Simply Futhark (Maelinhon)

Futhark, the Scandinavian runes, the very same ones. You know, the ones that are “true, original, authentic” in the collective consciousness. Today, let’s talk about this topic in a way that even your grandma can use them.

In linguistics, there is a difficult word ”appellativization”. It’s when a particular thing becomes a common noun for an entire class of objects. For example, Pampers is a brand of diapers, and Xerox is a brand of copiers. But most people call all diapers “pampers” and all copiers “xeroxes,” regardless of the brand. Jacuzzi, Hoover, Thermos, Jeep — these are brands, not the names of the product. Just like Maecenas or Don Juan are real people, not archetypes. But it’s stuck that way in our heads, and there’s no way to change it.

The same crap happened with the Futhark when runes automatically became “futhark” even though in Scandinavia and Germany each village has its own runes. Especially in Iceland. Because graphic magic is a wide range of tools, not just “Futhark runes.” There are dozens of runic alphabets, glyphics, sigils, letters, and just graphic drawings to which the authors have given an energetic scheme and the ability to influence the reality. But in the collective mindlessness, there was a substitution, and now the majority of the hamsters believe that the Futhark is true, and “those your” (any other) runes are not true, they are modern reproduction, and generally some hick nonsense. Well, because that is written in the book, and in that one single collection of Eddas they bothered to read, there’s only information about that particular type. And that’s why a bath will always be a Jacuzzi.

In reality, there are many graphics, and some are newer than the Futhark, and some much older. There are branches of the Futhark itself in the form of Northumbrian, Nennian, the runes of Iceland, there are Finnish runes, Turkic, Magyar, Bulgarian, Siberian runes… There are dozens of types of runes for all occasions. They can be mixed, written in codes or directly, creating bindrunes, forming mynds and galdrastaves, and inventing your own. For many, it’s a real revelation that runes can be used not only to appeal to Scandinavian gods but to any gods at all. It’s a universal script, even if you work with Dalram or Egypt. Magic is also a kind of creativity, so it’s essential to move away from grandfather’s dogmas and create your own.

Magic doesn’t work by the book.

So, Futhark runes are just another collection of someone else’s “energy microcircuits”, nothing more. Except that they’ve tied a whole legendarium specifically to this one, and this seems more tremendous to idiots. Like, since my great-grandfather wrote that the Futhark was invented by Odin himself, and I don’t know anything significant about any other alphabet (well, because there are no translations on the internet), I don’t want to see anything except the Futhark. For that very reason, I personally have a certain antipathy towards this set. I don’t like what is firmly embedded in the collective consciousness and because of which other, often much better, options are trampled upon. The Northumbrian is much wider in meaning and more convenient to work with, but the Eddas didn’t write about it, and that’s that…

Although, the Futhark itself isn’t worse or better than others. Its only feature is a certain abstractness and concision of the symbols, but often that’s actually a plus.

A whole tangle of cargo cults has also grown up around these runes, which is very disappointing. People will do anything to bash their foreheads in front of something, so after hundreds of years, the Futhark has become overgrown with cargo myths more than almost anything else. Now there’s a sacrum, rituals, and certain rules about how it should be done. And enthusiasts are actively forcing a square peg into a round hole, trying to connect Tarot, Kabbalah, and who knows what else… They have suddenly begun to give thanks to the runes (?), and the runes are being attributed with something close to self-awareness. Well then, thank the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets too, while you’re at it. Runes are just letters. Scandinavians drew them on pots so that their salads would grow better. You should express gratitude to some powers you appealed with the help of runes, if they have helped you. But if you drew the runes yourself, charged them yourself, and then you bow down to the LETTERS, then that’s like kissing an ATM for dispensing your own money. Letters are objects; they don’t understand gratitude; they have nothing to feel it with.

So, normally, the workflow with the Futhark is simple:
Drawn
Defined
Charged

Then it’s best to forget about the issue slightly so that the program goes to work. And after some time, when you see that the formula has frozen and emptied, it should be destroyed along with the carrier. That’s why runes are usually drawn on paper and then burned. You can flush them down the toilet, throw them in a river, etc. Again, they don’t care.

