With Runic Correspondences
| Iwaz (Yew-tree)is the vertical axis of the World Tree, Gibo (Gift, Exchange): the Meeting of the Heaven and Earth at the Four Directions in the horizontal plane. I read the runes according to where they fall on this cosmic diagram. This vertical-looking bind rune is turned and flattened a bit to make the runes fall in a circle of eight,with the ninth (nexus) rune at the centre: |
Asgard
is at the end of the top hook of the Iwaz rune, then Ljossalfheim at the
top point, Midgard is at the centre, where the Gibo rune crosses it. Svartalfheim
is at the bottom point of the Iwaz, and Hel is at its end. The Gibo rune
is imagined to lie in a horizontal plane, with Midgard as its nexus. Eastward
lies Jötunheim, to the South, Muspellheim, to the West, Vanaheim,
and to the North, Niflheim. In the diagram below you can see the vertical
axis of the Iwaz rune  is tilted to let the worlds fall into a circle. The Gibo rune  is flattened to show the
depth of the horizontal plane; in it North and West are closest, East
and South receding into the distance. I think that it is in fact not possible
to truly represent Yggdrasil in this way, as it is a multi-dimensional
structure that does not follow Euclidean geometric rules. This diagram
is a way of simplifying this complex structure so that that one can "wrap
the mind around it" and work with it. |
| I assign one of each of the first 9 runes of the Elder Futhark to each of the Nine Worlds. When I do a rune reading, I pull nine runes out of their bag and lay them one at a time, in FUÞARK order, in the position of their assigned world. In the table below you see the runes I use to represent the Nine Worlds: |
Horizontal Plane (the 4 directions)
|
| The
Nine Worlds as used in Divination and Runic
Correspondences The reasons I chose a particular rune to represent a world are complex. I believe it is certainly true that more than one rune is appropriate to stand for a world. I use many other runes in my work with the Worlds than the first nine. But this is the layout that seems to work best for divination, and I tend to go with both my experience and my intuition in such matters. Much of the wisdom of the runes comes to us though experimentation and our "sixth" sense, and it is good to both practice using the runes and to be aware of what feels right to you. ________________________________________________________  Fehu,
("Cattle") a rune of wealth and fertility, I have placed in
Vanaheim, the realm of the Vanic Deities including Freyr and Freya. After
much consideration, I placed this world in the West. West for me stands
for sunset, autumn, harvest, as well as the element water. This seems
an appropriate direction for the Vanic realm, which is one of life, emotions,
growth, maturity, wealth, and fruitfulness. Water has ever been associated
with gold in the Germanic consciousness, and there are abundant folk tales
of treasures lying at the bottom of the sea or rivers. Water and food
are life, and not surprisingly, the Vanir rule agriculture, animal husbandry,
and all that sustains them. Feoh is the rune of property in the form of
cattle or gold, which appropriately exist under the aegis of the Vanir,
from whom flow the forces of abundance. When a rune falls in Vanaheim,
it tells of love, personal growth, fertility, material comforts, sex,
nourishment, health, and personal happiness. It can indicate what a person
is capable of bringing forth, whether it be a baby, a thesis, or a feast
for their friends. Uruz
("Aurochs") I have in Niflheim, which I see as a most ancient
elemental world. Uruz the Aurochs (later called "drizzle") seems
a good symbol for a realm of primal matter, and reminds me of Audhumbla,
the cosmic bovine who licked Buri, first of the Gods, out of a block of
salt. Niflheim is in the North, and is the realm of stasis, crystallisation,
elemental Earth energies, physical form, night, and death. On the positive
side, Uruz represents great strength, groundedness, and fertile, though
fallow, earth. In divination, the rune that falls in Niflheim indicates
what is frozen in a person's life: their blockages of energy, tendencies
to apathy, life-sapping habits, and what they avoid. It can also be an
indicator of their most solid personality traits, their stubbornness,
and tenacity. Thurisaz ("Thorn"
or "a Giant") is of course the sigel of Jötunheim, realm
of chaos and all that opposes human and Godly order. It is a realm of
elemental Air energy, entropy, and trials. I see Jötunheim as a World
that offers great challenges to human kind, and in which a bold and lucky
person can find great wisdom and wealth. Because the Jötuns are the
most primal beings, existing since the dawn of time,and because of the
evidence in the Eddas, I assign the direction
East to Jötunheim. This Eastern realm is one of birth and that which
(sometimes) violently comes into being. It is also the dwelling place
of entropy and chaos. However, because the Jötuns are such ancient
beings, some of them possess great lore, and are riddle-masters against
whom even Odin has tested Himself. Knowledge of the origin time can be
won in Jötunheim by a very clever person who is willing to take risks.
In a reading the rune that falls in Jötunheim shows what opposes
the person, their fears, challenges and trials, and thus what they need
to fight in order to gain wisdom, control and order in their lives. More
uncommonly, a rune in this position can indicate the winning of ancient
elemental wisdom. Raido ("Riding") I use to represent Muspelheim.
One might argue Kenaz might be more appropriate for the land of Fire,
but I use Raido because I see it as representing the path of the Sun across
the sky. It's direction is of course South, and it is the realm of elemental
Fire, pure energy, and both beneficial warmth and devastating destruction.
