“With many who attain power and status, arrogance builds up in equal measure.” Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla: Saga of Magnús the Good, ch. 7
Literal Meaning & History
Óss or Ansuz as a term is a variation of Ás. Ás as in Ásatrú, as in Æsir.
The literal meaning of this rune therefore refers directly to the old norse gods or more accurately to most of them.
The old norse/teutonic heathen gods were of two clans, æsir and vanir. Óss refers to the former.
Among the Æsir were Þór (Thor), Loki, Iðunn, Frigg, and their leader, sometimes refered to as “the” óss, Óðinn himself.
Among the Æsir were Þór (Thor), Loki, Iðunn, Frigg, and their leader, sometimes refered to as “the” óss, Óðinn himself.
The little rune poem above reads;
Óss is the flesh of the fruit
And the leader of Asgard
And the path to Valhalla.
Óss is the flesh of the fruit
And the leader of Asgard
And the path to Valhalla.
The fruit referenced in this was likely the apples of Iðunn. These are golden apples that the heathen gods eat to prevent themselves from aging. They are sort of the nordic equivalent of Ambrosia.
Iðunn is a goddess who’s primary function in the pantheon is to tend and guard these apples and did so successfully save for one incident wherein Loki tricked her and gave her to a jötunn. He did bring however also save her and bring her back once his betrayal was discovered.
Iðunn is a goddess who’s primary function in the pantheon is to tend and guard these apples and did so successfully save for one incident wherein Loki tricked her and gave her to a jötunn. He did bring however also save her and bring her back once his betrayal was discovered.
Figurative Meaning & Symbolism
This rune doesn’t just represent “a god” or “the gods” but as with all the runes it is a representation of what it means to be a god. It represents a particular combination of power and responsibility.
If there is any word that represents this card accurately, it’s “Leader”.
Not boss, not “guy in charge”, though that can be implied, but the one who stands for the community, as it’s guardian and representative.
It is the fabled hero who many follow.
It is the spiritual leader.
It’s the speaker of truth.
It’s the guardian and representative of the people.
It is the spiritual leader.
It’s the speaker of truth.
It’s the guardian and representative of the people.
With everything that all of this entails, that is what this what is meant when I say this rune means “Leader”.
There is a strong implication towards justice and validity, as in this rune doesn’t favor false prophets, but there’s also an implication of change of transformation.
Power changes you.
Responsibility changes you.
Becoming a leader irrevocably changes you.
This is a simple fact.
Power changes you.
Responsibility changes you.
Becoming a leader irrevocably changes you.
This is a simple fact.
Whether to the better or to the worse remains to be seen.
Suggested Homework
Find a leader. No, not to follow, but someone who is a well documented leader, living or dead, who you can research. Ideally someone who’s gotten a lot of photos of them taken. Local, national, international, doesn’t matter.
Try to look up how they started out, what they spoke out for, what they stood for before they got into a position of power and responsibility.
Then compare this with what they stood/stand for once they’d been in a position of power for some time.
Then compare this with what they stood/stand for once they’d been in a position of power for some time.
Look at their photos, before and after power, look at the physical changes.
A politician that meets considerable opposition ages pretty fast don’t they?
A politician that meets considerable opposition ages pretty fast don’t they?
If you’re familiar with one or more leaders and their careers before and during their reign of power, be it on the smallest of scale (forum moderators f.ex.) or the greatest (presidents, prime ministers, royalty) or anywhere in between, then you can skip this.
For your notebook, think about an issue or a thing that matters to you, something you could consider fighting for or becoming a caretaker of, something that you’d like to affect.
Anything from a community of like minded people on the internet, to political battles goes here, as long as it’s something that matters to you personally.
Anything from a community of like minded people on the internet, to political battles goes here, as long as it’s something that matters to you personally.
Write this down in simple terms.
(I would like to help lgbt community. I would like to get more ppl to vote. I would like to help moderate a witchy forum. whatever you want)
(I would like to help lgbt community. I would like to get more ppl to vote. I would like to help moderate a witchy forum. whatever you want)
Now think about a situation wherein you’d be given the power and status to really do something to achieve your desires in this manner. You’re now the mod. You’re now a part of the management. You’re now a person with a title and the pull to make it happen.
a) Write down the things that you ideally would do, the most important Good you can achieve in that position.
b) Write down how you could exploit that position to the greatest personal gain. (Take your time with this one, try and work out realistically how you could do things with your power that would help you above the community.)
Notice how easy it is, though this is only a thought experiment, to be corrupted by the idea of power. Though it might be hard to begin to think of a way to create personal gain (for some of you), once you thought of just one little thing, how much came with it? How satisfying was the thought?
Remember this exercise whenever you work with the rune.
Power corrupts.
