Fehu

The energy of Fehu is one of motion and vitality. Its most ancient meaning is ‘cattle’. In its oldest form the wealth of Fehu speaks of a nomadic humans following and tending the cattle rather than owning and exploiting them. Over time the meaning of Fehu evolved to represent other forms of wealth and, in particular, gold. Its negative aspects are those of possessiveness, jealousy and hoarding. Fehu is the ancient root of the modern letter ‘F’. If I know one thing about Fehu energy it is that it must be in motion. It must flow, it must have ‘currency’. Stagnant, still Fehu becomes the dragon hoarding gold that has become tainted through misuse and possessiveness. When partnered with Gebo Fehu reminds me of the concept of the ‘aethling’, an Old English term for a noble person whose duties included ensuring the distribution and flow of wealth to the people they were responsible for.

The colour most commonly associated with Fehu is light red. This is the traditional colour for the runes and so appropriate for the first rune in the Futhark. Red was almost universally the first colour named across human cultures; it is also the colour most easy to create with natural dyes. Fehu represents life force itself and for all these reasons it is strongly associated with blood.

It also has strong associations with other life-giving forces;for me it represents the wealth of the land and I find green and gold to be hugely powerful when working with this rune.

I consider Fehu to be one of the solar runes. The ultimate source of life is, after all, the Sun. The process of photosynthesis is to me, undoubtedly, one of the mysteries of Fehu.

Fehu is a sensual rune. Diana Paxon recommends the use of cinnamon oil for annointing purposes and I have found this particularly true for Fehu. Tracing the Fehu rune upon the body prior to a massage is an excellent way of connecting with the sensual energies of this warm and vitalising rune.

One of its most traditional patrons is the goddess Freya who presides over it both as a goddess of sensuality, beauty and abundance but also as the mistress of magic. Fehu is intimately connected with the mysteries of hamingja which is the force of luck and life possessed by living things. All skilled magical practitioners attract an abundance of hamingja and the Fehu rune is an excellent conduit for its force.

Old English Rune Poem: feoh meaning wealth.

Wealth is a comfort to any man
yet each person must share it out well
if he wants to win a good name before his lord
Translated by Pollington, Rudiments of Runelore

One of the under-sung heroes of the Fehu rune is Audhumla, the primordial cow. Born at the very beginning of creation she embodies the nurturing force that all life requires if it is to survive and thrive. Her giving is indiscriminate, she simply gives because that is her nature. The other rune of wealth, Othala, exists at the very end of the rune row. Its wealth relates to heritage, connection with homeland and wealth accrued over time by a group. It comes as a result of relationship, reward, exchange, structure and, in fact, the whole gamut of lessons the rest of the runes have taught us. Fehu is instinctive: a mother nurtures a child, the sun gives life, blood gives life.

Literal meanings: Cattle, wealth, gold

Rich meanings: Luck, disposable wealth, movement, magical power, circulation of blood, photosynthesis, redistribution, dynamism, enthusiasm, prosperity, strife, quarrels (the later two arising from jealousy and avarice).

When channelling the energy of Fehu remember the principle of flow and giving. Any form of avarice will corrupt its energy. An example here is the Fehu coin charging technique I teach. This is to attract wealth but the way it is done is by charging a coin with Fehu energy and then spending it/ donating it so you are contributing to the circulation of wealth. It may seem counter-intuitive but this act places you within the energy ‘circuit’ of Fehu. Equally, if you raise Fehu energy in your body to increase life force and hamingja, make sure you give some of it back to the earth, a plant or another being in need of nurturing. Cats, by the way, adore Fehu energy.

Whilst gold is well-known for its Fehu energy, amber is a lesser known correspondence but I think it is equally as powerful. This beautiful gem was treasured by the people’s of the north and is, of course, the very embodiment of the life force or ‘blood’ of the trees. Amber is a resin rather than a mineral and it has a special magical property: when you rub it, it builds an electric charge. I would highly recommend the use of amber charged with Fehu energy to anyone interested in healing work. It works wonderfully as a pendulum identifying blockages in energy and can also be used to build energy and boost natural healing processes.

Deepen your connection with Fehu

Journey with Fehu

Articles about Fehu

The 3 modes of power #3 empowering others

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Fehu: half month, birth rune, maker of heroes

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Learn about the mysteries of Fehu with the first video in my free journeys series

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Half month of Fehu 29th June-13th July

Things have been moving apace with my re-development of the Magin Rose website and I should really thank the Fehu rune. As a new cycle…

A lovely exploration of the role of women in Early English society. In particular the role of the ‘frith’ or ‘peace-weaver’ resonates with Fehu energy.

You can’t get much more Fehu than a juicy book on seidr and the way of the serpent.

Norse origins tales including the lovely Audhumla. Also keep your eye out for Gullveig who some authorities equate with Freyja. There’s a deep mystery associated with her which definitely has a Fehu resonance – well worth exploring.