Ingwaz: a Vision of the Whole

Ingwaz: the God Ing

Meaning: Gestation, Inner Growth, Processes, Transformation, Unseen Changes, Wholeness

Affirmation: I grow what I sow.

Associations: Divine Masculine, Gardening and Plants, Inner Child, the Male "Seed"

Ingwaz is the potential of the plant contained in the small, innocuous seed. It is the hidden energy of the seed buried in the earth, and the magical transformation that is undergone in those dark, secret spaces. In many ways, Ingwaz is a wish, a hope, and a prayer: it is the promise that what we plant will grow. It is the energy of growth itself.

If I was to correlate Ing to any deity in the Celtic pantheon, it would likely be the Green Man: between his symbolic fertility and prowess, and the wild unknown and potential contained in his staff of power, the Wild One is embodied strongly in the energies of Ingwaz. What could you grow, if you planted it now? Asks the Green One. How much work and effort would it take to grow what you wanted, if so? While many Divine Masculine energies ask for initiative, Ingwaz is unusual in that it asks for a plan, albeit a nebulous one: just what are you hoping to accomplish here with this seed, and how likely is this seed to produce such results for you?

The most interesting association of Ingwaz, to me, is its correlation to the Inner Child. This rune can be used to embody the energy of our inner innocence, and soul's truest, most instinctual desires. Those of us who can remember the dreams of childhood know that not all of the desires of our Inner Child are feasible (a goose that lays golden eggs, or the ability to fly, coming to mind), but it is possible to tend to many of these wishes as we grow and mature. In fact, tending to our Inner Child's dreams and desires is a very important part of finding true fulfillment, as the Inner Child is, after all, who we have always been, and will always be a part of who we are.

It's not surprising to me, then, that Ingwaz is made up of many Kenaz. Self reflection, and a complete knowledge of the inner workings and potential of our seeds, is a very important part of knowing where and how to plant them. We would not plant a cacao tree in the desert, anymore than a cactus belongs in a swamp. We would not seek out the sun when what we really wanted was a cool place to rest, either. Awareness, not just of our own needs, but the needs of the world around us, allow us to find the best place to plant our seeds of self, intention, and literal fruits! Kenaz in Ingwaz teaches "as above, so below: so within, so without." What is not present in the seed will not be readily available in the product!

Further instilling this energy is Isa, the rune of Ice. Isa also represents unity and wholeness, and plays an important role in creating these attributes in Ingwaz: without wholeness, what grows is doomed to fall, as the Tower card in tarot likes to teach! In addition to validating that all the parts must be present in the beginning for the end product to be as we wish, I think it primarily provides the gestation timeline for Ingwaz to grow.

The following spread is called "The Child Inside," and is one of several spreads using the energies of Ingwaz to ask questions of our divination tools featured in my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom. It asks how we can nurture and care for our Inner Child at this time to help promote our best growth. If you enjoy this spread, I'd love to see or hear about it in the comments below, or on Instagram! Just give me a tag, or use the hashtags #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomIngwaz to make sure I see.