Mannaz represents our link to God. But, the Nordic mythology looks at this relationship in a way which is completely different than that presented in the Hebrew/Christian tradition. The Christian concept speaks of a pact or contract between God and His people. "But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shall come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee." [(Genesis 6:18) King James Authorized Version]. Or, "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates (Genesis 15:18)

However, the Nordic concept was not a contract or covenant. They believed the relationship between God and mankind was and is genetic. Mankind has inherited the essence of God. Mannaz represents a sociological, psychological, and biological tie to God. In other words, there is reason to believe the ancient Nordics saw man as the actual descendants of the Gods. Mannaz reminds us of this intimate tie, and tells us we can become more god-like by better knowing the Self.

The Nordic concept of man’s relationship to God can be better understood by understanding the story of the deity known as "the bright god," Heimdall. His father was Odinn himself, and he had nine mothers. The wave maidens. These nine maids were all giants and all very beautiful. Odinn fell in love with them and married all of them after finding them peacefully sleeping on the shore. When the time came, they combined to give birth to Heimdall, then nursed him on the strength of the earth, the moisture of the sea, and the heat of the sun.

As Heimdall was maturing, the Gods were completing Bifrest, the rainbow bridge, which connected heaven and earth and ended under the branches of the world tree, Yggdrasil. They were looking for a guardian for Bifrest. He was a natural, conceived by God and man, protecting a bridge between God and man. Not only that, but one legion tells how he walked the earth as Riger and fathered all humans.

In this interesting bit of Nordic mythology, Heimdall walks the earth meeting three couples: Great Grandparents, Grandparents, and Parents. Each couple befriended him and allowed him to stay in their home for three days. In each case, the wife was pregnant when he left. As the story goes, all mankind were born from these three births.

So, Heimdall represents the genetic relationship between God and humans on many levels. In the same way, Mannaz represents the ultimate archetypical being we should model ourselves after. It also reminds us of the seed of God, the spirit which is a part of us. Finally, it shows us that there is a divine path to better know the Self.

Mannaz also represents the combination of "mind" and "memory." In discovering the self, one must meditate on the past, following the examples of "godliness" given as examples. So, as we meditate on the Self we must "spiritually remember" our divine ancestors.

Finally, Mannaz is the rune of the moon. In Nordic mythology, the moon is a male symbol, as in the concept of "the man in the moon." The moon has a three-part cycle of dark - becoming - light. So, when we meditate and strive to know the Self. We move from the dark to the light, led by the example of the bright god, Heimdall. But the important part, where most of us are in our walk on the path, is the middle ground - becoming.

You well may feel a blockage of growth in your life if you draw Mannaz in reverse. If you see an external enemy keeping you from your goal, it may not be real. Instead, look to the inside. Your external enemy is just a mirror image of your internal enemy. Meditate and remain reverent.

Remember the Self is not "out there". The Self is within you. It is you. So, the problems of your spiritual life, or even those of your mundane life, cannot be solved by looking for enemies which are not in your control.

So, if you see habits which are impeding your growth, take the challenge. Armed with the power of meditation and keeping your spiritual sight aimed onto the Self, replace these actions and thoughts with ones more in keeping with the path of a spiritual warrior.