A somewhat negative rune, the meaning of Nauthiz is apparent in its other spelling, Nied-pronounced "need." When Nauthiz appears in a reading, it almost always indicates something that the querent needs. What that something is will often be spelled out in the surrounding runes. Most important, though, is that until the querent does something about this need, she will be restricted or constrained from moving forward.
Sometimes Nauthiz will appear as a warning of upcoming trouble, delay, ill health, or shortage of some kind, and because of this, Nauthiz can be interpreted to mean "maintain the status quo." Personal experience of Nied ... the catchphrase associated with the rune is 'Now Thyself' ... the long dark night of the soul.
As a result rune, Nauthiz indicates that the querent will get what he/she wanted, but what he/she wanted may not have been what he/she needed, and the situation may continue. Sometimes in commercially available rune sets, Nauthiz appears to be nonreversible.
There are some indications that this rune can be reversed, however. If Nauthiz reversed appears, it indicates that querent is taking an inappropriate or misguided course of action, either against the advice of people who know better or against the querent's own conscience. In an otherwise negative cast, failure is inevitable. In an otherwise positive cast, the querent may succeed, but at a high cost-amends will have to be made, and usually the debt is repaid by suffering in another, seemingly unrelated aspect of the querent's life.
Nauthiz is associated with Skuld, the Norn of the future. (bewitching ways)