RUNE MEANING

Eihwaz rune meaning

ᛇ · Yew, Axis Mundi

Eihwaz is the vertical axis of the world, Yggdrasil. It joins the realms of sky and earth. It holds the mystery of life and death and of mystical initiation.

Endurance
Protection
Life/Death
Initiation

Sound: ei
Aett: Aett of Heimdall
Element: Earth
Position: Symmetrical: no reversed position

In the Rune Poem

The yew is a rough-barked tree: held fast in the earth by its roots, keeper of the fire, a joy to those with roots of their own.
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (10th c.)

Reversed (merkstave)

Eihwaz is symmetrical: the glyph reads the same upside down, so there is no reversed position in a real cast. Its tension shows through neighbouring runes.

In a spread

In the past: A crossing between worlds — grief, a deep ending, a painful initiation — planted the yew of this story. You have already died a little to be here, and that is strength.
In the present: You stand at the axis between what dies and what is born: a liminal moment of deep root and long gaze. The yew fears no winter — its wood makes the finest bow.
In the future: It announces a transformation of the depths: a necessary end that is also a passage. What seems loss will be, seen from the other side, initiation.
As advice: Root yourself so you can cross: grounding practices, radical honesty about what has ended, and one firm step at a time. The yew teaches: flexible in the branch, unshakable at the root.

The aett

Eihwaz belongs to the aett of Heimdall, the keeper of the bridge — the forces of fate and of the trials that come from outside and temper character.

Galdr (chant)

eihwaz eihwaz eihwaz / e e e e e e e e e

Frequently asked questions

What does the rune Eihwaz mean?

Eihwaz (ᛇ) means Yew, Axis Mundi. Eihwaz is the vertical axis of the world, Yggdrasil. It joins the realms of sky and earth. It holds the mystery of life and death and of mystical initiation.

What does Eihwaz mean reversed?