it.”
It is also found in the peace symbol of our time. This, when examined, does make sense in that “peace” is the absence of threat or harm. Elhaz can also be seen as an open hand, as if saying: “Stay back!” Therefore, this rune is that which comes between us and harms way, in both the physical world as well as the spiritual.

In the physical world, we see Elhaz as possibly a sword, protecting with a sharp edge. In the spiritual world, Elhaz is our beliefs in the gods (or a god) and that which is beyond our five senses. This rune holds importance in our world today. We can see people reaching for it (by wearing the peace symbol) even though they truly only understand that it is a call for peace. What is really being displayed is the subconscious desire to put SOMETHING between them and harms way. Elhaz is the rune for this purpose.

Sowilo is the final rune of the second Aett. It is the power of the sun. To the Norse, the sun was known as Sunna, and it was considered feminine. This was due to the warm and nurturing nature of the sun. As a representation of power, nothing in the world compared to the sun. Seamen hoped it shine every day they were sailing. Its presence was considered protection from the dark, and all the things that might come from it. The sun also helped guide them to their destination.
Therefore, we can see that Sowilo comes to represent someone or something that is a “guiding light.” This can be seen as a mentor or person who teaches. It can also be seen as road map.

Now let us recap the Second Aett of the runes.
In Hagalaz, we have hail, an external force outside of our control. It is a neutral power.
In Nauthiz, we have “needs,” external forces that drive us forward. Like hunger, lust and fear.
In Isa, we have ice. It is how the world sees us. Its view static and unchanged until exerted upon.
In Jera, we have the cycle of time: External force of entropy and its effect upon the world.
In Eihwaz, we have the yew tree and its apparent immortality representing that of nature’s own.
In Perthro, we have the lot cup. It is the force of luck.
In Elhaz, we have protection by an external force.
In Sowilo, we have a mentor or guide that encourages a feeling of safety.
With that, we come to the end of the Second Aett.


The Third Aett
In the Third Aett we will see that the last set of runes are internal forces that help us deal with the external forces of the Second Aett as we travel the path outlined in the First Aett.
Tiwaz is at the head of the final aett. It is the rune of the god Tyr. Like him, this rune represents inner strength and morality. It is a rune of order, self sacrifice, stability, lawfulness and courage. To be like Tyr is to be ‘Straight as an arrow.” We see this example appears to have been based on the design of the arrow or spear shape of this rune.
In the phallic shape of this rune, we find the embodiment of “masculine energy” which resides within both men and women. However, we see the qualities of Tiwaz exerted and looked for in men as a way of measuring them much more than women. Tiwaz is the rune of fatherhood.

The second of the last aett is Berkano. This is the rune of the birch tree. Like the young birch tree, Berkano is the power to be flexible without breaking. It was branches also represent being fertile.
There is much speculation that this rune represents various goddesses at the same time, to include Freya, Frigg, Hel, Nerthus, Holda, and Berchta. Certainly, this rune shape lends itself to the concept of being womanly. It represents the ability to give birth, to be motherly, and the sexuality of breasts. Berkano also comes to represent the burial mounds in which we return to after we die. It is the rune for “Mother Earth.”
Berkano is the rune in which we find the embodiment of “feminine energy.” It can reside within both the male and female, but the qualities of it are generally looked for in women.
The third rune of the Third Aett is Ehwaz. This is the rune of the horse, or more specifically, horses. The rune has a double meaning. The first represents “horse power,” the ability to carry the load. This is the inner strength from which we draw from. A great example of this is found in a Smithsonian artifact of a horse’s hoof. The hoof belonged to fire horse remembered only has No. 9. On a way to fight a fire, No. 9 got his hoof stuck in a railroad track. When he pulled up, the whole hoof was torn from the leg. This was not noticed until after the fire was put out and several lives saved. Unfortunately, the horse had to be shot there at the scene. No. 9 was given a firefighter funeral and was remembered for a very long time. One of the human firefighters retrieved the hoof. It was kept around the station for nine years. The Smithsonian Museum then came into possession of it. It is the power of No. 9, and the strength of will to perform ones duty, that Ehwaz represents.
In FUTHARK: A Handbook of RUNE MAGIC, Thorsson makes reference to Ehwaz meaning Stallion and Horse, where Aswynn says in Leaves of Yggdrassil it could mean Stallion and Mare. Contemplation of this leads us to the second meaning of Ehwaz: Duality. More directly, Ehwaz comes to represent the duality of man in his ability to deal with his world. On one hand, we have the Stallion aspect - headstrong and virile, looking to face the world head on and on our own terms. On the other hand, we have the Horse or Mare aspect. Here we see a creature that works with others, often time’s looks for guidance before acting. Sometimes, we must lead. However, to be a good leader, we must know how and when to follow.

