Rune of the Week: Ansuz

This week's rune is Ansuz. And let me tell you. I am glad for it. Thurisaz was a miserable rune, and I'm just grateful to have made it through the damn thing. I almost don't even care what Ansuz is. Just so long as it's not Thurisaz.

Ansuz means both God and Mouth(think, in the beginning there was the word). This is a very magical rune, in the sense that words are the foundation for all magic, and this rune has a very close relation to words. Here are the poems:

As
Estuary is the way of most journeys;
but a scabbard is of swords.

The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
Os
The mouth is the source of all language,
a pillar of wisdom and a comfort to wise men,
a blessing and a joy to every knight.

The Icelandic Rune Poem
God
Aged Gautr
and prince of Ásgardr
and lord of Vallhalla.

This is a rune that is closely associated with Odin obviously, and it's a useful rune to think about when opening discussions with the divine because of it's meaning. This is a rune for telling stories. So probably the best way to honor this particular rune is to gather some friends around and engage in some spirited story swapping. Some other helpful aspects of this rune are wisdom, clarity of thought, and comfort. It really is the perfect rune to come out of the traumas of Thurisaz.