Nauthiz – "not-this", literally "need-fire" or "necessity", esoteric meaning "constraint, friction". Key concepts of this rune are: need, resistance, constraint, conflict, drama, effort, necessity, urgency, hard work, need-fire, life lessons, creative friction, distress, force of growth, the consequence of past action, short term pain for long term gain. Nauthiz governs:
- Overcoming distress or negative örlög ("unchangeable part of our fate")
- Acceptance of the unchangeable
- Development of magical will, the manipulation of wyrd (our fate)
- Understanding the dynamic force of "resistance" in the process of creating
- Generation of creative energy for problem solving
- Protection of one’s own needs
- Recognition of personal need
- Love magic, especially to obtain a lover
Invoking need is more powerful than wishing, but what we need and what we desire are not always the same. In this sense, Nauthiz can protect us from ourselves, but its lessons are often harsh. The force of the past exerts its effect on us in the present. Previous action catches up with us and attempts to restrain and restrict future action.