Hagalaz
Hail
About Hagalaz
Hagalaz opens the second aett with destruction — a sharp contrast to Wunjo's joy. This is intentional. The rune sequence mirrors life: just when things are going well, forces beyond your control intervene. Hagalaz is the hailstorm, the natural disaster, the crisis that strips away everything non-essential and forces transformation. It is not malicious but impersonal — nature's way of clearing the ground.
Upright Meaning
Disruption beyond your control. Hagalaz is the hailstorm that destroys the crop — sudden, violent, and impersonal. Something you built is being torn down, not because you failed, but because forces larger than you are at work. This is not punishment. It is transformation through destruction, clearing the ground for what comes next. You cannot stop the hail. You can only endure it and rebuild.
No Reversed Meaning
Hagalaz has no reversed meaning in most traditions. The hailstorm does not care which way it falls. Some readers note that in challenging positions, Hagalaz can indicate a crisis that has been building unseen, a natural disaster (literal or metaphorical), or the consequences of ignoring warnings that were clear in hindsight.