A Favorable Opportunity

“The torch is known to everyone by its flame;
bright and radiant,
it burns when the Atlings rest in the hall.”

The purposeful motion set by Raido parts the walls, and a shaft of light pierces the darkness. Fire comes from within and brings light. Such a light shining through clouds symbolizes the Rune Kenaz.

Kenaz (pine, torch, Kano, sometimes Kaun, ulcer) — the sixth Rune of the Elder Futhark, corresponding to the process of transition from neutrality to the activation of receptivity.

The mythic field of this Rune includes both the notion of the Sun made by the gods from the sparks of Muspellheim and the process of the Sun’s birth, as well as Muspellheim itself.

The Sun of Kenaz is still only a newborn Sun, the Sun of the Winter Solstice, still just a torch illuminating the worlds.

It still remembers how, in its journey through the Lower Worlds, it lit the depths of Svartalfheim and even looked into Hel. There it gathered strength, and now it is ready to manifest itself outwardly.

Therefore Kenaz symbolizes the actualization of potential, the transition of energy from potential to kinetic, and the realization of intent.

In the depths of Svartalfheim the fire of Kenaz served to shape matter, as a smith’s forge; thus this Rune represents embodiment, the Rune of smiths and of hot forging.

In this aspect Kenaz is associated not only with the Dwarves but also with Völund — king and smith of the Elves.

The newborn Sun is eager to live and to give life, yet it does so clumsily at times, sometimes freezing, sometimes scorching. The power of Kenaz often can be traumatic, though this is simply out of inexperience.

A mythic object related to Kenaz’s field is Freyr’s lost Sword. The myth says that Freyr gave his Sword to his servant Skirnir so he could woo Gerd on Freyr’s behalf. In other words, the Sun gives its fertilizing power to the Earth, and thus a bond between them arises.

Therefore the sphere of Kenaz also encompasses the process of conception (including pregnancy and childbirth as a single process).

The Prose Edda says that it was precisely the absence of his sword that led to his death at Ragnarök. Freyr is killed by his antagonist — the fire giant Surtr. The warming fire, the illuminating fire, becomes a consuming, destructive fire when control over it is lost.

The use of Kenaz in magic included not only the pursuit of knowledge; this Rune was also used as a protective rune (dispersing darkness), as a love-charm (since it expresses, among other things, the fire of sexual desire), and to aid embodiment of intent.

Graphically Kenaz is related to Nauthiz and Gebo, which points to the Torch’s connection, firstly, to the process of kindling fire and, secondly, to the importance of light in achieving harmony (agreement is possible only when everything is clear).

Clumsy use of Kenaz awakens the forces of Surtr. The fire becomes merely scorching and destructive. Instead of opportunity, burning occurs, burning away the old shell (which, however, can also be favorable in promoting further growth).