Muspelheim itself is perhaps the least hospitable to humans of the Nine
Worlds. However, it is the realm from which power, warmth, and the energy
needed for growth come, and together with Niflheim was necessary to the
formation of reality as we know it. Associated with Muspelheim are eternal
Summer, noon, the blinding bright Sun wheel riding high and radiant above
the Earth, and the power to thaw what is frozen. When a rune falls in
Muspelheim it can tell about a person's energy level, their charisma,
willingness to act, intensity of passion and life force. It can show how
a person may melt away frozen patterns in their personality.  Ansuz ("A God") was a very obvious choice
to represent Asgard. The God's rune stands for the high realm of the Aesir.
It is the domain of wisdom, spiritual might and holiness, divine guidance
and Guardian Spirits, both personal and familial. Asgard is the realm
towards which the human spirit strives. It is the Heaven World, with rewards
and challenges for those heroic and persevering enough to gain access
to it. From the realm of Asgard come all the most noble promptings of
the human spirit: courage, artistic and poetic inspiration, duty, honour,
spirituality and divine love. The rune that lies in Asgard indicates how
the Gods are involved in the matter, the person's spiritual health, Spirit
Guides, spiritual gifts, and their highest aspirations. It is an indication
of the state one's higher mental functions, moral conscience, and deeds
that have woven good Wyrd. This rune more than any other in the spread
shows the objective truth of the matter. Wunjo ("Joy") has always been a rune I personally
associate with the Light Alfs, and therefore, Ljossalfheim. Here dwell
innumerable benevolent spirit beings such as plant devas, the Spirit Helpers
of humans, and blessed Ancestral Wights. This is a realm of both joy and
intellect, where the inspiration from the divine realms is "stepped
down" to a frequency more easily perceived by humans. The Valkyries,
those divine messengers between Asgard and the world of living men, traverse
Ljossalfheim on their errands. Ljossalfheim holds the power of those beings
who assist and protect those who are on the path of learning, and who
aid growing things on Earth, including humans. A rune in Ljossalfheim
can indicate the way in which the querant's spirit guides are involved
in the matter, the way they relate to the spirit realm, and their hopes,
dreams, fantasies, and wishes. It can also be an indication of the person's
ability to perceive other planes of existence, including such psychic
gifts as telepathy and clairvoyance. Gibo ("Gift")is the rune I chose to represent
Midgard. Its shape is a diagram of the powerful vortexes of energy found
in holy places, where Sky and Earth meet, joining the above to the below.
Gibo is one of the runes of Midgard the middle world, and of humanity
the middle race, who are as much of Earth as of Heaven. It is realm of
Man, of society, science, skill, survival and human creativity. Gibo also
represents the exchange of energies between Gods and Man, and indeed,
the human race is of divine origin. In Midgard we are given the gift of
life by the Gods, and here we learn to understand the nature of sacrifice.
By giving gifts in return to the Gods on the harrow (altar) of the Earth,
humans both show their gratitude and acknowledge their connection to the
divine. It is in Midgard that the Gods generously give their gifts of
fertility, inspiration, courage, and hope. The rune that falls in Midgard
is the crux of the matter. It is the "answer" about which all
the other runes of the spread give detail and colour. It shows the matter
from a personal human perspective, as it directly affects the querant,
and also shows social influences. This rune indicates more than any others
the subjective state of the mind and emotions of the querant. Kaunan ("Pine torch") I place in Svartalfheim.
It is a rune of controlled fire, of creation and shaping. Svartalfheim
is the realm of that which is coming into being. It is a place where ideas
are formed into things, and the unmanifest is given birth in the world
of matter (Midgard). It is the underworld, where the Dark Alfs or Dwarfs
create their magnificent achievements of technology. This land is inhabited
by many other wights as well, beings that live in caves and stones. It
too is a place where ancestral spirits might appear. The dark recesses
of the burial mound have much in common with the secret underground dwellings
of the Dark Alfs. I see Svartalfheim as a region that mediates to some
extent between the land of the Dead in Hel, and the land of the Living,
in Midgard. A rune in Svartalfheim tells about the underlying, perhaps
hidden, origins of the issue. It shows the forces at play in the person's
ability to make their ideas manifest in the real world. It can also give
one insight into neuroses and that which is repressed, as well as the
persona's ability to create, and their potential. Haglaz is the rune I assign to Hel. It represents
trials, the Ancestors, and the Realm of the Dead. The rune Hagal is the
"seed rune" that holds all other runes within it. The Hel realm
holds all who die and await rebirth. It is at the tree's utmost roots,
and represents the ground of being. In Hel is also a place called Niflhel
where serpents gnaw corpses, and those souls who have committed heinous
crimes meet with extinction. In Niflhel, that which has not by its nature
and actions risen to higher evolutionary levels sinks to be recycled and
is used to replenish the resources of creation. A rune in the Hel position
shows the root and origin of the matter. It can indicate what a person
needs to bring up into the light, even though they may be most unwilling
to face it. Hel stands for the depths of the Id also, so one's deepest
fears can be revealed by the rune that falls there. The Hel rune can tell
you about hidden agendas, blockages to growth, old habits, negative Wyrd,
sickness, stagnant energy, and anything that keeps the persona from developing
and growing. A useful and often more positive aspect of a rune falling
in the Hel position is that because of the Ancestors, the rune lying there
can reveal wisdom from the past, and give insight into family matters
and traits. |
