Runecasting with the Giantess

Uruz is the second letter of the Elder Futhark. It represents the long U sound ("oo"), in this Proto-Germanic alphabet; in later futharks this sound becomes altered. In Old Norse it can sound like U, O, Y, and Œ. The shape may reflect the horns of the aurochs (an ancient and extinct bull, ox, or bison), or it could be a reversed Upsilon with its source in the Phonecian letter waw.

Uruz is attributed with different meanings in all three rune poems, which all refer to it as Úr. In Old English it represents the aurochs, in Norwegian it's dross or slag (once considered an element), and in the Icelandic rune poem it's water or rain.

As the second rune in the futhark, Uruz follows Fehu, which is the flow of wealth. Uruz is the summoning of your strengths to protect that wealth: not just to punch someone trying to take your money, but owning who and what you are, being proud of your talents and identity, and defending the space you rightfully own. It's useful to think of a bull in this context: he doesn't apologize for himself, and when someone steps into his territory, his response is unmistakable. At the same time, that courage can come at a cost. Charging headlong into an unknown situation, even when your cause is righteous, can result in unexpected outcomes. Yet Uruz pushes us to stand up, again and again, learn from what happened and grow with that experience.

And what about this confusion as to whether Uruz is a bull, dross, or a shower? These all represent the aspects of Uruz. The energy behind this rune is strength and confidence and self-determination. It represents the process of transformation, scraping away your old skin, growing stronger from bruises and broken bones. Think of the lonely shepherd stuck out in his field in a downpour, choosing to stand there unmoved in the deluge rather than sprinting for shelter. Uruz says "stand again." It says, "See what happens when I stop apologizing for my power."

To be clear, Uruz is not about kicking everything over, setting fire to everything, grabbing what you want and acting on your id. That's wrong, and it's not good for you. Uruz is about self-improvement and transformation. When a situation calls for courage, this is the force that motivates you to plunge ahead anyway because something important stands to be learned from the experience. Uruz brings our own confidence into the light, reminding us what we're capable of, what we've overcome in the past. This rune represents great power, endurance, and resilience. And sometimes the conflict we face also comes from within. Whenever you tell yourself "wait a second," Uruz says "no, we're doing this." When we hold ourselves down with shame or uncertainty, Uruz lifts our chin and makes us hold our head up—not out of arrogance but with confidence, knowing that we're here for a reason and we belong here as much as anyone else. Sometimes it's not about pushing forward, breaking barriers; sometimes Uruz is the strength needed to stand in place, immovable, not giving an inch to those who would keep us down … including our inner critic.

Every time you don't want to look into the mirror, face it.
When there's a conversation you don't want to have, start it.
And if someone asks something of you that you don't want to do, give a simple and clear "no."

Keywords: Vitality, Endurance, Transformation, Tenacity, Challenge, Courage