Daeg - "The Day"

This is a symbol of increase and growth, indicating a major period of prosperity is about to begin. It has no negative aspects. If it appears in a negative layout, it signifies that you possess the strength to overcome your situation if you simply try. It can also lessen the negativity of delay runes. Growth symbolized by this rune is slow and steady, not overnight.

From The Rune Poem : Verse on "Daeg"

"We love the daylight
God's glorious illumination
hope for rich and wretched."

"The configuration of this rune for day...suggests the rune for gift (an "X"), though the gift rune is open ended, as if the day were the gift of light." The Rune Poem is a wonderful example of Christian coloring of an ancient divination tool. Runes date back to the Neolithic Age, and were a part of life for the Germanic tribes. Used for various purposes, such as divination and protection, the advent of Christianity meant the end of any such tool. As late as the seventeenth century in Iceland, a person caught using or even possessing runes could be burned at the stake.

Like other pagan symbols, runes could be re-interpreted into the Christian dogma. The Rune Poem, written down around A.D. 750 (but probably much older) by an unknown poet, is a fascinating meditation on each rune, albiet in a different context than we are used to using them. However, I believe that a new perspective on these ancient symbols can only broaden and deepen our understanding of them.

Re-read the verse, meditating on the rune symbol itself, its name, its interpretation and the meaning of the verse. Write down what it means to you, if you like. If you would like to share your interpretation, please e-mail me and I'll post it here.

Gifu -- "The Gift"

Like Daeg, Gifu has no reversed position. It is always a positive sign. Gifu usually indicates a partnership of some kind, either in business or love, and can mean an important development is about to occur. It can also mean a gift or generousity of some sort is ready to come into your life, either emotional or material. Often Gifu appears when there is about to be relief from troubles, and usually means a time of peace and contentment in your life.

The Rune Poem

Runes date back to the Neolithic Age, and were a part of life for the Germanic tribes. Used for various purposes, such as divination and protection, the advent of Christianity meant the end of any such tool. As late as the seventeenth century in Iceland, a person caught using or even possessing runes could be burned at the stake. Like other pagan symbols, runes could be re-interpreted into the Christian dogma. The Rune Poem, written down around A.D. 750 (but probably much older) by an unknown poet, is a fascinating meditation on each rune, albiet in a different context than we are used to using them. However, I believe that a new perspective on these ancient symbols can only broaden and deepen our understanding of them.

Verse on "Gifu"

"We give the gift
to us, beautiful thereby.
The exiles miss this."

"In this gift-giving culture, the norm of reciprocity sustained everyone. The exile, outside the giving circle, could not survive...The figure of this rune is a diagonal intersection, symmetrical, neither horizontal nor vertical, a meeting in the middle between high and low, a fitting symbol for equal exchange." says the annotator of The Rune Poem.

Re-read the verse, meditating on the rune symbol itself, its name, its magickal interpretation (top of page) and the meaning of the poem verse. Write down what it means to you, if you like. If you would like to share your interpretation, please e-mail me and I'll post it here.