Gebo: the Wisdom to Give and Receive

Gebo: the Gift

Meaning: Blessings, Exchange, Gifts, Gratitude, Marriage, Reciprocity, Sacrifice

Affirmation: I am blessed with balance in what I give to what I receive.

Associations: Contracts, Divine Union, the Letter X

Gebo is the rune of blessings, generosity, gifts, gratitude, and marriage. It resonates with the energy of reciprocal companionship, joy, and abundance, and is among my favorite runes for all of those reasons.

Gebo's energy is welcoming, and eager to share. It can, in fact, be a bit overwhelming, especially if it is approached without the proper measure of humility, and desire to share, in return. As much as this rune is about giving, Gebo is also about balance. It is only when the energies involved in a give and take situation are equal that Gebo can stand without wobbling, after all. As a naturally symmetrical symbol, balance in all forms is very important to this rune.

While Wunjo, a rune I consider to be highly similar in energy to Gebo, simply wants you to be happy, Gebo asks that you are happy in a way that makes anyone and anything around you happy, too. This is quite a lot to ask, of course, but I believe that this is why Gebo is made to roll from one side to the other, without ever really changing its true shape. It knows that it wants a lot from us, and that we will often not succeed. It just wants us to keep trying, anyway!

The core of Gebo, to me, is balance and reciprocity. If you can understand (or at least try to, anyway) the value of these tasks, and how to best accomplish them in your day to day life, you are living the wisdom of Gebo.

Gebo contains only two runes that I can see, Isa and Kenaz. Isa lends Gebo the wisdom of patience, which is very important when maintaining proper balance. While it is all well and good to go about things quickly, a little bit of extra waiting can often times be the trick. Knowing when to wait, and when to go, can help create a better balance in many ways. Timing, after all, is especially important when it comes to manifestations and universal blessings, and no one wants their birthday gift two weeks late (but might not mind as much two weeks early).

Kenaz is a very important influence on the energies of Gebo. Knowing one self is a key element in understanding the give and take of pretty much any situation that merits its consideration. Being educated and knowledgeable can help you make more informed, better decisions on how to reciprocate and maintain balance. The ability to make wise decisions can help you from being short handed or short handing others, and, if you do, hope will allow you to find forgiveness for yourself and others, because you will be able to find belief within that the universe will make it even at some point.

Gebo is a remarkable and important energy that certainly helps bind our society together. Just think of how many holidays are celebrated around gift exchanges, or how big of a deal people make their weddings out to be! Generosity and reciprocity help to form deeper connections between us, helping to knit our communities more tightly together, and allowing us, by proxy, to assist one another more fully on our individual life paths.

The following is a free sample spread from my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom, which features Gebo. This particular version of the layout asks what blessing is most likely to enter our lives next, as well as assuages the energies around that question. If you use this spread, I'd love to see it! Please tag #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomGebo on social media to make sure I can get a peek. Otherwise, there is an easily shareable image featuring this spread available on my Instagram page!