Fehu, the first rune, is the rune most closely associated with the goddess Freya.
The rune most closely associated with the Norse goddess Freya is Fehu, the very first rune of the Elder Futhark, a rune of wealth, abundance, love, and powerful feminine energy that reflects Freya's own domains. While there is no single rune literally named "Freya," Fehu is widely regarded as her rune, connected to her through its meanings of prosperity, desire, and the drawing of what one wants, and through the first group of eight runes, the first aett, which is often associated with Freya and the Vanir. The rune Berkano, the rune of birth, growth, and the feminine, is also linked to Freya's nurturing and life-giving aspects. This guide explains the Freya rune, the meaning of Fehu and its connection to the goddess, the other runes associated with Freya, and how to work with them, so you can understand and draw on the rune magic of this powerful goddess of love, war, and magic.
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Freya and the runes
Freya is one of the greatest and most beloved goddesses of Norse mythology, the goddess of love, beauty, war, death, and magic, and a figure of immense power and allure. She is the foremost of the Vanir, the goddess who taught the magic of seidr, a mistress of desire and fertility, a chooser of the slain who receives half of those who die in battle, and a deity of gold, wealth, and abundance, weeping tears of gold and treasuring the famous necklace Brisingamen. Given her connection to magic, wealth, love, and power, it is natural that Freya is associated with the runes, the sacred symbols of Norse wisdom and magic, and that seekers ask which rune is hers. The answer centers on Fehu, the first rune of the Elder Futhark. Although no rune bears the literal name "Freya," Fehu is widely regarded as the rune most closely tied to her, reflecting her domains of wealth, abundance, desire, and the drawing of what one wants. There is also a deeper structural connection: the twenty-four runes of the Elder Futhark are traditionally divided into three groups of eight, called aettir, and the first aett, which begins with Fehu, is often associated with Freya and the Vanir, sometimes called Freya's aett or Freyr's aett after these fertility and abundance deities. This links Freya not only to Fehu but to the whole first group of runes concerned with the foundations of life, wealth, and the material and social world. In addition, the rune Berkano, rune of birth, growth, and the feminine, is often connected to Freya's nurturing, life-giving, and feminine aspects. So while Fehu is the Freya rune above all, her rune associations extend to the first aett she is said to govern and to the feminine rune Berkano. To seek the Freya rune is to be led first and foremost to Fehu, the rune of wealth and desire that so fittingly reflects this powerful goddess.
Fehu, the Freya rune
Fehu is the first rune of the Elder Futhark, and the rune most closely and fittingly associated with Freya. Its very position, at the very start of the runic alphabet, gives it a foundational importance, and its meaning aligns beautifully with the goddess of love and gold. The name Fehu is connected to the old word for cattle, which in the ancient world was the very measure of wealth, and so Fehu is above all the rune of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. In the herding cultures that gave rise to the runes, cattle were movable, living, increasing wealth, and Fehu came to represent not just riches but the flowing, generative, increasing quality of abundance, wealth that grows, multiplies, and moves. This connects it directly to Freya as a goddess of gold, wealth, and abundance. But Fehu carries more than material meaning. It is a rune of desire, attraction, and the drawing of what one wants, of the life-force and generative power that creates and increases, and of the fulfillment of needs and wishes. These themes of desire, attraction, generative power, and fulfillment resonate deeply with Freya, the goddess of love, desire, and fertility, mistress of magic and of the drawing of what is wanted. Fehu is also associated with new beginnings, fitting for the first rune, and with the successful start of ventures and the energy to bring things into being. In its light, Fehu speaks of wealth won and enjoyed, abundance flowing, desires fulfilled, and generative power at work; it is a fortunate and powerful rune. Like all runes it has its shadow, warning against greed, loss, or wealth misused or clung to, but in essence Fehu is a rune of abundance, desire, and generative power, and it is easy to see why it is regarded as the rune of Freya, whose domains of love, gold, desire, and magic it so perfectly reflects. To work with Fehu is to work with the very energies the goddess embodies.
Fehu is the rune of wealth, desire, and generative power.
The meaning of Fehu
To work with the Freya rune, it helps to understand the full range of Fehu's meanings and how they are read. At its heart, Fehu means wealth, prosperity, and abundance, encompassing not only money and material riches but all forms of abundance, resources, and value, and especially the sense of wealth that flows, grows, and increases. In a reading or working, Fehu speaks of prosperity, financial gain, success, and the fulfillment of material needs and desires, often a favorable and fortunate sign where wealth and abundance are concerned. Beyond the material, Fehu carries the meaning of desire and attraction, the drawing toward oneself of what one wants and needs, whether wealth, love, or other goals, making it a rune of manifestation and of the magnetic power to attract. It signifies life-force, generative power, and creative energy, the vital force that creates, sustains, and increases, tied to fertility and the bringing forth of new life and new ventures. As the first rune, it also speaks of beginnings, the successful launching of undertakings, and the energy and resources to start well. When Fehu appears reversed or in a challenging position, it warns of the shadow side: loss, financial difficulty, greed, or the misuse or clinging to wealth, or of desires frustrated or resources drained, a reminder to steward abundance wisely and not to let wealth or desire become greed or attachment. In magical work, Fehu is used to draw wealth and prosperity, to attract what one desires, to increase and manifest, and to empower new beginnings. Its energy is generative, attracting, and increasing. Understood fully, Fehu is a rich and powerful rune of abundance in every sense, material wealth, desire fulfilled, generative life-force, and fortunate beginnings, all reflecting the abundance, desire, and magic of the goddess Freya. It is a rune to turn to whenever one seeks to draw prosperity, attract what one wants, or empower the generative, increasing energies of life. For the meanings of all the runes, see our full rune meanings guide.