There are several types of formulas made of runes, including the ones from Futhark. An important aspect: encrypted formulas work better and longer than those where the composition is known. Therefore, it’s strictly unnecessary to dig into what’s encrypted in the formula but draw it as is.

– A runic formula or palindrome is just 3-5+ runes written in a row. Good for simple, quick matters. They work from one hour to about a month, they don’t get updated.

– A Galdrastave, or simply stave, is when the runes are encrypted into a single graphic drawing, but we know what’s encrypted in it. They work for up to 3 months, sometimes longer, and are difficult to update.

– A Galdramynd is a graphic drawing of runes where the composition is unknown. Thanks to that, they work longer, up to six months, and can be updated.

– A Bindrune is a runic cipher where the runes are not even visible, they are stylized as a tree and strung onto a “trunk” with legs. They work very long, good for amulets and even tattoos.

The fewer runes in the formula, the faster and stronger it works, so ideally, there should be 3-5 of them. If you see a mishmash where the entire Futhark is drawn 20 times along with the Chinese alphabet, and THIS takes up two printed pages, I advise you not to get involved. Such heavy graphics will not work. You are powering the formula from your own body with a one-time “charge”, so the charge will be divided into 3 runes or 90 runes. And each rune will get either a conditional 30%, which is enough, or 1%, and the work will not activate. Repeating runes still work as one, keep that in mind.

Futhark Runes

The Futhark (sometimes you can see “futharkh” also) is named after the first runes – Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kenaz. And its variations can be found throughout Scandinavia, where the runes can also have slightly different names and different writing. For example, Hagalaz can be called Hag, Kenaz – Kano, Ken, Kan, Mannaz – Madr, Sowilo – Sol, and so on. There are also several ways of writing them (see the illustration below).

These runes are simple schemes for transferring energy into a goal, which literally mean different basic concepts from life. Flow, movement, freezing, possession, strike, etc. This makes the Futhark a fairly universal tool for working even for beginners. You can assemble any logical composition to your liking and your goals. Like, “Money – Flow – Receive,” or “Destruction – Stop – Peace.” So the logic there is very simple and intuitively understandable: any abstract image can be applied to either a literal object or to something subtle. Movement can mean a car, or it can mean the movement of blood or thoughts. Or value can be money, or it can be blood sugar levels or political beliefs. For this reason, the same formula can be applied to a dozen different things, depending on your desire and intention. Knowing the composition, you can apply a ready-made formula in a way completely different from what the author intended, for example, a formula for the endurance and health of an athlete, you can speak to prevent impotence. Or turn a protective one into a curse. It all depends on the spoken intention.

Let’s look at the practical meanings of the Futhark runes in their direct form. A reversed rune will have the opposite meaning, a mirrored one will move in the opposite direction and reflect the meaning in terms of sense, for example, the direct Perth – we open the shell, the mirrored one – we close it.

Fehu / Feu – Ownership, Value, Property. Classically denotes cattle, and in the broad sense – what you own with your body and soul. In the modern world – “money”. At deeper levels, this is a rune of values and re-evaluation. It is a sign of the material plane, physical desires and the means to achieve them.

Uruz – Strength, Energy, Fuel. The rune of primal energy, a blank canvas on which the whole world emerges. It can charge something, transfer resources into the desired direction, add pressure and power to the formula, force one to break through obstacles, and destroy barriers.

Thurisaz / Thurs – Sharpness, Prick, Belligerence. Literally means “thorn.” Thurses were also called frost giants, representing forces older than the gods, the forces of the elements, unrestrained and free. Essentially, Thurs is dosed chaos. It paves the way, cuts through possibilities for further creation of the world. It most often works as a weapon or a barbed fence in protections, but it can also have a harsh effect in love spells when the desire literally “pricks” and is felt sharply.

