It is the fifteenth of the twenty-four runes of the magical Norse alphabet and the seventh of Heimdall’s aett.
Algiz (pronounced Al-ghiz) represents the sound “Z” or an intermediate sound between “Z” and “R” and the meaning of its name is “elk” or “stag”.
In the past, this rune was associated with Heimdall, the tutelary deity of the set, the god of crossroads and the guardian of entrances.
Heimdall is the permanent watchful warder, never asleep, the one who is able to hear even the grass growing and the leaves falling.
He is the god of protection and of any kind of tests.
Its shape is the representation of a man with his arms raised or a hand
with the fingers parted, but also a stylized tree or even the elk’s
horns.
The horns are the symbol of protection and ownership and the hand with the parted fingers is a sign as old as the world, encountered in most of the cultures, of protection against evil and negative influences.
The silhouette of the man with his arms raised towards the sky can be interpreted as a priest or oracle that is in direct connection with the afterlife, the guardian who knows everything that passes on each side of the Gate of Life.
In normal position, Algiz represents balance, wisdom, caution and protection.
It is a good rune when extracted, announcing a period of stability in the progress that has been made, but also a rune that warns about any possible oversights.
Depending on the asked question, Algiz’s protection and prudence can manifest in different forms.
Socially, it foretells the certainty of the obtained situation. Any asset earned through honest work is well deserved and the fruits of the labour contain within the seeds of success and future projects. We keep our function or position and we can breathe a sigh of relief if we had worries about this domain.
We are the beneficiaries of divine protection and we will continue to be, as long as we honour morality, rightness and practical wisdom.
Financially, this rune signifies the safety and the certainty of wellbeing. We are doing well and we should be satisfied with what we have.
Luxury is not a necessary condition for survival, nor happiness, it is just an illusion.
We mustn’t compare our financial situation with those who have more, so we don’t become jealous, nor with the ones who have less, so we don’t become proud. We must strictly relate to the necessities of our own lives and the place we are right now.
Erotically, the rune shows a good understanding between partners and the ideal dynamic in couple life.
The partners complement each other, they know each other’s needs, desires and expectations and they try to fulfil them in the most harmonious way possible.
One of the partners, most often the man, is more protective and he has the tendency to take care of his partner, while the woman fulfils the man’s need to protect.
In terms of health, this rune brings health, balance and serenity. In extremely rare cases, as life-threatening accidents or prolonged comas, this rune signifies the link between the one endangered with the afterlife.
It may be considered the rune of clinical deaths or extracorporeal experiences.
Other than that, Algiz is the sign of balanced health, with minor affections, without which we wouldn’t be human beings, as sparse migraines or passing colds. Vitality is at a good level: there are no major shortcomings in terms of energy supplies, nor overflows or bursts of energy with a sudden or unhealthy manifestation.
In reversed position, Algiz is always the sign of warning, the alarm signal that we should pay attention to.
Depending on the asked question, the danger that Alzir warns us about can manifest under different aspects.
Socially, reversed Algiz announces a precarious situation.
We are doing something wrong, we are somehow hurting the people around us, thus becoming vulnerable. Our position can change and adaptation problems are in sight.
We are not happy with the new changes, but they are a necessity that will make us see what we did wrong.
We must be extremely careful with the way we talk, think, act and behave, in order to not break the laws of decency.
We are at risk of losing the divine protection that we revelled in so far and we must reevaluate our actions in order to ask forgiveness in a concrete manner for the things we committed.
Financially, this rune shows loss or abatement. If until now we had a stroke of luck, we must be cautious in actions and wise in deeds, because what comes fast can disappear just as fast.
We must make life provisions, pay our overdue debts and, mainly, restrain from making new loans.
Any personal or bank credits and loans made under Algiz’s sign are discouraged because they will only lead to very unpleasant situations. As discouraged are ambitious projects, risky businesses and gambling games. During this period, we’ll only lose.
Erotically, this rune shows unfavourable circumstances, disputes and disagreement.
The couple doesn’t communicate very well, taboos, which one of the partners doesn’t want to address, to the detriment of the other partner, can occur in the relationship.
The communication, in this case, is affected and things become distant. The partners stop protecting each other, stop working on their relationship to please one another, they rather tend to their own needs and whims, at the cost of arguments and disagreements.
In terms of health, the rune can indicate a bad flow of vital energy in the whole body.
A medical examination is recommended in order to determine if something is wrong.
Our general tonus can be increased when our entire being is aligned with those around us, with nature and, not least, with the spiritual side.
Reversed Algiz is the classic sign of the estrangement from God, of rebellion and of forgetting the celestial and superhuman origin of the human spirit – the root of many diseases.