Meaning of the Rune Algiz
Name: Elhaz or Algiz, Algis, EOLH, Iwhar.
Sound: z final grammar becomes an "r" in the final Old Norse.
Symbolic Meaning: Strength protectress, woman Swan (Valkyrie), open hand.
Algiz rune that gives protection.
But sticking to its classical form, and its variants, is a rune Algiz with many senses, a rune of protection, "positive", even that which is above all a positive sense, given the rune of life, his shape evokes the open hand protection. In recent Futhark rune Algiz symbolize the man, which ultimately is just an extension of its meaning of "life" is linked elk, deer, an animal very important for the people of Northern Ireland and the Celtic tradition , represents the God Cernunnos, god of fertility and abundance. The antlers represent the cyclical rebirth, there was also a magical process to become a deer to escape from enemies, a tactic likely to blend into a group of animals to escape, is an archaic symbol attached to the top of the world, covering a Sometimes a role of psychopomp.
It is celebrated during the deer ceremonies Beltan, a time when they visit the living to the dead and not the reverse as in the case of Sanhain. Elhaz is also linked to the swan, which has a particularly rich symbolism, surely representing purity, heavenly force as partner of Apollo, singing, poetry (do not forget that the swan dies singing), still symbolizes the soul in transformation to be higher in northern states are the Valkyries to take the shape of swans, choose the dead who fell in battle to lead them in Walhalla, the abode of Odin nell'Asgard (sort of paradise) are still two swans in the company of two doves pulling Freja's chariot.
The Rune Elhaz is tied to a whole symbolism in particular that of bright point between consciousness and the divine realm of men, but, unlike Eihwaz, it is a tortuous path. And 'the rune that allows you to reinforce hamingja, magic power, magical protection, resisting the hostile forces, where a ritual is the display of shields around him even above and below, written in bright red, if you must deal with hostile people or situations.
With Algiz we are required to relate in new ways with the dimension of the sacred, to stretch our minds, and our whole body up and receive the knowledge from the original source of all knowledge.
The Algiz rune is the natural evolution of Ansuz rune, the rune of Odin who appears in the form of signals and messages with Ansuz receive warnings and advice, offer prayers and sacrifices, and to him we receive from Odin in a holy and virtuous cycle.
We do not need any means to celebrate our union with God we are free to ask and offer, to thank and honor, we do not need to confess our sins, as we do not need absolution, we are the priests of our lives and Our truth is our sacrifice offered on the altar of Our Lives: Algiz is the sign of the priest who offers sacred things, that sanctifies their lives through self-sacrifice.
The blot is a term related to English bless, bless, and derives from the word blood, blood, an important component of rituals: the term Blota means strengthening the intention is precisely to bring more power to the gods through ritual, what that is experienced today in shamanic religions of character, even if the practitioners of New Age does not want to hear it.
The most powerful symbol of the sacrifice of living beings or objects, usually animals, particularly pigs and horses (for the Celtic tradition), of which the meat is boiled in a large pot with heated stones placed inside or outside.
The blot of autumn is celebrated in mid-October, the great blot in the middle of winter, also called Yule, the winter solstice, it is interesting that even today, even among cultures "Christian" these sacrifices are made, for example, in October we still kill the pigs to make sausages, and Yule is celebrated on Christmas, who says of practicing black magic sacrifice animals or humans, while the unsuspecting Christians who want to be born "savior", a savior who has never existed except not for the sum of many other pagan traditions of different origins ..
The Sumbel usually took place indoors in a room called the mead hall, it was passed from one person to a horn or a goblet filled with a beverage such as beer or mead and at each step the priest before he honored the gods, then the ancestors , then the pagan heroes dear to him and then you could make a solemn promise, this ritual also involved singing and exchanging gifts ... reminds me so much mass for certain things, you do not?
Algiz is one of the most important runes.