Forth of the last aett is Mannaz. This is the rune of Man, but “Man” as in Human kind, not male gender. It is said to represent the “perfect human.” This appears to be based on the thought that we are genetically linked to the gods. There was a Germanic god named Mannus that fathered the three classes of mankind. In the Eddas, the Lay of Rig tells us Heimdall does this same thing. He comes to Midgard under the name “Rig,” which means King, and creates the Thralls, Freeman and Earls. The creation of social classes in one thing, but the rune Mannaz represents much more than a person’s social standing.
Mannaz also represents the intelligence, memory, rationality and traditions of humankind. In a word, it represents our Humanity. This rune exposes both the strength and weakness of being human. It is the essence of what we look to pass down and teach our children: Be smart, remember your ancestors, act fairly and honor the gods. Mannaz is apart of the soul of the human race, the part that says, “we are man.”

Laguz is the next rune. It represents water in all forms and the leek plant. First, let us look at the water representation. Without water, for drinking and for fishing, many people would have died. However, when set out across, many people did indeed find a watery tomb as their final resting-place. In the Eddas, Hel is said to have water all about it.

In addition, the universe is said to have been created by the melting of frozen waters of Nifleheim. Therefore, water was, and still is, very important to all living creatures. Within the waters, however, often times lay very dangerous and sometimes deadly things.
With the leek, we see a plant that also has hidden parts. Its shoots grow green above ground but a bulb of great potency fuels it. The power of hidden things is seen in both the water and leek aspect. Within humans, this is our subconsciousness.
In Beowulf, we find Grendel, a symptom of sickness, coming out of the waters. He attacks the hall called the Heart. Upon further inspection, we find the cause of the sickness: his mother. What we have here is a representation of guilt and anger (Grendel) coming out of our subconscious (water) to attack a happy hall (our heart). However, the guilt is a symptom of a bigger problem (Grendel’s mom) that must be faced.
Therefore, what we see here, in a classic Germanic story, is Laguz – water of the subconscious. This rune represents not only the subconscious but also that which is within it. All things that have been created or thought of initially starts within our dark recesses of subconsciousness.
Laguz also represents the waters within the well of Mimir. When we are strong, enough to face the sacrifice asked for wisdom, we find the well is within us, its waters dark and its secrets hidden.
The twenty-second rune is the Ing. This is forth rune within the Third Aett that represents a deity directly. Ing is a god who has also came to be known as Frey. He, as well as the rune, are the embodiments of fertility that is drawn from in order to create. The rune is shaped similarly to the DNA helix. Although this was not done knowingly, it is interesting to note how Ing represents the very essence of creating.
In the Ing-Nerthus cult, the god aspect was sacrificed to the goddess aspect. This represents the relationship of the plants, which grow in the fields. They must be cut and the seeds replanted in the next cycle. Within us, we nurture ideas and plans. This is the Ing aspect working within us. We can also see the pattern in the wedding of Frey and Gerd. Frey gives up his symbols of manhood, that being his sword and horse, in order to win over the earth incarnate, Gerd.



The energy of Ing is cultivated and built up slowly. It can then be released at one time in a burst of activity. This is seen within the actions of a seed, which suddenly sprouts, as well as the sexual energy of any male. Therefore, the aspect of Ing is both in the storing of such energy and the releasing of the same.
In the oldest set of runes known to exist, the next rune is Dagaz, followed by Othala. This is on the Gotland stone found in Sweden (423C.E.). Some modern rune masters have Dagaz last, based on other sets found, while others (this author included) follow the Gotland stone example.
Dagaz means Day. The question is, what does day mean? Is it, as some say, the time that divides the darkness, or is it the twenty four-hour periods that must be dealt with every twenty-four hours? Is it the spiritual light shining from a cosmic consciousness? Modern rune masters have brought up all of these points. Why is day important enough to warrant a rune? Perhaps it is all of these reasons.
Logically, day is the time you get things done. It is the time you give yourself to accomplish your daily goals. It is more than just a date, such as setting a goal. It is an allotted amount of minutes or hours you allow for your work. The Norse and Germanic peoples were primarily hunters, farmers, and fishermen. These crafts were really only able to be accomplished during the part of the day when there was sunshine.
Therefore, the Dagaz rune is representative of the personal time you give to accomplishing goals and work schedules – no matter what the actual time of day.
The final rune is Othala. This rune represents ancestral property, innate personal quality or a person’s homeland. Because this rune was used to mark off a personal homestead, it is also seen as a rune of boundaries.
Othala, found internally, is the areas of life in which we feel most comfortable. To say you feel at home in a particular endeavor is a good example of this. Conversely, to know where our boundaries are in life is extremely important. This is not to say that we should not, at times, push those boundaries for the sake of growth. However, it does allow us the ability to make good judgement.
Othala is our home turf, whether this is physically, emotionally, of spiritually. The areas are clearly marked and defended with extreme vigor.



Now to recap the Third Aett:
Tiwaz- is a rune of order, self sacrifice, stability, lawfulness and courage.
Berkano- is the rune of “feminine energy.”
Ehwaz- is the rune that shows the duality of man in his ability to deal with his world.
Mannaz- represents the intelligence, memory, rationality and traditions of humankind.
Laguz- represents not only the subconscious but also that which is within it.
Ing- represents the very essence of creativity and the act of creating.
Dagaz- is representative of the personal time you give to accomplishing goals.
Othala- is our home turf, whether this is physically, emotionally, of spiritually.