What does ANSUZ signify?

[Vishwas]

[EarlofLeicester]

[Vishwas]

The rune I got was from a book, & as I said I don't think that is reversed.

My question was something like: "what is going to happen to me & what is my future & what is going to happen to me". the question kinda passed my head for less then a second, it went as soon as it came. & I didn't recall the question for a long time, until few days ago.

This is one of the few odd things that happened to me. I was trying for spiritual advancement, etc, etc, & I opened this book thinking about my future & I get this rune. I was surprised, if not shocked.

[MoonGoddess]

To me Ansuz is the rune of communication, if you ever get a Rune Chakra reading or do one youself you will find it denotes the throat chakra and it's colour is blue.  It also can mean an in coming message and dependant on what runes you cast around it, it will tell you the answer to your question.

On one of my previous posts I mentioned the book which got me going with runes.  It is called Rune Magic the history and practice of ancient runic tradtions by Nigel Pennick.  It is always not to get stuck with one author as each author may add their own scope to the writings.  Hope this helps some.

[EarlofLeicester]

Comments you and others have made get me thinking about interpretation. As a source of reliability, I have to refer to those who lived in runic days.  Like the Icelanders, where most of what we know about the runes historically comes from.  In the ancient Icelandic Rune Poem, Ansuz is described as:

Ansuz
   aged Gautr
   and prince of Ásgarðr
   and lord of Vallhalla.

This clearly means Odin, the head of the Norse pantheon (Gautr is one of those Scandinavian words for God and has been used to describe Odin in the past).

The trait associated with it can be inspiration, like I mentioned earlier, and I read somewhere that it can mean communication as well. So much of the time the meaning has to be taken in the context of the question. In Vish's situation, I saw it as inspiration, but communication could have been equally relevant as well.

Ahhh, I just remembered!  It has a different meaning in the Anglo-Saxon poem:

Ansuz
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.

If you interpret as Norse, then it is God and inspiration, if Anglo-Saxon, then mouth and communication.

The Elder Futhark (method used by the Norse/Icelanders) is the oldest recorded runic method, so I generally quote as such, although the A-S method is also popular, and I suspect that would be the case in England or countries with some loyalty to the crown (like Australia?)

[MoonGoddess]

To tell you truth I haven't really read anything written and published buy an Australian.  Sounds bad but most of my books are either from Great Britian or America.  You have put me on a mission now to discover any publication written buy Australians on Runes.

Odin (The Mouth), I have read several times in different publications either to do with Runes or Mythology.

[EarlofLeicester]

Well, what I actually meant was that you probably read from English speaking countries' sources, like the UK, but may not have investigated the Scandinavian material as such, that's all.  I don't think Australia has any traditional history with the runes, not having an indigenous Northern European population.  I tend to be opinionated so that is my warning, I guess, and will just say things sometimes.  But anyway, I tend to lean toward the Scandinavian interpretation, although I am English on my Mom's side (although maybe I should say Mum's). There may be Australian authors, but I would focus on learning from traditions and interpretations from ancient Germania (which translates as modern day Iceland, Norway and England, primarily).

[MoonGoddess]

I just realised I have something from Ralph Blum which came with my first set of Runes.  Althought it is good for learning the meanings of the Runes I found it mainly one of those commerciallised blurbs which conflicted with most of babble in it.  I don't know if he is an Australian Author but in the front it said it was published in Australia as well as London by Harper Collins.  I think I will definately stick to the traditional source, if you could throw a couple of titles my way that would be much apprieciated.  I lost most of my books from moving around to much, and was getting such a mini library together not just on Runes but other things as well.

[EarlofLeicester]

Ralph Blum helped get runes back on the map in 1980 or so, although some purists argue that he borrows from I Ching or other new age disciplines in his description of the runes and their use.  The blank rune is a shining example of this.  It has no historical context and was, apparently, made up by someone well after the era of the runes had passed (possibly Blum himself).

