Fehu: the Power to Carry Prosperity

Fehu: the Cow

Meaning: Abundance, Migration, Personal Power, Property, Prosperity, Wealth Affirmation: I am abundant through my own power. Associations: Land Ownership, Luck, Physical Assets, Recent Purchases, Social Status

The rune of Fehu carries the noble energy of the cow. Humble, hardworking, and successful (especially in large groups), this rune steadily works at achieving more. If you look at it the right way, the shape of the rune even resembles a bull, with his two horns pointing towards the heavens. Like the bull, Fehu not only propagates but protects its seeds. It chases out the ones that grow that do not suit the herd as a whole. It has all the power and inner wisdom to do so, and it is well respected as a leader by those around it, as a result.

Fehu asks us to take physical control of our situation and circumstances. This has a lot of implications. To start off with, it asks us if we are attempting to set physical foundations in the right spaces, and the right ways. We may be best to moving somewhere else or adapting our strategy so that we remain in control of our physical assets in a balanced way. It also asks if we are putting forward our best effort to ensure that our overall efforts yield the best results. All of these factors play into the reality of whether or not we create abundance, and whether or not that now abundance resource is something we actually desire, in the first place. We also have to ensure that we have the ability to protect and continue to nurture this source of abundance, or we may have put in all that work for someone else!

When I observe Fehu, I see two runes: Kenaz, and Isa. Isa is seen three times, while Kenaz is only seen twice, and so we'll start with the rune of Ice!

Isa creates the permanence of the physical nature of Fehu's energy. The assets that Fehu provides are not spiritual or emotional, but very much objects that we can touch or hold. As we have all learned though life, our physical prowess has a whole lot to do with how our overall life plays out. From how others view us, to how much we are able to help ourselves reach our goals in a physical or financial way, Fehu uses the energies of Isa to create stability in the physical realm: a set pecking order of individuals that is founded on each person's personal power, which is greatly added to by the physical assets they have access to.

This set system allows Karma to function beautifully, which is one of many universal powers that are beyond our ability to fully control. While Isa works to create firm, reliable channels, it works in the same way to help us understand that we do not have the ability to change certain circumstances or realities, no matter the amount of personal power or wealth we attain. Money and physical assets cannot fix everything, especially matters of a spiritual or emotional nature.

This is why the energy of Kenaz is present. If we do not have the ability to look within ourselves, or the depth of understanding of ourselves to understand when we need nourishment beyond the physical, Fehu will not provide prosperity beyond our physical needs. This is prevalent everywhere in our modern world! So many people have beautiful homes, full refrigerators, and healthy bodies, but do not feel fulfilled or truly happy. This is because they are not feeding their spirit or heart! Kenaz reminds us that there are parts of ourselves that cannot be nourished by the physical world, because we are not purely physical.

It also asks us to take the time to analyze our overall abundance, and to determine if we have enough, or should, share some of it. Being able to look within, but also reflect those acknowledgements without, is important. Kenaz adds a level of balance to Fehu that drives it to defend those who need it, and not just be self-serving. In order to fully align with this powerful energy, we must be able to look at the world with a herd mindset, not just one that serves our own needs and wants.

The following spread is from my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom, that features divination spreads based on the energies of the Elder Futhark. This spread, "The Horns," reveals any blockages or potentially harmful energies that need to be cleared away in order to best facilitate and protect our prosperity. If you use this spread, I'd love to see. Please use the tags #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomFehu to make sure I get a chance!