Ehwaz Elder Futhark Rune Meanings

Ehwaz – Rune of Trust

When we trust ourselves and others, it becomes possible to move forward speedily and efficiently. A most excellent example of this is how when a rider establishes trust with a horse, the two can move as one and very quickly get from point A to B. 

I got Ehwaz as my rune of the day on the day I had decided to write about it, so I knew there would be a message for me. Just before I sat down to write this article, I went for a run. Along the path, some horses were grazing in a nearby field. Only last summer this would have sent me into a light state of panic since I am allergic to horses and they sometimes trigger my asthma badly.

The message that came through from Spirit was that allergy to horses is connected holistically to a sense of helplessness and inability to trust ourselves.

Stripped back meaning based on the actual word and shape

Ehwaz means horse and sounds nothing like the modern Swedish word ‘häst.’ Some associate this, the horse rune, with Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Horse-related meanings for the rune have to do with making progress, moving speedily and transportation.

Essentially, though the shape of this rune looks nothing like a horse, it does look like two horseheads facing each other or two opposing forces coming together in harmony. Contrast this with the shape of Gebo where the four ‘arms’ of the rune radiate into the world and you get a sense of Ehwaz having a more internal focus.

To trust ourselves and bring opposing forces together within, we each have to learn how to integrate and harmonise masculine and feminine energy. Thus, the two halves of this rune represent the animus and the anima.

Other examples of opposing forces that are highlighted when Ehwaz shows up: the dreamer and the inner critic, the inner child and the voice of the stern father, the id and the superego, the wild woman and the good girl, the virgin and the whore… You get the idea.

But this voice does not only relate to opposing forces within ourselves (though it is wise to look there first) but can also show a need for concord between two people. In some instances, Ehwaz is an excellent sign of people coming together and moving forward with a shared vision and can even indicate marriage, though traditionally this would fall more under the auspice of Gebo.

Correspondences

• Polarity: Gender neutral
• Zodiac correspondences: Cancer
• Colours: Blue, white, brown
• Tarot card correspondences: The Chariot, Strength, The Lovers, Judgement, 2 of Swords, The Knights
• Archangel correspondences: Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael and Archangel Gabriel
• Chakra correspondences: Sacral Chakra
• Health: Gut health

Divinatory Meanings

General: trust, progress, concord, shared goals, integration – Reversed: lack of trust, disconnect from intuitive guidance

Love & relationships: a harmonious romantic relationship, trusting partner, loyalty, spirit guide – Reversed: lack of trust and harmony, continuously going against one’s gut and choosing the wrong type of partner

Health/wellbeing: mind-body-spirit in harmony, trusting one’s gut, listening to one’s body and meeting its needs, holistic view of one’s health and being in charge of one’s own wellbeing – Reversed: going against the body by, for instance depriving it of sleep; lack of holistic understanding, leaving it to others to care for one’s body, digestive disorders, obesity, gut health issues

Business: ideal business partner, trust between collaborators, a trusted brand, brand loyalty – Reversed: lack of trust, mismanagement

Holistic Healing Tips for Ehwaz

Draw this rune over your cards or runes to remind yourself to always go with your gut impression about what they are trying to tell you.

Chant Ehwaz (AY-wahz) for greater integration of opposing forces within when you are confused about the best way forward.

Draw the rune over your sacral chakra every morning to remember to allow for intuitive guidance and to not go against your gut instinct about any person or circumstance that arises.

Draw the rune on your pillow at night to allow your anima or animus to provide clear messages and guidance in your dreams.

Use in spellcasting for both business and romantic partnerships.

Use it in a more literal sense to bond with a horse.

You can use Ehwaz for calling in a spirit guide.

Affirmations

• I trust my gut and act on it.
• I trust myself and my body.
• I make room to allow for the integration of opposing forces within.
• All my important relationships are built on trust and a shared vision.
• I move forward with grace and dignity thanks to honouring my inner guidance.
• I quickly resolve tension within by listening to my gut and trusting my intuition.
• I allow solutions to surface intuitively and this allows me to act in a timely fashion.
• My inner guidance grows stronger day by day and in every way.

To strengthen the effect of the affirmation, you can draw the Ehwaz rune over a glass of water. Say the affirmation out loud while holding the glass. Drink the water mindfully and visualise it activating your cells so that they quickly can transport your inner knowing from your gut to your conscious awareness.

Ehwaz Prayer

Dear Mother-Father God, Thank you that I can trust myself and that my inner guidance steers me right. Help me to align my mind, body and spirit, listen carefully within and act on my gut instinct. Amen and so it is!

Gebo and Hyperborean Water Magic

In ancient Hyperborea (that for a while co-existed with Atlantis), the sages of old used water magic daily. They understood how to imprint water with a desired quality and to disperse that message to where it was needed. As we step across the threshold of the Age of Aquarius, the memory of this ancient science is beginning to reemerge.

How to Charge the Water

• Draw the rune over your glass or another glass vessel with the pointer and middle finger on your dominant hand.
• Chant the name of the rune three times.
• Visualise the rune glimmering in the colour of your choice as you chant (see colour correspondences above)
• Visualise the light from the rune charging every molecule in the water until the light expands beyond the glass. When the light has formed an aura around the glass that you can either see or feel with your hands, it is ready to drink/use.

Ehwaz Water Magic

If you find yourself stuck or lost when pondering deep philosophical or spiritual hypotheses, use Ehwaz water to journey and find the answers you seek.

You can also use Ehwaz-charged water to rebuild trust in yourself in general. This will then have a knock-on effect so that the untrustworthy people in your life will eventually weed themselves out. You can also use the water to build trust in any type of relationship but both people involved need to be aware of the water magic. You can’t sneak Ehwaz into someone else’s drink without their approval.

Ehwaz-charged water is great to use for dream incubation to meet a deity or spirit guide. Just make sure you don’t drink too much right before falling asleep or you’ll get more dream messages about needing a wee than about your spiritual path. Rather than drinking the water, you can draw the rune over your third eye before falling asleep. Set the intention to journey to meet a specific type of guide or the deity of your choice.

Use Ehwaz water before doing intuitive readings, either take a few sips or dip your finger in water and draw the rune in the air in front of you to call in your spirit guide. Perthro is another great rune to use for psychic work. You can create a bindrune to charge water with as well.

Take me back to the Elder Futhark Rune Index!

Try the Ehwaz Rune of Trust Tarot Spread!