Rune Series 4/24
First Row (Aett): Ansuz
Meaning: 'Odin', 'Breath'
Associated English letter: A
Ansuz is the powerful Rune of Odin, the primary god of the ancient Norse pantheon. As the God of Magic, Odin's influence and blessing flows through this rune; it brings order, prosperity, knowledge, wisdom and the first gift from the gods to humans: speech. The creative powers of consciousness can be used through it, in the form of Words, or 'Spells'. If you name a thing correctly, you gain power over it. Communication is fundamental for all beings, but one must avoid the temptation of using words to gain influence over others for selfish reasons.
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The Runes of this series belong to the Elder Futhark, one of the oldest alphabets in recorded history. Each Rune has endless interpretations and deep meanings; while their origin and/or intent is lost to history, most interpretations come from the 'Rune Poems', possibly written around the 8th century.