Fehu Rune: Complete Guide to Meaning & Magic

BY NICOLE LAU

Introduction to Fehu (ᚠ)

Fehu is the first rune of the Elder Futhark alphabet and the opening symbol of Freya's Aett. As the primordial rune of wealth, abundance, and mobile prosperity, Fehu represents the fundamental life force that flows through all creation. This comprehensive guide explores every dimension of Fehu's meaning, magic, and practical application.

Rune Shape & Symbolism

The Fehu rune (ᚠ) resembles cattle horns reaching upward, a visual representation of its core meaning. The two ascending branches symbolize growth, expansion, and the upward movement of energy and resources. In ancient Germanic societies, cattle represented mobile wealth—assets that could move, reproduce, and generate ongoing value.

Pronunciation: "FAY-hoo" or "FEH-hoo"

Literal Meaning: Cattle, livestock, mobile wealth

Divinatory Meanings

Upright Position

When Fehu appears upright in a reading, it signals:

• Material Abundance: Financial gain, new income streams, prosperity entering your life
• Energy Flow: Vital life force, creative power, momentum building
• New Beginnings: Fresh starts in career, projects, or financial ventures
• Earned Success: Rewards from past efforts, harvest of your labor
• Generosity: The ability to share wealth and resources with others
• Fertility: Creative fertility, productive energy, growth potential

Reversed/Merkstave Position

Fehu reversed indicates:

• Financial Loss: Setbacks, delays in payment, resources blocked
• Stagnation: Energy not flowing, creative blocks, momentum lost
• Greed or Attachment: Unhealthy relationship with material possessions
• Waste: Resources squandered, poor financial decisions
• Poverty Consciousness: Scarcity mindset blocking abundance

Note: Some rune practitioners do not read reversed meanings, viewing all runes as having both light and shadow aspects within their upright position.

Magical Correspondences

Deities

• Freya: Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and wealth; leader of the Valkyries
• Freyr: God of fertility, prosperity, and abundance
• Njord: God of wealth from the sea, trade, and commerce

Element

Fire (primordial creative fire) and Earth (material manifestation)

Colors

• Gold (wealth, solar energy)
• Red (vital life force, passion)
• Green (growth, fertility, abundance)

Numbers

1 - As the first rune, Fehu embodies the number one: new beginnings, initiation, primal energy, and the spark of creation.

Astrological Associations

• Zodiac: Aries (initiating fire energy, new beginnings)
• Planetary: Venus (beauty, value, attraction) and Mars (vital energy, action)

Herbs & Plants

• Nettle (protection, prosperity)
• Basil (wealth attraction)
• Cinnamon (abundance, success)
• Bay laurel (victory, manifestation)

Crystals & Stones

• Citrine (merchant's stone, abundance)
• Pyrite (fool's gold, wealth attraction)
• Green aventurine (luck, prosperity)
• Tiger's eye (manifestation, grounding wealth)

Magical Uses & Applications

Wealth & Prosperity Magic

Fehu is the premier rune for all forms of abundance work:

• Carve on candles for money-drawing spells
• Draw on your wallet or cash register
• Include in prosperity sigils and bind runes
• Inscribe on business cards or financial documents
• Visualize during manifestation practices

Energy Work

Use Fehu to:

• Activate and circulate chi/prana/life force
• Boost vitality and physical energy
• Initiate new projects with powerful momentum
• Clear energetic blockages preventing flow

Creative Fertility

Fehu supports:

• Artistic projects and creative endeavors
• Business launches and entrepreneurial ventures
• Fertility magic (both literal and metaphorical)
• Bringing ideas from conception to manifestation

Working with Fehu Energy

Best Times to Work with Fehu

• Moon Phase: Waxing to Full Moon (growth, increase)
• Day of Week: Friday (Freya's day) or Tuesday (Mars energy)
• Season: Spring (new growth) or Summer (abundance)
• Time of Day: Sunrise (new beginnings) or Noon (peak energy)

Ethical Considerations

Fehu teaches that true wealth flows when we:

• Earn through honest effort and skill
• Share generously with our community
• Maintain healthy circulation rather than hoarding
• Value both material and spiritual abundance
• Respect the reciprocal nature of prosperity

Fehu in the Elder Futhark System

As the first rune of the first aett, Fehu holds a position of primacy. It represents the initial spark of creation, the first breath of life, and the foundational energy from which all other runes emerge. In the sequence of the Elder Futhark, Fehu begins the journey of manifestation—from pure potential into material form.

Fehu's placement in Freya's Aett connects it to themes of fertility, beauty, love, and the generative powers of the divine feminine. This first aett governs the realm of creation, growth, and the establishment of order from chaos.

Key Takeaways

• Fehu is the rune of mobile wealth, abundance, and vital life force
• It represents earned prosperity, not undeserved windfalls
• Fehu energy must flow and circulate to remain healthy
• This rune connects material and spiritual abundance
• Fehu initiates new cycles of growth and manifestation
• Work with Fehu for prosperity magic, energy activation, and creative fertility

Next Steps in Your Fehu Journey

This complete guide provides the foundation for understanding Fehu's meaning and magic. To deepen your practice, explore our companion articles:

• Fehu Rune in Practice: Wealth, Abundance & Manifestation - Practical exercises, meditations, and rituals
• Fehu Rune Deep Dive: Norse Mythology & Symbolism - Historical context, myths, and advanced applications

Begin your work with Fehu by simply meditating on its shape, tracing it with your finger, and feeling into the energy of flow, abundance, and vital life force it represents.