Sowilo

Sowilo is the Sun, the goddess Sol. The sun is a universal symbol for success, triumph and light. Its shining rays are what bring life to the earth, motivation into our days and joy into our hearts. The glow of Sowilo will be what drives you to victory over your circumstances. Sowilo often appears on bright sunny days and with the joyful feelings that come with them.

Sowilo represents the last rune in Heimdall’s aett, which can be seen as the most difficult sequence of runes. Heimdall’s aett is a journey that takes us inwards, it removes us from the external, shakes our reality and makes us leave our safety to challenge and renew ourselves. Sowilo is the reward for the long and difficult journey we have made, that began at Hagalaz when our community and safety was pulled out from underneath of us. We have now found security and joy within ourselves as individuals. This separates it from the joy in the collective community of Wunjo, which was the reward at the end of Freya’s aett.

In Sowilo, we have now found security and joy within ourselves as individuals

Sowilo is the part of the journey where the hero has experienced death in Eihwaz and is in the midst of his rebirth. After connecting with the gods and ourselves in the previous rune of Algiz we now find we have the tools within ourselves to go forth into the world and conquer the giants. The hero sees himself in his full light. It is the second trimester of pregnancy, where the mother is glowing and joyful and everyone is happy for the new family’s success.

This rune I see as being connected to Baldur, the son of Odin who was said to be the shining one. Everyone loved Baldur, every plant, god and animal were in love with him. He was kind and charming as well as intelligent and he brought joy to Asgard. I also see a strong connection between Baldur and his bright shininess and the heart centered Sephira of Tephirath in Qabbalah that is related to the sun and shining your light.

But the sun itself was the goddess Sol, a feminine energy. In Raidho we were introduced to her, as Raidho is the rune of the sun’s path. Sowilo is the rune of the sun itself, and its radiant energy. The goddess Sol was made of fire, of a spark of Muspelheim during the creation of the world. Norse paganism is one of the few spiritual paths in which the sun is represented as female and the moon as being male. This is a reflection of the importance of women in their power in Nordic tradition, for at the time women had more control over money and the household than other European cultures. Norse women also went to battle alongside men, and analysis of the bones left behind after battle has shown that almost as many women as men wielded spears and swords. These shield-maidens were as fierce and strong as their male counterparts, who as the represented by the male moon, born of the ice of Niflheim, were more regarded as being calm and supportive.

There is a common bindrune of Sowilo that consists of two of this rune offset together to make not one ray, but the solar wheel. This is known as the Swastika, and is a very powerful rune for victory, not just in war but on an individual level also. The symbol was seen in many early European and Asian cultures and was widely and commonly used for many reasons. It is highly unfortunate that this rune was used by the German Nazi party during their time of power, as a way to try to conquer over others in a way that was far from wholesome. This should be used as a warning, for those who try to fly to close to the sun will be burned. This rune is powerful but you must use it in moderation, and for the right reasons.

There is no merkstave version of Sowilo. The singular ray itself has no way it can go wrong. Success, power, victory, inner light and a place of power are all there. Enjoy your day, enjoy life, have no worries in this moment.