Rune 13 of 24 · Heimdall's Ætt
Eihwaz
Yew tree, life and death
Sound/ei/
Unicodeᛇ
ElementAll
DeityUllr / Odin
endurancedeath & rebirthprotectionaxis
Upright
The yew lives for thousands of years and grows in graveyards. Resilience, the axis between worlds, and protection.
Merkstave · reversed
No true merkstave. In a hard spread: confusion, fear of change.
Magical uses
- Ancestor work
- Protection over long periods
- Spirit travel and trance
How to draw & carve it
- Stroke 1: the main stave, top to bottom.
- Stroke 2: from top going right, in one line.
- Stroke 3: from bottom going left, in one line.
- Carve or draw with intent: say the rune's name out loud as you finish the last stroke. On wood or a candle, colour the grooves red (ochre, paint, or traditionally a drop of your own blood; red paint works just as well).
Try it tonight. Draw Eihwaz on a slip of paper with a red pen, hold it while you breathe slowly nine times, and write one sentence about where endurance needs to show up in your life. Keep it under your pillow or on your altar for a moon cycle.
The Sunday Pull
Get Eihwaz in your Sunday pull.
One rune pull for the week ahead, a moon forecast, and a two-minute ritual. Free, forever.
