Runes

Runes were first used over 1500 years ago by the East Goths, and later appeared throughout England and Scandinavia. As Christianity took hold, the use of runic alphabets in divination became reviled as a pagan practice. The word "rune" itself comes from an early Anglo-Saxon word meaning "secret" or "mystery", and they remain an enigma to the world at large.

Runes were initially most popular among Wiccans and modern pagans, but have enjoyed unprecedented mainstream adoption in the past 30 years. Rune readings are arrangements of the 24 runes (letters) of the old Futhark alphabet.

The layout of the runes is known as a spread, and determines what each rune refers to. For example, in the Three Norns spread, the first rune represents the past, the second the present, and the third the future.

Sets: In addition to each rune having a meaning, the material in which the runes are carved can color the reading. Most people consistently use runes made of ceramic, stone, or wood.

Various readings can be had with the type of Rune being important to the outcome. These include:

• Gold Runes (for questions about business, career, and property),
• Jade Runes (for questions about love, friendship, and relationships),
• Ice Runes (for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement),
• Spirit Runes (for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion),
• Stone Runes (for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control).

Learning to use Runes

Once you lay your hand on a set, the first step in learning to read the runes must be to get to know the runes themselves. The book/manual accompanying the set of runes usually has a detailed explanation of what each rune stands for. But this doesn't necessarily mean memorizing interpretations out of a book; instead, take one rune each day, and meditate on it. There are several exercises you can do daily to aid in this: word association with the rune names, visualization, physical connection with the runes.

It certainly helps to keep a record of your rune readings in a notebook. Although it's not quite as easy to draw a nine-rune cast as it is to record a tarot spread, it might give you a more detailed reading. Even if a reading makes no sense to you when you do it, its meaning might become clearer later on, and this will encourage you to pay closer attention to your instincts.

As there are no reliable historical descriptions of runic divination, virtually any method one chooses can be considered valid. The important thing, however, is that you feel comfortable with the method you choose. Most people eventually end up devising their own method of reading, but here are a few to get you started in the meantime:

1. The One Rune Quick read
As you might imagine, this method is designed to provide a quick, concise answer to a specific question. Think of a specific question. Pull a rune out of the pouch and look at it. The answer may be an obvious 'yes' or 'no', or the rune might provide a more conditional response. If the rune you picked seems to make no sense at all as a response to your question, ask another question or try again later.

2. The Tree Rune Quick Read
This method is helpful in getting an overall fix on a given situation, and providing some idea about a future outcome. How much information you get out of it will depend on how much time you spend analyzing the reading and how well you understand the runes.

Pull one rune at a time. The first rune represents those events in the past which affect the current situation. Pull another rune—this represents the present situation, which frequently refers to a choice that needs to be made. Pull a third—this is the most difficult rune to interpret for it symbolizes the future or the outcome of the situation/question. In some cases it might represent the person's inevitable fate. In others, it might simply be the end result if the current situation remains unchanged, or even just one of several results. You must rely on your instincts to decide which is the case.

3. The Nine Rune Sread
This method will give you a more detailed overview of the situation, providing insight into where you are in terms of the spiritual path, and clarifying the options and possible outcomes available to you. Nine is a somewhat arbitrary number—you may use any number that feels comfortable to you. Pick nine runes from the pouch. Hold them between your hands for a moment, and focus on your question (if you have one). Then scatter the runes on the table, floor, or cloth. Read the runes which land face up first. These will relate to the current situation and the circumstances that led to it.
How the runes are read is largely subjective, but in general, runes lying in the center are the most immediately relevant, while those lying around the edges are less important, or represent more general influences. Runes that are close together or even touching often complement each other, or may even represent a single thing, while runes which fall on opposite sides of the pattern frequently represent opposing influences. Occasionally, a rune will land completely off the cloth or fall off the table. Some people consider such runes to be particularly significant, while others ignore them completely. Once you have looked at the runes which landed face up (and remembered which ones they are), turn over the rest of the runes without moving them from their positions. These represent outside or future influences, and will point to possible outcomes.

It is up to you to decide what the various positions and patterns in a reading mean, but once you have come up with a few general rules, try to stick with them. Try not to impose too much order on your readings and remember to go with your instincts. Just look at the patterns and relationships that appear in each reading and see what interpretations make sense to you.

Once the reading is done, I usually like to pull one more rune out of the pouch. This helps to confirm (or sometimes dispute) the conclusions drawn from the reading, and may provide a focus or center to an otherwise scattered and complicated cast.

Remember there is no right or wrong way—it is what works best for you!

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