Ansuz – Consciousness, Thought, Control. The name of the rune can be translated as “Deity,” it is the personal rune of the god Odin. The action of the rune can be compared to the action of the gods – Creation and Control. It is used as a symbol of Idea, control, thoughts or protection, the designation of something from above. For example, Ansuz + Thurs = To prick with a thought, to make one think about something. Or Ansuz + Raido = the flow of speech, the smoothness of thoughts.

Raido / Raidho / Reid – Path, Movement, Guideline. Both a banal trip and a journey somewhere, and the Path. Lifelong, karmic. It is also any movement – of trains, blood, thoughts, etc. In a deep sense – it is a path colored by fate, on which there are milestones that cannot be avoided.

Kenaz / Kano / Kaunan – Fire, Flame, Heat, Warming. The burning of creativity, inspiration, and passion. Unlike Thurs, the passion caused by Kenaz does not enslave but ignites thoughts and emotions. Therefore, the practical meaning of the rune is always associated with warmth and is most often used in love and healing magic. You can ignite hearts, or you can warm a sore lower back.

Gebo / Gifu – Gift, Information. It has two equally important meanings (depending on the context): either it is Information, knowledge, a gift, and receipt of anything to you; or – Partnership, equal exchange, crossing paths with someone. It is most often used on goodies, to indicate the fact of receiving a gift, opportunities, or money. Or in love and social magic, to become friends and meet someone you need, to denote an intersection with him or her. It can be used as a designation of Knowledge, Information if you are looking for something.

Wunjo / Wynja – Victory, Result, Outcome, Success. The proudly fluttering flag of the winner. The rune of success and joyful, complete victory, profit and triumph. In large doses – ecstasy. As a rule, with Wynja it’s specified what exactly you want to get as a result of your work, what the result should look like. In curses, it is used in large quantities to denote greed, lust and inadequate requests, overload. For example Fehu + 3Wynja and voila, the enemy’s body is overloaded with the specified substances, and the levels in the blood test break through the ceiling.

Hagalaz / Hag – Destruction, Strike. The name literally means “hail”. Hagalaz is the destruction of something that already exists to clear the way for something new. Or just the destruction of what you (don’t) need. Depending on the context. You can hit someone in the face, or you can hit stagnation.

Nauthiz / Niid / Nauz / Nautis / Naudhis – Need, Compulsion, Pressure. A rune that compels something that you have already described with Ansuz and Wunjo. So that a process or a person forcibly strives towards, literally feels the need to act in this way and not otherwise. For example, Nauthiz + Raido = the need to leave, it is placed on a long queue or an unpleasant visitor so that the burden goes away faster. By the way, the English word “need” comes from this rune’s Germanic name.

Isa / Iss / Isaz – Constraint, Ice, Cold. Imagine a river whose flow is constrained by an ice crust and freezes. Isa constrains the course of events, stops any process, puts an event or situation on pause, cuts off variability, cools. It can be used for a sore head, to cool it, and for unnecessary processes, to stop them.

Jera – Harvest, Fruit, Cycle. A rune for reaping the harvest and “reaping the fruits”. And also – of a cycle and cyclicality, the repetition of processes, the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one. Time of harvesting and preparing for the next cycle of nature. Symbolizes the fruitful completion of affairs and the repetition of the cycle. You can define it to mean cyclical repetition, a vicious circle (for example in calls or therapeutic spells), or you can place it with Wunjo on a greenhouse so that cucumbers grow well.

Eihwaz – Shift, Transformation, Action. This rune is the strike of an axe, the rotation of the clock hand, a sharp movement, the ignition of an engine. Switching to another mode, starting a process, transforming into something else. Together with Raido, it forms the classic “engine” of runes, which starts the defined action.

Perth / Pertho / Perthro – Bag, Closing and Opening, Shell. The rune is associated with a bag for runes – we open our own (or not our own) field, environment, consciousness to let something in/out. We are embedded in the shell. Or we open what is locked and release it. That is why Perth is also considered the rune of Death – it is like opening the body and releasing the soul. When reading this rune, it is the unconscious, deep psyche, the dark thickets of the hidden.

