Isa
The rune Isaz, or Isa, is the 11th rune in the Elder Futhark. Isaz, like Nauthiz, is a reconstruction of the rune's name from Proto-Germanic roots. Also like Nauthiz, it has stanzas in all three rune poems: the Old English, the Old Norwegian, and the Old Icelandic. While the three poems agree on what the rune means - ice - they do not agree on what ice entails. From Wikipedia:
Old English Rune Poem:
Ice is very cold and immeasurably slippery;
it glistens as clear as glass and most like to gems;
it is a floor wrought by the frost, fair to look upon.
Old Norwegian Rune Poem:
Ice is called the broad bridge;
the blind man must be led.
Old Icelandic Rune Poem:
Ice is bark of rivers
and roof of the wave
and destruction of the doomed.
Each poem's stanza talks about Isa as ice, yet each stanza is remarkably different in what ice means. Both the Old English and Old Icelandic poems note ice's peril, but while that is the focus of the Old Icelandic stanza, the Old English stanza pivots to discuss its virtues: gem-like beauty and a frost-made floor. This overlaps with the Old Norwegian stanza as well, as ice is the "broad bridge". Given its range, I generally favor the Old English stanza as the root for my interpretation.
As someone from a desert climate, ice is not a deeply rooted idea for me. Ice, frankly, is what comes out of the freezer, not the weather. This may be why, for me, the most relatable aspect of ice is that of stasis. Ice, in the Old English and Old Norwegian stanzas, grants access to areas that may be unavailable during the warmer months. It can also lock away areas that are available in the warmer months. That reshaping of the available world is sometimes, on balance, limiting.
Ice, too, is not a fair-weather phenomenon; ice that makes a slippery bridge of rivers comes with winter's cold. If that is included as part of ice, then I can see ice as part of a broader cold-weather context. And in that context, I find my meaning for Isa.
Winter is the time when we turn inward, especially in a more magical context. That is the time of year when the nights are long, and the world is cold, so we stay close to home and hearth. We focus on ourselves and our kin. It is this ice that resonates with me for Isa; ice creates the conditions for a deliberate shift toward home, family, and self.
Isa, in its bright aspect, makes the most of this inward turn. It uses a focus on the self to heal and improve the self. The focus on the home and family is likewise rooted and explored in beneficial ways, such as organization or improving relationships. These actions are not accidental. They are a deliberate choice.
Isa, in its murk aspect, has all of the ego-centric nature of Isa but without the discipline. It is the self-care routine turned into hedonistic indulgence for its own sake. It is holing up at home and picking fights with everyone in the household because you don't want to leave. It is mouthing the words of self-improvement without doing the work.
When I see Isa in a reading, I take it as a sign to pause and ask myself: Is this pointing to a time of reflection? Or is this pointing out that reflection without work is self-indulgent? For a greater understanding of the issue, I pay particular attention if runes in the same aett as Isa appear in the reading: Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Jera, Eihwaz, Pertho, Algiz, and Sowilo. Within my reading practice, I also give extra weight to the runes in the same position on the first and third aettir, Thurisaz and Eihwaz. These relationships can help cast light on Isa's inward turn. Thurisaz's directed force may be a sign that Isa's reflection needs real effort behind it. Eihwaz's emphasis on harmony may suggest that Isa's inward turn is a pivot to friends and family, not deeper into the self.
Isa is a fascinating rune that both asks the reader to not only look within, but also look closer to home for answers.
Comments