Ingwaz, Ing: Seeds and things👀
Ingwaz, -, Ing
ᛜ, ᛝ
The great seed of Freyr
God of crops and Growing Hearth
The homes all prosper
Pronunciation: Ingwaz: EENG-was, Ing: EEng
Literal Translation: Ing, Freyr
Sound: Ng, Ing,
Magical Correspondences: Fertility, Family, Invoking Freyr, Harvest, Seeds, Anew, Sexuality
Divination Meaning Upright: The appearance of Ingwaz or Ing in a pull or cast makes it clear that an important stage in one’s life has come to an end. This may mean that we are faced with equally important decisions, that we are about to reach a goal after long efforts, or that the right direction is now clearly seen. In any case, a feeling of inner well-being is being experienced, no doubt the result of these upcoming changes.
Ingwaz and Ing’s advice is this: if you want to break the daily routine without delay, introduce new activities and, above all, introduce new interests that make you feel alive and stimulate your creativity (it may be useful to visit artisan workshops, attend conferences, walk in the countryside, or be with friends or family). The curiosity to know and discover new things will be an ally, as it will stimulate your receptivity, making you feel ready to welcome changes. This attitude will open up novelties that will enrich your life in every respect, especially as regards spirituality.
There is no “standard” reverse interpretation, but as you progress in your path you may find that it shows you a reversal of imagery or negative language. Allow the context of the reading and the revelations of the runes to lead the way.
Delving into the Runes: Ingwaz and Ing are symbolic of the great seed, the Runes of Freyr and his much older cognate, Yngvi. Freyr, brother to Freya, is a god of the Vanir tribe and in my eyes their leader, as he was/is the ruler of Alfheim and was often appealed to by the ancient Norse for abundant crops and prosperity. Ingwaz and Ing historically represent the phallic energy found in the seed of the land, and of semen, and the correlation between the growth of the land and the growth of family. Both Runes are still cherished as great Runes of fertility. Statues have been often found of Freyr with a great phallus, which made the obvious connection to fertility quite easy.
Ingwaz and Ing represent the very principles of sexuality, fertility, and expansive growth. As we can see from the very shape of the Runes, one form appears very much like a seed, and the other like a DNA helix. Interestingly, they may be considered the counterpart of the fertile Berkana rune, and the two Runes could possibly “slide” into one another, creating a union. Both represent the ancestral line as well, or bloodline. It is the great seed that gets passed down to us, and the one that we pass along to future generations.
To the Ancient Norse, we were all products of our family and ancestors, and our descendants were products of our lives. This is especially seen in the concept of orlog, a type of fate that is the result of a person’s luck, but also that of a family. As described previously, the Norns are said to weave a person’s orlog when they are born, and though it’s new to each individual, it is also woven from the threads that have come before us from our ancestors.
These are empowering Runes. Just like Berkana can be said to represent the energy of the birth giver, these represent those who bring forth the seed to be planted. We know from references in the lore that Freyr is a grain god. Grain is grown and harvested, and then the seeds are planted to ensure the continual growth of grain. In this way, we can see Ingwaz and Ing both as the seed that is passed from generation to generation to ensure the successful continuation of a family line. Ingwaz is also known by the names Ing, or Yngvi, a great god known to be another name for Freyr. Ing came to be known as an ancestral god, or the Great Ancestor.