Runes

Mannaz

Also known as: ᛗMannaz rune*mannazMadr

Mannaz (ᛗ) is rune 20 of the Elder Futhark; its modern keywords are humanity, community and self-awareness.

Mannaz is rune 20 of the Elder Futhark — the runic alphabet used roughly from the 2nd to the 8th century — and rune 4 of Tyr's ætt (an ætt is one of three groups of eight runes). It writes the sound "m", and in the Unicode block "Runic" it is ᛗ. Shape: two staves joined at the top by crossed strokes.

The name *mannaz means "human being". The Old English poem (mann) speaks of the joy people give each other and of transience; the Icelandic poem of human joy and the adornment of ships. The names of the Elder Futhark runes are reconstructions by linguists, and the rune poems — Old English, Norwegian and Icelandic — were written many centuries later and describe later alphabets. They tell us about a tradition, not about a certain original meaning.

In modern reflective practice Mannaz is linked above all with humanity, community and self-awareness. Mannaz is today the rune of the human being: self-awareness and community. It invites you to see yourself as part of a larger whole — with your own place and responsibility towards others.

As the rune of the day in Cards of the day, Mannaz has two short texts. The first: "Mannaz is the human being. See yourself today with a little kindness and among others — everyone matters and no one is alone." The second: "Self-awareness begins with questions. Mannaz encourages you to notice one habit and ask where it came from and whether it still serves you." A question worth staying with: "Who do I want to be for the people around me?"

In AstroSensus runes are a tool for reflection, not a prediction. There are no reversed runes and no "blank rune" — the latter is a 20th-century idea, not part of history. In a spread of three or five runes, Mannaz is always read together with its position and the other runes. The rune can also be your avatar on social media, with the bio line "ᛗ Mannaz — I am myself among others" as a reminder of your own intention.

RUNE OF THE DAY