Lesson 2 - Heimdall’s Ætt and Tyr’s Ætt

[Greyson "Grey" Sebastien]

Grey waited for his students to quiet before rising from his desk to begin the class. Today's lesson was scrawled across the board:

The Remaining Ættir.

"Today," he said, drawing the class's attention, "we will learn about the remaining Ættir—Heimdall’s Ætt and Tyr’s Ætt—again including pronunciation and attributes. Please open your copy of Ancient Runes, by Antiqua Runsfeld to page 7. Remember, since these names are modern recreations of languages which no longer exist, pronunciation is up for interpretation. Let us continue where we left off last class."

Heimdall’s Ætt

• Hagalaz: "haw-gaw-laws" (H: Hail.) Wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces, especially the weather, or within the unconscious. Tempering, testing, trial. Controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony.
  Hagalaz Merkstave (Hagalaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Natural disaster, catastrophe. Stagnation, loss of power. Pain, loss, suffering, hardship, sickness, crisis.
  
• Nauthiz: "now-these" (N: Need.) Delays, restriction. Resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance). Distress, confusion, conflict, and the power of will to overcome them. Endurance, survival, determination. A time to exercise patience. Recognition of one's fate. Major self-initiated change. Face your fears.
  Nauthiz Reversed or Merkstave: Constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity. Necessity, extremity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.
  
• Isa: "ee-saw" (I: Ice.) A challenge or frustration. Psychological blocks to thought or activity, including grievances. Standstill, or a time to turn inward and wait for what is to come, or to seek clarity. This rune reinforces runes around it.
  Isa Merkstave (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Ego-mania, dullness, blindness, dissipation. Treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile, stealth, ambush, plots.
  
• Jera: "yare-awe" (J or Y: A year, a good harvest.) The results of earlier efforts are realized. A time of peace and happiness, fruitful season. It can break through stagnancy. Hopes and expectations of peace and prosperity. The promise of success earned. Life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe. Everything changes, in its own time.
  Jera Merkstave (Jera cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Sudden setback, reversals. A major change, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.
  
• Eihwaz: "eye-wawz" (EI: Yew tree.) Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, protection. The driving force to acquire, providing motivation and a sense of purpose. Indicates that you have set your sights on a reasonable target and can achieve your goals. An honest man who can be relied upon.
  Eihwaz Reversed or Merkstave: Confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.
  
• Perthro: "perth-row" (P: Lot cup, girl thingy.) Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. Pertaining to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and girl thingy. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change.
  Perthro Reversed or Merkstave: Addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.
  
• Algiz: "all-yeese" (Z or -R: Elk, protection.) Protection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life. It can be used to channel energies appropriately. Follow your instincts. Keep hold of success or maintain a position won or earned.
  Algiz Reversed or Merkstave: Hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link. Taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.
  
• Sowilo: "soe-wee-low" (S: The sun.) Success, goals achieved, honor. The life-force, health. A time when power will be available to you for positive changes in your life, victory, health, and success. Contact between the higher self and the unconscious. Wholeness, power, elemental force, sword of flame, cleansing fire.
  Sowilo Merkstave (Sowilo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): False goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals. Destruction, retribution, justice, casting down of vanity. Wrath of god.

Tyr's Ætt

• Tiwaz: "tea-wawz" (T: Tyr, the sky god.) Honor, justice, leadership and authority. Analysis, rationality. Knowing where one's true strengths lie. Willingness to self-sacrifice. Victory and success in any competition or in legal matters.
  Tiwaz Reversed or Merkstave: One's energy and creative flow are blocked. Mental paralysis, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance. Strife, war, conflict, failure in competition. Dwindling passion, difficulties in communication, and possibly separation.
  
• Berkano: "bear-kawn-oh"(B: Berchta, the birch-goddess.) Birth, general fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, liberation. Regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth. Arousal of desire. A love affair or new birth. The prospering of an enterprise or venture.
  Berkano Reversed or Merkstave: Family problems and or domestic troubles. Anxiety about someone close to you. Carelessness, abandon, loss of control. Blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation.
  
• Ehwaz: "ay-wawz" (E: Horse, two horses.) Transportation. May represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle. Movement and change for the better. Gradual development and steady progress are indicated. Harmony, teamwork, trust, loyalty. An ideal marriage or partnership. Confirmation beyond doubt the meanings of the runes around it.
  Ehwaz Reversed or Merkstave: This is not really a negative rune. A change is perhaps craved. Feeling restless or confined in a situation. Reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.
  
