Hagalaz: (hail). Sort of The Tower of the Futhark world. There may be disruptive forces at work, requiring change. Frequently this is on an inner level; adjustments on world view and outlook may be indicated. It deals with the dark side of oneself, which is clamoring to be understood rather than shut away.
Nauthiz: (need-fire). I see this as relating to a primal need within a person; possibly even unconscious. This need is a motivating force, and seeks equilibrium. Something may be out of balance. What purpose, on any level, does the need serve? Working with this rune can help bring such answers to the fore, where the need can be addressed, satisfied, or dismissed. (Note -- needs and wants are not necessarily the same.)
Isa: (ice). A challenge, a frustration. A sense of self-containment and preservation are a part of this rune. It is a status quo, which may be necessary or it may be something to break down. (Or both and more, as life and living hold complexities.) It may relate to a sense of awareness of the "I", and it stands firm in ways that may make it an obstacle.
Jera: (year). Everything changes, in its own time. It can break through stagnancy. Overall, this is a positive rune, although it can indicate the return of unfinished business as well as the finished.
Eihwaz: (yew). Essentially, in working with this rune I find a strong connection to the Wiccan saying, "as above, so below". What one hopes to manifest on the higher planes can get a good boot by being dealt with on the lower. As well, when things are moving on the higher planes, changes may accompany this on the lower. This rune seems to represent the connecting, focal section between these (and other) planes. This can be a very strong and assertive rune.
Pertho: (lot cup). Mystery; the hidden. Forces we cannot fully comprehend, which act upon us. Part of the concept here is the wyrd, a form of "fate". There is also here the meaning of birth; one may consider that our birth is caused by events we (the being-born) cannot control. In a reading, I always like to see what runes this rune is near; it brings in the unexpected. (And from this can arise transformation.)
Algiz: (protection). Protection, a shield. It can be used to channel energies appropriately. It may represent life, at both ends of existence (life as well as death), as a normal state of affairs.
Sowilo: (sun). In the Norse and Germanic traditions, the sun is female, which gives it a different indication than the lore of other cultures. The rune symbolizes the consciousness of the inner self, and may indicate growth (in various ways). The blessings of the sun would improve Northern crops. (The solar cross is formed by two Sowilo runes, written in either direction. While I believe in reclaiming many things taken from us as Pagans, the damage mid-century done in the name of the solar cross keeps me from any interest in reclaiming that particular symbol.)