The Rune Series: PERTHRO (Unknown)
The primordial Rune of the Void
The Runes of this series belong to the Elder Futhark, one of the oldest alphabets in recorded history. Each Rune has endless interpretations and deep meanings; while their origin and/or intent is lost to history, most interpretations come from the ‘Rune Poems’, possibly written around the 8th century. This series will explore the Runes through a personal journey and interpretation of them, alongside knowledge collected from written works, such as ‘The Book of Runes’ (R.Blum, 1982), and the intricately crafted website ‘Runesecrets.com’ by Tyrael.
Greetings Dear Reader,
Welcome back to the Rune Series where we explore the ancient Runes through a psychological, practical, spiritual and philosophical lens.
You can check out the rest of this series below:
To better represent its meaning artistically I inverted the colours and made it stand out among all the other ones in the series.
The Origin of all Creation
PERTHRO, also known as Peorð, is the most mysterious of all Runes. It may point to destiny (or the concept of ‘wyrd’), the Norns, cosmic secrets, the origin of the Runes themselves and the void out of which all creation arises.
Rune Series 14/24
Second Aett: Perthro
Meaning: Unknown
Associated English letter: P
In Runic divination this is known as the blank Rune, indicating the prevalence of the unknown. Its literal meaning is lost to history but there’s a few very fascinating connections we can make between this Rune and its previous companion EIHWAZ, as well as the shape it has and the lore that surrounds it.
Weird WYRD
The word ‘wyrd’ seems to be the ancestor to our English modern adjective of ‘weird’, meaning something uncanny and unusual with a negative connotation. Its meaning may be that of ‘Fate’ or destiny because of its association with Urðr (literal translation is ‘Fate’), the name attributed to one of the three Norns.
The three Norns are the fascinating equivalent of the Greek Fates/Moirai, meaning they are three sisters that spin the threads of fate and hold in their hands the literal destinies of not only mortals but the Gods too. They’re known as Verdandi, Skuld and Urd (Urðr). According to the Voluspa, the Norns are located somewhere beneath the roots of Yggdrasil near a well which they use to nourish the tree and prevent it from dying. You can imagine how important their task is since Yggdrasil literally holds the entire cosmic structure in its branches, including our world.
But what is this well and where does it come from? If EIHWAZ represents the straight tree trunk of Yggdrasil then it makes sense for PERHTRO to be pointing us to the well of Urðr and its sacred, life-giving waters. This could very well be the same waters in which Odin glimpsed the Runes.
The idea of ‘Fate’ has sometimes been misinterpreted as the absence of ‘free will’, and the idea of free will often points to the Ego-self having supreme control over the consequences of its own actions. And yet anyone who has lived a moderate amount of time as a human probably already knows that this is false. Trying to control the outcome of action often leads to disappointment, while the rare occasions when the outcome of direction matches expectation only leads to short-lived satisfaction.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it Fate.” –Carl Jung.
Besides, if the Runes have taught us something in this journey is that human life is constantly pushed around by cosmic, unconscious, emotional, psychological and invisible forces entirely outside of our control. The idea of Wyrd however, invites us to consider that none of these forces are random or chaotic, but there is a direction. One that is known only by the Norns, representing the past, present and future.
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Ginnungagap
Another fascinating concept that I think perfectly relates to Perthro, is the idea of the primeval cosmic maw, the yawning void of Ginnungagap. As we’ve already explored it a little through FEHU, this void is the first thing to exist and could be likened to the Greek mythological concept of ‘Khaos’ (also meaning ‘gap’ - More on this Here).
Given our exploration of Ragnarök through JERA, we could assume that the emergence of Yggdrasil out of the Void alongside the forces of order (the Gods) and destruction (the Giants) is a cyclical affair. This is the natural rhythm and all things will return back to Ginnungagap at the end of time. This, despite the deviations and distractions along the way, is the Wyrd/Fate of all things.
Independent researcher Arith Härger has a fascinating video on it Here.
The idea of the Void is also part of Buddhism and its realisation of ‘emptiness’ or Śūnyatā. There is, paradoxically, a lot to say about this concept because there are many schools of Buddhism, not to mention Jainism, Vedanta and Hinduism that refer to it. This is a complex and confusing topic to discuss and one that is also quite frightening to our collective Ego. Dr.Hawkins elaborates a little on it in his journey across very advanced states of consciousness:
“As it unfolds, it is ineffable, infinite, timeless, Oneness, all encompassing, still, silent, unmoving and strangely inclusive of the ‘awareness of nonawareness’ that precludes even beingness or existence. This state is definetely and experientially, without question, beyond duality. There is neither subject nor object; there is nothing left to surrender and no one left to surrender; thus, it indeed seems to be the ultimate state of Enlightenment itself.”
(D.R.Hawkins, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness, 2015, Hayhouse)
How to use PERTHRO
Frankly, I have no idea.
It’s likely that this Rune points to very advanced states of consciousness, where there isn’t really anyone left to use, be or do anything. If my understanding of Enlightenment amounts to anything (and it probably doesn’t), it is a state in which there is the realisation that there never is and never was a ‘self’ to become enlightened. Where the idea of the ‘I’ collapses and is seen to be an illusion.
What tree grows out of this realisation is anyone’s guess. Perhaps only time can tell.
Blessings,
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