• Mannaz: "mawn-nawz" (M: Man, mankind.) The Self; the individual or the human race. Your attitude toward others and their attitudes towards you. Friends and enemies, social order. Intelligence, forethought, create, skill, ability. Divine structure, intelligence, awareness. Expect to receive some sort of aid or cooperation now.
  Mannaz Reversed or Merkstave: Depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion. Cunning, slyness, manipulation, craftiness, calculation. Expect no help now.
  
• Laguz: "law-gooze" (L: Water, or a leek.) Flow, water, sea, a fertility source, the healing power of renewal. Life energy and organic growth. Imagination and psychic matters. Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld. Success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss.
  Laguz Reversed or Merkstave: An indication of a period of confusion in your life. You may be making wrong decisions and poor judgements. Lack of creativity and feelings of being in a rut. Fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering. Madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, suicide.
  
• Ingwaz: "eeeng-wawz" (NG: Ing, the earth god.) Male fertility, gestation, internal growth. Common virtues, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home. Rest stage, a time of relief, of no anxiety. A time when all loose strings are tied and you are free to move in a new direction. Listen to yourself.
  Ingwaz Merkstave (Ingwaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Impotence, movement without change. Production, toil, labor, work.
  
• Dagaz: "thaw-gauze" (D: Day or dawn.) Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet.
  Dagaz Merkstave (Dagaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition):A completion, ending, limit, coming full circle. Blindness, hopelessness.
  
• Othala: "oath-awe-law"(O: Ancestral property.) Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. What is truly important to one. Group order, group prosperity. Land of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values. Aid in spiritual and physical journeys. Source of safety, increase and abundance.
  Othala Reversed or Merkstave: Lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness. Bad karma, prejudice, clannishness, provincialism. What a man is bound to.
  
• Blank Rune: There is no historical support for a "Blank Rune" in runic divination. It was invented in the 1980's by a Squib hoping to make his way in the magical world. It should not be used in a rune casting. If you bought a rune set with a blank piece, save it in case you lose another rune piece, but don't use it in rune casting.

"You may have picked up a book about runes or purchased a rune set that includes a blank rune, Odin Rune or Wyrd Rune," Grey said, after allowing the class time to look over their new information before going on.

"This is a very strong clue that author is not an authority on runes. There is no historical evidence that runemasters of old ever used a blank rune. It's self-evident because a rune is a symbol, not the token that carries it. A blank symbol would be an oxymoron. We can thank a Squib named Ralph Blum and his commercially popular but historically inaccurate Book of Runes for the introduction of the blank rune in the 1980's. While Blum's books are readily available in Muggle bookstores, use of his flawed interpretations reveal the user as a novice and lacking in knowledge of true runelore. If you've bought one of his books or another of similar ilk, keep the runeset and save the blank one in case you lose another, but toss the book in the trash.

When your assignment is complete, you are excused. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Homework 2:
Make a combination of at least 3 runes, one from each Ætt, which could help affect a problem you are currently experiencing. Explain.
Extra credit 2:
View more on the Importance of runes at
www.tarahill.com/runes/
This extra credit can only be completed once.

For this assignment, please post your homework below. If you complete the extra credit, send notification by PM.

[Madison Foster]

It was always hard to focus in this class, because it was always hard to find something in her life that needed fixing or guidance
from runes. Her margins were always full of scribbles, thoughts, notes and lyrics for songs she was running through her head.
Sometimes she wondered how she managed the grades that she did get, and she remembered it was because she was bright, not
because she loved the subject. It wasn't bad, just how did you tell people you were completely happy with your life.

In the end she picked the one thing that stuck in her mind, and it was Quinn. She guessed she could say they were loosely friends.
Madison wanted to be her friend, just sometimes Quinn would go away in her head, not make sense, or get flustered and run off.
Lately though it was more, Quinn had been acting strangely, and there were subtle things, like the way she dressed, or blushed
randomly that Madison was beginning to wonder if it meant something.

In the end her homework read like this, Jera, for the guidance of the cyclical patterns of the universe. Ansuz for insights
and revelations into my friend, and finally Mannaz for the relations between myself and my friend. (I did the extra credit).

[Markise Sterling]

A problem, Markise thought, looking down at his parchment. He had several problems, but none he wanted to tell to a professor. I just came out, I'm afraid of commitment, I'm bored and restless, I've somehow become an advice guru and I've got no f~ing clue why. Maybe he'd go with the last one, only in words you could use in mixed company.

