Runes

Algiz

Also known as: ᛉAlgiz rune*algiz (?)ElhazAlgir

Algiz (ᛉ) is rune 15 of the Elder Futhark; its modern keywords are alertness, awareness and self-care.

Algiz is rune 15 of the Elder Futhark — the runic alphabet used roughly from the 2nd to the 8th century — and rune 7 of Hagal's ætt (an ætt is one of three groups of eight runes). It writes the sound "z", and in the Unicode block "Runic" it is ᛉ. Shape: a staff with two branches raised upwards, like a figure with arms raised or a pair of antlers.

The rune's name is unknown; *algiz ("elk") is an uncertain reconstruction from the Old English poem (eolhx, a sedge that cuts the hand). In the 20th century Nazi symbolism took over the shape — the atlas says so plainly. 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 Algiz is linked above all with alertness, awareness and self-care. Today Algiz is read as the rune of alertness and self-care: an upright posture, an attentive gaze, looking after your own boundaries.

As the rune of the day in Cards of the day, Algiz has two short texts. The first: "Algiz resembles a figure with raised arms. Notice today what you need to feel steadier, and take care of it calmly." The second: "Alertness need not be fear. Algiz invites attentiveness — to people, to situations, to your own signs of tiredness." A question worth staying with: "How can I look after myself today?"

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, Algiz 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 "ᛉ Algiz — I care for my own boundaries" as a reminder of your own intention.

In the 20th century Nazi symbolism took over the shape of Algiz as the "Lebensrune", and its upside-down form as the "Todesrune". In AstroSensus the rune is never reversed, and its avatar always has a ring and a description. Its earlier and modern pagan uses have nothing to do with this — context is what matters.

RUNE OF THE DAY