Perthro
Lot Cup / Mystery
About Perthro
Perthro is the most mysterious rune in the Elder Futhark — its exact meaning has been debated for centuries. Most scholars associate it with the casting of lots, the cup from which rune stones are drawn, and the concept of fate or wyrd. Perthro represents the mystery at the heart of existence: the unknowable forces that shape our lives despite our best efforts to understand them.
Upright Meaning
Mystery and hidden knowledge. Something is concealed — a secret, a possibility, a turn of fate that cannot be predicted. Perthro is the dice cup, the casting of lots, the moment before the outcome is known. Embrace uncertainty. The unknown is not your enemy; it is the space where all possibilities exist simultaneously. What is hidden will be revealed in its own time.
Reversed Meaning
Secrets exposed unwillingly, or a refusal to accept uncertainty. You may be trying to control outcomes that are inherently unpredictable, or a hidden truth is about to surface in an uncomfortable way. Reversed Perthro can also indicate stagnation caused by fear of the unknown — choosing the familiar prison over the uncertain freedom.