Hagalaz - The Meanings of the Runes
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Hagalaz, the ninth letter in the Elder Futhark alphabet, directly translates to "hail" or "hailstone". Any of the ancient rune poems which spoke of hail or hailstones, emphasized how damaging they could be. Hail is harsh weather that can destroy crops and damage structures. Yet hail also melts down to water eventually, which then nourishes the earth.
Sometimes hailstones were referred to as "ice eggs" or as "seeds of ice", both of which imply an object from which life erupts. According to Norse tradition, the entire earth used to be entirely covered in ice. It was from this ice which both the gods and all of creation emerged. This seems to suggest that hagalaz stands for potential and birth. It's also the ninth rune, which is the same number of nights that Odin hung from the Tree of Life in order to gain his own rebirth. This is in addition to several other significant uses of the number nine in Norse mythology.
A couple of other items of note--that we're not going to dig too far into in this bitesize article--are that if you look at the Younger Futhark representation of hagalaz, it looks like a six-pointed snowflake: a beautiful and powerful natural phenomenon. From there, some scholars draw the connection between snowflakes and a perfectly formed clear quartz crystal, something which can be used to channel and even magnify energy (hence its use in electronic components). Not that the ancient writers of the rune poems would know that, so take it as you will.
Etymologically, the word hagalaz is very similar to the High German word for "witch" and the Old Dutch word for "hag". It was believed that of the hag's powers, one of them was controlling the weather and bringing about hailstorms.
Overall, we have a very two-sided meaning to this rune: destruction and creation. Hail can causes devastation but melted hail can bring sustenance. In all of Norse mythology, death and birth are intrinsically linked.
In witchcraft, this is a powerful rune for protection as well as healing. However, you might want to combine it with another rune similar to whatever your agenda is in any spellwork. In a reading, hagalaz can signal either oncoming destruction in preparation for change. Whether that change is going to be a good thing or a bad thing will need to be determined by the context of the runes pulled with or surrounding hagalaz in your throw. It could also be letting you know that something you perceive as harmful is actually going to help you in the long run if given enough time or utilized appropriately. But remember, the runes don't just help us divine the future, they're often giving us advice. You must do the work of changing your perspective of the situation or working it to your benefit.
Summary
Direct translation: "Hail", "Hailstone"
Symbolizes: Potential, birth, destruction and creation
Features to note: A two-sided rune for death and birth, destruction for the sake of creation. Hagalaz may also have connections to witches, hags, and the control of weather.
Resources (paid links):
Taking Up the Runes by Diana L. Paxson
Runes for Beginners by Lisa Chamberlain
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