Uruz
Uruz is the second rune of the Elder Futhark and one whose meaning relates to its origins. The rune is linked to the aurochs, a type of bovine native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa that went extinct. That link probably comes from the Uruz section of the Old English rune poem. The rune's meanings are linked to this root as well; the rune is commonly interpreted to mean strength, both physical strength and strength of will.
Where Fehu's runic origin spoke of cattle as wealth, Uruz speaks to the animal as power. Fehu's cattle are domesticated, tamed, and represent prosperity. Uruz's aurochs is the wild animal, a creature that is independent and dangerous yet useful if it could be hunted. The aurochs - an ancestor of modern domestic cattle - was a large, fearsome beast that was depicted in several European and Asian cultures as not only a food source, but a threat to be respected with wicked hooves and sharp horns. The aurochs is pictured on the walls of an Egyptian tomb in Thebes and in Lascaux cave paintings. Other relics from the Indus Valley reflect the importance of aurochs for food. A cup from Greece shows a hunter being gored by an aurochs during a hunt.
While the nature of an extinct animal might seem a bit distant to urban life, this rune actually lends itself well to modern contexts. Uruz is about strength, and that encompasses not only strength as a characteristic, but how that is used. How we use the strength we have is arguably more to the heart of Uruz than just physical capacity. There's vitality, courage, emotional resilience...we can see Uruz in any aspect of life. Uruz can be our determination to see things through, like embarking on a chosen career path despite obstacles.
Uruz's murk meanings don't really change what Uruz stands for, but rather focus more on the application of our strengths. Fehu's murk reflects the dark side of wealth; Uruz's shadow shows strength being misused. It could be unearned arrogance, a refusal to change and grow, or even underestimating your capacity. If a bright application of Uruz is pursuing a career, a murk application would be the bull-headedness of staying in a toxic job because change feels like failure.
When I see Uruz in a reading, I would focus first on the physical, the grounded. Is there a concern about health and well-being? From there, I would look to questions about applied strength: Is there a question of where and how to best focus one's efforts? Is this the right way to pursue a goal? Is this the right time for action or for restraint? If the query, position, and accompanying runes point to less embodied meanings, I would still focus on questions about power being misdirected or where it should be applied, even in emotional capacities or in social settings.
As with Fehu, I would also look at Uruz's relationship to runes in its aett or row: Fehu, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, and Wunjo. Within my reading practice, I also consider patterns created by runes occupying corresponding positions in the other aettir: Nauthiz and Berkano. These patterns can clarify Uruz's applied strength. Nauthiz's resistance or Berkano's life change can both add extra insight into the origins or applications of Uruz's strength.
Uruz, bright or murk, is a rune about strength in all its forms. It can be developed, underestimated, exaggerated, misdirected, or restrained.
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