The rune Isa means "ice" among Icelanders. The shape of this rune represents an icicle: cold, hard, unyielding and capable of causing pain when touched.
When extended to ice in general with the rune is associated primarily with the type of ice that makes walking difficult.
The rune is associated with the slow, relentless glacier that is remarkably hard. Isa is also associated with the cold iron from which weapons are made.
The symbolic animals associated with Isa are the herds of reindeer that roam the snowy slopes, and wild boars.
The plant symbols of Isa include the alder tree and the poisonous herb black henbane. The rune is also associated with the number seven.
Like the infinitely slow moving glacier, the power of the rune Isa is said to be unstoppable. All that is needed when this rune is found in a reading is the rarest virtue, patience.
The appearance of Isa is most troubling when a question is asked about relationships because this icy rune predicts a time of emotional chill. However, this is not necessarily a permanent condition, as a thaw will eventually come and the ice will melt.
In other matters, Isa also slows events to a crawl. Business partnerships may go through a rocky patch because expected events will not happen when they are supposed to. You will also find that any blockages to your ambitions will turn out to be blessings in disguise because your goals and desires will change during the period of delay.
Although this rune is not the most comfortable to live with, and that it can be the most unsettling for relationships, the cool clarity of ice gives a calmness that guides to quiet contemplation.
The gift of Isa is a break from cluttered thinking that will allow you to see your situation and outlook more clearly. It can even show you how to avoid progress in the future, the pitfalls and slips that would otherwise occur.
If you are involved in a creative activity, it would be a good idea to take a break from it. Even if you think you're wasting time, nothing could be further from the truth. In this interval you can recharge your talents, and when the thaw is in you can pursue your tasks with renewed vigor.
Traditionally, the rune Isa is associated with the number seven, so its appearance could indicate a period of seven days. When it falls in the middle of a reading, one should emphasize the message of the other runes.
Isa is not meant to have a reverse meaning. However, if you choose to interpret it in the reversed position, the immobility it implies can be seen as a message that you cannot go any further and must change your direction completely.
