Nauðir ᚾ, pronounced "No-thee-r". Other variations include Nauthir, Nauthiz, Naudr, Nauth.
Meaning: Necessity/Need
Element: Fire, Earth. Gender: Male
Tree Association: Rowan (Mountain Ash)
Relates to constraint, need, resistance leading to strength, self initiated change, primal drive, survival, inevitability, suffering, hardship, baptism by fire, distress to success, love and hate, frugality and pragmatism.
Free-flow word associations:
Need, food, shelter, warmth, survival, hardship, struggle, challenge, test, trial, judgement, right and wrong, morality, black and white, shades of grey, realism, nature, nurture, parents, discipline, balance, compromise, rationality, prudence, caution, planning ahead, resourcefulness, conservation, saving for a rainy day, frugality, hoarding, possession, obsession, desire, frivolity, priorities, sacrifice, letting go, moving forward, change, seasons, winter, cold, death, repose, absence, potential, life, fire, hope, promise, growth, strength, renewal, evolution.
The rune of necessity can refer to having been through tough times, or warn us of tough times ahead. Tough times test our metal and can either destroy us or make us stronger than before; like a baptism by fire, we are forced to purge ourselves of weakness and do what is necessary to survive.This relates to the element of fire, burning away impurities, cauterising open wounds to help us heal, destroying that which no longer serves our best interests, burning away dead wood, using the broken pieces of the past as fuel to push forward through hard times, learning lessons from past hurt and trauma, and always knowing that no matter how bad life gets, we have endured worse.This involves a release from emotional attachment, moving on from relationships even though it might be painful in the short term, cutting ties with people who impede our personal growth and development and stand in the way of our happiness and success. It is about doing what is best for you and your long-term benefit, without worrying about other people's feelings. This is not meant to encourage needless callousness and disregard for others, but merely to remind us to be selective about what and who we devote our time and energy to. Walking away from people may be seen by them to be unnecessary and hostile, but sometimes it is necessary to be cruel to be kind, and it is a form of tough love for the sake of self love. this is easily confused with hate, but this is an illusion born from fear and self doubt. Just as our parents might love and nurtures us, so too do they scold and discipline us for our own benefit. It is a matter of learning harsh lessons, both for ourselves and for others, and it requires us to be able to balance the nurturing feminine power with the disciplinary masculine power to come to compromises where possible, without detriment to our own health, happiness and well being. This is an inevitability in life, and as such, Nauᚾ presents itself to us as a law of nature, one of the few Runes whose meanings and laws are fixed even when combined with other Runes which would otherwise alter its properties. Nature does not discriminate based upon moral constructs, and so ᚾ teaches us to remain objective, impartial and emotionally detached from certain situations, recognising that sometimes it is necessary to do bad things for good reasons, and that the moral framework that we live by is a construct of societal coexistence and therefore not applicable within the context of survival. This of course stands within a societal setting, in which day to day interactions may be subject to strict codes of morality, but in desperate times where one's livelihood or that of one's family is at risk, the moral boundaries become blurred. This understanding of Nauðir ᚾ teaches us to not judge ourselves or others too harshly, but neither should we fear anyone's judgement but our own, for we should judge ourselves objectively in accordance with natural law.
Nauðir ᚾ advises us to be realistic at all times and always be prepared for the worst. It teaches us to plan ahead, to always have a backup plan in place for when things go wrong. As Nauðir directly follows on from Hagalr ᚺ, referring generally to chaos or disruption, it advises us that nothing in life is certain, and even the best laid plans are subject to the whims of Wyrð. In this sense, ᚾ teaches both caution and discipline, warning us to take stock of the resources available to us, and also be willing to sacrifice some unnecessary luxuries and comforts in the interests of saving for a rainy day, for we will never knnow when we might fall upon hard times. ᚾ also precedes Isa 𐌹, which represents the depths of winter, and so symbolises the first blizzards which force us to seek warmth and shelter. This implies that when unrest arises, be it at work, with between friends or with family, it is always best to remove oneself from the situation and avoid becoming directly involved in the drama of others. This also tells us that when the outside world brings us unrest within, we should retreat to a place within ourselves where we feel safe and secure as means of diffusing stress and anxiety. ᚾ urges us to take charge of our lives rather than being victims of circumstance, for if a situation is preventing personal growth and happiness, it is up to the individual to change it for the better and embrace the power of self initiated change. It gives us a blessing to prioritise our own needs over the needs of others at this time, but advises collaboration wherever it is mutually beneficial.
