Money Is Often The Cause For Conflict!.. A Rich Mind Is Fuller Than A Lined Pocket!.. Fehu Is The Essence Of Abundance But Also The Mark Of Greed!!!
Out of all the Runes in the Futhark one of the most common runes to find practitioners using is Fehu, and this is no surprise given its somewhat obvious connection to wealth which by most translates directly to money. The word Fehu in direct translation is livestock and wealth and given how money is such a big motivation for magickal practitioners it is no surprise to see the livestock aspect almost completely forgotten by most. This is not to say that wealth is somehow bad or irrelevant but, it is not its sole focus. Fehu does have a strong relation to wealth for better for worse.
In my first day working with Fehu there were a few images that came to me. The first of these was the color gold. The second was the fact that it was the first rune in their alphabetical order. This said to me one thing, Fehu is the first sound and the runes are vibrations and sounds. However, to think of it as only gold and wealth to me is a big misunderstanding of its deeper meaning. I would say that Fehu doesn’t only represent money or wealth but rather value as a whole be it intrinsic or otherwise. The things that we value which could be love or knowledge are also represented in this rune. It connects to the things that we value whatever that may be and so when calling upon Fehu we are calling also upon value itself. This makes perfect sense in our society as most find value in gold or money itself. We even have a saying “your weight in gold” which resembles this much.
Another observation I had on this rune is its appealing quality. It is a rune that could be called upon to make something more appealing. Its gold correspondence which in my visualizations was a gold aura to me is symbolic of beauty. Our society loves gold and so much material beauty is centered around the attraction of gold. In fact, gold, itself is a symbol of great wealth. Thus, Fehu is the rune of beauty and appealing. A rune that radiates attraction to those who peer upon it.
There Is Value In All Things!.. To Create Is To Breathe Life Into Beauty!!!
Fehu however does not only correspond with the abundance of common value but in all things. Creation itself. The opposite of abundance is nothing and that is symbolic of Gunningagap. In fact, I would go as far to say that Fehu is the rune embodying creation itself. Nothing into abundance. Fehu is the rune of manifestation itself representing manifested reality. The rune of the corporeal world. To some degree this would make Fehu the rune of light and it is often considered a bright rune. It would also be fair to note the cow in the creation myth.
Old English Rune Poem
Fehu is a comfort to everybody,
though everyman ought to deal it out freely
if he wants to get approval from the Lord
Old Norwegian Rune Poem
Fehu causes strife amongst kinsmen,
The wolf grows up in the woods
Old Icelandic Rune Poem
Fehu is the cause of strife amongst kinsmen
And the fire of the flood tide
And the path of the serpent.
In the rune poem, it says that Wealth is a source of discord among Kin and I would agree with this. Money can be a complicated thing and does play a major part in conflicts. It only takes a quick glance at the general opinion on people who are rich from someone who is not to gather this. Those without money typically despise those who do, and those with lots of money tend to not care much for those without it. This doesn’t account for everyone mind. With this rune, one of the lessons I have found is in the realization that the more wealth we attain the more envy others may potentially feel toward us and as such we must be aware of potential discord. However, if we look at the Hávamál it does give some advice on our wealth.
“Hail, ye Givers! a guest is come;
say! where shall he sit within?
Much pressed is he who fain on the hearth
would seek for warmth and weal.”
The Hávamál to this extend and in relation to Fehu pushes us to share in our wealth. To enrich others and ourselves, not allowing ourselves to succumb to greed. Greed is the curse of Fehu and the mark is very easily to see on someone. This doesn’t mean only money but rather that which we can give. To some that may be knowledge, to others that may be joy. It could be physical things too such as food, water, warmth or even money. Thus, another lesson of Fehu is generosity, overcoming greed can greatly benefit one’s life and sharing with others may offer new opportunities, new insights, and more potential value. Help another when we can, but at the same time do not run ourselves dry. Another lesson is that there may be times we need help and it may cause discord when we ask others to help provide it. There will be times in our life where we need a helping hand, and that can be a big burden onto others.
One of the other important concepts with Fehu is to not let money, gold, riches, or wealth stop you from moving forward. Creation requires progress and you cannot progress while stagnant. If Fehu is the manifestation of things, creation, abundance then it is also the Rune of life itself. Life is always in motion and we move forward through work and pushing forward. We should be appreciative and grateful for what we have but never allow that to make us stagnant or complacent. We must see the value in things but continue to push forward with the currents of life and learning. There is more to life and magick than just money.
However, Fehu can also represent the lack of money and wealth. Poverty is something that rolls with the tides of time, as such we must be able to push through that poverty and with Fehu we should be like the wolf and hunt in the places he knows best. The reason the wolf hunts where it hunts is because he knows he will get what he needs there. The wolf sticks to what he knows, what he is naturally good at and as such abundance is natural. Know your strengths, know what your good at and recognize what areas need work.
When it comes to ritual Fehu can be utilized in several ways. Of course, money spells are all but common but one of the more uncommon uses for Fehu is its ability to bring life into something. If I were to create some form of fetish, talisman or magickal object Fehu would be perfect for breathing life into that item. Additionally, Fehu could be used in fertility rituals given its close relationship with life. Or be it simply to aid in the inspiration of new ideas the possibilities are endless with this rune.
If you would like to learn more about the runes you can pre-order my upcoming book “Beyond Prophecy: A Practical Guide To Rune Magick” here at this link: https://www.asbjorntorvol.com/product-page/beyond-prophecy-a-practical-guide-to-rune-magick-paperback-edition-pre-order
Stay True & Stay Awesome!!!
A.Torvol
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