Rune Name: Sowilo 
Germanic Name: Sowilo
Phonetic Value: S
Pronunciation: so-we-loh
Translation: Sun 
Modern English: Sun
Rune Number: 16 of the Elder Futhark & 8 of Heimdall’s Aett
Polarity: Female 
Color Association(s): White, Silver
Elemental Association(s): Air 
Herbal Association(s): Mistletoe 
Tree Association(s): Juniper
Astrological Association(s): Sun
Month/Days: February 12 – February 27
Chakras: Crown 
Solar Plexus
Tarot Card(s): The Chariot, The 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 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 
” 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 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 
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:
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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.
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Kristina, Jillian. “Wild Runes Deck - Tamed Wild.” Nashville Metropolitan Area, Nashville, 2020. Wild Runes Deck + Booklet – Tamed Wild
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Simonds, Josh. The Beginner’s Guide to Runes: Divination and Magic with the Elder Futhark Runes . Rockridge Press, 2020.
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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.
I was like… is this right?!? Definitely was questioning my information processing skills with that tidbit. 
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? 