ᚾ's correspondence with the Rowan Tree, or Mountain Ash, denotes stability, resilience and protection. In Druidic Tree Lore, the Rowan is known as the Goddess Tree, and is associated with Brigid, the goddess of love and protection. In this way, ᚾ is also associated with Thorr, the Protector of Midgarð and its working men, women and children. The symbolic message of protection and sanctuary makes ᚾ a useful Rune for protecting the homestead and other buildings that provide safety. The Rowan corresponds to the Celtic festival of Imbolc, which marks the midpoint between the Midwinter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, and so ᚾ can be an indication that the worst of one's trials have passed and that one need only hold out a short time longer until Spring returns and things improve; ᚾ acts as a beacon of hope, the promise of renewal and therefore demands that we stay strong and hold the Shield Wall at all costs. The medicinal properties of Rowan berries also lend themselves to the power of ᚾ, having preservative capabilities and being used to make traditional tonics for their purging and diuretic qualities. Rowan is used in vibrational medicine to attune us to nature and to clear space within the internal realms to make way for deeper understanding of the self and the universe, which would then be echoed in the external world of matter. Rowans are indigenous to the mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly Europe, Scandinavia and Asia. Their unforgiving environment makes them, and ᚾ, symbolic of endurance, thriving each new spring after months of harsh winter cold, gale force winds, permafrost ad lack of sunlight, coming back stronger than all of the preceding years, and therefore symbolising rebirth and evolution.
Visually, ᚾ is a representation of two sticks being rubbed together to create fire. This is an allusion to the importance of resourcefulness, using the meagre materials available to get the job done. However, at the same time it is a call for patience and persistence, for the rubbing of the sticks can only generate heat; it is a matter of having the correct knowledge, adequately dry wood and additional materials for kindling to create the perfect conditions to start a fire in harsh weather. This reminds us that optimism alone is not enough to get us to where we need to be, and that we must work hard to achieve our goals. On the other hand, ᚾ is often seen as crossed fingers, representing luck and wish making, and ultimately the power of hope. The similarity in form to Isa 𐌹 indicates that the two Runes are related in their symbolic meanings; however, where Isa is a mere straight line representing stillness, ᚾ bridges and traverses this line with an intersecting stave indicating the overcoming of stagnation, the breaking of the stillness and therefore embodies action. ᚾ has no reversed meaning, and so both its negative and positive connotations can be seen as being interchangeable, even inseparable, as in life the bad often goes hand in hand with the good, and each are required in order to recognise and appreciate the other. ᚾ's form can also be likened to crossed swords or spears suggesting conflict or hostility, but also the resolution thereof. It urges us to continually strive for peace, but to always be prepared for war, and to fight for what is necessary, for our rights, for our values and beliefs, for our personal growth and happiness, and most importantly for our own survival and that of our family or tribe. Finally, ᚾ can be seen as a fence post, signifying an obstacle to be overcome, or as a signpost or way marker giving us clear direction. As a signpost, ᚾ can also give us a clear set of choices in direction, one path up, one path down, one road to a better future, another road to greater hardship. It reminds us to pause and deliberate long and hard about the options available to us before making a decision, weighing up the pros and cons of either choice and choosing wisely. Though life is very rarely black and white, are choices often are; however, esoterically speaking, ᚾ can represent the Middle Way or Middle Pillar, the point of balance upon which everything else rests, like a see-saw, moving to either extreme will shift the balance and cause the querent to fall, but the Middle Way ensures stability and safe passage. This final reminder is for us to remain objective and pragmatic and not be swayed by the opinions of others despite how forceful they may be.
My next entry will concern the Goddess Rune, Bjarkana. Until then, may the Gods watch over you. Enki Endymion. O(
