Straif/ Blackthorn (Third Aicme)
Straif/ Blackthorn
᚛ᚎ᚜
Battles rage,
as pain and anger.
flame out of hand,
do you suppress or fan?
Pronunciation: STRAHF
Sound Value: Z
Tree(s): Blackthorn
Keywords:
necessity, inevitable change, resilience through hardship, discipline, sacrifice
Kennings:
Morann mac Main: “Careful effort, strongest of red”
Word Ogham of Cu Chulainn: “Mist of an arrow, that is, smoke rising from a fire”.
Elemental attribution: Water
Calendar attribution:
None
Secrets of the Fid:
Straif is a Fid, deeply rooted in pain, injury, and damage; qualities that give reasoning to why we craft shillelaghs from this tree. When Straif appears in a cast or pull, it signals that you have faced or may soon face a difficult, testing challenge; much like Thorn from the Futhorc. Straif evokes imagery of swords, spears, and arrows: all weapons of war and compels us to reflect on the significance of this Fid in our lives and the battles we encounter daily
Straif touches on both the pain of receiving harm and the power of inflicting it. When anger or frustration rises because something clashes with your values or expectations, you stand at a crossroads. You might surrender to that anger and act impulsively, risking unintentional alignment with the very things you despise. Or you might try to suppress those feelings, hoping to avoid conflict, only to find that internal stress or depression begins to build. But there’s a deeper, more meaningful path; one where you harness your anger as a catalyst for growth. By channeling that fire, you can transform pain into strength, forging resilience and rising above adversity. Ultimately, Straif has the potential to either diminish us or fortify us, how will you respond?
Divinatory meanings upright:
Necessity and inevitability; the hard realities of life; something that cannot be changed; the results of one’s own actions; the influence of fate.
Divinatory meanings reversed:
Pain, difficulty, retribution, unavoidable suffering; a difficult path that must be taken; every choice leads to unhappiness.