Ankh Layout
Difficulty: Kind of tough
The Ankh Spread is for questions about the causes behind trends. It is similar to the Celtic Cross and Secret of the High Priestess layouts, but it covers the reasons behind the circumstances in question differently, perhaps giving a better explanation of why things are the way they are.
The loop of the upper section of the ankh reveals the spiritual background and causes of the situation, while the stem of the base focuses on prospects for the outcome.
The first two runes represent the two parent causes of the situation. They will either complement each other or show two opposing sides of a conflict, depending on how they relate. These are the significator runes of the Ankh layout.
3. This rune shines light upon the early causes of the trend in question.
4. Pinpoints the causes that triggered the current situation.
5. Reveals the spiritual perspective of the subject at hand.
6. This rune examines the reasons why this course of action had to unfold, as a means to this end.
At this point, it is good to pause to soak in the meaning of the first six runes before moving forward to the last three runes. The last three reveal prospects for the future.
7. The Next Step gives clues about the immediate future.
8. Surprising Experiences encountered en route to the result.
9. This represents the result.
Your Ankh Reading
| Early Causes | Higher Perceptions  Dagaz |
Triggering Causes |
 Berkano |
Necessary Conclusions |  Uruz |
| Significator #1 |  Laguz |
Significator #2 |
 Naudhiz |
Next Step |  Elhaz |
 Eihwaz |
||
Surprising Experiences  Sowilo |
||
Outcome  Kenaz |
Significator #1
Naudhiz
Naudhiz warns about awareness of one's limitations. But resistance builds strength. Delays, restrictions, confusion, conflict, and the will to defeat them. Endurance, survival, determination. Patience and endurance are called for. Innovation, adaptation, and independence. The will power to direct fate.
An opportunity may not be what it seems. You may want to wait before making any important decisions. Tension in relationships is likely. If a risk has been taken, results are still forthcoming. Stress, and frustration are also associated with this sign.
Significator #2
Elhaz
Elhaz is concerned with security, protection, and defence. Warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher purpose, divine inspiration, channelling energy or spirits, spiritual enlightenment. This rune is connected to shamans and alternative medicine that are no longer popular in today's society. May indicate a need of retreat for introspection.
Follow your instincts. Elhaz warns that people may want to push you into doing something against your will. You must stand your ground to maintain the rewards of your success or to maintain a position earned.
Ill-dignification warns you to watch for people taking advantage of you. Be careful not to take on their burdens. Can mean hidden danger, deception, confusion, reversal of fortune, weakening of the divine link. Taboo, warning, peril, repugnance. A creative drought.
Early Causes
Berkano
Berkano is a rune of desire, fertility, birth, growth, regeneration, renewal, new beginnings, celebration, and liberation. A love affair or new birth. A prosperous partnership, team, enterprise, or venture.
Ill-dignification suggests something may be stunting the growth process. It may be necessary to examine your choices, and to go back and correct mistakes before moving forward again. There could be family problems or someone close to you that has you worried. Reckless abandon, going wild. Loss of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation.
Triggering Causes
Uruz
Self-improvement is the ideal of this rune, which indicates the formation of a pattern of success. Responsibility and authority earned raise one's personal stock. New awareness makes it possible to capitalise on new opportunities, and this rune's appearance suggests that opportunity is about to knock. This rune suggests a period of wonder and adventure before adaptation settles in. Beginner's luck, freedom, electricity, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, experience. Masculine sexual potency.
Higher Perceptions
Dagaz
This is the rune of the day, daylight, and summer time. This rune heralds new perspective and new opportunity. Breakthrough in awareness, an awakening. Achievement of spiritual equilibrium by coming to the place where opposites meet.
A prosperous time to plan out or embark upon a new project. You recognise the power that is in your own hands. Ambitions and ideals run high. Smart work pays off. Self-reliance, independence, security, and self-assuredness.
Ill-dignification can mean coming to the end of the road, reaching the maximum limit, coming full circle, blindness, confusion, and despair.
Necessary Conclusions
Laguz
Laguz is related with water and the sea. Flow, a fertility source, the healing cycle of constant change renewal. This is a strong feminine rune of intuition that also relates to fertility.
Heightened imagination and psychic abilities. Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the occult. A breakthrough in awareness. Success in travel or acquisition, but presenting the possibility of loss.
Ill-dignification suggests you're taking things too hard. Prevent your emotions from running wild. This indicates of a period of confusion. Lack of creativity and feelings of being in a rut may lead to bad decisions and poor judgement. Circumstances may be beyond your control, so the trick is to adapt. Terror, circular logic, avoidance, cowardice, madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, depression.
The Next Step
Eihwaz
Eihwaz is a rune of progress. The desire for material gain provides motivation and a sense of purpose. It indicates a plan being formulated and moving forward. May indicate a person who can be trusted. Some keywords are: honesty, dependability, reliability, endurance, strength, defence, protection.
Ill-dignification can mean: confusion, delays, disturbance, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.
Surprises
Sowilo
Sowilo is the sun; the life source of the world, the destroyer of ice. The life-force, health. A time when you will be able to grab the reins of power to make positive changes in your life. It is a rune of fortune, health, clarity of thought, vitality, accomplishment, and victory. Contact between the higher self and the unconscious.
Success, glory, honour, victory, health, and success. Wholeness, fullness, raw power, primordial force, natural phenomenon, sword of fire, baptism by fire. This very powerful and generally positive rune sheds the light of a sunny day on a reading.
Ill-dignification suggests bad ideals, bad company, tainted victory, trickery. Excessive force, destruction, retribution, bad karma.
The Outcome
Kenaz
This is the primary female rune, representing things such as motherly instincts, guidance and support, intuition, and love. Spiritual visions, revelation, esoteric knowledge, inspiration, creativity, technical ability.
A sign of success, particularly in artistic endeavours. Vitality, harnessed ability, transformation, and reinvention. The pioneer spirit, the power to create your own reality. The power of light, to uncover and inspire.
Female passion and sexual desire. Being exposed, loss of illusion and false hope. It can conversely serve as a reminder that a loss may seem unpleasant, but that it can be a blessing in disguise.
