Nauthiz
Nauthiz, or Naudiz, is the tenth rune in the Elder Futhark alphabet. As with most runes, the name is a reconstruction from Proto-Germanic roots. Like Hagalaz, all three rune poems have stanzas regarding this rune, and those stanzas largely agree on the meaning of the rune. From Wikipedia:
Old English Rune Poem:
Trouble is oppressive to the heart;
yet often it proves a source of help and salvation
to the children of men, to everyone who heeds it betimes.
Old Norwegian Rune Poem:
Constraint gives scant choice;
a naked man is chilled by the frost.
Old Icelandic Rune Poem:
Constraint is grief of the bond-maid
and state of oppression
and toilsome work.
Each stanza centers need, constraint, or hardship, though they do not all treat it in the same way. In the Old English and Old Norwegian stanza, that same hardship comes with necessity driving problem-solving. The Old Norwegian verse puts it well: a naked man is chilled by frost. Don't want to die of cold? Solve the problem. The Old English verse is more optimistic, and my work with this rune favors its stance of trouble as an opportunity. Indeed, my preferred interpretation of this rune is self-reliance.
The idea that hardship leads to change is one that holds up well in a modern context. Someone working two jobs for minimum wage to scrape by may not be a "bond-maid", but they likely have a strong grasp of "toilsome work". Likewise, someone faced with challenges can freeze or find a solution. Nauthiz encourages the rune reader to do just that.
It's worth noting that Nauthiz doesn't promise that the solution will work. Nor does it assure the reader that the solution won't require more work or more difficulty. In this sense, Nauthiz is a signpost on the path, informing the reader that things are not great and that the search for a solution starts within.
That call to self-reliance is, I think, the bright side of Nauthiz. It reminds us that we are capable of so much more than we think we are and, if we try, we have it in us to prevail over our challenges. Nauthiz, at its best, is the success of "necessity is the mother of invention". On an individual level, it is the side hustle that becomes a fulfilling career. On a global scale, it is the application of mRNA to the development of the COVID vaccine in the midst of a pandemic.
The murk of Nauthiz is when we stop trying. When we allow the drudgery and toil to browbeat us so that we stop trying to improve our circumstances. It is also when we depend overmuch on someone else to save us from our problems instead of looking for answers within us.
When I see Nauthiz in a reading, I think of it as a sign that I need to look for solutions within myself. It makes me ask myself: what problem do I think Nauthiz is highlighting? And what have I done to resolve this problem? For a greater understanding of the issue, I pay particular attention if runes in the same aett as Nauthiz appear in the reading: Hagalaz, Isa, 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, Uruz and Berkano. These relationships can emphasize how to respond to Nauthiz's call for innovation in the face of trouble. Uruz's strength may be a reminder of the reader's innate capabilities. Berkano's renewal may indicate that resolving Nauthiz's troubles will lead to a major life change.
As a rune, Nauthiz does not bring troubles to the reader. It is a sign that trouble is already here, and the answer to those troubles starts within.
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