Seeing Rune Symbols, Signs in Dreams

Recently a three-leg scratch mark appeared, in a dream, on the arm of a man. He pointed out the importance of this symbol in an obvious way. Upon waking up, curiosity led to the internet, searching for a hint as to what it might mean. With no word to search, the results were disappointing. Strange symbols that appear in dreams are lovely starting places if you like to solve mysteries.

Life, like dreams, will present opportunities spontaneously. If you can keep open while you move through the day, you will find anything you seek. I noticed a rune in a random image that matched the three-leg scratch symbol and so learned of the existence of the Elder Futhark runes. This is an ancient written language with a small set of letters like our English alphabet.

The three-leg scratch mark of my dream was a match to one of the letters. Specifically, the letter is called the Elhaz rune or Algiz. As it turns out, there are many names for the runes and meanings so that each letter is like a word itself.

What is fun about a symbol is that it can flip around and remain recognizable. If you are learning to read visual languages, the runes are an excellent middle ground between the alphabets of today and visual symbols. The runes are letters, sounds, and images. Runes for Beginners is a great introduction book with history and interpretations.

One method for rune interpretation is to create a sentence or what they call a ‘script’ by combining two or more runes. Another is called a ‘bind’ where you layer the letters into a unique design. For this example, of a script, I used my second dream. My dreaming psyche presented two or three more runes straightforwardly. The second dream went something like this:

A clear sign that says, feel the way. Trying to design a sign but time and materials are limited in the end it is kind of like a date as the hours are late. We choose a horse and the u shape as the symbols to go along with the title. Something that starts with a s.
– February 19

There is a u shaped rune, and there is a rune that means horse (in the book I’m using). Interestingly, in the Norwegian poem, the Elhaz rune is repeated with a different meaning at the end. With rune magic, like writing and reading, so much of the power is in your participation. Drawing, carving, and speaking them into being is important. The drawing below shows a script and bind version of these three runes. (Note that the first and last runes appeared upside down in my dream, but I’ve made the symbols upright in the written sample below.)

So what does it all mean? What resonates most for me is the message to trust intuition, build strength, and embrace the changes. Changes are happening in the environment and also in my personal life, as I will celebrate a birthday this Sunday. Below are some meanings and interpretations as affirmations for you to contemplate.

The first rune, Elhaz, is representative of the elk, a protective animal with antlers that reach up to the sky and connect to higher intuitive knowing. The second rune, Ehwass, is the horse and a quick-moving means of travel. Its message is one of faith and the bond between a horse and a rider. The third rune, Ur, is the ox and represents the brute strength. Its message is of raw power and momentum.

The feeling is fast, act instinctively, and stay protected.
Trust the bonds of companionship, embrace changing patterns.
Harness nature’s raw power, catch the waves to new destinations..

There are three ancient poems that use the runes. Because of my family heritage, I have chosen to include a translation of the Norwegian one below. I got it from Wikipedia, and you can view them all here.