The Thurisaz rune

Sound «Т (глухое)», image: thorn, giant.

Meaning of the Thurisaz rune

Thorn and giant at once: a defence that pricks and a force that threatens. Thurisaz is the clash, the blow that can shield you just as easily as it can wound you. Something sharp is in play, and it cuts in both directions. Move carefully here, and be sure of what you are aiming at before you strike.

Thurisaz reversed

The defence did not hold: you are left exposed, a bad influence gets in, haste works against you. The thorn turned on the hand that was holding it. This is the rune asking whether your own protection has become the thing that hurts you. Put the sharp thing down before you answer anyone.

Thurisaz in a spread

If it comes up upright, read it by the meaning above. If it falls upside down, read the reversed meaning: the rune's force goes backwards or turns harmful. A single rune gives you the leaning, and for an answer with a thread through it you draw three: what is behind, what is now, what comes ahead.

Thurisaz as a talisman

Thurisaz is a thorned charm, the kind that protects by attacking. It is taken to turn away another person's malice, to set a barrier before someone who wrongs you, and to send a blow back to whoever threw it. It draws the nerve to stand your ground. Worn in a time of dispute, kept out of sight, and handled with care, since the thorn pricks its owner too.

FAQ

Is the Thurisaz rune a good sign or a bad one?

Runes do not split into good ones and bad ones. Thurisaz speaks of thorn, giant, and in a spread it hints at where the force is leaning. It is no final sentence, and a lot depends on which runes fall beside it.

What does the Thurisaz rune mean reversed?

When Thurisaz falls upside down its force turns around and either goes backwards or does harm. The reversed meaning is spelled out above.

Which aett does Thurisaz belong to?

The aett of Freyr, one of the three groups of the Elder Futhark, eight runes each. The aett tells you which octave the rune sits in and which runes it neighbours.

The rune said its piece in short. The arcana tell it more slowly.

✦ The Major Arcana