The number eight is highly significant in many esoteric traditions, the Gnostics, the Kabbalist and some satanic cults. In Asatru the number eight
is also a magic number, because our
faith in the god's is rooted in the ancient wisdom of the Goths. Whose, eight sided Octogen star was symbol of all knowledge.
The learning of the runes in their historical setting is of utmost
importance to all who follow the Asatru faith. It is through our knowledge of the Runes that we harness the power of the god's on earth.t There
are 24 runes in the Germanic rune row known as the futhark these 24
runes are split up into three groups of eight known as Aetter an old
Norse word meaning eighth. Later the Viking rune row was made up of sixteen again a multiple of eight namely two x eighth = sixteen. The soul of Teutonic troth is only found in our understanding of the power of runes when grouped in Aetts
.
Eight is the holy number of the Teutonic troth there are eight hours in the old Icelandic day. Tiw was served by eight white Valkyries in his feasting hall, there are eight feasts each year held in the Asatru faith. The Goths believed Tiw was god of magic whose power came from the number eight symbolises the virtues of wisdom, knowledge, making eight a holy number.
On the day of doom when evil is fought, Wotan called the enchanted trees to gather and to fight at Ragnarock on his side. There were eight trees at the great battle, when Wotan casts his magic runes and brought the trees to life. All
trembled before the Oak in heaven and in middle earth, the Holly stood to
defend our world as a door keeper against our foes . The Alder came, the
giant Elm struck a mighty blow. The gloomy Ash the saviour of the world with the Hawthorn, Birch and Beech of the great forest's formed the defensive wall that defended the Vanier. Eight trees represented Wotan's magical power.