Algiz – Deity, Higher Power, Protection. The rune denotes something higher than just a human. Anything – a magical process, a god or goddess, a sorcerer, subtle matters. It conducts the patronage of higher powers, unity with the World. It is most often placed as protection or a designation of a mage. When reversed, it can destroy natural defenses and remove resistance.

Sowilo / Sowilu – Sun, Light, Energy. It is often compared to solar energy, but it is closest to natural electricity. It warms, illuminates, reveals what is hidden under a bright light, disinfects. It is a battery and a power source, but at the same time, it can also incinerate, blind, and electrocute. Most often, it is used to warm a sore back.

Tiwaz / Teiwaz / Tyr – Man and Masculine, Yang. A man, warrior, hunter, Yang energy, Yang qualities. Something strong, bright, external, powerful, luminous, aggressive. The rune of masculinity, male power, endurance, as well as aggression and cruelty, depending on the context in the formula.

Berkana / Bjarka / Berkano – Woman and Feminine, Yin. It means the feminine principle and often acts as a signifier of an abstract woman and her qualities. Something hidden, secret, dark, cold, intrigue, and the Yin spectrum of energy. Also – mother, motherhood, care and treatment, support, women’s affairs and tricks, household chores, food. The word itself means “birch,” a truly feminine, refined tree with an unusual white bark.

Ehwaz / Ewhaz – Horse, Relocation, Leap. The rune of a horse, it literally looks like one. Like a horse, with a space in the middle to seat a rider. In mythology, this rune symbolizes Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin, thanks to which he can penetrate all nine worlds. Ehwaz is a leap, a gate, a zone of instant transition, and also – a crutch rune, support for something weak, doubtful, that needs to be “ridden on a horse” when there is no strength to walk on foot. It is usually placed either as a general harmonizer of formulas (you carry me… over there, to Wunjo), or as an indication that we are riding on someone else’s back, and not ourselves.

Mannaz / Madr – Amadakh. The rune symbolizes a human being (or anthropomorph), the amadakh as a whole, as part of nature, society, and lineage. It symbolizes both personality and the body, the physical.

Laguz – Water, Flow, Stream. The rune of fluidity. It is often considered the rune of water, but not only water flows (permanently moves), but all elements, and individual parts of being – speech, thoughts, music, snot from the nose, etc. The direction, intensity, and speed of this movement are changeable, but it never stops.

Ingwaz / Inguz – Change, Cunning, Mind. The rune of rational mind, which changes the environment around itself, remembering that there must be a balance in everything. It is considered a symbol of fertility, but not prolificacy. A rune of awareness and perception. A rune, not of a hunter who is driven only by instincts, but of a farmer who observes nature and changes it to get the best harvest. In addition, the farmer does not forget to think about tomorrow and wisely makes reserves. In formulas, it works well as a navigator to find the best and shortest path to a goal, to adapt and arrange circumstances to one’s advantage. And in general, as a result.

Othala / Odal / Othalan – Home, Lineage, Law. A symbol of home and family, both literally and metaphorically. Home – as a dwelling, a building; family – as a circle of people, a collective. A rune of restriction, law, boundaries that promote and maintain proper order, and provide protection. Something whole, limited from everything, but at the same time interacting with everything around it in order to develop and change. It is placed as a designation of a house and dwelling, real estate, family and connections between people, including in a team, in business, etc.

Dagaz – New, Day, Change. Dagaz means “day,” it is the rune of the change of day and night with a point of dawn or sunset in the middle. It was dark, Dagaz changes the night to day and turns on new lines and processes. A rune of new beginnings based on past achievements. Also, it is a rune of celebration, but it is important to remember that day changes to night, and if you revel in your celebration for too long, the night will catch you completely unprepared.

Mylene Maelinhon (c) Material from the Marginal Metaphysics Project

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