Sowilo- 16th Rune of the Elder Futhark & 8th Rune of Heimdall's Aett :sowilo:

Rune Name: Sowilo :sowilo:

Germanic Name: Sowilo
Phonetic Value: S
Pronunciation: so-we-loh
Translation: Sun :sun:

Modern English: Sun

Rune Number: 16 of the Elder Futhark & 8 of Heimdall’s Aett

Polarity: Female :female_sign:
Color Association(s): White, Silver
Elemental Association(s): Air :wind_face:

Herbal Association(s): Mistletoe :herb:
Tree Association(s): Juniper

Astrological Association(s): Sun :sun:
Month/Days: February 12 – February 27

Chakras: Crown :crown: Solar Plexus
Tarot Card(s): The Chariot, The Sun :sun:

Magickal Uses: Strengthen self-confidence, motivation, success, healing, victory over challenges, & spiritual guidance. If you’re someone that participates in any type of competition then Sowilo :sowilo: should be an important rune to you. Chanted over & over it can bring about great power, success, & victory.

Overall Meanings/Keyword(s): Guidance, Hope, Success, Goals Achieved, Honor, Wholeness, Radiance, Life-Force

Rune of solar light so a rune of power. Melts the ice of discomfort. Represents inner fortitude to succeed & bring yourself to victory, as well as the benevolence of our ancestors & deities.

Sun can bring life & a force to contend. Can be a destructive force as well, the only force known to the ancients that would melt “Isa :isaz:” Invincibility & triumph.

Rune for attack, power, & victory. Success shines like a beacon, attracting & encouraging those who seek it.

Sun Wheel dynamically moving, spinning symbol. Rune of higher being.

Ancient Folklore: The Sun :sun: was a female force. Nurtured. Provided light, warmth, & sustenance to all life. When the sun shone beauty & abundance abounded in the bitter cold of the northern climates. The Goddess Sunna worked in tandem with the Sun, acting as a driving force for the Sun’s energy. The Sun was also believed to be one of Odin’s eyes, a beacon of higher consciousness shining down illumination & knowledge. Odin’s other eye, which resided in the Well of Mimir, was said to be the Moon :full_moon: a reflection of the Sun.

Brightstave/Upright: Reason for hope. Good guidance. If lost you will find your way. Fixed concentration on goals leads to success. Good for a journey over water. Listen to higher counsel from within the self or from others. The light of the sun burns away external appearances. Protect runer from hostile powers. Break cosmic or psychological inertia & help the journey along. Brings honor & luck. Educational undertakings.

The life force, guiding light, the promise of possibility on the melting horizon. As the sun gathers you in revitalizing rays, remember you are her. You are life, incarnate. You have a purpose, birthright: a charge. Walk upon this fertile soil & summon the energy & focus to keep going, one step, one sunbeam, one beacon of hope at a time.

Merkstave/Reversed: Bad counsel. Reveals unthinking attraction to & pursuit of goals set by others. False success gained by dishonorable means. Tendency to look outside yourself for answers to questions & for guidance. Gullibility & blockage of the sun leads to a loss of sense of purpose & goals in life. Confusion & eventual defeat of plans.

Affirmation: I am eternally supported as I direct the chariot of my will further along my ordained course. The Universe supports & guides me at every turn requiring only a pledge of trust in the shining shimmering road upon which I continue to ride.

Meditation: Sowilo Guided Meditation - Magin Rose

Sources:

  • Chamberlain, Lisa. Runes for Beginners: A Guide to Reading Runes in Divination, Rune Magic, and the Meaning of the Elder Futhark Runes . Chamberlain Publications, 2018.

  • Kristina, Jillian. “Wild Runes Deck - Tamed Wild.” Nashville Metropolitan Area, Nashville, 2020. Wild Runes Deck + Booklet – Tamed Wild

  • Simonds, Josh. The Beginner’s Guide to Runes: Divination and Magic with the Elder Futhark Runes . Rockridge Press, 2020.

  • Thorsson, Edred. Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic: A Complete Guide to Interpreting Runes, Rune Lore, and the Art of Runecasting . Red Wheel/Weiser, 2018.

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As always, thank you so very much for your time and effort in putting these together! I have gotten behind in reading these and saving the information for reference! You are an invaluable resource :heart:

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Thank you so much! & of course very welcome. Don’t forget to go through the previous ones. They have been edited to include if they are traditionally read without a reversed meaning. I put an edit in the ones that it’s relevant to & will add it going forward too. :sparkles:

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I love this rune :sun: well anything that has to do with Solar Magic really. But I enjoyed learning about Sunna (aka Sól). I think I like the name “Sól” more because it sounds like “soul”. :slight_smile:

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A rune of the sun and of success- this is such a gorgeous one to learn about! :sun_with_face: :heart:

I think it’s neat that the rune of the sun correspondences with feminine energy, as I usually see it the other way around (moon = feminine, sun = masculine). Kind of a fun twist! :blush:

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, Siofra! :two_hearts:

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I had to check & recheck this before I posted it :rofl: I was like… is this right?!? Definitely was questioning my information processing skills with that tidbit. :joy:

@Francisco I have always liked ‘Sol’, I remember when I first learned that it meant sun :sun: in Spanish & I loved the word. I also love the sun, to be in the sun, anything sun makes me feel better :sun:

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Hahaha I’m glad I’m not alone- I definitely did a double-take when I saw it! :laughing: But not in a bad way at all, I think it’s really refreshing to see a fresh interpretation. Like, why can’t feminine energy be tied to the sun sometimes? :grin: :sun_with_face: I like it!

Thanks again for this one, Siofra- I really enjoy your rune posts! :two_hearts:

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