Other runes linked to Freya
While Fehu is the Freya rune above all, several other runes are connected to the goddess through her domains and through the structure of the Futhark, and knowing them enriches one's rune work with Freya. The most important is the connection to the first aett, the first group of eight runes, which runs from Fehu through Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, and Wunjo, and which is traditionally associated with Freya and the Vanir, the gods of fertility, abundance, and the earth. This aett concerns the foundations of life, wealth, strength, wisdom, journeys, knowledge, gifts, and joy, and as the aett said to be governed by Freya and Freyr, all its runes carry something of their fertile, abundant, life-giving energy. Within this aett, Gebo, the rune of gifts, partnership, and exchange, is especially resonant with Freya's associations with love, union, and the giving and receiving between lovers, and Wunjo, the rune of joy and harmony, echoes the pleasure and delight she governs. Beyond the first aett, the rune Berkano, whose shape suggests a womb or breasts and whose meaning is birth, growth, fertility, nurturing, and the feminine, is often linked to Freya in her aspect as a goddess of fertility, femininity, and life-giving power; some see Berkano as a deeply goddess-associated rune, fitting for Freya's nurturing side. Some practitioners also connect Freya, in her aspects of magic and of the chooser of the slain, with runes touching on magic, mystery, and the boundary of life and death, though Fehu, the first aett, and Berkano are the core associations. Together, these runes map the domains of Freya across the Futhark: Fehu and the first aett for her abundance, desire, and life-giving power; Gebo and Wunjo for love, union, and joy; and Berkano for fertility and the feminine. Working with these runes, and above all with Fehu, connects one to the many-faceted energy of this great goddess of love, wealth, and magic.
When abundance will not flow
Working with Fehu and the runes of Freya to draw wealth, love, and abundance is a meaningful and empowering practice, and aligning yourself with these generative, attracting energies genuinely helps to open the way to prosperity and desire fulfilled. What rune work alone cannot always do is clear a heavy block that keeps abundance from flowing to you no matter how faithfully you work. If you draw Fehu, work with Freya's runes, and do all you can, yet wealth will not come, love stays out of reach, or abundance seems blocked at every turn, that block sometimes needs clearing at its root. An old tie, something sent against you, or a heaviness settled over your fortune can sit beneath the reach of rune magic and hold your abundance blocked. When that is the case, clearing it at the root lifts the weight, and afterward the wealth, love, and abundance that Fehu and Freya promise finally have an open road to flow to you, so the generative energy you have been calling on can reach your life at last.
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Open the road →How to work with the Freya rune
If you feel drawn to work with Fehu and the runes of Freya, there are many traditional and meaningful ways to do so. The first is to use Fehu in rune magic for its domains, drawing on it to attract wealth, prosperity, and abundance, to draw what you desire toward you, to empower new beginnings and ventures, and to increase and manifest. You might carve, draw, or inscribe Fehu on a candle, a charm, a piece of jewelry, or an object, holding your intention for abundance or attraction as you do; place it where its energy is wanted, such as where you keep money or work; or include it in a bind rune or sigil combining several runes for a purpose. The second is to meditate with Fehu, sitting with the rune, contemplating its meaning, and attuning to its generative, attracting energy, perhaps while calling on Freya. The third is to use Fehu in divination, drawing it or finding it in a reading as a sign concerning wealth, desire, and generative power, and reading its message. The fourth, for those drawn to devotion, is to honor Freya alongside the rune, incorporating Fehu into offerings, altars, or workings dedicated to the goddess, uniting the rune with the deity whose energy it reflects, and calling on Freya for love, abundance, magic, or desire fulfilled. You might also work with the other runes of Freya, Gebo for love and union, Wunjo for joy, Berkano for fertility and the feminine, and the first aett as a whole, according to your need. As always in rune work, approach with respect and clear intention, for the runes are sacred and powerful symbols, and let your intention guide and empower your work. Whether used in magic, meditation, divination, or devotion, Fehu and the runes of Freya offer a rich way to connect with the abundant, loving, magical energy of one of the greatest of the Norse goddesses, and to draw her gifts of wealth, love, desire, and generative power into your life.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Freya rune?
The rune most closely associated with Freya is Fehu, the first rune of the Elder Futhark, a rune of wealth, abundance, desire, and generative power that reflects Freya's domains of love, gold, and magic. There is no rune literally named Freya, but Fehu is regarded as hers.
Why is Fehu associated with Freya?
Fehu means wealth, abundance, desire, and generative power, which align with Freya as a goddess of gold, love, desire, and magic. The first aett of runes, beginning with Fehu, is also traditionally associated with Freya and the Vanir, deepening the connection.
What does the Fehu rune mean?
Fehu means wealth, prosperity, and abundance, especially wealth that flows and increases. It also signifies desire, attraction, generative life-force, and new beginnings. Reversed, it warns of loss, greed, or the misuse of wealth. It is used to draw prosperity and attract what one wants.
What other runes are connected to Freya?
Besides Fehu, the whole first aett of runes is associated with Freya and the Vanir. Gebo, the rune of gifts and partnership, resonates with her love aspect, Wunjo with joy, and Berkano, the rune of birth and the feminine, is linked to her fertility and nurturing power.
How do you use the Fehu rune?
Use Fehu to draw wealth, prosperity, and desire, by carving or drawing it on candles, charms, or objects with intention, meditating with it, using it in divination, or including it in offerings to Freya. Work with respect and clear intention for abundance and attraction.
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