Markise gave a brief description of people coming to him for advice and made a comment about the blind leading the blind before flipping his Rune Dictionary open to scan the Ættir. From Freyja's Ætt he chose Fehu, a symbol of social success and becoming. It seemed appropriate both for him and whoever was attempting to learn something from him. From Heimdall’s Ætt he chose Isa, which could mean challenge and a time to seek clarity. It also represented frustration and grievances, but that worked for everyone involved, too. For Tyr's Ætt, he chose Berkano, a symbol of personal growth. It also represented love affairs, and considering how many people had come to him for love advice lately, it was perfect.

When he'd finished, he wrote the rune symbols carefully at the bottom of his paper and, because he'd somehow ended up with Ϝ Ú last time, he checked his letters. His brows drew together. The runes were f~ing laughing at him. He'd asked about people demanding advice he didn't know how to give and the answer was Ϝ I B. He erased them before turning in his parchment.

[Celyn Corvus]

Celyn frowned slightly, trying to figure out what problems she had. What was evident to her was her lack of a social life and the fact that she had no motivation to do well in many aspects of her life. Mentally rolling her eyes, she peered down the list of symbols trying to figure out exactly what it was that would fit in well with her 'problems' which in her opinion wasn't really so much as a problem, but just her preferences. With her text propped open and her quill in hand she wrote down the runes at the top in her smooth writing.

From Freyja's Ætt she chose Kenaz, explaining the way it could expand on her creative instincts and give her a new energy to her drawings. For Heimdall’s Ætt she chose Sowilo. Celyn needed success in her life, that would ensure her a stable future and a stable life to be successful and ultimately feel whole. For Tyr's Ætt it was so obvious for her. In fact with the use of only Mannaz she wouldn’t need any of the other two, she of course didn’t mention that little detail in her writing. Instead, she spoke of how Mannaz was of dealing with herself and with others, how she was a person who preferred solitude and that Mannaz might ‘cure’ that. Skill and ability applied heavily to her art and she especially expressed how channeling that one rune could amplify her artistic abilities. After adding minor details and making sure her paper was neat and organized she turned her paper in satisfied with what was written.

[nd12]

The symbol Jera Nastasia thought should be included for herself, because of her determination and strict study of potions which she had accquired thru the years, yes it would indeed be a good harvest of sorts next year and beyond putting all of it to use making more wiser.

Fears...she didn't prefer to admit that she had any such things, Concern was a better word, yes she had concerns. Her future as a wife and mother was a primary concern, it was still not decided throughly but as she had constantly been told by the end of next year it would all be arranged and ready for her to begin. Nastasia supposed Ehwaz would fit for such concern she indeed wanted Harmony of sorts with her intended and trust she wanted no flashy or over-the-top marriage an ideal marriage would suit her.

Nastasia felt soon Sowilo would follow based on both outcomes she had discussed. Nastasia looked over at Albert who was helplessly still trying to figure out what to write down it seemed. It was true he only took every class she had taken to be close to her but still she supposed in some way it was worth it for him.

Nastasia looked over what she had written one last time before turning it in. Nastasia waited patiently outside for Albert to exit.

[Trent Frey]

Lyric sat in the back of the class half asleep for the most part, twirling his quill. He was here because he needed to make an appearance once in a while, not because he really cared. And maybe he wanted to stare at the back of Jory's head long enough to bore a hole in it. He rolled his eyes at the assignment, the same one they'd done last time. He shouldn't have bothered taking this class.

When he finally decided to write some half-assed paragraph so he could walk out, he scrawled down the first thing that came to mind. My problem is that my life sucks. Then he scanned the runes for something random he could relate to.

Fehu: creation/destruction (becoming). F. Jera: can break through stagnancy. Lyric went to write the symbol and stopped, staring down at the page. J or Y. JorY. Jory. His eyes narrowed and he scratched Jera's description out, then went purposefully on. Algiz: protection, a shield. Z or -R. Mannaz: friends and enemies, social order.

There, it was done. Lyric got up and dropped his parchment on the teacher's desk on his way out.

[Jory Addison]

Jory usually loved this class. But usually Lyric wasn't there, and back when he had been there regularly Jory hadn't minded at all. For the first time, he was counting down the minutes until they could leave. He could feel Lyric staring at him, or maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking that Lyric would even do that much. What could he write about that wouldn't feel like unloading on the professor?

I'm confused. It was short and simple, nothing of what he would normally do. The only rune that really jumped at him from the first one was Perthro: Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. He sighed heavily and accepted it, firmly ignoring the part about femininity and the fact that even the runes in the book apparently knew he was gay. He quickly chose two more, Ingwaz: Listen to yourself, and Dagaz: The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release.

Maybe if he started drawing those all over himself he would be able to figure everything out. He gave the briefest possible explanation of them before gathering his things and hurrying out.