mandag, august 15, 2005
I
I wait
and the mystery within
is contained and revealed
Names - ISA - ice, EIS - ice, IS - ice, ISS - icePronunciations - "ee sa" "iess"
Phonetic Value - "I"
Symbolism - Ice
Keywords - Stagnation
Isa is an "elemental" rune and a direct reference to the element of water in it's frozen state, or ice. It's form (the single vertical stave) can be seen in nearly all of the other runes and is meant to symbolically represent an icicle.
This particular rune presents one of the easiest pictographic representations and we have yet to meet anyone who cannot see the image of an icicle in this rune.
Phonetically this rune is also easily transferred through the ages with meaning still intact, "ice" and "Is" have managed to retain root meanings despite the many other changes in human languages throughout the eons. This is not often the case with many of the other root meanings of the runes.
Isa is associated with the rhime-giants, the Hrimthursar and the wisdom of age. Ice can be considered "static" as many do, however, ice whether one is speaking of the rune or of actual ice, is a mysterious and surprisingly fluid substance.
The shaping power of Isa is reflected in the mythos of Audhumla, the primal cow who formed the world by licking the melted ice of creation to create the world, which brings dynamic, formative overtones to this rune as a shaping force.
This is the primal ice, the icy stream (or glacier) that flows from Niflheimr. This glacial image should also convey the power of Isa to shape other things the way a receding glacier can shape the canyon walls as well as the ability of Isa to be formed into different shapes due to the influence of other things.
Isa can bring things to a halt, or place something in suspension. But, the mysterious flow of the glacier is also inherent in Isa as it is related to the primal stream. Ice can also be an expansive force or one that crushes anything caught in its grasp.
Ice can provide a bridge over an expanse of dark water or a dangerous trap, this is also true of Isa which can be used to provide pathways out of or over otherwise unnavigable circumstances. It is self-contained, and as such has the power of control and constraint.
Magically, Isa has the power to suspend or destroy, but it also holds the power of preservation. Workings with Isa can run the gamut from protection, to banishment, to providing pathways which would otherwise be unavailable without the magical power of Isa to make solid footing from fluid substances.
Because Isa is representative of a temporary elemental state it cannot be expected to remain unchanged forever. Indeed, ice can break up at very surprising and unexpected times resulting in sudden danger. For this reason it should be used cautiously.
In divination it can represent any of the following forces
ISA UPRIGHT:Challenge, creation, frustration, suspension, preservation, standstill, delay, reinforcement, force, destruction, clarity
ISA MERKSTAVE (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Dullness, blindness, dissipation, treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile, stealth, ambush, plots.
// posted by Redaktør @ 8:51 AM 
