Study › Runes & Norse › Raidho
Raidho (ᚱ) is the fifth rune of the Elder Futhark. Its name means "ride", and its meaning is the journey: movement along the true road, the path itself rather than the arrival. Reversed, its meaning turns against you.
Keywords: journey, path, movement, direction, order
What does the Raidho rune mean?
Raidho is the fifth rune of the Elder Futhark. It comes after Ansuz, and Kenaz comes after it.
Its name means "ride", and more broadly any movement of something from one place to another. It stands for the path in every sense, including the philosophical and spiritual journey. The word is close to "right", in the sense of truth: the true path is the one that carries you to your goal, and Raidho is the archetype of movement toward a desired end. It is often used in magick of physical travel — protecting a journey, for instance — but also to set things moving in the right direction.
Raidho is the path itself: the process of moving from one point to another, from one state to another, from one level of wisdom to a higher one. It is the journey as a process, and in the physical world it is movement of any kind.
Its partner is Ehwaz, the horse that carries you along the road.
Raidho in a reading
Raidho in love
Upright: A journey taken together. A shared way forward. The relationship moves on. You are heading the same way. Things fall into place between you.
Reversed: Travelling apart. Ways that diverge. The relationship stands still. Wanting different things. Disorder and confusion between you.
Raidho and money
Upright: A business trip or expansion. A clear career path. Money moves where it should. Well-directed investment. Finances in order.
Reversed: A costly journey. The career stalls. Funds get stuck. Investments go astray. Financial disorder.
Raidho and health
Upright: Recovery is a journey. A clear route to better health. Movement heals. Heading in the right direction. A healthy routine.
Reversed: A long, hard road to recovery. Losing the way to health. Too little movement. Heading the wrong way. Routine breaks down.
Raidho on the spiritual path
Upright: Life as a spiritual journey. Walking your true path. Steady progress. A clear sense of direction. Harmony with the order of things.
Reversed: Wandering without purpose. Walking someone else's path. Progress halts. No sense of direction. Out of step with the order of things.
Raidho reversed
Reversed, Raidho stalls the journey: the way is blocked, the direction is wrong, and order breaks down. It asks you to stop and find the right road before going on.
Raidho in the rune poems
The rune poems are the oldest sources for the runes' meanings. Here is what each one says of Raidho, first as written, then in English.
Norwegian Rune Poem
Ræið kveða rossom væsta;
Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.Riding is said to be the worst thing for horses;
Reginn forged the finest sword.
Icelandic Rune Poem
Reið er sitjandi sæla
ok snúðig ferð
ok jórs erfiði.
iter ræsir.Joy of the horsemen
and speedy journey
and toil of the steed.
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
Rad byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte ond swiþhwæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.Riding seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors
and very courageous to him who traverses the high-roads
on the back of a stout horse.
Questions
How do you pronounce Raidho?
Say it "RYE-tho".
What does the Raidho rune look like?
Raidho (ᚱ) is like the letter R, with a pointed loop.
What does Raidho mean reversed?
It asks you to stop and find the right road before going on.