The Wheel of the Year turns, and as we walk through the runic fortnight of Naudhiz, we find ourselves (that passive tense is no accident!) in the deep, still moment of waiting. This is the space before creation, the time when we can feel something stirring but have not yet seen the spark that will set it into motion. In Norse mythology, this moment is reflected in the cosmic void—Ginnungagap, the yawning abyss that existed before the worlds were formed.
On one side of Ginnungagap lay Niflheim, the frozen land of ice and mist, a place of stillness and potential. On the other, Muspelheim, the realm of fire, pulsing with chaotic energy. It was only when the ice of Niflheim met the fires of Muspelheim that creation began. Before every action, before every act of creation or transformation, there first comes a pause—a deep breath in the void before the first exhale of life.
The Sacred Pause: The Womb of the Goddess
In mythic traditions, this waiting is reflected in the cosmic womb. The mother Goddess stretches across the sky, encompassing the globe within her body, embodying all that is and will be. She is the great expanse of possibility, holding within her the stars, the future, and the yet-to-be-born. When we align ourselves with this energy, we recognize the sacredness of waiting—not as stagnation, but as preparation, as GESTATION.
Naudhiz, the rune of need-fire, of NEED, teaches us that necessity is the mother of creation. We do not create without need. We do not move without pressure. Naudhiz reminds us that friction—the heat that builds in moments of anticipation—fuels the fire of manifestation. But to rush too soon, to act before the fire has truly caught, risks burning out before the true work begins.
Ostara: The Dawn Beyond the Darkness
As we sit in the pause, gestating, waiting, we are preparing for Ostara, our spring equinox festival of rebirth and renewal. Ostara’s energy of new life is present in the world long before it fully manifests. The first sprouts push against the frozen ground. Snow crocuses bloom. Buds swell on the tree branches. The dawn glows before the sun rises. The chick stirs in the egg before it hatches.
In this liminal space of Naudhiz and Ostara, we are given the chance to prepare. To recognize our true needs (not just wants), to name them aloud and tend the fires of that need until we are ready to blaze into action with the world at our backs. It is a mistake to resist the waiting, to force action before its time, to blow too hard on the spark before it has a chance to become a flame.
How to Work With This Energy
If you feel caught in the in-between, if you are aching for movement but also sense that it is not yet time, here are some ways to embrace the waiting while preparing for the fire to ignite:
- Journal Your Needs: Naudhiz is the rune of necessity. What do you truly need right now? What is your soul craving? Write it down. Naming the need brings it closer to reality.
- Engage in Dreamwork or Meditation: Dreams and deep meditative states can reveal what is bubbling beneath the surface.
- Practice Iron Stillness: Breath mirrors the cosmic cycle of waiting and release. Practicing Stillness now helps guarantee it will be available to you when you truly need it.
Readiness is Everything
The wisdom of Naudhiz, Ginnungagap, and the waiting before Ostara boils down to a simple truth: readiness is everything. We are not meant to wait forever, but we are meant to be ready. Like a bowstring drawn taut, like the moment before a match flares to life, this is the time to prepare, to hold space for what is coming, and to ensure that when the spark bursts into flame, we are ready to step into the fire of creation.
What are you waiting for? And more importantly—will you be ready when the fire finally catches?