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The following is a quick guide to the 24 letter Futhark - F, U, TH, A, R, K the first six letters of the Elder Futhark (circa 0 - 100 AD). I made these runes from Oak and Henna. The 24 are divided into three Aetts or families of eight runes.

Freya and Freyr's Aett

Fehu - F letter/sound - Domestic Cattle- Freya and Freyr, agricultural deities of the Vanir race of gods. Landed income through careful husbandry.

Ur - U letter/oo sound - Aurochs the Wild Ox - related to the hunt and the energy of nomadicism/herd followers. Patience and alert/readiness.

Thorn - Th letters/sound - The Giant race, here before all of us. The dispassionate balance of the Earth's processes. Our choice is in how we deal with it.

Ansuz - A letter/ ah sound - Mouth of the River, Mouth of the Gods. Relates to the Aesir and Odin who were legalistic sky deities. We create with our words.

Rad - R letter/sound - Wheel - The wheel of the charriot, Nerthus cart, the wheel of the year and all things that travel in waves such as the sea, rumors, illness.

Kenaz - C/K letter and sound - Torch - The controlled flame, the idea, the a ha!

Gifu - G letter/sound - Gift - Two staves of equal length, bound in the middle. The balance of giving and receiving and the relationship created through this process.

Wunjo - W/V letter/W sound - Joy - The kind of joy found when we follow our bliss, when we are doing our best work.

Hel and Heimdal's Aett

Hagal - H letter/sound - Hail - Hel's domain is cold. Ice crystals reflect Heimdal's rainbow bridge. Hail stones are seeds of creation causing destruction to clear the path.

Nied - N letter/sound - Need. The need fire feeds invention, creation, and community. Too much is selfish, not enough is compliance. Balance is true freedom.

Isa - I letter /(ee) sound - Ice - the original stav, ice and fire come together to create the universe. Ice preserves, slows, and makes us careful. Listen carefully. Is the ice true?

Jera - J letter/ya sound - Harvest, the year cycle, Jord the old goddess of earth, sorting seeds, planting, tending and harvesting. Do not forget to rest and party when you are done!

Eiwaz - Y letter/wue sound - Yew tree. The world tree, the long bow, the useful and eternal wood, sacred tree.

Perdh - P letter/sound - The dice cup, the apple tree, the women's cave, the well of wyrd, occult and luck.

Algiz - Z letter/sound - Elk, the protection of humans during the ice age, willingness, usefulness, sacredness.

Sigel - S letter/sound - Sun. Sunna the sun goddess drives the chariot across the sky. Strength, vigor, growing time.

Tyr and Tiza's Aett

Tyr - T letter/sound - Tyr the god of the North Star, Tysa the goddess of the distaff. Focus and direction, honest and diligent.

Beorc - B letter/sound - Birch tree. Sacred tree of birth and healing, and the shaman's pole.

Ehwaz - E letter/eh sound - Horse. Without a cart, horse can take you anywhere. Horse is sacred and drives the sun and moon.

Manaz - M letter/sound - Humankind, Mannaheim, human home. Community and our place in it.

Laguz - L letter/sound - Lake, sacred waters. The womb and the depth of our psyche.

Ing/Invi - Ing sound - True god and goddess pairing, the balance, fertility in that balance, yin and yang, left and right, animus and anima.

Daeg - D letter/sound - Day. The new day starts at sunset, we dream what we will do, we wake to fulfill the dream and rest when work is done.

Othel - O letter/sound - Homeland, inheritance, karma. Our true family and our ancestors, the land of our birth.