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NYD
The tenth rune is called Nyd or Not. The form of the run represents the two baulks of wood used for making the magical needfire in times of famine and pestilence. It has the literal meaning of need. This means bothe absence or scarcity of something, and 'necessity'. Need is constraint, and magically it refers to binding, the 'tight band across the chest' of the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem. But the idea within the Nyd rune is that the power to release one from need is found within the need itself. Magically, the use of Nyd calls for caution, and the old adage 'know thyself' is particularly applicable to this rune. In using it, we must not attempt to strive against our Wyrd, but should use it in a constructive manner. It main use in magic is for defensive binding spells, preventing magical attack and disempowering opponents. Nyd's element is fire, and it ruling divinities are the goddess Nott and Skuld, the Norn of the future. Its magic trees are the Rowan and the Beech. In German tradition, the Beech is one of the most important trees for making rune slivers, whose name is to be the origin of the word 'book'. The herb of the Nyd rune is the Snakerook or Bistort. Its sound is'N' and its polarity is female.
IS
The eleventh rune is Is. Its shape is an icicle, vertical and fixed. It represents static existance, the present time, and the element Ice. Is is the third 'binding rune' in the second aett. Magically, IS is primarily a rune of stopping activity. Ice is the result of a change in state from liquid to solid. It comes from energy loss. Static resistance replaces fluidity. The Is rune is the polar opposite of the rune Ken. It corresponds with the Gothic letter Iiz, destiny.
Magically, IS should not be underestimated. It does not only refer to motionlessness. As well as being static, ice can move. When it does, as in a glacier, it does so with irresistible force. Also, when it is in the form of an iceberg, the depth of floating ices is deceptive, for we can see only one ninth of the true mass above the surface. When the Is rune is used magically, although the result may seem small scale, it will contain unsuspected depths. Magically Is can be used to delay or halt the progress of something or to terminate a relationship.
The magic tree of the Is rune is the Alder whilst its herb is the highly poisonous Henbane, the Crann-gafainn of Scottish magical herbalism. Is's basic polarity is female, and naturally, it corresponds with the Northern Tradition's 'fifth element', ice. This rune is ruled by Rinda, goddess of the frozen earth. It also relates to Verdandi, the Norn representing the present, 'that which is eternally becoming'. Its sound is 'EE'.
JERA
Jera, Jer or Jara is the twelfh rune. It means 'year' or 'season' referring to the cyclic nature of the seasons. Magically, Jera brings completion at the proper time. It can be used to bring forth a plentiful and rewarding harvest, but this can only happen after the right things have been done, to correct principles. Jera cannot act against the natural order of things but, if it is used under the correct conditions, results will be beneficial. When appropriate, it can speed up a process which is not proceeding quickly enough.
There are two basic forms for this rune. One is based on a standard upright stave, over which is written the diamond-shape of the Ing rune. Magically, this represnts the cosmic axis surrounded by the four seasons in their correct order. In this form, Jera is a pictogrphic representation of an actual object. It represents the harvest garland with its supporting pole. Its shape echoes its function, looking backwards to the old year, and forwards to the new, like the two-faced Celtic gods and the Roman Janus. in runic astrology, it is the rune of completion, marking the winter solstices, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.
Jera's other form is made from two angled staves, like two Ken runes. These interpenetrate one another without touching. This is it dynamic form. It represents change towards completion. In turn, this can have two forms, the 'clockwise' and the 'anti-clockwise'. In rune magic, the deosil form of Jera accelerates a process, whilst the opposite, widdershins, form, brings a slowing-down.(A personal note: I've used this many times when I would otherwise been late for an appointment by turning my finger counterclockwise over the face of the clock in my automobile and actually slowing down time and making it to my appointment with minutes to spare.)
Jera is related to the twon deities Freyja and Frey. Its shape reflects the mystic marriage between earth and the cosmos, or the transition through the seasons. Because it is a rune of balance, Jera's polarity is jointly masculine and feminine. It has the elements earth as its ruler, and its tree is the Oak. Jera's here is Rosemary. Its sound is 'J', as in 'jam'. (There is also some controversy here about Jera represent the astrological sign of Gemini among some students of the runes.)
