Laguz (ᛚ)
Rune Name: Laguz (also Lagu, Laukaz, Logr) Pronunciation: LAH-gooz / LAH-wuz Literal Meaning: Water / Lake / Sea / Fluidity Core Concepts: Water, flow, intuition, emotions, subconscious, dreams, the unknown, life force, healing, adaptability, deep feeling, mystery, the feminine deep, primal waters
Position in the Rune Row: 21st rune of the Elder Futhark (Elder Futhark has 24 runes) Phonetic Value: l (voiced alveolar lateral approximant)
Traditional Rune Poem (Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem – for “Lagu”):
Lagu byþ leodum lǣngsum þēaw, gif hīe sculon on wætere wēorpan, and hīe on þǣm flōde fēran ne magon.
Translation (approximate):
The sea is to people a long-standing delight, if they are to venture upon the water, and the waves frighten them greatly, yet the ocean holds the brave seafarer.
Modern Keywords & Themes Water • Flow • Intuition • Subconscious • Dreams • Emotions • Healing • Adaptability • Mystery • The unknown deep • Primal feminine • Life force • Fluidity • Deep feeling • Psychic receptivity • Surrender to the current
Key Divinatory Meanings
Upright / Direct
- Flow with what is happening — resistance causes struggle
- Deep intuition or subconscious message is surfacing
- Emotional healing, cleansing, or release is taking place
- Dreams, visions, or psychic impressions are strong right now
- Time to be receptive, adaptable, and go with the current
- Healing waters — physical, emotional, or spiritual renewal
- The unknown holds both danger and treasure — trust the flow
- “The river moves. You cannot stop it. Learn to swim with it.”
Reversed / Merkstave / Shadow
- Blocked flow, emotional stagnation, or suppressed feelings
- Fear of the unknown / subconscious / deep emotions
- Drowning in feelings — overwhelmed, lost in chaos
- Ignoring intuition / gut warnings
- Toxic waters — deception, illusion, or emotional manipulation
- Resistance to necessary change or emotional release
- Leaking energy / emotional drain / inability to contain feelings
Magical & Ritual Uses
- Intuition & psychic work
- Core rune for dream work, scrying, seidr, channeling, or trance - Place Laguz under pillow for prophetic or healing dreams - Use with Kenaz for illuminated intuition
- Emotional healing & release
- Excellent for water rituals, baths, or emotional cleansing - Combine with Berkano for gentle emotional rebirth
- Flow & adaptability magic
- Invoke Laguz when needing to go with the flow or adapt quickly - Use in spells for smooth transitions or emotional flexibility
- Fertility & life force
- Laguz + Ingwaz = fertile flow, life force in motion - Use in rituals for creativity, conception, or energetic renewal
- Protection through flow
- Laguz + Algiz = protected emotional flow, safe intuition - Use to wash away negativity or psychic debris
Common Bindrunes & Combinations
- Laguz + Kenaz = inspired intuition, illuminated flow
- Laguz + Berkano = gentle emotional rebirth, nurturing waters
- Laguz + Ingwaz = fertile flow, life force in motion
- Laguz + Perthro = hidden mysteries revealed through intuition
- Laguz + Isa = frozen emotions / blocked flow (use to diagnose stagnation)
Practical Magical Applications
- Draw Laguz on bottles of water before drinking for emotional clarity
- Whisper Laguz into bathwater for cleansing and renewal
- Place under pillow for dream work or emotional healing sleep
- Use as sigil on journals, art, or creative tools for flowing inspiration
- Meditate with Laguz visualized at the sacral or heart for emotional flow
Cautionary Notes Laguz is water — it flows, but it can also drown. It asks you to feel deeply and trust the current. Suppressed emotions or fear of the subconscious can make Laguz feel overwhelming or chaotic. Many practitioners experience strong dreams, emotional releases, or intuitive floods when working deeply with this rune. Pair with grounding runes (Eihwaz, Othala) if the waters become too turbulent.
Traditional Rune Poem (Old English Rune Poem – Lagu)
Lagu byþ leodum lǣngsum þēaw, gif hīe sculon on wætere wēorpan, and hīe on þǣm flōde fēran ne magon.
(The poem describes the sea as a long-standing delight for people — yet the waves frighten those who venture upon it — a symbol of beauty and danger in emotional/spiritual depths.)