Isa: Stay Power

Isa: Ice

Meaning: Coldness, intentional ignorance, self image, self preservation, stagnation, stasis, stillness, waiting Affirmation: In reflecting on stillness I find deeper wisdom. Associations: Egocentricity, harsh energies, inner balance

Isa is the only rune in every rune, and for good reason. It is from the stillness of the void from which we are all born, after all. Even in a very physical sense, the vacuum of space, in which all stardust swirls and formed the planets and our bodies, is said to be immensely cold. This is the foundation from which we all come: bitter cold, and the spark of fire that is it's antithesis.

It is Isa that gives us our sense of individualism. Upright and on its own, it does not know the art of cooperation as well as all the other runes who work with energies not their own to create their essence. Isa just is. It does not need anything else, because it is the essence of nothing - or everything, depending on how you look at the energy of zero.

Isa teaches us about the nature of the ego very clearly. While it is necessary to know who we are and to be proud of that person, being overly proud or independent is not wise. If we do not allow ourselves to see our flaws, those flaws will surely cause us problems that could have been avoided all together. Like Isa, if we become overly proud, we too may wind up alone. No one wants to be with someone who sees no value in anyone but themselves. At the same time, knowing who we are gives us great power to live fulfilling lives. It is this careful analysis of our inner selves and our outer worlds, and finding a balance between them, that we find true peace and happiness. It allows us to fulfill our unique purpose, mostly because we are not being reshaped by others to be just like them.

The ego also affects our desire to deepen our knowledge and progress on the journey of life. If we choose to stay where we are, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, we will likely experience some mental health problems (depression, anxiety, and more), but we will also not be adding to or advancing ourselves at the same time. While it is okay to love and accept yourself as you are, choosing to stay that way just because it's "good enough," is certainly not the best use of your life, if you ask me and Isa.

Another major energy that Isa covers is that of stillness, stasis, and waiting. Like anything that has been frozen, time doesn't seem to matter as much. It gives us time to think it over, wait until the time is right, and many other choices. In this regard, Isa, and stillness, aren't that bad! We use the energies of Isa, for instance, when we do shadow work, or step into the path of the Hermit for a time. These are very beneficial tools! But if we stay inside our dark spaces or lost in our minds for too long, we'll miss out on other great things.

When stasis becomes stagnation, Isa begins to be a bit of a detrimental energy. Change is a natural part of the world; it is why there are so many runes that contain the energy of change, and only little old Isa who asks that we stay the same. Sure, Isa pops up all over the place, breathing stagnation and stillness into every aspect of life in beneficial ways, but if it actually succeeds at stalling all change and progress, the effects are anything but good!

Like the cold, Isa can sometimes represent energy that is undesirable or unpleasant. Much like Hagalaz, the Storm, and both their real life representations, Isa can be a bit unpleasant to deal with, especially if we have not prepared ourselves for the chill that the harsh, unchanging realities of our lives often present us. Cold, however, is not always dangerous or detrimental, especially if the situation is heated! Sometimes, taking a time to let things go back to stillness is a good solution. Sometimes, however, cold is just cold - unpleasant, biting, and something to be survived.

The following spread is from my upcoming book, Runic Wisdom, which features divination spreads based on the energies of the Elder Futhark. It is called "Unified Inside," and asks how we can mend or repair ego imbalances to bring about inner harmony. If you use this spread, I'd love to see your results! Please tag #RunicWisdom or #RunicWisdomIsa on Instagram, or tag @rabbitandwolfdivination on the picture itself!