To be honest, the more I look into titles on the runes, the more I find myself dissatisfied with what I see.  The reason being is that I believe that Odin gave us the runes and should be interpreted in the context of his knowledge.  (Was Odin real some ask?  I believe so, and I have discussed that in some detail here:  http://mysticboard.org/we ... .php?e=526 ). Modern writers always tend to put their own slant on things, like Aswynn or Paxton, introducing tarot or wiccan infleuences.  I am not against Wicca or Tarot but they are not part of what makes up runelore and I don't like the corruption of the original traditions.  Of course, the traditions are scarce, to say the least, because with the adoption of Christianity, rune usage became illegal and most records were lost.

The roman author Tacitus in his writings on Germania described a runecast of the Saxon people about 1800 years ago (I think it was that long ago, it's late and my mind is getting mushy). He says that runes were made from the branch of a fruit tree, that they were cast over a white cloth, that the Norse Gods were invoked (presumably for blessing) and that a 3 rune cast was performed.

Does it have to be any more complicated than that?  I don't think so.  And what do the runes mean to the ancients?  The Old Icelandic and Old Anglo-Saxon poems from 1000 years ago tell us what they meant when runes were part of the (at the time) current mindset of a world full of runemasters.  The poems are available online here:
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/rune_poems.html.  That same site (www.sunnyway.com) has information on lots of books.  Anyway, I am leaning these days to books that have less of the author in them and more of the ancient ways in them.  A small inexpensive book that meets that criteria is Francis Melville's "The Book of Runes". The book focuses on the Norse/Saxon history of the runes which is important.  The runes did not come to the Celt or the Roman.  This is a tradition of Northern Europe, and the mysteries revealed by the runes was to people who believed in Odin and company.  I'm not saying that someone who does not have a conection with the Norse pantheon can't use the runes effectively, but I believe that connection with the Norse pantheon will make it better, using their interpretations and casting methods, instead of those developed in the 20th century.  

Wikipedia has this to say: Runic divination is a modern practice of divination based on interpretation of the ideograms contained within the Proto-Germanic Elder Futhark and other Runic systems. Runic divination as it is now practiced is not based on historical evidence.

My response to that is to do everything in my power to use the runes in accord with historical evidence.  What historical evidence (such as that I have cited above) I will use and where there may be gaps, I will trust in Odin and Freya to guide me to the correct answers and trust in their wisdom.

[MoonGoddess]

Not just in books but people as well when it comes down to teachers, they say when the time come the teacher will find you but how do you know that the knowledge that they have is not extremely biase to suit their own purpose.  I think that is why I decided to go it alone, it has been tough trying to find the right information and some times I get side track but I have gone with my gut.  What feels right to me deep down must be right, as I have relied on my instinct for most of life I don't think I have gone to far wrong.  I think the key is to stay opened and not have a close view on what you find, for you never know what you are missing if you dismiss something.  Each thing can be viewed from many different facets, making interpretation neither right or wrong.

There I go again being all philosophical, basically what I trying to say is what feels right for you based on your own knowledge, experience and instinct will be the book that suits you.   www.sunnyway.com has a good section that tells you how to find the books that are not frauds which I found very interesting and confirmed my beliefs thus far.

Information will enlighten your life.

[EarlofLeicester]

There I go again being all philosophical, basically what I trying to say is what feels right for you based on your own knowledge, experience and instinct will be the book that suits you.

Information will enlighten your life.

Nothing wrong with being philosophical.  Rather it's the lack of philosophy that's a problem in the world.  One method also may not be appropriate for another.  I post and blog about my perspective and it is very grounded in historical verification, a method that M-B members reichild and gaeliccrossed1 also share, but that does not mean it is the only method, only that it is the only method for me.

[MoonGoddess]

I found another web site which you probably already know about, but here goes any way.

http://www.multiart.nu/grimner/english/ ... s.html#top"

This is where I got my rune avatar from, not only does it go into Ansuz but all the others in the Elder Futhark

[EarlofLeicester]

I found another web site which you probably already know about, but here goes any way.

http://www.multiart.nu/grimner/english/ ... s.html#top"

This is where I got my rune avatar from, not only does it go into Ansuz but all the others in the Elder Futhark

Actually, I don't recall this one, so thanks for the tip MoonG!