G is for Gebo, Gif, Gyfu - the Rune of giving and receiving

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Gebo, Gif, Gifu,(from now on) Gyfu is the rune of gifting, giving, receiving, positive bonds, balance, unspoken debt, inborn talents and sacred marriage, among other attributes. It often appears in prosperity charms.

The Anglo Saxon rune poem states:
"Gyfu is for every man a pride and a praise, help and worthiness. State and subset acne for those who have nothing."

Gyfu is the rune of the goddess, Gefion or Gefn. Gefion was the name of the goddess worshipped at the royal centre of Leire in Denmark (Diana Paxson "Taking Up the Runes, 2005)who may have been a goddess of agriculture.

Gyfu is not all about giving. It's also about receiving, exchange and reciprocity, bringing the act of giving into consciousness, gifts becoming creations freely accessible to all, to improve the world. It raises the higher self, like Odin sacrificing his eye to gain the knowledge of the runes.

In the Norse and Germanic cultures exchange was important at all levels to maintain a balance in society. The Poetic Edda tells that the two tribes of gods, the Aesir and the Vanir, fought a great war. When peace was (sort of) agreed there were hostages, an exchange of families to create balance.

Gyfu is concerned with the sacrifices we must incur in order to give something valuable to the world. So it also has a sacrificial aspect - such as giving the self completely to one another in a relationship.

Gyfu rules over all forms of sacrifices. It is a rune of swearing allegiances, like blood brothers.

Gyfu teaches us we have a mysterious gift, a part of ourselves that must be discovered, a talent that must be turned into a skill before we can effectively take control of our destiny. If we neglect or reject this gift we ignore the debt we have to the gods for giving us the talent.It governs the more esoteric exchanges, especially exchanges of energy or magical power, whether between individuals or between humans and the gods.

We need to focus on the positive rather than the negative to draw the gifts towards us.

Gyfu is also used in many bindrunes.

Magical Uses of Gyfu:

- Binding people to tasks, to their word;
- Strengthening bonds and maintaining relationships;
- Finding a new house, getting a job;
- Sealing oaths;
- Buying and selling;
- To counter selfish behaviour;
- Instilling loyalty in others;
- Sex magic;
- Spells for prosperity,integration or balance

Healing Uses of Gyfu:

- Counsellin;
- Releasing tension and stress;
- Balancing the flow of energies;
- Breathing difficulties, asthma;
- Liver conditions;
- Digestive and circulation problems

Tasks:

- Create something to give as a gift to the god. Bury, burn or cast it.
- Hold a meal in honour of the gods and goddesses or ancestors. Lay a place for therm.
Perform a ceremony, open the door and welcome them in
- Write a list of people influential in your life. Write them a letter or invite them for
a meal.
- Leave food outside for small animals.
- Read the Havamal, the Sayings of Odin, the High One, which has lots of advice on
generosity in it.
- Go through your clothes and books to give away.
- Meditate on the concept of giving.
- Carve or paint the Gyfu rune. Wear it or put iton your altar/Harrow.
- Make runic good wish cards.
- Give something to the homeless.
- Contact a friend you've lost contact with.
- Donate to a charity.
- Give yourself a day off.
- Do some magic for a friend.
- Make some Gyfu runes as jewellery and give them to friends.


The XXX at the end of a letter indicates love and kisses, invoking the luck of the Aesir and Vanir. So ......................
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