A New Eruption
In the distance, the volcano rumbles
Sowing the seeds
Of your heritage
You sow the field of your destiny.
In the peace of a new day
You contemplate
The peaceful flock.
A promise of prosperity
The Volcano is the energy rising from the depths that burns, energizes, and vitalizes the earth. This energy is both dangerous and fertile. The seed contained within the grains represents the potential of this new cycle. It is important to sow in order to fulfill the Destiny that Fehu promises. Thus, the vision of the peaceful herd reinforces the validity of the commitment in the prospect of a richness that encompasses all parts of our Being,
Fehu consists of a vertical bar with two slanted lines on the right side. This configuration suggests an unfolding of the primal Fire, whose flames will warm the seeds. It also suggests a tree whose branches fill the framework of manifestation in a dynamic of unfolding.
Fire is here the primary energy, the chthonic Fire of the Volcano surging from the depths of our inner earth. This Fire represents quality, the quintessence that, through the gradual unfolding of the arms (our psychosomatic system), will generate quantity: this is the wealth traditionally attributed to this rune. Ice is the container of pre-existing capital, that which is in potential; Fire is the vital force, the energy that will allow this potential to become action.
It is by fertilizing the form, an emanation of Ice, that Fire will produce wealth. The challenge expressed by Fehu will therefore be a multiplication in the formal world that will not alter the initial message: here is the herd.
In Dagaz, the immense tree of Yggdrasil has become a seed, concentrating within itself the fiery quintessence of the past cycle and all the seeds of the destiny to come. Here we approach the first Aett, the Aett of Freyr, but we are not without resources: the legacy of the previous cycle stored in Othalaz is available, even if we do not yet fully grasp its richness; new potentials are in the making.
In Fehu, we become aware of the initial impulse—still confused but irresistible—that urges us to set out on the path toward the union of our personal and spiritual destinies through a profound perception of the presence within us of this seed.
We know that this impulse is beyond us, that we have no power over it, and at the same time that it is present within us as the engine that will lead us to the as-yet-unknown goal, the possibility of a realization, inextricably linked to the mystery of our origin and our end.
For now, sowing will be the work of energizing this energy, whose fire is contained within the seed, so that it may bring forth manifestation.
It is therefore up to us to set out on our journey, without haste or indolence, in search of the soil that will ensure the seed germinates properly, multiplying without losing its essence. At the start of this new cycle, there is no question of standing still or “freezing our assets.” Acting in this way will lead to decay, a loss of the profound value of who we are.
There is an element of risk in Fehu, which leads us to dare like an adventurer, for this is indeed an adventure. However, while the dynamic force of Fire drives us to grow, the conservative energy of Ice urges us to ensure we preserve the purity of our original intention. This first phase is crucial: we must remain aware of this impulse that arises within us without letting ourselves be carried away. It is important to maintain the inner direction toward which the two arms of the Rune point.
We must therefore prevent Ice from encasing Fire—which means settling this deep impulse into a “spiritual comfort”—or Fire from consuming Ice—which means yielding to an irrational impulse that ignores our limitations (the ice). The gradual integration of these two components and their final union will be the goal of this Futhark path.