Ingwaz literally means seed or angel and is the rune of peace and harmony. The suffix –ing indicates an action verb of “doing” and is the process or power of creation, taking two forces and making a third force. Ingwaz is accumulated stored energy as a seed of thought gestates in the mind until an enzyme or catalyst is present to bring it to the surface of conscious realization. There is a transformational sacrifice involved to take it from one form to another. The Hanged Man card is a good example of such a concept and personifies Odin. Odin hung upside down for nine days to acquire the wisdom of the runes. In the lore, he actually died and came back to life for such an acquisition. The irony is that he sacrificed himself to himself for the seed of rebirth. Some die for the freedom of others. The old has to be replaced by the new because the new is avidly seeking its place and identifies with a completion with the prospects of new paths to follow. A time of change is at hand. The aspect of letting go of some things is required for this resurrection for the melding of the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual inner growth.
The art of weaving fiber is a profound metaphor for understanding the workings of the universe and our place in it that encapsulates the mysteries of life’s seeds of creations, weaving all into a complex whole. The weaving of life is a way of gaining understanding of our shared universe and your microcosmic world, and how humans are woven into the big and little picture of life. The unification of one from opposites is happening. Moira is the ancient goddess of fate and her counterpart Kronos, god of time. Her three daughters’ tasks personify the lives of humans Clotho spins our DNA into being; Lachesis weaves our fate by lot, chance or whims of the gods; and Atropos cuts the thread for the time of our death. These are an analogy to the three Norns of Norse mythology.
The weaving analogy goes further to indicate completion with all the loose ends being tied up for a time of relief and release to begin anew. Ingwaz can represent the weaving together of something called love. The Ing can also indicate a web of family ties and translates into “son of.”
The rune is a reminder to live in the present, here and now. Tao Master Lao Tzu said:
If you are depressed, you live in the past,
If you are anxious live in the future,
If you are at peace, you live in the present
A stranger or a new person might suddenly pop into your life bringing change. We are on this earth to have a human experience and give meaning to our life through our actions. Bad habits can be shed at this juncture of time. The season of spring, which this rune represents, brings new beginnings and growth and successful completion of old affairs bringing power of new over the old.
Keywords: Completion, Fertility, Harmony, Peace, Approval, Unification, Agreement, Cooperation, Seed, Gestation, Internal Growth, Regeneration, Sexuality, Love, Integration, Rest, Continuity
Associated Tarot Cards: Empress, Emperor, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Moon & 6 of Cups
Astrological Signs: Cancer & Scorpio
Planets: Moon & Venus
Norse Gods: Ing is another name for the god Freyr, which means Lord and is also known as Yngvi in Norse mythology, who is the ruler of peace and fertility, rain and sunshine and is the son of the sea and wind god, Njörd. He came from the sea to unite the Viking’s different tribes.
Other Spellings: Ingvas, Enguz, Iggus, Ingvarr, Ingwar, Ingo, Inguio & Yngvi
Pronunciation: Eeeng-wawz